This is a super gift idea I love to make! It’s all in the packaging that people absolutely love! Whether it is for a baby shower gift, birthday, anniversary, graduation, get-well, thank you, housewarming or Christmas gift… they will be the hit of the party! You can make them for any occasion! I have made these for gifts several times and they have always been received with huge smiles! The most memorable was 2 that I made for a friend’s baby 
shower. She was having twins (one boy & one girl) so I did two of them! There were all kinds of amazing gifts, including some very expensive ones. I spent about $20 total for the two gifts and yet everyone was picking them up, oooing & awwwing them before & after the gifts were opened. And my friend I made them for loved them! In fact, I had moved out of the area and about 7 years after that shower, I reconnected with that friend via email & she brought up again how much she loved those “baby shower” gifts I made! Years later, she has pictures of them in her baby books & mentioned them to me again! It made me smile a deep down smile! The contents were similar for each of the 2 gift bottles I made that day, but with variations including items & ribbons with slightly different color combinations. I put a
small teddy bear in each, plus various baby gifts such as small rolled up baby blankets & cleaning cloths, a rattle and various other baby related items I bought from the dollar store. When I purchased them I noted the colors, so that each would have different but similar items. Next I purchased ribbons in 3 colors. You don’t have to use three colors, I just personally like to. I know how to make bows as I was a florist many years ago, but if you aren’t a prticularly good at making bows, just buy a cool ribbon “bow” that matches the colors of your ribbons or that has ribbons that stream down from it.
The secret to this cool idea is that it is basically an illusion. Even when you turn the bottle around to the back, you have to really look at it to see the “cut” slit down the back of the bottle. The hardest part is holding the slit open to get your items placed inside the bottle (It hurts & you could cut yourself on 
the cut plastic if you aren’t careful. You may want to wear thin gloves.) You will also need tissue paper as a filler to hold items in place. You can get white or soft colors, your choice. But I suggest using 1 soft color so you don’t take away the impact of the gift items inserted in the bottle. You will want to purchase 1 item for the main attention focus that takes at least 1/3 of the space in the bottle, but no more than 1/2 the space. For this gift my focus item was a little cute teddy bear. You will then purchase a few items to fill in the rest of the bottle space in front & back. It only takes a few items to do so. If you use the dollar store you can get really cute items and spend no more than $10 for everything including tissue paper and ribbon/bow! What a cool gift for such a great value! Wait ’til you hear everyone go on & on about it! People are literally fascinated with
them! But the most awesome experience is to see the gift recipient’s eyes light up and the smile & puzzled look as to how you got those things in there! Every gift I have given inside of a clear bottle like this has been a huge hit!
Start with a clean dry 2 liter (or any size or type) plastic soda bottle. Use a sharp knife or box-cutter to cut a slit from 2 or 3 inches down from the top to a couple inches from the bottom. If you are using a bottle that has a harder plastic base at the bottom as some soda bottles do cut to that base. If it is clear plastic all the way down allow at least 2 inches uncut at the bottom of the bottle. At the top of the slit, make a vertical cut so you have a “T-shaped” cut (see diagram).
Visually get an idea where you want to place the items inside the bottle. Insert tissue paper on the bottom of the bottle (or if a spa bottle or theme gift you can place glass decor beads or river rocks, etcetera) then place your focus item in the bottle and surround with gently scrunched tissue paper followed by the various items you have
chosen. Work on the front first and then fill in the back with an item or two and tissue paper as well. If you are doing a spa items gift or birthday gift for a woman you may want to add a few silk flowers with your tissue paper throughout the gift. If it is a New Year’s party gift for the host you may want to put little party horns throughout… use your imagination… there is no limit to what you can do! Once the bottle is completed with the gifts, gently move the “slit” back into place. Another optional idea you can do, is glue a ribbon around the cap & a matching ribbon around the bottom of the bottle also if you choose to. (Make sure your “seams” are in the back of the bottle.) Now tie your ribbons around the bottom of the cap & cut the ribbons to stream at various lengths down the bottle. If you know how to “curly cue” the ribbon by running the edge of your sissors or a knife along the back of the ribbons, you may want to curly cue some of them. Last make and secure a nice full bow to the cap, over your tied ribbons. Or, just adhere your store bought bow with streamers and/or curlies. Attach a cute little gift card and you are good to go! One warning: Once you make one of these, expect people to hint (or full out ask) you to make them one for their next gift occasion!
you are referring to a home you “own” and are paying a monthly mortgage. First, as you probably know by now, there are several different subsidy type programs available now through the stimulus plans
economy that your opening up a room(s) in your home to an individual, couple or even small family, could be a tremendous blessing to both families or individuals. Make sure that you get references and check people out if you don’t know them. You could certainly bring in a substantial amount of monies on a monthly basis to help you retain your home. There may be someone in your current neighborhood that has lost their home and wants to keep their children in the same schools and not have further displacement in their family life. Your coming together could be a tremendous blessing to both families. You may want to sit down and discuss these options with your spouse and children to pave the way. If you find the right “fit”. Be sure and sit down with the prospective individual/couple/family, and discuss specifics prior to their moving in or there are any agreements made, so you are all “on the same page” and understand the parameters for all concerned. Determine if & when kitchen and/or laundry priviledges will take place or if everything is seperated or if you will share some meals. Do you split the refrigerator and cupboard areas between the families? There are many specifics to discuss or lay out. All of these things are unique to you and the person, couple or family moving in. It is important that these things are discussed openly up front so everyone feels comfortable with the new “arrangements”.
