When find yourself with someone on your holiday gift list who is difficult to buy for, sometimes your best bet is to go for something out of the ordinary. Gifts that work to bring about harmony and peace in the environment are sure to please. From simple gifts of candles, crystals, and CD's that play the soothing sounds of wind, rain and babbling brooks, to salt lamps, singing bowls and Zen sand gardens, the choices are plentiful.
You can choose jewelry made of amber, an organic gemstone that is professed to draw negative energy and turn it to positive energy leading to health and well being. Most people, when they think of amber think of the honey colored or the milky white but amber can also be found in brown, red, blue, black and green. You can also buy gifts of jewelry made out of the crystals for your astrological sign. Chlorite quartz is another healing mineral said to cleanse ones aura and makes a gift that is beautiful to look at.
On the more unusual side would be a gift of a negative ion producing lamp made of salt crystal rock. This rock naturally ionizes the air by releasing negative ions (electronically charged molecules of oxygen) thereby removing things like pollen, dust and animal dander from the air. The core of the piece of salt crystal is hollowed out then a light bulb is placed inside. The resulting heat from the light bulb starts the ions flowing into the air. Even if you aren't interested in the healing qualities of the lamp, you end up with very pretty pieces to display on your dresser or end table.
We all know our moods and our health can be greatly affected by sound. Dissonant , loud sounds cause tension and if too prolonged can cause ill health. Other sounds energize the body and relax the mind. Singing bowls fall into this category. They are made from a mix of metals from the Himalayas, Tibet and India. When you strike and/or rub the bowl with a wooden mallet the multi-octave tones that are produced will relax and heal your mind as well as your body. Hand made bells called Rustic Noah Bells are believed to scare off bad spirits. Hang them near your home for good energy. The beautiful deep tone of the larger bells provides a superb sound to accompany your meditation.
In the Feng Shui shops you will also find a large selection of clothing to wear when meditating, books, videos, prayer flags and lots of different oils to energize the body mind and spirit. You might also be interested in the Chakra Bears. Legend says that when the sun shines through the mist in the Smokey Mountains it forms a beautiful rainbow. Every twenty years this rainbow touches the earth and rainbow Chakra bears are born. Each color has a different purpose. For instance the blue bear will listen with endless patience while the yellow bear's purpose is to make you successful.
Visit a store that specializes in Feng Shui products and you will find gifts of aromatherapy, incense, table top fountains, mirrors and plenty of books to explain the theories behind everything.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Gift Idea No. 29 - Tickets, Gift Certificates and IOU's
One way to handle the "what to buy" dilemma at the holidays is by purchasing a pair of tickets to an event that you know the recipient will enjoy. Especially nice when you are getting something that they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves. I say a "pair" of tickets because most events are better if you can take someone with you.
A pair of tickets or a season subscription for any playhouse for those who like watching plays. They don't have to be Broadway, or even off-Broadway, productions. There are a great number of amateur playhouses (some that also serve dinner) and many communities, colleges and even some high schools put on performances that are highly enjoyable. The same goes for concerts, check your local chamber of commerce to see what your community offers. There's nothing like an outdoor concert under the stars to help shed the day's tension quickly.
Another possibility is a pair of tickets to any sporting event from football to racing to hockey. They don't have to be tickets to watch a professional team to be appreciated. You can find local AAA teams, college teams and high school teams that are just as much fun to watch, if not more so, than any National League team. The tickets are a fraction of the cost of the big leagues and the variety of food, beverages and souvenirs will rival any pro stadium.
Getting NASCAR or Indy tickets can be nearly impossible and very expensive. Local tracks offer stock car, sprint car, and demolition races that will get your adrenaline going just as well for about $10-$15 dollars and most tracks will allow you back in the pit area after the races so you can talk to the driver's and get pictures of your favorite cars. This one is great for entire families. Even young kids love to watch the cars run and you haven't seen anything until you've watched buses run a figure eight race!
Gift certificates are a great way to go when you really don't know what to get. You can get gift certificates for just about any store or restaurant. If you aren't even sure what stores and restaurants they frequent you can get a gift certificate from most chambers of commerce that are good in any place of business in the city that accepts checks.
A gift certificate for a service is also nice. A day at a spa is a welcome gift for anyone, (even men like the pampering of a good massage). Facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, steam baths, and mud packs in just about any combination you could want.
Have a set of new parents on your list? Sit down at your computer and design an I. O. U. from you entitling them to one evening or one day's babysitting. Do you have young children who need a gift for grandma? Let them design an I. O. U. for a hug and a kiss, or they can make one for their parents gifting one hour helping with housework or one car wash or anything else that strikes their imagination.
A pair of tickets or a season subscription for any playhouse for those who like watching plays. They don't have to be Broadway, or even off-Broadway, productions. There are a great number of amateur playhouses (some that also serve dinner) and many communities, colleges and even some high schools put on performances that are highly enjoyable. The same goes for concerts, check your local chamber of commerce to see what your community offers. There's nothing like an outdoor concert under the stars to help shed the day's tension quickly.
Another possibility is a pair of tickets to any sporting event from football to racing to hockey. They don't have to be tickets to watch a professional team to be appreciated. You can find local AAA teams, college teams and high school teams that are just as much fun to watch, if not more so, than any National League team. The tickets are a fraction of the cost of the big leagues and the variety of food, beverages and souvenirs will rival any pro stadium.
Getting NASCAR or Indy tickets can be nearly impossible and very expensive. Local tracks offer stock car, sprint car, and demolition races that will get your adrenaline going just as well for about $10-$15 dollars and most tracks will allow you back in the pit area after the races so you can talk to the driver's and get pictures of your favorite cars. This one is great for entire families. Even young kids love to watch the cars run and you haven't seen anything until you've watched buses run a figure eight race!
Gift certificates are a great way to go when you really don't know what to get. You can get gift certificates for just about any store or restaurant. If you aren't even sure what stores and restaurants they frequent you can get a gift certificate from most chambers of commerce that are good in any place of business in the city that accepts checks.
A gift certificate for a service is also nice. A day at a spa is a welcome gift for anyone, (even men like the pampering of a good massage). Facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, steam baths, and mud packs in just about any combination you could want.
Have a set of new parents on your list? Sit down at your computer and design an I. O. U. from you entitling them to one evening or one day's babysitting. Do you have young children who need a gift for grandma? Let them design an I. O. U. for a hug and a kiss, or they can make one for their parents gifting one hour helping with housework or one car wash or anything else that strikes their imagination.
Gift Idea No. 28 - Gifts That Give All Year Long
Sometimes a one-time gift just isn't what you are looking for. You want something that will keep on giving throughout the year. Enter the "Of the Month" clubs. There is an incredible assortment of "Of the Month" clubs.
One of the more widely known is the "Fruit of the Month" club. For a set fee your gift of fruit is delivered on a timetable of your choosing, once a month, every other month or 3 - 4 times a year. Each delivery is a case consisting of one or more different fruits. The fruits are sometimes exotic, sometimes seasonal, and always delicious. They average around $30.00 - $40.00 per month.
For the hops and barley lovers that you are shopping for, there are numerous "Beer of the Month" clubs. Also on a timetable of your choosing, your gift of two six-packs made up of 2-4 different beers from one of many domestic or international microbreweries is delivered. Often the gift includes information on the breweries that the beers came from along with suggestions for foods that the beers will complement. These beer clubs also average about $30-$40 per month.
For those people on your gift list who prefer the grape to hops and barley, there are "Wine of the Month" clubs where for about the same price as the fruit and beer you can send 2 bottles of wine from award winning wineries around the world. You can specify all white, all red or a mix.
Cheese, sausage, pepperoni, ham and pineapple, you name it! There are several sites that offer "Pizza of the Month" clubs for the pizza lover's on your holiday list. Most of these clubs send 3 -12" pizzas, which are delivered frozen. You will receive one deep dish and two thin crust pizzas each month. Prices range around $40 - $50 per month.
Is the love of your life hooked on chocolate? Then the "Chocolate of the Month" club is just what you've been looking for. For less than $25 a month a one-pound box of some of the finest chocolate in the world will be delivered right to their door.
For those times you don't want to send food or liquor there are the "Cigar of the Month" and "Flower of the Month" clubs also. These would run you anywhere from $25 - $40 per month. The "Flower of the Month" club will deliver a themed bouquet of fresh cut flowers and the "Cigar of the Month" club sends a selection of hand rolled cigars from around the world.
No matter what your gift giving needs you will probably be able to find a "club" that will suit you. There is the "Pasta of the Month" club or the "Lobster of the Month" club. You can choose from the Cheesecake or the Cookie of the month club. You can opt for ice cream or salsa, coffee or tea, bbq or hot sauce and for those who prefer non-edibles the "Necktie of the Month" club and "Movie of the Month" club.
One of the more widely known is the "Fruit of the Month" club. For a set fee your gift of fruit is delivered on a timetable of your choosing, once a month, every other month or 3 - 4 times a year. Each delivery is a case consisting of one or more different fruits. The fruits are sometimes exotic, sometimes seasonal, and always delicious. They average around $30.00 - $40.00 per month.
For the hops and barley lovers that you are shopping for, there are numerous "Beer of the Month" clubs. Also on a timetable of your choosing, your gift of two six-packs made up of 2-4 different beers from one of many domestic or international microbreweries is delivered. Often the gift includes information on the breweries that the beers came from along with suggestions for foods that the beers will complement. These beer clubs also average about $30-$40 per month.
For those people on your gift list who prefer the grape to hops and barley, there are "Wine of the Month" clubs where for about the same price as the fruit and beer you can send 2 bottles of wine from award winning wineries around the world. You can specify all white, all red or a mix.
Cheese, sausage, pepperoni, ham and pineapple, you name it! There are several sites that offer "Pizza of the Month" clubs for the pizza lover's on your holiday list. Most of these clubs send 3 -12" pizzas, which are delivered frozen. You will receive one deep dish and two thin crust pizzas each month. Prices range around $40 - $50 per month.
Is the love of your life hooked on chocolate? Then the "Chocolate of the Month" club is just what you've been looking for. For less than $25 a month a one-pound box of some of the finest chocolate in the world will be delivered right to their door.
For those times you don't want to send food or liquor there are the "Cigar of the Month" and "Flower of the Month" clubs also. These would run you anywhere from $25 - $40 per month. The "Flower of the Month" club will deliver a themed bouquet of fresh cut flowers and the "Cigar of the Month" club sends a selection of hand rolled cigars from around the world.
No matter what your gift giving needs you will probably be able to find a "club" that will suit you. There is the "Pasta of the Month" club or the "Lobster of the Month" club. You can choose from the Cheesecake or the Cookie of the month club. You can opt for ice cream or salsa, coffee or tea, bbq or hot sauce and for those who prefer non-edibles the "Necktie of the Month" club and "Movie of the Month" club.
Gift Idea No. 27 - Storm Chasing
Is your significant other a "thrill seeker"? Is it hard to get them to come away from the window during a storm? Are they the last ones down to the basement when there is a possibility of a tornado? Do they watch the weather channel's storm stories over and over again? Have you watched the movie Twister until you know the entire script by heart?
Then you have a prime candidate for the gift of a storm chasing adventure. Storm chasing although definitely not inexpensive, is without a doubt a once in a lifetime thrill. The trip can run well over $2,000.00 - which usually includes lodging but not food or transportation to and from the base motel. Some companies will offer you discounts for things like booking more than one trip, room sharing or filling the last couple spots on a trip.
Tempest Tours and Silver Lining Tours are just two of dozens of companies that offer storm-chasing trips. These companies use storm chasers with years of experience. They offer trips of one to two weeks. Before the actual chasing starts there is classroom type instruction so you will know what to expect and what is expected of you.
There are usually at least half a dozen guests in each trip. Besides being instructed on the art of storm chasing you will find you also learn a great deal about meteorology and the discipline necessary to be a successful storm chaser. Although the staff does try to figure the times you will need to head out the night before you do have to be able to be ready to go on a moments notice. You will normally leave in the morning and your leaders will recalculate your target throughout the day as new weather information becomes available. Most companies operate within Tornado Alley (Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming Colorado, New Mexico and the Dakotas).
