Tag Archives: gifts

It’s that time of year again: the stores are starting to transition into holiday-shopping sales and advertisements, holiday lights are starting to illuminate the streets, and although it’s nice to be surrounded by early glimpses of holiday cheer, it can also be stressful to realize that the holiday season is almost here. It can be Continue Reading

When it comes to cooking, you might have every kitchen gadget known to man. Better yet, you might actually use them all. As the holidays approach, the time is perfect to treat yourself – or a friend who cooks a lot – to some new kitchenware. You might not be angling for a shopping spree Continue Reading

So it’s already December and you haven’t started your holiday shopping. Don’t worry – you aren’t alone! Finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list is easier than you might think. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Best of all, these are presents you can secure today rather than having to pay shipping costs and anxiously wait on delivery from overburdened retailers.

This has been a long, hard winter. I’ve had family and friends in the hospital, but everyone is thankfully doing okay at the moment. Having spent some long hours at hospitals, I thought some tips for hospital gifts might be helpful to others.

It really is nice when someone takes the time to send something to a loved one who is hospitalized. The thought really does count a lot. Some of the gifts do miss the mark, although they are still appreciated.

Some of the traditional thoughtful gifts may not be best for someone who is sick. The gifts are still appreciated, but most people want to get something that really will make a difference.

The birthday party goodie bag, it’s a parting gift that the host gives to each guest, almost as if to say, thank you for coming to my party. This never occurred when I was growing up. Oh, perhaps you would leave a birthday party with a balloon animal if a clown was the entertainment, but beyond that, goodie bags just weren’t part of the deal. I’m not sure how this suddenly became the norm, but many of my friends across the country are aware of this expectation.

So, you’ve spent a significant amount of money on your child’s party alone and now you need to put together goodie bags for each child. What can you do that won’t cost a fortune?

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. If you have children, they probably really enjoy making gifts for the people they love. I think that it’s important for children to learn that giving a gift should come from the heart. The old saying, it’s the thought that counts, really is true. That’s why, rather than spending a lot of money on “things”, teach your children about the importance of giving by encouraging them to make Valentine’s gifts this year. Here are some quick and easy Valentine’s Day gift ideas.

Yes. A holiday to celebrate “love” can be a headache and does fall into the “marketing ploy” category. But, blowing off Valentine’s Day can be hurtful. So, make an effort to be thoughtful, since the main thing that matters on Valentine’s Day is showing that you do care.

As Valentine’s Day approaches again, I think back again to my worst one. I was in college, and I spent a lot of time thinking about a good gift for my boyfriend then who had a good job and a lot of disposable income. I knew I could not match his spending power, but I gave a lot of thought to a gift that he would enjoy. That was a pair of green shorts to replace his favorite gym shorts which were about to fall apart and also a card with a special note. I felt good about my gift and was excited to spend a holiday with a special “someone.”

It’s crunch time!  Only a few more days until Christmas and that means last minute gift wrapping.  How many Christmas Eves have you spent holed up in a bedroom, frantically working on an overwhelming stack of gifts that need to be wrapped?  Well, not this year!  Let this be the year that you are finally able to relax and enjoy the night before Christmas. 

First, let’s talk about ways that you can avoid the Christmas Eve cram.  The most obvious is to set a goal of wrapping a few gifts each day rather than waiting until the last minute.  Enlisting a helper makes it go much faster.  If you have a child who is 8 or older, you could ask them to help wrap a few of the presents. 

Invariably we end up with an unexpected guest or two over the holidays. These random party crashers are family members or friends, and we’re glad to have them over. But, it is awkward if the gathering involves gifts, so I keep a stash of last minute gifts that work for various different ages.

Frankly, the women are really easy when it comes to quick gifts. A nice candle, a pack of pretty note cards, or home canned strawberry preserves are usually well received. Let’s face it, women are pretty easy to buy for when it’s the small items at family gatherings.

Were you one of those children who came down on Christmas morning to find your stocking filled with toiletries, socks, pencils and chewing gum?  You are not alone.  Many parents dread filling the Christmas stocking, so they stuff it full of bulky, practical items that most children don’t find too exciting.

We have a tradition in our house of opening stockings and then slicing coffee cake and pouring mimosas before we start unwrapping gifts.  While the adults retreat to the kitchen for a few minutes, fun stockings keep the kids busy and satisfied.