do so. Many apartment complexes will allow a new roommate as long as they register with the property management. 
remember it, will never
Our entire family, My Dad, Mom, myself at 11 & my 3 younger sisters (at that time: 10, 7 & 3) also sat on my parent’s bed (the only time we ever did that) and watched the fuzzy black & white image on TV. The excitement rose as I heard those now famous words: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It wasn’t until years later as an adult, that I realized 
For your date time with your husband: In lieu of going out to dinner at your favorite 
discoveries. You might find that you have been missing out on a whole lot by taking the easy road (like a big meal out and/or movies out with all the super expensive eats) of “entertainment” for so long! Hey, have fun out there! If you don’t feel like getting out… why not grab a good book or put on some music (or both) and light a few candles and relax for a while. Life doesn’t have to be expensive to enjoy. The simple things, laughing hilariously at a silly joke, relaxing in a hot bath to candle light, gazing out over a lake or waterfall, watching your kids play in the park, reading a good book or writing a good book, painting a sunset or watching a sun rise or set… now that’s what I call living at it’s best!
If you had said that both of you were working, I still would have advised against financing a new vehicle right now. Given your current circumstances I would strongly advise you go another route. I am sure this is not the answer you are looking for. Let me explain the whys of my answer: 
nearly as much as the vehicle I finally bought. It is a buyer’s market. But that doesn’t mean you won’t need to take time and effort to find the best fit and value for you. 
Many choose this lifestyle for many different reasons. One of the most basic reasons is: life circumstances. Some vandwellers began to dwell in their vehicles as a necessity due to long work commutes. Many vandwellers started out as displaced individuals due to divorces/break-ups, loss of a job, financial troubles, a lease ending and not ready to sign another. Most recently, epidemic proportions of foreclosures have propelled many into vehicle living. If they own a van, they are blessed to have the room to outfit it to better meet their needs. Others have read and researched about the freedoms the RV lifestyle could give them. However, they either can’t afford an RV or would rather live and drive a van knowing it can fit into almost any situation. Vans are an excellent choice for a dwelling as well as transportation option. I prefer a high-top van for the additional space and the ability to stand and move about more easily. However, there are many that prefer mini-vans for their fuel efficiency, so it is definitely a personal choice just as a brick and mortar home is. Often once one has experienced vandwelling and the fear of the unknown is no longer an element, they find they like it! The personal & financial freedoms it allows, the monies saved on overall living expenses are powerful motivators toward the vandweller. But once one realizes that he/she has the courage to be different/unique in the face of a mostly “genericly followed societal guidelines world” as well as the freedom to live on less and experience so much is downright intoxicating! Most often vandwelling is a temporary or seasonal choice (some travel across the USA for several months or a year, others during a certain time period of life events) but there are many who have vandwelled more often than not for many years. I personally believe the secret is in outfitting one’s vehicle to best suit their needs, comfort & style. For more about vandwelling and the mobile lifestyle check out: 
of a much larger RV, however most of them would probably refer to themselves as “RV’ers” or “Full-timers” instead of “Vandwellers”. Most vandwellers’ (which actually refers to the person rather than the vehicle) vans look like any other van from the outside. It is typically the inside of the van that tells the tale. The majority of vandwellers are those driving converted vans. Many of those converted living spaces are self built/converted. To get an idea of what some interior set-ups look like and/or include, I have a slide show of varied samples of actual vandweller interior living spaces on my website: LordandCurtiss.ws 
I am a 50 year young, God loving divorced mom of one adult son. I have spent most of my life working far more hours than I should. I have been overly responsible and had always worked myself to the ultimate (& at times ridiculous) to build other people’s businesses… and I have been pretty successful at it!
ways of living can be a God send! You may just find that what started out as a temporary “hardship” measure, to be something you actually enjoy. If nothing else, you can discover how to live well for far less. Please feel free to ask any questions, make comments, or tell us about yourself. 
What is this blog all about and who the heck is Brenda Curtiss anyway? This blog is all about… You! That’s right, You… This is a Q&A blog. about answering your questions. It isn’t being written to one who wants to know what to do with their $100,000 in investments, or as to the best choice in caviar! It is however being written for the rest of us… the real folks, the down to earth people who make up this wonderful country of ours. This is real life answers for your real life questions. Maybe you used to love going out to dinner with your “honey” but now you find you can’t afford it. Is there anything you can do? There sure is! You can go to the fanciest of restaurants, enjoy the ambience and have an amazing evening and spend 10% of those at the next table! How? Well… ask the question! There are so many ways to enjoy life and they don’t necessarily require lots of money! This is a Q&A blog. So why ask Brenda? She has a passion for people and helping to shine a light on simple solutions to real life problems. She believes in living life intentionally and with vibrancy. Brenda left a formal career of managing a professional tax law firm to embrace simpler choices in her own life. She offers answers to all who seek real-life solutions to the questions they have about living their own lives well. Ask away… Brenda cares about those who “Ask” and answers each question with down to earth and often unique, strategies