During the time between storms the instructors will take you sight seeing through miles of gorgeous scenery. Some days the chase will continue after dark when you will be awed at the sight of fantastic lightning displays. Even though some companies provide you with a video of your trip you really want to make sure you have your own camera equipment with you.
You will spend 10 exciting days living the life of a storm chaser. Although no one can guarantee that you will see a tornado, due to the fact that trips are scheduled during the peak storm season you can be pretty sure you will at least see some incredible storms.
If by chance the person on your list is an avid storm fan but not quite daredevil enough to want to actually get in a car and chase them, there are numerous videos, books and virtual storm chasing CD's out there to keep them happy for many holidays to come.
Storm chasing is a holiday gift that will be re-lived and remembered for many years to come.
Then you have a prime candidate for the gift of a storm chasing adventure. Storm chasing although definitely not inexpensive, is without a doubt a once in a lifetime thrill. The trip can run well over $2,000.00 - which usually includes lodging but not food or transportation to and from the base motel. Some companies will offer you discounts for things like booking more than one trip, room sharing or filling the last couple spots on a trip.
Tempest Tours and Silver Lining Tours are just two of dozens of companies that offer storm-chasing trips. These companies use storm chasers with years of experience. They offer trips of one to two weeks. Before the actual chasing starts there is classroom type instruction so you will know what to expect and what is expected of you.
There are usually at least half a dozen guests in each trip. Besides being instructed on the art of storm chasing you will find you also learn a great deal about meteorology and the discipline necessary to be a successful storm chaser. Although the staff does try to figure the times you will need to head out the night before you do have to be able to be ready to go on a moments notice. You will normally leave in the morning and your leaders will recalculate your target throughout the day as new weather information becomes available. Most companies operate within Tornado Alley (Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming Colorado, New Mexico and the Dakotas).
During the time between storms the instructors will take you sight seeing through miles of gorgeous scenery. Some days the chase will continue after dark when you will be awed at the sight of fantastic lightning displays. Even though some companies provide you with a video of your trip you really want to make sure you have your own camera equipment with you.
You will spend 10 exciting days living the life of a storm chaser. Although no one can guarantee that you will see a tornado, due to the fact that trips are scheduled during the peak storm season you can be pretty sure you will at least see some incredible storms.
If by chance the person on your list is an avid storm fan but not quite daredevil enough to want to actually get in a car and chase them, there are numerous videos, books and virtual storm chasing CD's out there to keep them happy for many holidays to come.
Storm chasing is a holiday gift that will be re-lived and remembered for many years to come.
Gift Idea No. 26 - Parachute Jump
If you are looking for a gift for someone who isn't afraid of heights, has a good amount of daredevil in them, and doesn't find anything wrong with jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, this is one gift that will earn you eternal gratitude.
This is just the holiday gift for that special someone who you know has always wondered how it would feel to just jump out of an airplane, let alone fall 10,000 feet. A single tandem sky dive session will run you an average of about $200.00 which includes instruction that runs about half an hour and one jump.
That is also what makes the tandem jump such a great gift, since it is a one-day event, you get the opportunity to see how much you really enjoy it without investing a lot of time and money learning to dive on your own, then if you complete the jump and find yourself wanting to get back up there and do it again you have the option of signing up for classes where they will teach you everything you need to know from packing your own chute to landing in your target.
The tandem jump is done while you are harnessed to a professional diver who helps control the fall. You will undergo on the ground training and perform the jump the same day. You start out taking a plane up to around 10,000 feet. At that point you will jump and free-fall for several thousand feet at approximately 120 miles per hour. Contrary to what most people think free falling doesn't make your stomach roll like a roller coaster might. It's more like floating on a cushion; similar to the feeling of buoyancy you get in the water but to a much greater degree.
After the minute or so of free fall you toss the toggle, which is attached to the pilot chute, into the airstream, deploying the canopy and float to the ground. There is no worry that you will forget or freeze and not open the chute. If you don't open it when you should the instructor will use hand signals to let you know what you should be doing. If you still don't react the instructor will deploy the chute. Most schools also have a device that will automatically deploy the chute at a certain point if it hasn't been manually opened. Now that you are floating downward you have time to relax and enjoy the scenery, while the instructor helps you guide both of you down to the target where thanks to new technology you can make a nice soft landing.
This wonderful holiday gift of skydiving will provide you with an entire spectrum of emotion. You start with the anticipation as your plane climbs. Then there is the excitement and adrenaline rush of the jump which is followed by the exhilarating yet tranquil feeling of the descent, ending with the pride and satisfaction of accomplishing something that up until now has only been a pleasant daydream.
challenging games - ChallenGenes
This is just the holiday gift for that special someone who you know has always wondered how it would feel to just jump out of an airplane, let alone fall 10,000 feet. A single tandem sky dive session will run you an average of about $200.00 which includes instruction that runs about half an hour and one jump.
That is also what makes the tandem jump such a great gift, since it is a one-day event, you get the opportunity to see how much you really enjoy it without investing a lot of time and money learning to dive on your own, then if you complete the jump and find yourself wanting to get back up there and do it again you have the option of signing up for classes where they will teach you everything you need to know from packing your own chute to landing in your target.
The tandem jump is done while you are harnessed to a professional diver who helps control the fall. You will undergo on the ground training and perform the jump the same day. You start out taking a plane up to around 10,000 feet. At that point you will jump and free-fall for several thousand feet at approximately 120 miles per hour. Contrary to what most people think free falling doesn't make your stomach roll like a roller coaster might. It's more like floating on a cushion; similar to the feeling of buoyancy you get in the water but to a much greater degree.
After the minute or so of free fall you toss the toggle, which is attached to the pilot chute, into the airstream, deploying the canopy and float to the ground. There is no worry that you will forget or freeze and not open the chute. If you don't open it when you should the instructor will use hand signals to let you know what you should be doing. If you still don't react the instructor will deploy the chute. Most schools also have a device that will automatically deploy the chute at a certain point if it hasn't been manually opened. Now that you are floating downward you have time to relax and enjoy the scenery, while the instructor helps you guide both of you down to the target where thanks to new technology you can make a nice soft landing.
This wonderful holiday gift of skydiving will provide you with an entire spectrum of emotion. You start with the anticipation as your plane climbs. Then there is the excitement and adrenaline rush of the jump which is followed by the exhilarating yet tranquil feeling of the descent, ending with the pride and satisfaction of accomplishing something that up until now has only been a pleasant daydream.
challenging games - ChallenGenes
Gift Idea No. 25 - Pets
Pets are wonderful. They cheer you up when you are down, keep you laughing, and love you no matter what. There is very little more heartwarming than seeing a child who has fallen asleep curled up next to a puppy.
Pets are a very common gift for children at holidays. Puppies and kittens at Christmas, baby ducks, chicks and bunnies at Easter and so forth. What child's eyes wouldn't light up at the sight of a brand new baby animal to hold and hug? The promises to love, feed and take care of the new additions to the family flow like water.
The critters are soft, warm and fuzzy gifts for certain but, and it's a big but, they all grow up and in just a few short weeks are no longer cute little puppies but big romping barking dogs, the cuddly little kittens have turned into large aloof cats. The baby ducks and chicks are no longer soft and fuzzy, but big, noisy and messy, and those two bunnies, Fred and George turned out to be Fred and Georgia!
Pets are a long term commitment and buying a pet as a gift should be a well planned and thought out move not a spur of the moment decision based on emotional reaction.
If you are honestly thinking of getting someone a pet for the holidays (even if it is not for a child) be sure it is something you would do even if there were no holiday involved.
Make sure the gift fits. If the primary responsibility of caring for the animal is going to fall to a young child you don't want to get a dog that will quickly grow to the size of a small pony which the child wouldn't be capable of handling. You might also want to make sure you expose your child to other people's pets for decent lengths of time before buying a pet, so if by chance they have allergic reactions to animals you will know before you bring one home for them to fall in love with. This will also give you the time to convince them that they would really prefer a turtle, lizard or something else that doesn't have dander.
Keep in mind those animals, like babies, cost money way above and beyond the purchase price. Food, leashes, food, collars, food and water bowls, training supplies, food, toys, vet bills, food, licenses and tags, and more food!
There is a great deal of time that has to be invested in most any pet and the holidays are not always a good time to be doing that. The hustle and excitement of a houseful of friends and family may not be the ideal setting for a new puppy, kitten, or any other young animal. A better idea might be to cut out a picture of the pet you have in mind and put that in a card and make sure the child understands that as soon as the holidays have passed and things have gone back to a normal relaxed state they can help pick out the newest member of the family
Pets are a very common gift for children at holidays. Puppies and kittens at Christmas, baby ducks, chicks and bunnies at Easter and so forth. What child's eyes wouldn't light up at the sight of a brand new baby animal to hold and hug? The promises to love, feed and take care of the new additions to the family flow like water.
The critters are soft, warm and fuzzy gifts for certain but, and it's a big but, they all grow up and in just a few short weeks are no longer cute little puppies but big romping barking dogs, the cuddly little kittens have turned into large aloof cats. The baby ducks and chicks are no longer soft and fuzzy, but big, noisy and messy, and those two bunnies, Fred and George turned out to be Fred and Georgia!
Pets are a long term commitment and buying a pet as a gift should be a well planned and thought out move not a spur of the moment decision based on emotional reaction.
If you are honestly thinking of getting someone a pet for the holidays (even if it is not for a child) be sure it is something you would do even if there were no holiday involved.
Make sure the gift fits. If the primary responsibility of caring for the animal is going to fall to a young child you don't want to get a dog that will quickly grow to the size of a small pony which the child wouldn't be capable of handling. You might also want to make sure you expose your child to other people's pets for decent lengths of time before buying a pet, so if by chance they have allergic reactions to animals you will know before you bring one home for them to fall in love with. This will also give you the time to convince them that they would really prefer a turtle, lizard or something else that doesn't have dander.
Keep in mind those animals, like babies, cost money way above and beyond the purchase price. Food, leashes, food, collars, food and water bowls, training supplies, food, toys, vet bills, food, licenses and tags, and more food!
There is a great deal of time that has to be invested in most any pet and the holidays are not always a good time to be doing that. The hustle and excitement of a houseful of friends and family may not be the ideal setting for a new puppy, kitten, or any other young animal. A better idea might be to cut out a picture of the pet you have in mind and put that in a card and make sure the child understands that as soon as the holidays have passed and things have gone back to a normal relaxed state they can help pick out the newest member of the family
Gift Idea No. 24 - Home Parties
Shopping the stores for holiday gifts can be a real hassle what with the stores being so crowded, and shopping online you really don't get to "see" what you are getting.
Home parties have come a long way since the Tupperware Party days and they are no longer something you "have to go to and buy something" because your sister-in-law is hosting it - they are a great gift buying venue. Whatever you are looking for there is probably a home party that will provide it. No crowds to fight they bring the product right to you in the comfort of your own home where you can see exactly what you are buying, they deliver your order to you and best of all you can pick up several items at little or no cost to you!
Hosting a home party is simplicity itself. You can contact any company online or by phone and they will give you the name of a representative in your area or you can go to parties demonstrating the kinds of products you are interested in and let the representative know that you are interested in hosting your own party. The latter has the added benefit of giving your host credit for a booking, which usually results in their being eligible for free, or discounted items. Once you have picked a date for your booking the representative will either give you invitations that you can send out or some will just take your guest list and they will send the invitations out for you.
The day of the party all you have to do is make sure you have enough seating and a table for the demonstrator to display her items on and have some drinks and snacks handy. How fancy you get is up to you. You can just serve some chips and dips or you can make appetizers and put them out. One of the advantages of the parties that sell food products are they bring lots of food samples for you and your guests to try.
The demonstrator will come in and set up, do her demonstration take all the orders, figure out how much you have coming in free or discounted items, let you know when the delivery date is. Some companies deliver everything to the hostess and she delivers them from there and others deliver directly to each person who places an order.
