Debt Diva-Making Christmas in July Frugal & Fabulous

The Debt Diva is having a Christmas in July giveaway from July 27 through July 30. Each day features a new topic and The Debt Diva wants to know what hints, tips, and tricks you have up your sleeve when planning your Christmas holiday. Submit one awesome tip and walk away with a $100 Visa gift card; a present anyone can use!

Today's topic: Frugal & Fabulous Gift Ideas.

My tip: everyone loves a gift basket and what better basket than one everyone can use? I clip coupons and watch for sales throughout the year and stock up on cleaning supplies. I purchase a cleaning caddy

and load it up with cleaning supplies. If you're feeling particularly sassy, you can also decorate those caddies with a hot glue gun and some beads or sew a padded handle grip with a Velcro closure to make the caddy attractive, eye-catching and personalized. Yes, my craft skills are limited but I brought in the big guns: my 12 year-old daughter. My daughter and I had a blast blinging out that boring caddy. We used a bunch of craft beads and crystals I had in my craft cupboard. Because I shopped sales and used my coupons, for under $25 we had a personalized present with products everyone can use; cleaning supplies, paper towels, sponges and even a bright-colored feather duster I found at the dollar store.

Before wrapping, I enclosed the following note:

Washing windows, mopping floors,
cleaning cupboards, all those chores.
You pick the day and without complaint
I'll help you clean without restraint.

My mother loved her "Maid-for-a-Day" Caddy. She cashed in a few weeks later and we spent an entire day together purging her "to do" list. She actually asked for another caddy for Mother's Day.

If you'd like a chance to enter the Debt Diva Christmas in July giveaway, just follow the Debt Diva on Twitter and watch her site; each day at 10am a new question will be posted for you to answer. You can submit your response via Twitter, the Debt Diva Facebook page, your own blog, or the Debt Diva site. Winning $100 Visa card would be frugal living at its finest.