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39 SHOPPING DAYS LEFT!! 11/15/2008 8:36:40 PM
Beating the holiday stress with stretched budgets. Yes, If you shop for Christmas on the eve of the big day, you have only 39 days left. (I call that pushing the envelope!)
These are stressful economic times, and the holidays can really pour on the pressure. Be sure to be good to yourself, and don’t let the little details bug you.
Little kids are usually happy with any new toy or a few new clothes, and they are the really important ones. Can’t let the tykes down, that’s for sure. For them, books are nice if theya re old enough. Children’s books become treasured memories. But have you considered doing simple things for the older ones on your list? Most folks just like being remembered and thought of.
For those that a card just isn’t enough, you can always give gifts from your kitchen. Small loaves of sweet bread are always well received, as are homemade cookies and home canned items (relishes, pickles, jams and jellies are good). Don’t cook? Try haunting the thrift and dollar stores for ideas. You can get full bouquets of flowers for pennies per flower.
Perhaps you have a photograph that would have particular meaning for someone on your list. An inexpensive picture frame for their desk or mantle, embellished with small silk flowers, beads, little items or mementos is a unique gift, and would be most likely cherished by the recipient.
Being an author, I naturally think about books for the adults as well as the kids. Don’t give books that aren’t suited to the individual. Dad probably wouldn’t appreciate a book on marriage, and Mom might not be interested in auto mechanics guides. But a book they can enjoy will last them a long time.
Flower baskets are always welcome. Artificial flowers (as mentioned above) can be arranged in wicker baskets and display a theme for very little money. Cut the stems to length, and arrange by sticking into a florist’s foam block which you have affixed to the bottom of the basket using wire or hot glue. Soem fake greenery for filler and you have a nice gift.
You need also to remember that presentation is extremely important. If you can’t wrap for beans, or the item is too oddly shaped for wrapping paper, there are fancy bags that the dollar stores carry which you can line with tissue and add some bows and ribbons. Tissue paper can be quite elegant!
Tins of cookies and fudge can be done rather elegantly as well. Who doesn’t like cookies and candies for Christmas? Or any time of year, for that matter! And the beauty is that you can make food items in big batches and in advance of the big day that many around the world celebrate.
Remember, it is not the cost in dollars that counts, but how much thought you put into a gift. If you have a diabetic that you need to give a gift, take the time to make something sugarless, and less anything else they should not have. Or if you are crafty, make them something personal.
Spouse difficult to shop for? Try printing out ‘coupons’ that offer your 'services’ or ‘favors’ upon redemption. This can be anything from a night on the town to doing the dishes or laundry if you don’t normally do those things. Washing the car, waking the dog, or any chore that your spouse normally does might be a great way to express appreciation for all they do. You might even spice up your love or sex life with the right themes.
The coupons are a good idea for the kids to do, it gives them something 'special' to give. And they would probably be thrilled to receive a certificate from you like WORLD'S GREATEST______ and you could put it in a frame. The collaboration would even be good fun as you oversee their project for gift giving.
Use your imagination, and get crackin’. It’s only 39 days away!