So many of the companies have branched out and sell a great variety of items that you can probably do a lot of your holiday shopping at one or two different parties. There are companies that sell clothing and lingerie, cookware, bake ware, food products, jewelry (including "pearl" parties where everyone gets a chance to pick an oyster and if your oyster has a pearl you get to keep it - of course they are hoping you will pick one of their settings to put it in!), country style furnishings and décor, wrought iron décor, candles and the list just keeps going.
There is one last advantage to doing your holiday shopping at home parties; you may very well run into one that you like enough that it could become a part or full time income for you
Home parties have come a long way since the Tupperware Party days and they are no longer something you "have to go to and buy something" because your sister-in-law is hosting it - they are a great gift buying venue. Whatever you are looking for there is probably a home party that will provide it. No crowds to fight they bring the product right to you in the comfort of your own home where you can see exactly what you are buying, they deliver your order to you and best of all you can pick up several items at little or no cost to you!
Hosting a home party is simplicity itself. You can contact any company online or by phone and they will give you the name of a representative in your area or you can go to parties demonstrating the kinds of products you are interested in and let the representative know that you are interested in hosting your own party. The latter has the added benefit of giving your host credit for a booking, which usually results in their being eligible for free, or discounted items. Once you have picked a date for your booking the representative will either give you invitations that you can send out or some will just take your guest list and they will send the invitations out for you.
The day of the party all you have to do is make sure you have enough seating and a table for the demonstrator to display her items on and have some drinks and snacks handy. How fancy you get is up to you. You can just serve some chips and dips or you can make appetizers and put them out. One of the advantages of the parties that sell food products are they bring lots of food samples for you and your guests to try.
The demonstrator will come in and set up, do her demonstration take all the orders, figure out how much you have coming in free or discounted items, let you know when the delivery date is. Some companies deliver everything to the hostess and she delivers them from there and others deliver directly to each person who places an order.
So many of the companies have branched out and sell a great variety of items that you can probably do a lot of your holiday shopping at one or two different parties. There are companies that sell clothing and lingerie, cookware, bake ware, food products, jewelry (including "pearl" parties where everyone gets a chance to pick an oyster and if your oyster has a pearl you get to keep it - of course they are hoping you will pick one of their settings to put it in!), country style furnishings and décor, wrought iron décor, candles and the list just keeps going.
There is one last advantage to doing your holiday shopping at home parties; you may very well run into one that you like enough that it could become a part or full time income for you
Gift Idea No. 24 - Gifts for the NASCAR Racing Fan
Is your husband a NASCAR fanatic? Does your girlfriend count the days until it's time for the Daytona 500? When your child hears the numbers 8, 24 and 48 does he automatically think Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson? Are more than half the products in your home sponsors of a NASCAR team? Are you looking for the perfect gift but just don't want to buy another T-Shirt, hat or 1/24th scale car?
Give your race fan the thrill of a lifetime with a gift certificate to any one of a dozen race schools. For as little as $100.00 to several thousand dollars you will give a gift that will never be forgotten. Not even Santa could do better!
For the NASCAR fan there is the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Dale Jarrett Driving Racing Adventure among others. These classes are held on real racetracks in real Cup cars. The Richard Petty Driving Experience holds their classes at tracks like Charlotte, Atlanta, Las Vegas and many others. .
At the Richard Petty Driving Experience the beginner level runs between three and four hundred dollars. For that your speed demon can hop into a race suit, don a helmet climb through the window of a Cup stock car (remember the doors don't open) and tear around a mile, mile and a half or two mile track for 10 laps. When you arrive, there is a half hour briefing and you are driven around the track while they explain the different driving lines. Then you hop into your car and get ready to go out onto the track.
The instructor is in the lead car with two or three cars behind him each containing one student. Once out on the track, as long as you are keeping up, the instructor will push his car faster (going up to around 165 mph). If any student runs into a problem or just cant keep up with the others another instructor will drive out onto the track and pick them up so the others can continue at a higher speed. After the laps have been completed and you have returned to pit road and left your car you are presented with a print out showing your average lap time, fastest lap and mph for each lap. For a few extra dollars you can also have your picture taken in victory lane. This level is usually required before going on to any of the other levels which increase up to classes that span a whole weekend running more than 80 laps under actual race conditions at night with the other students. .
For those who would really like to know what it feels like but aren't ready to drive the car themselves each track has a "ride along". The ride-along usually runs around a hundred dollars and is exactly what it sounds like - you get into a car that has had a passenger seat added with an instructor and take three very quick laps (about 165 mph) around the track. They send two cars out at a time and each one takes its turn passing the other so you can get an idea of how close they drive and how close they come to each other when they pass.
Have non-NASCAR race fans on your gift list? There are also driving schools for top fuel, open wheel, corvettes and just about anything that goes fast.
Give your race fan the thrill of a lifetime with a gift certificate to any one of a dozen race schools. For as little as $100.00 to several thousand dollars you will give a gift that will never be forgotten. Not even Santa could do better!
For the NASCAR fan there is the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Dale Jarrett Driving Racing Adventure among others. These classes are held on real racetracks in real Cup cars. The Richard Petty Driving Experience holds their classes at tracks like Charlotte, Atlanta, Las Vegas and many others. .
At the Richard Petty Driving Experience the beginner level runs between three and four hundred dollars. For that your speed demon can hop into a race suit, don a helmet climb through the window of a Cup stock car (remember the doors don't open) and tear around a mile, mile and a half or two mile track for 10 laps. When you arrive, there is a half hour briefing and you are driven around the track while they explain the different driving lines. Then you hop into your car and get ready to go out onto the track.
The instructor is in the lead car with two or three cars behind him each containing one student. Once out on the track, as long as you are keeping up, the instructor will push his car faster (going up to around 165 mph). If any student runs into a problem or just cant keep up with the others another instructor will drive out onto the track and pick them up so the others can continue at a higher speed. After the laps have been completed and you have returned to pit road and left your car you are presented with a print out showing your average lap time, fastest lap and mph for each lap. For a few extra dollars you can also have your picture taken in victory lane. This level is usually required before going on to any of the other levels which increase up to classes that span a whole weekend running more than 80 laps under actual race conditions at night with the other students. .
For those who would really like to know what it feels like but aren't ready to drive the car themselves each track has a "ride along". The ride-along usually runs around a hundred dollars and is exactly what it sounds like - you get into a car that has had a passenger seat added with an instructor and take three very quick laps (about 165 mph) around the track. They send two cars out at a time and each one takes its turn passing the other so you can get an idea of how close they drive and how close they come to each other when they pass.
Have non-NASCAR race fans on your gift list? There are also driving schools for top fuel, open wheel, corvettes and just about anything that goes fast.
Gift Idea No. 23 - Food in Baskets, Bottles & Boxes
Gifts of food, whether home made or store bought are always appreciated. You can buy decorative boxes, all sizes and shapes of baskets, or use bottles ranging from empty liquor bottles to the standard Mason jar. Visit your local resale shops or check on-line auction sites for great deals on baskets, bottles and boxes.
For those of you who love to bake, whipping up a couple dozen of five or six different types of cookies and boxing them with a pretty bow make a delicious holiday gift for friends, family or even your child's teacher. Kick the gift up a notch by adding some homemade candies.
Need a gift for people who love being outdoors, pick up a nice inexpensive picnic basket and add a bottle of wine, some cheeses and crackers with a small cheese cutting board and a couple of pretty wine glasses for a classic gift. They'll remember you for years to come each time they use it.
Empty liquor bottles that have been cleaned are perfect for making a gift of flavored oils. Drop any combination of things like herbs, garlic, and hot peppers into the bottle; add oil and cap it with a cork or a pourer. A pretty bow around the bottle is all the gift-wrap you need. Most kitchen stores sell bottles of different shapes and sizes filled with all sorts of things, beans, peppers, herbs, pastas and oil that are strictly decorative for tables or countertops. You can quite easily make your own. A pretty gift bottle filled with colorful food items will add a decorative touch to their tables long after the holidays.
Has a friend or family member ever told you how much they love a particular recipe of yours? Find a nice basket, fill it with all the ingredients necessary to make the recipe, type the recipe out on a recipe card (they come plain and decorated), you can even find wire flower or butterfly shaped standing recipe card holders that you can add. Or you can add candles and holders to use for a romantic dinner. You can layer mason jars with the dry ingredients for a favorite soup (the beans, rice, pasta, seasonings etc) everything except the meat and the water. Again, you type up the cooking instructions, tie the jar with a bow and you're ready to go. A small square of gingham cloth placed on the jar opening before closing the lid adds a pretty touch
For an even more personal touch (makes a wonderful anniversary gift for a couple you care about) you can use your computer to make a gift certificate (or you can make it by hand) entitling the recipient of your gift to a meal cooked, served and cleaned up after, in their own home. You go to their house with everything you need, cook the meal, serve it, clean up after yourself and leave while they enjoy a relaxing romantic dinner (or for someone you know well breakfast in bed served on trays complete with a rose in a bud vase and the morning paper).
If you don't care for the do it yourself approach, there are websites where for around $100 you can have the fixings for a romantic steak and lobster dinner for two delivered and that includes the pot! Everyone loves gifts of food.
For those of you who love to bake, whipping up a couple dozen of five or six different types of cookies and boxing them with a pretty bow make a delicious holiday gift for friends, family or even your child's teacher. Kick the gift up a notch by adding some homemade candies.
Need a gift for people who love being outdoors, pick up a nice inexpensive picnic basket and add a bottle of wine, some cheeses and crackers with a small cheese cutting board and a couple of pretty wine glasses for a classic gift. They'll remember you for years to come each time they use it.
Empty liquor bottles that have been cleaned are perfect for making a gift of flavored oils. Drop any combination of things like herbs, garlic, and hot peppers into the bottle; add oil and cap it with a cork or a pourer. A pretty bow around the bottle is all the gift-wrap you need. Most kitchen stores sell bottles of different shapes and sizes filled with all sorts of things, beans, peppers, herbs, pastas and oil that are strictly decorative for tables or countertops. You can quite easily make your own. A pretty gift bottle filled with colorful food items will add a decorative touch to their tables long after the holidays.
Has a friend or family member ever told you how much they love a particular recipe of yours? Find a nice basket, fill it with all the ingredients necessary to make the recipe, type the recipe out on a recipe card (they come plain and decorated), you can even find wire flower or butterfly shaped standing recipe card holders that you can add. Or you can add candles and holders to use for a romantic dinner. You can layer mason jars with the dry ingredients for a favorite soup (the beans, rice, pasta, seasonings etc) everything except the meat and the water. Again, you type up the cooking instructions, tie the jar with a bow and you're ready to go. A small square of gingham cloth placed on the jar opening before closing the lid adds a pretty touch
For an even more personal touch (makes a wonderful anniversary gift for a couple you care about) you can use your computer to make a gift certificate (or you can make it by hand) entitling the recipient of your gift to a meal cooked, served and cleaned up after, in their own home. You go to their house with everything you need, cook the meal, serve it, clean up after yourself and leave while they enjoy a relaxing romantic dinner (or for someone you know well breakfast in bed served on trays complete with a rose in a bud vase and the morning paper).
If you don't care for the do it yourself approach, there are websites where for around $100 you can have the fixings for a romantic steak and lobster dinner for two delivered and that includes the pot! Everyone loves gifts of food.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Gift Idea No. 22 - Crafts
Craft gifts are available just about everywhere, from small craft shops to large malls, to state fair craft booths. You can buy them, you can make them yourself or you can give a craft kit and open up a whole new hobby for the people for whom you are buying. There are specific "holiday" themed crafts such as wreaths for Christmas or Halloween, straw scarecrows and corn husk wreaths for Thanksgiving or more general crafts like birdhouses and dollhouses complete with miniature everything, which can also make great holiday gifts.
