Hospitality on a Budget

Dessert

Make up a pan of brownies or a sheet cake and invite a family over for dessert. Super simple and you don’t have to worry about a main dish.

Popcorn and Games/Movie

This again skips the pressure of having to make a meal. Make up some buttery popcorn and a batch of kettle corn and pull out a few games to play.

Tea and Muffins

Invite a mom over one afternoon and let the kids play while you enjoy tea, muffins, and fellowship.

Cookies at the Park

Make up a batch or two of cookies (made with butter you bought on sale and stocked up in the freezer) and text some of your friends with kids and have them meet up at a local park.

Simple Meal

If you go for a meal, remember it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Go for easy and affordable. Use what you already have in the fridge or what’s on sale. Soup and homemade bread is one of my favorite frugal options. Pasta also tends to be a budget friendly (and kid friendly) option. Also, don’t worry about sides. If you have them, great, if not that’s fine too.

Simple

Don’t stress about decorations or drinks. Go for less unless you already have things to use. Watching after holiday clearance sales are a great way to add a few decor items to your stash for future events.

Potluck

You don’t have to do it all! Pick a theme and invite a few families over for a potluck. Perhaps Mexican, baked potato bar where everyone brings toppings, Italian, finger foods, or just a good old church style potluck.

Meet up at Free Community Events

Watch out for fun events in your town. Meeting up with friends for the Rodeo Parade or hitting up the ladies’ night out at a local store doesn’t cost either of you anything and it is still fun.

Coffee Shop or Restaurant

This one has the potential to not be budget friendly so plan carefully. Find a local place with some frugal items on the menu – a mug of black coffee or hot tea might cost you under $2. Split an appetizer. To save money, be sure to watch whether you are expected to tip or not.

Picnic table with apples and candle on it. Hospitality on a budget.

Hospitality at my house isn’t elaborate.

There aren’t 5 course meals or grilled steak on the menu. However, no one has gone hungry and the food is always appreciated.

Find simple things to do that work with your budget. Don’t stress. Just invite people in and enjoy their company.

What are you favorite ways to show hospitality on a budget?

If you are an introvert and find yourself struggling with hospitality, be sure to check out this post for encouragement!

For a lot more info on hospitality and learning to just open the door to your home and life, be sure to check out Jen Schmidt’s new book!

Picnic table with apples and candle on it. Frugal hospitality.

Dining room table with sign on it. Hospitality on a budget.

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Easy Sourdough Waffles

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Easy Sourdough waffles with butter and maple syrup.

These easy sourdough waffles are on our menu weekly.

Well, make that more than once a week. The kids eat them for breakfast at least twice and then we normally make them for Saturday lunch as well.

Not only are they easy, these are the best sourdough waffles!

I recently delved into the vast world of sourdough. Wow, so much information and so much science. It’s fascinating. I don’t have the brain power (or energy) to be an expert sourdough maker but thanks to a starter my brother-in-law gave me I’m enjoying switching some of my regulars over to natural yeast.

If you don’t have a brother-in-law quite as impressive as mine 😉 , (affiliate link coming) there are sourdough starters you can purchase on Amazon! You really can find everything there.

Besides these easy sourdough waffles, we also make sourdough sandwich bread and pizza dough weekly.

Because I’m not an expert, I’m not going to give you advice on starting or maintaining your starter, but I’m going to work on a post of my go to resources!

I use recently fed sourdough in this recipe. I mix it up in the evening and the sourdough was fed that morning up to 3-4 hours prior.

Easy Sourdough waffles with butter and maple syrup.

Easy Sourdough Waffles (aka The Best Sourdough Waffles)

Equipment Used (affiliate links):

5.0 from 1 reviews

Easy Sourdough Waffles

Serves: 6 waffles

Ingredients

Night Before:

1 cup sourdough starter (fed that day)
1½ cups unbleached white flour
1 cup water

Next Day

½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar, optional

Instructions

Combine sourdough starter, flour, and water in a glass mixing bowl. Depending on thickness of your starter you might have to adjust water. Cover and let sit overnight.
The next day preheat waffle iron.
Stir all remaining ingredients together (salt, baking soda, vanilla, melted butter, eggs, and sugar if desired) and pour on top of the sourdough mixture.
Stir with a fork until combined.
Cook in waffle maker until golden brown.
Top with butter and maple syrup.

