A Few Tips To Finish Up Your Holiday Gift List ~
Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2008
by Camille Strate
JoyZAChoice
Christmas is but a week away, and many are juggling, struggling and stressing over gifts yet to be found, cookies to be baked and all the other added things to do on their lists. All around, I see people anxious and grumpy over the season, when it's supposed to be a season of 'comfort and joy'. Go figure.
In an attempt to help lighten the load, I'm thinking it might be fun to offer up some goodies to help you along, to make it more fun and, perhaps, to remind you that tis the season to be jolly! Fa la la la la la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Okay. For logic's sake, I'm just going to remind you that we all have the same number of hours in a day. Rich or poor, single or married, with or without children, 24 hours is what we all get each and every day. So perhaps you might like to stop telling yourself, "I have no time." Cuz it just ain't so. It's up to you to make time for the things you wish to do. Turn off the TV...and do something else! Turn on some holiday tunes and get to it!
Shop The Net ~
You still have time to order stuff online. Most online shops offer expedited shipping and many of them offer it for a pretty small fee. If you're stuck, go to Amazon.com. They have tons of stuff AND they also offer Gift Cards...so folks can get what they want if you don't know what they want. Another great option is Overstock.com. Although their prices aren't nearly as low as they used to be, they're still pretty good. Or you can go to RedEnvelope.com. They, too, have tons of stuff to choose from with prices ranging from $15 and up. One of the coolest things about shopping online, particularly if you have friends/family who live in another city, is that you can order the gifts, have them wrapped and ship them directly to the person you're buying for. Easy as 1-2-3!
Assembly Line Gift-Making ~
One of my favorite gifts to give is baskets full of stuff. You can go to the 99 Cents Store, or some other discount shop, buy as many baskets as you need gifts for, and then load them up with whatever floats your boat. One year I bought a case of wine from Trader Joe's, then went to Ross and bought wine glasses (you can get them fairly inexpensively there), along with a bunch of cork screws, and some of those dandy little dangly things to put on the glasses. When I'd gathered all the goodies, I came home, lined them all up and filled the baskets. Put a bow on top...and you're done! Everyone really enjoyed them and it was lots of fun putting them together. You can fill your baskets with home baked cookies or jams or whatever you like. If you're handy at sewing, you can make some aprons, find a few yummy recipes and buy the ingredients to make whatever it is the recipe calls for. Put it all together...and you're good to go. Another fave is journals. I know lots of folks who say they'd like to start writing but "never seem to get around to it". So, I bought journals, pens, candles and incense. My niece, who's a freshman in college, LOVED this gift. There are tons of ideas for basket gifts....just don't limit yourself! Stretch a little!
Pictures, Poetry & Paint ~
If you've got a flair for the creative, take some pictures, write a poem and put them in a frame you can finish yourself. Michael's Craft Stores sells unfinished frames for this purpose. Get a package of craft paint to go with, and have some fun. One of my very favorite gifts I ever got was from my nephew when he was about 10 years old. His mom (my sister) is really into homemade gifts and she's always encouraged the kids to participate. One year she did this with the kids. She took pictures of each child, had them write something and then put them into frames the kids painted. I still have that hanging in my home. It's 11 years old...but it still makes me smile whenever I look at it. Fun, easy and inexpensive!
There are many ways to give. You don't have to spend a fortune or loads of time. Just get in the spirit of the season and have some fun with it. Remember to invite your "child" to the party. Santa isn't just for kids! Get yourself a Santa hat and put some jingle bells on your shoes. Let yourself be a kid for a while. It not only reduces your stress level, it'll make the whole reason for the season return to your crazy, fast-paced life!
Happy Holidays and A Very Happy, Healthy New Year!!!
This Article has been viewed 252 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.