Ceramics is a relaxing hobby that allows for great creativity and personalization. There is enough in the way of simple projects that even the beginner can put together a beautiful array of holiday gifts. You can start from scratch using poured pieces (green ware); cleaning, painting, firing, glazing and firing again or you can buy pieces that are already cleaned and fired (bisque) paint and glaze them. There are an almost infinite number of different pieces to choose from. You can make statues, candy dishes, lamps or chess sets. You are really only limited by your imagination. Children love painting on bisque (much easier for a child to work with as it isn't as easily broken as green ware) Check your local phone book for ceramic shops to find the ones that offer lessons and in no time you'll be making gifts people will cherish. You can find Santas and pumpkins, turkey platters and figurines of Uncle Sam. You can put together a base topped with several figurines and make it into a night-light or dresser lamp. In fact you can find something for just about any holiday as well as for other gifting like showers and birthdays or anniversaries.
If you don't have time or the inclination to make your own there are ceramic pieces for sale in just about every store you go into. There are decorative plates and glasses, vases and jewelry boxes, dolls and figurines. There are all kinds of sets of figurines; storybook characters, wild west towns, the entire cast of Star Wars characters, complete Christmas villages, entire renaissance worlds with castles, wizards, trolls, dragons, kings, queens, knights. The best part about some of these is that you can buy one piece for each holiday building the set slowly or buy it all at once.
Other great crafts for holiday gift giving are knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch and sewing. Scarves, sweaters, potholders, Afghans, dresses, shirts and the list goes on. Change the color and the design and you can have a gift for any holiday. When you knit, crochet, sew or cross-stitch a piece for someone you can personalize it in the colors and styles that you know suits them.
You can always hook a rug or pillow. There are complete kits that come with a preprinted canvas the hook and all the yarn you will need or you can buy a piece of canvas and draw your own design, buy a hook and your yarn and you're good to go.
Ceramics is a relaxing hobby that allows for great creativity and personalization. There is enough in the way of simple projects that even the beginner can put together a beautiful array of holiday gifts. You can start from scratch using poured pieces (green ware); cleaning, painting, firing, glazing and firing again or you can buy pieces that are already cleaned and fired (bisque) paint and glaze them. There are an almost infinite number of different pieces to choose from. You can make statues, candy dishes, lamps or chess sets. You are really only limited by your imagination. Children love painting on bisque (much easier for a child to work with as it isn't as easily broken as green ware) Check your local phone book for ceramic shops to find the ones that offer lessons and in no time you'll be making gifts people will cherish. You can find Santas and pumpkins, turkey platters and figurines of Uncle Sam. You can put together a base topped with several figurines and make it into a night-light or dresser lamp. In fact you can find something for just about any holiday as well as for other gifting like showers and birthdays or anniversaries.
If you don't have time or the inclination to make your own there are ceramic pieces for sale in just about every store you go into. There are decorative plates and glasses, vases and jewelry boxes, dolls and figurines. There are all kinds of sets of figurines; storybook characters, wild west towns, the entire cast of Star Wars characters, complete Christmas villages, entire renaissance worlds with castles, wizards, trolls, dragons, kings, queens, knights. The best part about some of these is that you can buy one piece for each holiday building the set slowly or buy it all at once.
Other great crafts for holiday gift giving are knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch and sewing. Scarves, sweaters, potholders, Afghans, dresses, shirts and the list goes on. Change the color and the design and you can have a gift for any holiday. When you knit, crochet, sew or cross-stitch a piece for someone you can personalize it in the colors and styles that you know suits them.
You can always hook a rug or pillow. There are complete kits that come with a preprinted canvas the hook and all the yarn you will need or you can buy a piece of canvas and draw your own design, buy a hook and your yarn and you're good to go.
Gift Idea No. 21 - Holiday Gifts: Books, Movies and Music
One thing you can be fairly certain of is that you can always find a gift of movies, music or a book for anyone on your holiday gift lists.
Movies are sold everywhere from Blockbuster Video Rental stores to Walgreen Drug Stores. You can find movies in convenience stores and grocery stores. Many of the larger retailers, like Wal Mart, have bins of "bargain" priced movies and if you don't mind digging through them you can find some really good movies at rock bottom prices. If you aren't bothered by the words "previously viewed" you can get some current hits for $8.00 to $10.00. With a diligent search and good timing you can get some great new unopened movies off of ebay for a fraction of the cost in stores. It's also a good source for movies that are out of print.
Not sure what kinds of movies they like? Perfect time for a gift card. You can get a gift card for purchase or for rental. A really nice basket to make contains a gift card for movie rental, a box of microwave popcorn and a few candy bars.
You can also purchase some great boxed gift sets. Many of these sets, like the Lethal Weapon series, are made up of the Directors Editions which contain a lot of extra scenes that were cut from the theater versions and an extra tape with interviews, bloopers and other interesting information. Have a John Wayne or Will Smith fan on your list? There are several different boxed sets combining each of their movies or put one together yourself.
Not sure about their favorite movie, but you know they are addicted to the television show Boston Legal? A large number of the television shows release entire seasons in a set format. Does your spouse love watching Discovery Channel or The Learning Channel? You will find many of their shows and specials can be found on tape or DVD. Whether you are looking for VHS tapes or DVD's you're sure to find the perfect gift.
The same can be said for gifts of music. There are music stores where the selection is enormous and like the movies you can find CD's in just about any store you walk into. With an idea of the type of music or the favorite singers you're looking for you can put together a really nice gift without a lot of effort.
There are an amazing number of bookstores out there, ranging from the small corner bookstores to the mega chains with a café and reading areas that contain comfortable arm chairs so you can sit back with your cup of coffee and enjoy a good book. You aren't limited to hard or soft cover books. There are also books on cassette tapes and books on CD's. There are even e-books that can be downloaded onto their computer and read that way. Love stories, detective novels, horror novels, westerns, science fiction, biographies, cookbooks, instructional books, children's books. Your bookstore can be your one stop holiday gift shop.
Movies are sold everywhere from Blockbuster Video Rental stores to Walgreen Drug Stores. You can find movies in convenience stores and grocery stores. Many of the larger retailers, like Wal Mart, have bins of "bargain" priced movies and if you don't mind digging through them you can find some really good movies at rock bottom prices. If you aren't bothered by the words "previously viewed" you can get some current hits for $8.00 to $10.00. With a diligent search and good timing you can get some great new unopened movies off of ebay for a fraction of the cost in stores. It's also a good source for movies that are out of print.
Not sure what kinds of movies they like? Perfect time for a gift card. You can get a gift card for purchase or for rental. A really nice basket to make contains a gift card for movie rental, a box of microwave popcorn and a few candy bars.
You can also purchase some great boxed gift sets. Many of these sets, like the Lethal Weapon series, are made up of the Directors Editions which contain a lot of extra scenes that were cut from the theater versions and an extra tape with interviews, bloopers and other interesting information. Have a John Wayne or Will Smith fan on your list? There are several different boxed sets combining each of their movies or put one together yourself.
Not sure about their favorite movie, but you know they are addicted to the television show Boston Legal? A large number of the television shows release entire seasons in a set format. Does your spouse love watching Discovery Channel or The Learning Channel? You will find many of their shows and specials can be found on tape or DVD. Whether you are looking for VHS tapes or DVD's you're sure to find the perfect gift.
The same can be said for gifts of music. There are music stores where the selection is enormous and like the movies you can find CD's in just about any store you walk into. With an idea of the type of music or the favorite singers you're looking for you can put together a really nice gift without a lot of effort.
There are an amazing number of bookstores out there, ranging from the small corner bookstores to the mega chains with a café and reading areas that contain comfortable arm chairs so you can sit back with your cup of coffee and enjoy a good book. You aren't limited to hard or soft cover books. There are also books on cassette tapes and books on CD's. There are even e-books that can be downloaded onto their computer and read that way. Love stories, detective novels, horror novels, westerns, science fiction, biographies, cookbooks, instructional books, children's books. Your bookstore can be your one stop holiday gift shop.
Gift Idea No. 20 - Holiday Gift Subscriptions
Holiday shopping can sometimes be a real headache. Some people are incredibly difficult to buy for. What do you get for the person who has everything? The person who doesn't seem to want or need anything? Or maybe you are in a position, thanks to those wonderful Christmas grab bags, of having to buy a gift for someone you really don't know all that well. A magazine subscription provides for a gift that has a nice personal touch yet doesn't require that you know anyone's shirt size or favorite perfume and as an added bonus can run you as little as $10.00 for a full year. With a little general knowledge of the kinds of things they like you can give a gift that they can enjoy all year.
Do they enjoy cooking? There are dozens upon dozens of food and beverage magazines on the market running the gamut from backyard barbecue to gourmet dinners. Southern Living, Taste of Home, Light & Tasty, and Diabetic Cooking just to name a few. Appetizers to desserts, diet advice, helpful hints, step by step "how to's". As a nice little extra benefit, this is a gift that can get you invited to a lot of really good dinners!!
Do you have someone on your list that is forever clicking away on his or her camera? Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography or Shutterbug among others will keep them up to date on the latest information on equipment and techniques for less than the cost of a couple good steaks.
For sports fans there are more magazines than you can imagine. Football, golf, hockey, racing, tennis, and soccer - you name the sport you'll find dozens of magazines for the fan. Stats, biographies, interviews with players, owners, coaches and announcers, the rundown on everything that is important to the sport. There aren't too many people who haven't heard of Sports Illustrated, BASS, American Rifleman or ESPN the Magazine, but there is also Shark Diver, Watercraft World and Triathelete. Many sports magazines like the NASCAR Scene also have online versions of the magazines that you can subscribe to once you have a subscription to the paper version.
Without searching too hard you can find magazines for wine lovers, motorcycle enthusiasts, crafters and people who love to travel. Avid campers? Backpacker, Camping Life and MotorHome will provide them with hours of reading pleasure. American Woodworker, Country Sampler and Dollhouse Miniature will keep your favorite crafters busy for hours on end, possibly netting you a few really nice home made gifts in return!
Boy's Life, Seventeen and CosmoGirl! are just a few of the magazines available for the teens on your list. Baby Bug, Children's Digest and Disney's Princess will give parents of toddlers plenty of "read to me" material.
Magazines provide, information and entertainment on just about any topic you can think of. No matter what kind of person you have on your holiday gift list you will be able to find an appropriate gift in a magazine subscription.
Do they enjoy cooking? There are dozens upon dozens of food and beverage magazines on the market running the gamut from backyard barbecue to gourmet dinners. Southern Living, Taste of Home, Light & Tasty, and Diabetic Cooking just to name a few. Appetizers to desserts, diet advice, helpful hints, step by step "how to's". As a nice little extra benefit, this is a gift that can get you invited to a lot of really good dinners!!
Do you have someone on your list that is forever clicking away on his or her camera? Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography or Shutterbug among others will keep them up to date on the latest information on equipment and techniques for less than the cost of a couple good steaks.
For sports fans there are more magazines than you can imagine. Football, golf, hockey, racing, tennis, and soccer - you name the sport you'll find dozens of magazines for the fan. Stats, biographies, interviews with players, owners, coaches and announcers, the rundown on everything that is important to the sport. There aren't too many people who haven't heard of Sports Illustrated, BASS, American Rifleman or ESPN the Magazine, but there is also Shark Diver, Watercraft World and Triathelete. Many sports magazines like the NASCAR Scene also have online versions of the magazines that you can subscribe to once you have a subscription to the paper version.
Without searching too hard you can find magazines for wine lovers, motorcycle enthusiasts, crafters and people who love to travel. Avid campers? Backpacker, Camping Life and MotorHome will provide them with hours of reading pleasure. American Woodworker, Country Sampler and Dollhouse Miniature will keep your favorite crafters busy for hours on end, possibly netting you a few really nice home made gifts in return!
Boy's Life, Seventeen and CosmoGirl! are just a few of the magazines available for the teens on your list. Baby Bug, Children's Digest and Disney's Princess will give parents of toddlers plenty of "read to me" material.
Magazines provide, information and entertainment on just about any topic you can think of. No matter what kind of person you have on your holiday gift list you will be able to find an appropriate gift in a magazine subscription.
