Geri and I recently wanted to send a fruit basket to a friend as a thank-you for her generosity. Since we’re both on a budget and love doing projects ourselves anyway, we did what any two respectable Strive-to-Simplify girls could do. We made our own!

I can hardly believe that we have been in our home now for 20 years.  My husband and I have raised our two sons and a puppy in this home.  The day we moved in everything was spanking new.  I spent the next 20 years trying to keep it that way–in particular the carpet.  Not a small feat when dealing with muddy shoes and paws.  I vacuumed daily and was diligent when dealing with messy accidents trying to avert the inevitable, but after twenty years I could do no more.

My memories of Easter as a child are that of church and celebrating Christ risen, a big Sunday dinner with family, a beautiful Easter dress sewn by my Mother, coloring Easter eggs, the Easter egg hunt and let’s not forget the basket full of goodies. Those same traditions I have passed down to my sons.

Needing a fun, frugal and creative gift for a wedding shower? Print this adorable tribute accompanied with individually wrapped and numbered household gifts to be opened as the bride reads the tribute out loud. Wrap them all together in a beautiful laundry basket, and use some pretty cleaning tools incorporated in the bow.

If you’d like the whole bridal shower guest list to be in on the fun, wrap all the items and number the packages. Before the bride opens her gifts, hand out each one to random people and tell them not to open it until the bride calls her number.