Notes

I do not use sugar in my waffles.
If making waffles for lunch I still start them the night before. If I am making waffles for supper, I start the process in the morning.

Easy Sourdough waffles with butter and maple syrup.

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Cheap gift ideas for her

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Great list of cheap gift ideas for her! Perfect for your friend, sister, mom, coworker and they are all under $10 and on Amazon Prime!!! #frugal #gifts #giftideas #presents #budget #christmas #birthday #mom #sister #presentforher

I use affiliate links in my posts. If you purchase through them I receive a small portion of sales. Check out my disclosure for more info.

It can be hard to find Christmas presents on a budget – especially if you have a long list of people to buy for. Cheap is probably not the best word, maybe frugal or budget friendly is better but I have a list of cheap gift ideas for her!

The her might mean mom, sister, friend, or co-worker.

Each of these gifts are $10 or under and they are all available on Amazon prime (or were when I put it together 😉 )! Hooray for affordable gifts that you don’t even have to leave your house for.

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Cheap Gift Ideas for Her:

1. Mugs. I love having my tea in a cute mug. There are a lot of cute mugs out there. Check out some of these on Amazon. This pink Do All Things in Love mug, or this on that says Always be Joyful in Hope. Of course there always something like this with polka dots. Target and Walmart should have some cute options in the store as well.

2. Coloring Book for Grown Ups. Countless options out there, so if you know a specific interest you could probably find a book to go with it. There are also a lot of basic coloring books. Check out these two to get you started.

3. Colored Pencils. These would be great to accompany the coloring book. Check out this brand to get top of the line pencils. There is a small set available for under $10. Or you could always go with this package from Crayola.

4. Scarf. A blanket scarf, infinity scarf, or a light weight shawl wrap scarf are all fun options.

5. Socks. Here are some cute owl socks, this pack has geometric shapes, some wool socks, or these that have foxes on them.

6. Wood Sign. You could go inspirational like this or this, get something for the coffee lover, book lover, or use it to tell your friend just how much you love them.

7. Journal. Bullet journals are super popular so something like this would be appreciated or else a hardcover banded journal. You could also go for a more inspirational cover like this or this.

8. Pens. A 12 pack of assorted colored felt tipped pens would go great with the journals or even by themselves – list making will be a lot more enjoyable. 😉

9. Soy Candles. Soy candles are a little more expensive but they are better for you. Here is a woodwick candle, a Mrs. Meyer’s peppermint candle, and a vanilla rose candle.

10. Chocolate. Everyone needs a chocolate stash, right? Be the favorite and replenish your friends. Here are a couple options. If you have a Trader Joe’s I love their chocolate bars. Or check out the natural section of your grocery store for brands like Endangered Species, Alter Ego, and Green & Black.

11. Tea or Coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker but if your friend is, buy local or gourmet coffee beans or ground coffee. If they are a tea lover, a new box of tea is always fun. I enjoy Yogi (one of my favorites is this), Stash (I love this one), and Tazo.

12. Relaxation. Have you ever used a head scratcher? We bought one a few years ago and they feel amazing. This set comes with a back scratcher too. If your friend is a bath lover you could also do bath salts.

13. Books. My sister recently read this book by Emily Freeman and said it was amazing. I read this missionary biography a couple years ago and was inspired by it and I read Unbroken last year and LOVED it. Check out this post for more ideas.

14. Gift Cards. In can be hard to spend money on ourselves, so a gift card is a little guilt free spending splurge. Some ideas are you local bookstore or coffee shop, a favorite fast casual restaurant, Target, Starbucks, or Amazon.

15. Slippers. Don’t laugh, but I bought my first pair of slippers a couple years ago. Super cheap soft soled ones and I wore them out! Last year my husband got me another pair with rubber soles so I could toss mine. I’m a slipper convert for those winter months.