Gift Idea No. 19 - Holiday Gift Ideas That Are Perfect For Men
Although they hate to admit it, when it comes to men, they are like wolves in their own little packs, searching for their next prey. Men act in ways contrary to women, often seeming to approve of disgusting behavior and desires. The more a woman tries to understand a man, then more confused she becomes about the way he acts and thinks. It is no wonder why women have such a tough time figuring out what to buy their male counterparts, whether it be a lover and mate, a husband, a father or a superior. This article should prove helpful with getting our female creative juices flowing.
Let us first begin with the hot stud we either have had our eye on for some time, or even have had the luck to date and enjoy being with. Holiday gift ideas that work well for him would be anything sports or electronic related. If the guy loves to watch sports, a wall mural or posters of his favorite teams or players would definitely send a good message. If our guy is into physical activities, buying some of his gear such as snowboards, skateboards, footballs, etc are also a great gift idea. However, for the tech-head guy, stickers for his laptop or game console can excite them - or even a new mp3 player for them to play around with and show off to their guy pals.
However, our guys do grow up (even if just a little) and we get married. Holiday gift ideas for husbands and fathers of our children deserve something special as well. One idea would be to get him a beer gift basket that contains bears from all around the world. He gets to relax and unwind, tasting a new flavor he would otherwise never get before, and you get to feel wonderful as the giver. Yet, some guys like only one kind of beer - so a great compliment to this would be personalized beer mugs. Just think of his guy friends seeing this great gift - he won't stop talking about it and who gave this gift to him.
Of course, dads and fathers also deserve a wonderful holiday gift idea as well. Fathers have been there to encourage you to grow and helped make you into the fine woman you are now. Us women should never forget this fact, and need to show our gratitude for all they have done. Oftentimes our fathers love to fish and hunt now that they have more time with us out of the house. So, why not give a gift from within this category? Try for instance a set of binoculars that has a digital camera built right in. Or how about a fishing rod attachment that uses sonar to find where the fish are? Technology has truly come a far way in regards to our dads.
This leads us to our grandfathers, or even how our fathers are becoming granddads soon. Grandfathers are a special breed of men who have made it far in their own lives, and deserve recognition of their status as a grandpa. Some holiday gift ideas for these fine gentlemen would include movie collections based on the would wars, or even a collection of John Wayne films. Yet another idea would be grill set with tools and marinades for his meats, as well as a matching apron that has the grand-children's faces on it so that grandpa may show off his pride and joy.
Finally, we lead to our male co-workers and those in authority over us. Although not as close as family, these men do spend quite a lot of time with us during our lives, and showing respect for their positions and contributions is always a wise choice. Holiday gift ideas for these gentlemen would include personalized business-card holders, a monogrammed travel bag, or even a fine watch (the guys version of high-class jewelry). These men will thank you for your thoughtful gift, and will not soon forget you.
Let us first begin with the hot stud we either have had our eye on for some time, or even have had the luck to date and enjoy being with. Holiday gift ideas that work well for him would be anything sports or electronic related. If the guy loves to watch sports, a wall mural or posters of his favorite teams or players would definitely send a good message. If our guy is into physical activities, buying some of his gear such as snowboards, skateboards, footballs, etc are also a great gift idea. However, for the tech-head guy, stickers for his laptop or game console can excite them - or even a new mp3 player for them to play around with and show off to their guy pals.
However, our guys do grow up (even if just a little) and we get married. Holiday gift ideas for husbands and fathers of our children deserve something special as well. One idea would be to get him a beer gift basket that contains bears from all around the world. He gets to relax and unwind, tasting a new flavor he would otherwise never get before, and you get to feel wonderful as the giver. Yet, some guys like only one kind of beer - so a great compliment to this would be personalized beer mugs. Just think of his guy friends seeing this great gift - he won't stop talking about it and who gave this gift to him.
Of course, dads and fathers also deserve a wonderful holiday gift idea as well. Fathers have been there to encourage you to grow and helped make you into the fine woman you are now. Us women should never forget this fact, and need to show our gratitude for all they have done. Oftentimes our fathers love to fish and hunt now that they have more time with us out of the house. So, why not give a gift from within this category? Try for instance a set of binoculars that has a digital camera built right in. Or how about a fishing rod attachment that uses sonar to find where the fish are? Technology has truly come a far way in regards to our dads.
This leads us to our grandfathers, or even how our fathers are becoming granddads soon. Grandfathers are a special breed of men who have made it far in their own lives, and deserve recognition of their status as a grandpa. Some holiday gift ideas for these fine gentlemen would include movie collections based on the would wars, or even a collection of John Wayne films. Yet another idea would be grill set with tools and marinades for his meats, as well as a matching apron that has the grand-children's faces on it so that grandpa may show off his pride and joy.
Finally, we lead to our male co-workers and those in authority over us. Although not as close as family, these men do spend quite a lot of time with us during our lives, and showing respect for their positions and contributions is always a wise choice. Holiday gift ideas for these gentlemen would include personalized business-card holders, a monogrammed travel bag, or even a fine watch (the guys version of high-class jewelry). These men will thank you for your thoughtful gift, and will not soon forget you.
Gift Idea No. 18 - Holiday Gift Ideas For Under Twenty-Five Dollars
In our fast-paced world full of high-speed everything, one thing that seems to be a prevailing factor in our lives is how so many things require so much of our well-earned money. From paying for the necessities, such as rent or mortgage, car payment, insurance, utility bills, as well as food and clothing, most of our checks seem to fly out the door. Then there are entertainment expenses as well, including cable or satellite TV and even our Internet access. So when it's time to figure out what holiday gift ideas we are going to give out this year, the decision becomes harder and harder on what makes a good gift to give.
In the past it was not uncommon for someone to receive expensive jewelry, watches, handmade clocks and other such prestigious items. Unfortunately for most of us, those days are gone, but we still want our holiday gift idea to make the person feel like a million dollars. The question thus becomes how to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.
Holiday gift ideas that cost under twenty-five dollars have the unfortunate stigma that they are somehow cheap and gaudy, not at all what someone should be giving away for the special occasion. This could not be any more untrue. The fact of the matter is that being frugal in this day and age often times makes sure that most, if not all, of those on your gifting list actually receive something that they can cherish and enjoy from you. And truth be told the price oftentimes does not equal the true value of the heartfelt gift.
Take for instance most books. To the wise shopper, many of the popular titles, including even the new Harry Potter novel, can be purchased for less than $25. And for those who would rather listen to the book than actually read it, there are still bargains to be had. Literature in all its forms are wonderful holiday gift ideas, for even in fiction there are lessons to be learned and fantastical lands to escape into.
Another popular inexpensive gift to give is music and video. CD's are still a popular holiday gift idea, but is more and more going into gift cards for iTunes and Rhapsody services. On the other spectrum is DVD's and the movies, television programs and other such videos that the smart shopper can find still under the $25 range. For the adventurous shopper, with careful inspection and research they may even find DVD, CD and MP3 players for under this range as well, which many would be blessed to own.
Of course as a last resort for a good holiday gift idea, anywhere from five to twenty-five dollars in a gift card (or even a combination of gift cards) will always work. When your recipient gets the card, they will feel grateful for the thought you put into it because it shows them how much you care. How does it do this? Quite simple actually: You show that you have listened to their wants and that you have gotten to know their desires over the time spent together, and thus you buy the cards for their favorite places. What's not to love with this holiday gift idea?
So there you have three wonderful holiday gift ideas, all under twenty-five bucks. Just remember that if you use your imagination, you will find there is so much more opportunity with this seemingly small amount if you but just look for it! Happy bargain hunting and may your gifts be received with gratitude and love
In the past it was not uncommon for someone to receive expensive jewelry, watches, handmade clocks and other such prestigious items. Unfortunately for most of us, those days are gone, but we still want our holiday gift idea to make the person feel like a million dollars. The question thus becomes how to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.
Holiday gift ideas that cost under twenty-five dollars have the unfortunate stigma that they are somehow cheap and gaudy, not at all what someone should be giving away for the special occasion. This could not be any more untrue. The fact of the matter is that being frugal in this day and age often times makes sure that most, if not all, of those on your gifting list actually receive something that they can cherish and enjoy from you. And truth be told the price oftentimes does not equal the true value of the heartfelt gift.
Take for instance most books. To the wise shopper, many of the popular titles, including even the new Harry Potter novel, can be purchased for less than $25. And for those who would rather listen to the book than actually read it, there are still bargains to be had. Literature in all its forms are wonderful holiday gift ideas, for even in fiction there are lessons to be learned and fantastical lands to escape into.
Another popular inexpensive gift to give is music and video. CD's are still a popular holiday gift idea, but is more and more going into gift cards for iTunes and Rhapsody services. On the other spectrum is DVD's and the movies, television programs and other such videos that the smart shopper can find still under the $25 range. For the adventurous shopper, with careful inspection and research they may even find DVD, CD and MP3 players for under this range as well, which many would be blessed to own.
Of course as a last resort for a good holiday gift idea, anywhere from five to twenty-five dollars in a gift card (or even a combination of gift cards) will always work. When your recipient gets the card, they will feel grateful for the thought you put into it because it shows them how much you care. How does it do this? Quite simple actually: You show that you have listened to their wants and that you have gotten to know their desires over the time spent together, and thus you buy the cards for their favorite places. What's not to love with this holiday gift idea?
So there you have three wonderful holiday gift ideas, all under twenty-five bucks. Just remember that if you use your imagination, you will find there is so much more opportunity with this seemingly small amount if you but just look for it! Happy bargain hunting and may your gifts be received with gratitude and love
Gift Idea No. 17 - Holiday Gift Ideas For Those Less Fortunate
The holidays are a time to meet up with those you love and to celebrate your precious time together on the planet earth. All of us enjoy getting together with those we enjoy spending time with, and we appreciate the limited time we get to do so. However there is a sad side to our celebrating that many have no idea how to help with.
Every year there are those less fortunate souls who cannot afford to celebrate with their loved one's. Many of these people don't even have any loved ones left to visit, and thus they roam the streets alone. So many of us would like to show compassion and kindness to these people, but where do we even begin? How on earth can we make a difference in these people's lives?
One of the greatest holiday gift idea we can give this holiday season that lasts much more than any game console or new exciting technological gadget is giving of our time. Volunteering at a local church, mission or food bank is a most rewarding experience, and I highly recommend it to all who read this. Watching these lonely, almost lifeless people light up with hope and joy, just because someone who cares and loves them has come into their life, is something amazing to behold.
Serving food and drink to these less fortunate souls is also an amazing holiday gift idea. This can be done at a soup kitchen, but if one does not exist in your city or town, then an alternative would be to make up some simple paper-sack lunches with a juice box, piece of fruit, and a simple sandwich inside. If you are a believer, you could also include a scripture of how God love's them, even in their time of need. Try this method and watch how blessed you feel when you know you have helped someone out who desperately needed it.
If giving of your time this way is not possible, another holiday gift idea would be to use your talents to create a gift. Making simple scarves and hats are easy patterns to master, whether you knit or crochet with yarn, or even sew with fleece. Another needed item are blankets - you can find several non-profit organizations who will take donations of knit or crochet squares, or even finished quilt blocks, and then their volunteers sew the blocks together to make completed blankets. These blankets are so very needed for these unfortunate people, and your work will be greatly appreciated.
Another item you can make as a holiday gift idea to give away is stuffed animals. Unfortunately there resides several homeless children in this world, barely getting by while surviving with their parents on the streets and off of the trash scraps they find to eat that night. Many of these children are desperate for a compassionate person, and the volunteers who give these handmade teddy-bears will tell you how a child's eyes open up with renewed hope and life.
Finally, if you are not a talented creator, nor can you give of your time freely, consider helping other organizations such as Christmas Unlimited or Toys for Tots with your money or donated toys and clothing so that the parents who cannot afford to give their children gifts this Christmas will still have a miracle occur and Christmas be saved for their precious children. This can be an ultimate holiday gift idea - I should know. I was once one of these very children.
