Fun items I found at the local Walmart store.  I am trying to plan ahead more in life.
I purchased them and store them in my pantry.  I try always to have things like this on hand,
because it certainly helps with the gift giving, especially this time of the year.

I also purchased these two products recently.  I grew up in a home where we often were
served canned pears and graham crackers with peanut butter as a dessert.  Now, the new product
is whipped peanut butter and chocolate:)

I think that if I took a few of the graham crackers, broke them in quarters and spread them with this whipped product, it would make a special small gift for a grandchild or a co-worker.   The tiny, red and white striped loaf pan is the perfect place to place them.  They can then be slid into a clear cellophane bag and tied with one of the selections of ribbon from the roll.  What a fun gift to set on someone's desk.  Maybe you could add a pint of cold milk with it.  Great snack in my book!

The loaf pans can be used as a container for small cookies, candies, pretzels and cheese, or can be
baked in, using one of your favorite quick bread recipes.  You could bake a few of these and cover tightly, to use as tiny gifts for the upcoming holidays.  I like to remind myself, that it isn't what you
give as much as that you give, in one way or another.  Walmart has helped me in this, by carrying
these simple, yet attractive products.

An idea for the round, red and white striped bakeware.  I used the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Mix from Betty Crocker.  I followed the directions on the back, adding 1 tea. of vanilla to it.
I filled each container 2/3 full of batter and baked as the directions state. 

I can't tell you how good my kitchen smelled as they baked.  Once again, thank you Betty Crocker,
for making my life so simple and yet supplying such good products.  Yes, there are many times that
I bake from scratch, but there are times I just do not have the time.

When cooled, I slathered the top of one of the baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, with the
whipped peanut butter and chocolate.  A perfect match...cookies and icing.  The rest of the containers
I will wrap and freeze until needed.

Slide it into a clear cellophane bag, tie with the thin ribbon and add a piece of evergreen.
To eat, slice like a mini pie.  Don't forget the tag.  The messages on the tag, can often be more
important than the gift itself, right?  The stickers on the first picture can be used to make tags.
The star stickers can be used to dress up the tag a bit.

Another fun discovery, was these three snowman mugs with lids that I found at Michael's Store last
week.  I think they are so cute, and I like the lid concept, because I like my coffee hot when I drink it.
Each mug was $ 2.99.

You might want to add some packets of hot chocolate inside the mug, when giving as a gift.
Tie one of the ribbons from above packet, to the mug handle and add a sprig of evergreen. 
Another simple, inexpensive, and yet fun gift.

You might want to give the mug with the lid, the cookie, a small cookbook(from the shelves of Ollie's store), and a new tea towel in a box of some kind, if you need a bigger gift.  You could cover the box with clear cellophane and a red bow.

I only share these ideas with you, because I love getting ideas from bloggers and Pinterest, and I
thought maybe you might too. 

That's it from me today.  Hope you are being a blessing to others, as you are to me so often.  We all
need each other.