DIY New Year Gift Baskets

This evening's post comes to us from Jen of Apartment Wife! Jen has guest blogged for me before - check out her previous post on how to make a DIY mason jar vase.

Gimme some ooey gooey goodness and I'm guaranteed to break into a smile. The ooey-gooeyness I'm referring to is always sugary and usually involves chocolate chips or frosting. I'm talking about cookies, cupcakes, brownies and cakes. Yes, I like it all.

My well-publicized love for sugary treats goes a little haywire during the holidays when friends seem to come out of the woodwork to bring me plates of sticky sweetness. This year, the trend is continuing long past the close of the New Year, and my sweet tooth has been smiling since the beginning of 2014.

I love gifts and treats, but I thought I'd switch it up a bit by making my friends something a little different - New Year Gift Baskets that help them keep their resolutions. I asked my friends about their resolutions for 2014, and then I used their suggestions to make gift baskets that inspired them to keep to their goals.

New Year Gift Baskets can be customized to the individual, but some gifts I suggest include:

A journal for remembering and reflecting on the year. Use it to write about what's inspiring you and record the memories you don't want to forget.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that having something fun to write with always helps me be creative.

A 3x5 notebook keeps me organized with to-do lists, shopping needs, phone numbers, and important dates.

Kind of feels like the back-to-school collection, right?

A bunch of my friends said that one of their new year resolutions was to take more pictures. I put pictures frames into the gift baskets to encourage them to keep that promise.

Last but definitely not least, I helped my friends with their goals to eat healthier by including homemade granola bars.

Some might think it's too soon after Christmas to start gifting, but what can I say -- The best time is always for presents :)