Every year there are those less fortunate souls who cannot afford to celebrate with their loved one's. Many of these people don't even have any loved ones left to visit, and thus they roam the streets alone. So many of us would like to show compassion and kindness to these people, but where do we even begin? How on earth can we make a difference in these people's lives?
One of the greatest holiday gift idea we can give this holiday season that lasts much more than any game console or new exciting technological gadget is giving of our time. Volunteering at a local church, mission or food bank is a most rewarding experience, and I highly recommend it to all who read this. Watching these lonely, almost lifeless people light up with hope and joy, just because someone who cares and loves them has come into their life, is something amazing to behold.
Serving food and drink to these less fortunate souls is also an amazing holiday gift idea. This can be done at a soup kitchen, but if one does not exist in your city or town, then an alternative would be to make up some simple paper-sack lunches with a juice box, piece of fruit, and a simple sandwich inside. If you are a believer, you could also include a scripture of how God love's them, even in their time of need. Try this method and watch how blessed you feel when you know you have helped someone out who desperately needed it.
If giving of your time this way is not possible, another holiday gift idea would be to use your talents to create a gift. Making simple scarves and hats are easy patterns to master, whether you knit or crochet with yarn, or even sew with fleece. Another needed item are blankets - you can find several non-profit organizations who will take donations of knit or crochet squares, or even finished quilt blocks, and then their volunteers sew the blocks together to make completed blankets. These blankets are so very needed for these unfortunate people, and your work will be greatly appreciated.
Another item you can make as a holiday gift idea to give away is stuffed animals. Unfortunately there resides several homeless children in this world, barely getting by while surviving with their parents on the streets and off of the trash scraps they find to eat that night. Many of these children are desperate for a compassionate person, and the volunteers who give these handmade teddy-bears will tell you how a child's eyes open up with renewed hope and life.
Finally, if you are not a talented creator, nor can you give of your time freely, consider helping other organizations such as Christmas Unlimited or Toys for Tots with your money or donated toys and clothing so that the parents who cannot afford to give their children gifts this Christmas will still have a miracle occur and Christmas be saved for their precious children. This can be an ultimate holiday gift idea - I should know. I was once one of these very children.
Gift Idea No. 16 - Holiday Gift Ideas For That Special Lady
Whenever a woman is out with her girlfriends, they love to chat about any and all things going on in their lives. They go to the bathroom together to hold secret meetings about their boyfriends and to gossip about one another. And of course, women love to shop together. Unfortunately for men, this makes buying gifts for a special lady, whether it be someone we are interested in, someone we are dating, someone we are married to, or even our mother, grandmother, or boss - women confuse us when it comes to the right gift. This article should help alleviate this dilemma.
To start, guys who are interested in a lovely woman, or involved with one, here are some great holiday gift ideas for them. All woman love to be pampered, so why not indulge their needs? One of the ways to do this is by giving a hand and/or feet pampering kit. These kits typically contain lotions and other tools to make a woman feel pretty and loved by you. Of course, the next step from this would be a spa treatment for two - you and her!
The spa treatment is also good for those of us who are married to our fine wives. But it is not the only holiday gift idea that you can give your wife. Many of us have children, and any husband should be able to agree that what our wives go through in child birth and raising our children is not a simple task to say the least. So why not show how very proud of them we are by giving them jewelry that they can wear proudly as the mother of our children. One such item would be the birthstone pendant or necklace, where the birthstones of the children, the mother and yourself are arranged beautifully. Of course, if you want it even more personal, having the names inscribed on a silver bracelet is another option. The most personal item would be the photo-bracelet where instead of having the pictures of her children in her purse or wallet, they are proudly displayed upon her wrist.
This wrist photo-bracelet would also be great to give your mother with all of her grandchildren inside. Unique holiday gift ideas abound once you see the potential. Mom's will also appreciate items that they can show off while entertaining guests, while also helping the grandkids feel special when visiting their grandmother. Such items include personal photographic wall calendars, photos on pillows and even a photo montage collection.
These photo holiday gift ideas also travel over to grandma and all she has done as well. Grandmothers, and especially great-grandmothers are to be cherished for the short time they will be on this earth. Most of us have fond memories of our grandmother's in the kitchen making a fine meal, or even more so working on a knitting or crochet project for a grandchild. Why not show how appreciated she is, as well as her handmade gifts, by getting her a kitchen organizer or a personalized craft bag to hold all of her things so that she doesn't have to look all over the house for what she needs when working on her current projects?
Finally, we come to those special women who are in charge of us: our boss (and even some of our co-workers). A business organizer bag would be an awesome holiday gift idea to give to them. However, an alternative to this would be a fanciful coffee or tea collection kit. This could be something simple such as a few boxes of their favorite flavors tied with a ribbon, all the way to an exotic mix of flavors from all around the world.
Whoever the lucky woman is, using these holiday gift ideas from this article is sure to make you popular with the special lady in your life. Just remember to have fun and always remain thoughtful
To start, guys who are interested in a lovely woman, or involved with one, here are some great holiday gift ideas for them. All woman love to be pampered, so why not indulge their needs? One of the ways to do this is by giving a hand and/or feet pampering kit. These kits typically contain lotions and other tools to make a woman feel pretty and loved by you. Of course, the next step from this would be a spa treatment for two - you and her!
The spa treatment is also good for those of us who are married to our fine wives. But it is not the only holiday gift idea that you can give your wife. Many of us have children, and any husband should be able to agree that what our wives go through in child birth and raising our children is not a simple task to say the least. So why not show how very proud of them we are by giving them jewelry that they can wear proudly as the mother of our children. One such item would be the birthstone pendant or necklace, where the birthstones of the children, the mother and yourself are arranged beautifully. Of course, if you want it even more personal, having the names inscribed on a silver bracelet is another option. The most personal item would be the photo-bracelet where instead of having the pictures of her children in her purse or wallet, they are proudly displayed upon her wrist.
This wrist photo-bracelet would also be great to give your mother with all of her grandchildren inside. Unique holiday gift ideas abound once you see the potential. Mom's will also appreciate items that they can show off while entertaining guests, while also helping the grandkids feel special when visiting their grandmother. Such items include personal photographic wall calendars, photos on pillows and even a photo montage collection.
These photo holiday gift ideas also travel over to grandma and all she has done as well. Grandmothers, and especially great-grandmothers are to be cherished for the short time they will be on this earth. Most of us have fond memories of our grandmother's in the kitchen making a fine meal, or even more so working on a knitting or crochet project for a grandchild. Why not show how appreciated she is, as well as her handmade gifts, by getting her a kitchen organizer or a personalized craft bag to hold all of her things so that she doesn't have to look all over the house for what she needs when working on her current projects?
Finally, we come to those special women who are in charge of us: our boss (and even some of our co-workers). A business organizer bag would be an awesome holiday gift idea to give to them. However, an alternative to this would be a fanciful coffee or tea collection kit. This could be something simple such as a few boxes of their favorite flavors tied with a ribbon, all the way to an exotic mix of flavors from all around the world.
Whoever the lucky woman is, using these holiday gift ideas from this article is sure to make you popular with the special lady in your life. Just remember to have fun and always remain thoughtful
Gift Idea No. 15 - Giving a Gift Basket for Christmas
Christmas time comes once every year, but the fact that it comes only once a year makes buying gifts for the people in your family and circle of friends all the more difficult. Many people feel a certain kind of pressure to buy just exactly the right type of perfect Christmas gift that they may actually become too caught up in the commercial side of Christmas. However, this is not to say that buying the right kind of Christmas gift isn't important, because it really is. But there are all sorts of things on the market that would make for a "perfect" Christmas gift that how are you supposed to choose? One option that you have that you may not have thought about before is buying a gift basket for that hard-to-buy person. Gift baskets can be a wonderful thing to buy, especially for a Christmas gift, and many people choose to do this each year.
Of course, pre-made Christmas gift baskets are not your only choice when looking into this type of gift. On the contrary, a good thing to add to this gift would be your own personality and style, so creating an actual gift basket is something that a lot of people choose to do as well! Even though you may have trouble deciding what to put in the gift basket, here are some ideas for future holiday gifts:
Breads
All sorts of people love a variety of breads and there are many types of holiday breads that you can fill your gift basket with. In addition, your whole gift basket could possibly be a variety bread basket, but chances are the person you're buying it or preparing it for will love it all the same. However, if you're going to make a variety gift basket filled with breads, like pumpkin or spice, one gift basket suggestion would be to actually fill the rest of the basket to the brim with other types of gifts.
Stocking Stuffers
This is where small stocking stuffer gifts come in. Even though you may have the majority of the gift basket filled with breads to eat and enjoy, you may be left with a pretty empty void for the spaces in between. Stocking stuffers, such as lottery tickets, playing cards, pens, pencils, and other stationary gifts are perfect to put in your gift basket alongside the breads that have already been made!
Of course, there are many other choices that one has when creating their own gift basket and they're certainly not limited to stocking stuffers and breads for their holiday basket. However, these suggestions definitely are some of the better ones for your Christmas gift basket, but on the other hand you may also have other ideas for your friend or family member that you're buying for. If that's the case then one is always free to purchase a whole variety of other small gifts and put those in their gift baskets instead, but just remember that stocking stuffers and loaves of bread will usually always be well received as holiday gift baskets
Of course, pre-made Christmas gift baskets are not your only choice when looking into this type of gift. On the contrary, a good thing to add to this gift would be your own personality and style, so creating an actual gift basket is something that a lot of people choose to do as well! Even though you may have trouble deciding what to put in the gift basket, here are some ideas for future holiday gifts:
Breads
All sorts of people love a variety of breads and there are many types of holiday breads that you can fill your gift basket with. In addition, your whole gift basket could possibly be a variety bread basket, but chances are the person you're buying it or preparing it for will love it all the same. However, if you're going to make a variety gift basket filled with breads, like pumpkin or spice, one gift basket suggestion would be to actually fill the rest of the basket to the brim with other types of gifts.
Stocking Stuffers
This is where small stocking stuffer gifts come in. Even though you may have the majority of the gift basket filled with breads to eat and enjoy, you may be left with a pretty empty void for the spaces in between. Stocking stuffers, such as lottery tickets, playing cards, pens, pencils, and other stationary gifts are perfect to put in your gift basket alongside the breads that have already been made!
Of course, there are many other choices that one has when creating their own gift basket and they're certainly not limited to stocking stuffers and breads for their holiday basket. However, these suggestions definitely are some of the better ones for your Christmas gift basket, but on the other hand you may also have other ideas for your friend or family member that you're buying for. If that's the case then one is always free to purchase a whole variety of other small gifts and put those in their gift baskets instead, but just remember that stocking stuffers and loaves of bread will usually always be well received as holiday gift baskets
Gift Idea No. 14 - Gift Giving Superstitions and Legends
Superstitions: There are a lot of superstitions and legends involving the giving and receiving of gifts. For instance it was at one time considered bad luck to give a pair of scissors or a knife as a gift because it was feared that the act would "cut" the friendship in half. Therefore knives were never given as wedding gifts as it was believed they would lead to a broken marriage.
Also never give anyone a pair of shoes as a Christmas gift because they would make the person you give them to walk away from you. When you give someone a gift of a wallet or purse be sure to put some money into it, even if only a coin, to ward off bad luck. At one time bakers would throw in an extra roll when you bought a dozen as a "gift" in case any of the other rolls were too small. This "gift" became known as the baker's dozen.
Urban legends: Legends are told as having happened long, long ago whereas urban legends are set in contemporary times and told as having happened to people known either personally to the teller or to someone known by a person the teller knows. The places and names change as they are updated to fit current times and all carry a warning or lesson of some sort. There may even be some truth to the story although the people and places have been changed so many times that it becomes hard to determine what the truth actually was.
One such tale recounts a king's offer of a gift to a famous golfer (sometimes the golfer is named other times he is just "a famous golfer") who after first declining the gift asks for a golf club only to find to his amazement that the king has bought him an entire golf course.