16. Nail Polish. Stuff the slippers or mug with a few little extra items. Some non toxic polish would be a fun little extra.

So, what are your favorite cheap gift ideas for her? Any well loved, budget friendly ideas I should add to my list?

If you are looking for more help on your gift lists, be sure to check out these posts:

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New Mexico Style Pizza

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This New Mexico Style PIzza is an amazingly tasty twist on traditional pizza. Salsa verde makes the base of the sauce and so many flavorful toppings. Must make soon! #pizza #pizzanight #mexican #texmex #salsaverde #cilantro #supper #chicken #turkey #leftoverturkey

I use affiliate links in my posts. If you purchase through them I receive a small portion of sales. Check out my disclosure for more info.

I have an amazing pizza recipe for you today. It’s a little bit different. In fact, you’ve probably never made or even eaten one quite like it. What exactly is it? New Mexico Style Pizza! Think Mexican pizza with a twist.

My mom found this recipe when I was growing up and I recently had to email her and ask for it, because I had to make it. 🙂 It’s been made several times in my house over the past few months. It was even a hit with company.

Salsa verde and a little lime juice make the perfect sauce. Then we top it with chicken, corn, green onions, and cheddar cheese. After it comes out of the oven sprinkle with cilantro and top with sour cream if you’d like. (Though it’s just as good without the sour cream.)

See what I mean? It’s unique and full of flavor.

I think this recipe would also be a great one to use up some of that leftover turkey on. Swap the chicken for turkey and your family won’t even think of Thanksgiving as they eat this.

If you are looking for a pizza crust recipe, check out this one that I have. Pizza dough is super easy and forgiving. Plus, making it means you can get your preferred crust thickness. You could also buy refrigerated pizza dough (Trader Joe’s sells one) or a prebaked crust.

New Mexico Style Pizza

5.0 from 1 reviews

New Mexico Style Pizza

Ingredients

½ cup salsa verde (see notes for more info)
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon oregano
1 cup cooked chicken
½ cup frozen corn, thawed
½-1 cup cheddar cheese (or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
3 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro
6 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
Pizza dough (or a large crust)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix together the first 5 ingredients.
Roll out pizza dough (I do a 14 inch circle), place on pizza stone, and spread with the sauce mixture.
Top with chicken, corn, green onions, and cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with cilantro and sour cream (if desired).
Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Notes

The original recipe called for a lot more sauce, so feel free to double the sauce ingredients if desired. We found that ½ cup of salsa verde was the perfect amount for one pizza.

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Best Gifts for a Preschool Boy

1. Scooter

At 4, my son has been scooting for several years now and can be quite the daredevil. I think learning to ride a scooter helped him learn to bike ride without training wheels easily too.

2. Train Set

Trains. Is there anything else to say. We have tracks at home and when we go to children museums he still goes right for the train table.

3. Dinosaurs

My kids are obsessed with these creatures and we have quite the assortment of dinos at our house. They often make an appearance with the train tracks.

4. Construction Trucks

We can spend hours watching trucks at a construction site and he loves taking his trucks into our yard and creating his own work site.

5. Puzzles

I’m always surprised how much my preschooler loves puzzles – but he can sit there and do one after another.

6. Bike

If it helps him go fast, my son is all over it. He’s always asking to ride bike.

7. Sandbox

The perfect place to put those construction trucks to work. 😉

8. Books

Books about their favorite subjects are always a hit. In our house that means books all about trains, trucks, and dinos with a few other favorites mixed in.

9. Coloring/Art Supplies

The perfect thing to get creative with and practice drawing trains and dinos. If you are brave by some paint. It’s a little messy, but my 4 year old loves it.

10. Building Kit

My guy also loves using a hammer and helping his dad with projects. This kit is similar to the projects that Lowe’s used to offer and he loved.

11. Games

Games with parents and siblings are a favorite. These are the ones that my son says are his favorite – and he really does pick them out the most frequently. Hiss is his number one pick.