In several different legends, although the people and circumstances change the story and its warning are the same. A son (nephew, daughter, niece...) is expecting a very expensive gift (car, house, inheritance...) from his father (uncle, aunt...) but receives a bible. In a fit of anger he throws the bible at the giver and leaves not returning until the givers death when he notices the bible from so long ago, opens it and finds the (key to the car, check to the car dealer, will leaving him everything etc.).
Then there are the one-up-manship legends. Two or more siblings vie to get the best gift for their mother (houses, cars, jewels) with one going to great expense to get a bird (myna, parrot...) that has been specially trained (to read the bible, sing opera, speak Italian...). The mother politely thanks all (while letting them know their gift wasn't very practical) then speaks proudly of the child who had the sense to bring her the delicious chicken.
There is also a true story of two brothers who re-gifted the same pair of pants back and forth wrapped in very creative ways, from rolling them into a 3' long 1" wide pipe to stuffing them into the glove compartment of a car that they then had crushed and delivered in time for Christmas. The pants went back and forth for 25 years before they finally fell apart.
Also never give anyone a pair of shoes as a Christmas gift because they would make the person you give them to walk away from you. When you give someone a gift of a wallet or purse be sure to put some money into it, even if only a coin, to ward off bad luck. At one time bakers would throw in an extra roll when you bought a dozen as a "gift" in case any of the other rolls were too small. This "gift" became known as the baker's dozen.
Urban legends: Legends are told as having happened long, long ago whereas urban legends are set in contemporary times and told as having happened to people known either personally to the teller or to someone known by a person the teller knows. The places and names change as they are updated to fit current times and all carry a warning or lesson of some sort. There may even be some truth to the story although the people and places have been changed so many times that it becomes hard to determine what the truth actually was.
One such tale recounts a king's offer of a gift to a famous golfer (sometimes the golfer is named other times he is just "a famous golfer") who after first declining the gift asks for a golf club only to find to his amazement that the king has bought him an entire golf course.
In several different legends, although the people and circumstances change the story and its warning are the same. A son (nephew, daughter, niece...) is expecting a very expensive gift (car, house, inheritance...) from his father (uncle, aunt...) but receives a bible. In a fit of anger he throws the bible at the giver and leaves not returning until the givers death when he notices the bible from so long ago, opens it and finds the (key to the car, check to the car dealer, will leaving him everything etc.).
Then there are the one-up-manship legends. Two or more siblings vie to get the best gift for their mother (houses, cars, jewels) with one going to great expense to get a bird (myna, parrot...) that has been specially trained (to read the bible, sing opera, speak Italian...). The mother politely thanks all (while letting them know their gift wasn't very practical) then speaks proudly of the child who had the sense to bring her the delicious chicken.
There is also a true story of two brothers who re-gifted the same pair of pants back and forth wrapped in very creative ways, from rolling them into a 3' long 1" wide pipe to stuffing them into the glove compartment of a car that they then had crushed and delivered in time for Christmas. The pants went back and forth for 25 years before they finally fell apart.
Gift Idea No. 14 - The Pefect Solution for Hard-to-buy-For Person
When it comes to the Christmas season there are many different ways that you can shop for the people on your list. You can either take a list with you everywhere you go of all the different things that people like or you can simply ask the people in your life straight out what they want for Christmas. There are all sorts of ways to find the best gifts for everyone on your list, although chances are that there may just be those hard-to-buy-for people in your life that won't be pleased with anything that you buy for them. If this is the case, however, you may just want to invest in a gift basket for that individual! Indeed, there is nothing wrong with buying a gift basket if you have searched high and low for the perfect gift for a specific individual, and here are some things to think about if you're going to rely on gift baskets as the perfect gift solution:
Remember the Individual
Even though gift baskets may be an easy product or gift to come across in a store, though, you definitely still want to remember the individual that you're buying for. Because there are so many types of gift baskets on the market today may mean that you actually have to think before you buy one. In other words, there are plenty of different themes and styles that a gift basket can come in.
From sports memorabilia, like specific football teams all the way to gift cooking utensil and cookbooks, just about anything can be crammed into a gift basket these days. So before you go just picking one random gift basket off the shelf from a store you must be sure to examine it to make sure that it's a good gift basket for the person that you're buying. Of course, many gift baskets will have generic-type of gifts, such as candies and other types of food, which are perfect for those people that are so hard to buy gifts for!
Add Your Own Touch!
Another thing to remember about buying and giving a gift basket is that you should definitely include your personality with the gift basket as well. In other words there are probably some things that you can do in order to liven up the outside of the gift basket. One idea to take along would be to purchase a greeting card and attach it somehow to the gift basket itself. The outside of the gift basket can even be decorated to your liking as well, or the whole basket can be wrapped in wrapping paper complete with a bow and gift tag! There are all sorts of ways to add your style, creativity, and personality to this gift you are giving.
These are two of the most important aspects of giving gift baskets away that one should remember. Adding your own touch to the gift basket for the person you love, as well as buying the perfect themed-gift basket are both very important ideas when it comes to buying a gift basket
Remember the Individual
Even though gift baskets may be an easy product or gift to come across in a store, though, you definitely still want to remember the individual that you're buying for. Because there are so many types of gift baskets on the market today may mean that you actually have to think before you buy one. In other words, there are plenty of different themes and styles that a gift basket can come in.
From sports memorabilia, like specific football teams all the way to gift cooking utensil and cookbooks, just about anything can be crammed into a gift basket these days. So before you go just picking one random gift basket off the shelf from a store you must be sure to examine it to make sure that it's a good gift basket for the person that you're buying. Of course, many gift baskets will have generic-type of gifts, such as candies and other types of food, which are perfect for those people that are so hard to buy gifts for!
Add Your Own Touch!
Another thing to remember about buying and giving a gift basket is that you should definitely include your personality with the gift basket as well. In other words there are probably some things that you can do in order to liven up the outside of the gift basket. One idea to take along would be to purchase a greeting card and attach it somehow to the gift basket itself. The outside of the gift basket can even be decorated to your liking as well, or the whole basket can be wrapped in wrapping paper complete with a bow and gift tag! There are all sorts of ways to add your style, creativity, and personality to this gift you are giving.
These are two of the most important aspects of giving gift baskets away that one should remember. Adding your own touch to the gift basket for the person you love, as well as buying the perfect themed-gift basket are both very important ideas when it comes to buying a gift basket
Gift Idea No. 13 - Gift Baskets: Are They Really Worth It?
Just as there are plenty of holidays around the world and throughout the year there are also many different types of people that everyone has to buy gifts for. Fortunately, if you have been given the satisfaction of having a small family then that at least makes things a bit easier as far as the amount of gifts that you have to buy, but perhaps you have made up for it with the amount of friends you have. Nevertheless, many people think that buying gifts is a difficult process even though we should all be used to it by the time we become adults. However, one solution that many people use to streamline the process of buying gifts for each individual is to buy a series of gift baskets for each person so that they'll be able to enjoy a variety of things. This mentality is pretty sound reasoning; however, one should really try to look at whether gift baskets are really worth the price paid for them in the first place.
The Cost
Thinking about everything that goes into a typical gift basket, is the cost of the whole gift basket package really worth all of the gifts that are put inside. Of course the answer will be a big "no" because the majority of the price of the gift basket will naturally be the basket itself! This is one reason why gift baskets are simply not worth the money spent on them. The majority of the value has to do with the actual basket, which means that instead of putting money towards a gift that the special person in your life will really love you are essentially giving them a basket as a present.
The Time & Effort
On the other hand, if you choose not to buy a gift basket from a retail store then another option that you always have is to make the gift basket yourself. Even though this may be a noble venture, is the time and effort of creating a gift basket from scratch really worth it? There is the whole personal aspect of doing something like this, but the time and effort that was spent purchasing small gifts to place inside a gift basket could have been focused on buying a larger, more perfect gift for the special person you're buying for!
Why People Give Them
Of course there may be a wide range of reasons why gift baskets are given in the first place. For many people gift baskets are simply easier to give because they don't really take much time to find anyway, such as the ones you see in retail stores like Wal-Mart! On the other hand, giving gift baskets away might say that you have added a personal touch to the gift if you have actually created it from scratch. Both of these are good reasons to buy gift baskets, however, one decision that many people make is to simply buy gift baskets for everyone on their list to get the gift-buying season over-with. If this is your mentality then buying a gift basket may actually not be your best route to take. Nevertheless, though, the fact of the matter is that gift baskets are given to people all over the world and they are well-received by virtually everyone who gets them
The Cost
Thinking about everything that goes into a typical gift basket, is the cost of the whole gift basket package really worth all of the gifts that are put inside. Of course the answer will be a big "no" because the majority of the price of the gift basket will naturally be the basket itself! This is one reason why gift baskets are simply not worth the money spent on them. The majority of the value has to do with the actual basket, which means that instead of putting money towards a gift that the special person in your life will really love you are essentially giving them a basket as a present.
The Time & Effort
On the other hand, if you choose not to buy a gift basket from a retail store then another option that you always have is to make the gift basket yourself. Even though this may be a noble venture, is the time and effort of creating a gift basket from scratch really worth it? There is the whole personal aspect of doing something like this, but the time and effort that was spent purchasing small gifts to place inside a gift basket could have been focused on buying a larger, more perfect gift for the special person you're buying for!
Why People Give Them
Of course there may be a wide range of reasons why gift baskets are given in the first place. For many people gift baskets are simply easier to give because they don't really take much time to find anyway, such as the ones you see in retail stores like Wal-Mart! On the other hand, giving gift baskets away might say that you have added a personal touch to the gift if you have actually created it from scratch. Both of these are good reasons to buy gift baskets, however, one decision that many people make is to simply buy gift baskets for everyone on their list to get the gift-buying season over-with. If this is your mentality then buying a gift basket may actually not be your best route to take. Nevertheless, though, the fact of the matter is that gift baskets are given to people all over the world and they are well-received by virtually everyone who gets them
Gift Idea No. 12 - Gift Basket Ideas for Women
If you have a woman in your life whom you need to buy a present for whether it be Christmas, a birthday, New Year's, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day, or any of the special days that you and her share then chances are that you will also have to give her a gift. Many men love showering the women in their life with gifts galore, but for some it can actually be quite a tough challenge!
For this reason many men over the years have resorted to simply buying generic gift baskets that may be filled with unrecognizable perfumes, chocolate candies, as well as a variety of other soap and deodorant products. Indeed, these are some of the most common products and gifts that are usually included with pre-packed gift baskets, but chances are that there aren’t enough intimate gifts in these gift baskets to satisfy either you or her.
Creating a gift basket doesn't have to be that difficult and there are plenty of ways that men can do it without a whole lot of extra fluff or worry, too. If you enjoy being creative on the other hand then you may have a few ideas of your own. Nevertheless, filling a gift basket with all sorts of products for her that will be well received should be done if you can not find any other suitable gift for the special woman in your life.
Perfumes
Yes, perfumes are some of the products that are thrown in generic gift baskets, but those kinds of perfumes are not the ones that are going to be carefully placed in the gift basket you are going to create. On the contrary, chances are that if you know your special lady well enough, be it your girlfriend or wife, then you also know many of the perfumes that you like to smell on her and that she loves wearing! The amount of perfume that you buy for the gift basket doesn't have to be a great amount considering that other gifts will be in the basket as well. But perhaps buying a 2-3 ounce perfume bottle will be good enough for the gift basket.
Jewelry
On the other hand, jewelry isn't usually placed in a generic, pre-packaged gift basket. But if you know that she loves jewelry and you have gotten jewelry for her in the past then this definitely is a definite must to place in the gift basket. Whether you want to invest in an expensive diamond ring to place in the center of the gift basket or you want to buy less expensive necklaces and rings to place throughout the gift basket itself, jewelry can be a great addition to the gift basket!
Lingerie
Even though you may never have thought about lingerie being placed in a gift basket for you special girlfriend, wife, or lover this can be a good piece of clothing for you and her! In addition, laying the lingerie out discreetly on the bottom of the gift basket itself will be like a whole other surprise in itself. The lingerie can be used as a gift basket bottom layer so that the other gifts can be set on top.
All in all, these gifts are great to be placed in a gift basket and chances are that she'll love every bit of it! Just remember: when making a gift basket for your wife or girlfriend stick to the most romantic gifts that you can think of to put in the gift basket.
For this reason many men over the years have resorted to simply buying generic gift baskets that may be filled with unrecognizable perfumes, chocolate candies, as well as a variety of other soap and deodorant products. Indeed, these are some of the most common products and gifts that are usually included with pre-packed gift baskets, but chances are that there aren’t enough intimate gifts in these gift baskets to satisfy either you or her.
Creating a gift basket doesn't have to be that difficult and there are plenty of ways that men can do it without a whole lot of extra fluff or worry, too. If you enjoy being creative on the other hand then you may have a few ideas of your own. Nevertheless, filling a gift basket with all sorts of products for her that will be well received should be done if you can not find any other suitable gift for the special woman in your life.
Perfumes
Yes, perfumes are some of the products that are thrown in generic gift baskets, but those kinds of perfumes are not the ones that are going to be carefully placed in the gift basket you are going to create. On the contrary, chances are that if you know your special lady well enough, be it your girlfriend or wife, then you also know many of the perfumes that you like to smell on her and that she loves wearing! The amount of perfume that you buy for the gift basket doesn't have to be a great amount considering that other gifts will be in the basket as well. But perhaps buying a 2-3 ounce perfume bottle will be good enough for the gift basket.
Jewelry
On the other hand, jewelry isn't usually placed in a generic, pre-packaged gift basket. But if you know that she loves jewelry and you have gotten jewelry for her in the past then this definitely is a definite must to place in the gift basket. Whether you want to invest in an expensive diamond ring to place in the center of the gift basket or you want to buy less expensive necklaces and rings to place throughout the gift basket itself, jewelry can be a great addition to the gift basket!
Lingerie
Even though you may never have thought about lingerie being placed in a gift basket for you special girlfriend, wife, or lover this can be a good piece of clothing for you and her! In addition, laying the lingerie out discreetly on the bottom of the gift basket itself will be like a whole other surprise in itself. The lingerie can be used as a gift basket bottom layer so that the other gifts can be set on top.
All in all, these gifts are great to be placed in a gift basket and chances are that she'll love every bit of it! Just remember: when making a gift basket for your wife or girlfriend stick to the most romantic gifts that you can think of to put in the gift basket.
Gift Idea No. 11 - Designing Your Gift Basket Website
When creating your gift basket business chances are that you'll be advertising it to family and friends first so that they can easily spread the word along to their other family members and friends as well. However, one thing that many people and gift basket businesses don't think about, though, is creating a website to go along with their basket business. But in today's modern society one can hardly ever get along in the business world without first having a legitimate website to identify itself with. A website will not only add spunk to the creative gift basket business, but it will also give it some sort of personality that can be great for any business if it's hoping to attract customers.
The first thing that you'll want to do when designing your gift basket business website is to have everything neatly laid out on your website so that your customers and potential buyers will be able to see everything you have to offer. This includes making categories, making sure that the product information is accurate, as well as including pictures so that everyone can see what you’re selling. In addition, if you are going to allow custom gift baskets to be ordered from a variety of different products then there also should be a separate website section for that!
Another issue that you'll want to have clarified on your website is the ordering process. As with any business the ordering process should be smooth and easy. This is obviously very simple to do when creating your business in the offline world, but in the online world there needs to be much more thought put into it, especially if you want your gift basket business to succeed. There should be at least several large buttons that read "Order Here" or something else to that effect so that your visitors will be able to tell where the ordering form is.
Perhaps another creative idea for designing your gift basket business website is to give your customers interesting content to read. For example, if you have a sports gift basket business then your website could possibly include some updates on the latest football, basketball, or baseball games. In addition, if gourmet chocolate gift baskets are being sold then having a couple articles devoted to the history of chocolate and the many different varieties of gourmet chocolate may not be a bad idea.
Of course one issue that perhaps lies underneath everything else that was described above is the actual website design itself. There are many businesses that may just have a plain white background, but on the World Wide Web it has been said that businesses only have a matter of seconds to hold and keep their customers' attention. Adding relevant images, pictures, and patterns to your website is a great idea!
All of these things are important, though, if one is going to succeed in the online world with their gift basket business. Having an organized site, as well as making sure there are interesting designs and content to look at and read are all very important to your business!
The first thing that you'll want to do when designing your gift basket business website is to have everything neatly laid out on your website so that your customers and potential buyers will be able to see everything you have to offer. This includes making categories, making sure that the product information is accurate, as well as including pictures so that everyone can see what you’re selling. In addition, if you are going to allow custom gift baskets to be ordered from a variety of different products then there also should be a separate website section for that!
Another issue that you'll want to have clarified on your website is the ordering process. As with any business the ordering process should be smooth and easy. This is obviously very simple to do when creating your business in the offline world, but in the online world there needs to be much more thought put into it, especially if you want your gift basket business to succeed. There should be at least several large buttons that read "Order Here" or something else to that effect so that your visitors will be able to tell where the ordering form is.
Perhaps another creative idea for designing your gift basket business website is to give your customers interesting content to read. For example, if you have a sports gift basket business then your website could possibly include some updates on the latest football, basketball, or baseball games. In addition, if gourmet chocolate gift baskets are being sold then having a couple articles devoted to the history of chocolate and the many different varieties of gourmet chocolate may not be a bad idea.
Of course one issue that perhaps lies underneath everything else that was described above is the actual website design itself. There are many businesses that may just have a plain white background, but on the World Wide Web it has been said that businesses only have a matter of seconds to hold and keep their customers' attention. Adding relevant images, pictures, and patterns to your website is a great idea!
All of these things are important, though, if one is going to succeed in the online world with their gift basket business. Having an organized site, as well as making sure there are interesting designs and content to look at and read are all very important to your business!
Gift Idea No. 9 - Decorating your Gift Basket
Gift baskets are one of the ways to make your loved ones feel special and if you have ever had the opportunity to make a gift basket of all your own then chances are that you know how special it can feel to do so. Perhaps the main reason that you feel proud about the gift basket that you are about to give to your family or friend is because you have spent countless hours putting together something that will be appreciated for a long time! One essential part of the gift basket making process, though, is decorating the outside. If you already own a gift basket business then chances are that you have a trick or two up your sleeve that will do nicely for decorating the outside of a gift basket, but here are some ideas if you're not quite sure how to go about doing it.
For starters, wrapping cellophane paper around the outside of the basket and everything that is contained inside is the best thing that anyone could do for a gift basket. Considering the fact that cellophane paper is just about the only way that gift baskets are ever wrapped you will probably be hard pressed to find anything else. Of course you can always use another type of shrink wrap paper underneath the cellophane plastic outer wrapping, but this is only usually done if the gift basket is filled with fruits or other awkward gifts.
The outside wrapping of the gift basket, though, is just the start of decorating the outside of the gift basket. There are so many other things that one can do in order to make the outside look pretty and creative. For starters, curling ribbons and taping them on the outside of the cellophane paper or other outer wrapping will add a creative and beautiful decoration to the outside of the gift basket. There are plenty of colors in which ribbons can be purchased as well so making good use of colors is also another tip if ribbons are going to be taped to the gift basket.
Of course you also don't want to forget about the loose ends of the wrapping paper, either. The top of the gift basket will more than likely need to be tied somehow and this is where some other use of the ribbons can be used. One suggestion that you have is to simply tie a small bow around the top of the cellophane or other wrapping paper of the gift basket, but another interesting thing to do would be to make the ribbon a very long one. You can either be creative and wrap it multiple times around the base of the gift basket or you can do another creative thing by attaching a helium balloon to the top of the gift basket as well!
One also doesn't want to forget about the gift tag that should go on a gift basket, either. Making sure that the recipient knows who the gift basket is from is very crucial. One can either by plain gift tags or they can even make their own at home! Altogether, though, all of these things are great suggestions if wanting to make the most out of decorating a gift basket!
For starters, wrapping cellophane paper around the outside of the basket and everything that is contained inside is the best thing that anyone could do for a gift basket. Considering the fact that cellophane paper is just about the only way that gift baskets are ever wrapped you will probably be hard pressed to find anything else. Of course you can always use another type of shrink wrap paper underneath the cellophane plastic outer wrapping, but this is only usually done if the gift basket is filled with fruits or other awkward gifts.
The outside wrapping of the gift basket, though, is just the start of decorating the outside of the gift basket. There are so many other things that one can do in order to make the outside look pretty and creative. For starters, curling ribbons and taping them on the outside of the cellophane paper or other outer wrapping will add a creative and beautiful decoration to the outside of the gift basket. There are plenty of colors in which ribbons can be purchased as well so making good use of colors is also another tip if ribbons are going to be taped to the gift basket.
Of course you also don't want to forget about the loose ends of the wrapping paper, either. The top of the gift basket will more than likely need to be tied somehow and this is where some other use of the ribbons can be used. One suggestion that you have is to simply tie a small bow around the top of the cellophane or other wrapping paper of the gift basket, but another interesting thing to do would be to make the ribbon a very long one. You can either be creative and wrap it multiple times around the base of the gift basket or you can do another creative thing by attaching a helium balloon to the top of the gift basket as well!
One also doesn't want to forget about the gift tag that should go on a gift basket, either. Making sure that the recipient knows who the gift basket is from is very crucial. One can either by plain gift tags or they can even make their own at home! Altogether, though, all of these things are great suggestions if wanting to make the most out of decorating a gift basket!
Gift Idea No. 8 - Do-It-Yourself Gift Baskets
The gift-giving season has many people scrambling to find the perfect gifts and presents for their loved ones, relatives, friends, business contacts, bosses, co-workers, employees, as well as for everyone else on the long list of people that presents have to be purchased for. Unfortunately the whole process of buying gifts when it comes to finding the right one is not always easy. There are some gifts that may be too expensive, too cheap, to gaudy, or to awkward to give that you may not know what to get at all. However, one gift that is always given every season by many people all over the globe is gift baskets.
On the other hand, there are still some gift baskets that may not be right for just everyone. Even though there are a plethora of gift basket companies on the market today that traditionally have their gift baskets setting out in grocery and retail stores across the nation, some of the so-called gifts that are included may be just a little weird to give to someone on your list. For this reason many people actually choose do-it-yourself gift baskets. These are the gift baskets that you can choose everything from the type of basket you give to what gifts are included with the gift.
When it comes to purchasing the actual gift basket part of the present there are hundreds of styles to choose from in boutique shops and retail stores in shopping malls and other places that you regularly go to. Of course another obvious option that you may have is to make your own gift basket. There are plenty of instructions for making your own gift basket that can be found online, and the directions range from the different types of material that is used all the way to creating unique shapes for the gift baskets as well!
After you've purchased the actual basket or made the basket it is then time to turn your attention towards filling it with gifts that are perfect for the person on your list to buy for. The gifts that go inside a gift basket don't have to be all that expensive at all either, which makes purchasing them all the more easier! A couple examples, though, of the gifts you may want to include in your do-it-yourself gift basket are gift cards, coffees, soaps, air fresheners, candies, accessories, as well as a variety of other smaller gifts that can be easily purchased in a retail department store!
Of course putting the finishing touches on the do-it-yourself gift basket is also good so that a bit of personality and style can be added to it, and even a colorful gift tag can be attached to the outside of the basket as well. But chances are that after you've finished the gift basket for your friends, family, co-workers, employers, and other people on your list and have carefully chosen each gift inside the basket yourself then they will love everything that they receive!
On the other hand, there are still some gift baskets that may not be right for just everyone. Even though there are a plethora of gift basket companies on the market today that traditionally have their gift baskets setting out in grocery and retail stores across the nation, some of the so-called gifts that are included may be just a little weird to give to someone on your list. For this reason many people actually choose do-it-yourself gift baskets. These are the gift baskets that you can choose everything from the type of basket you give to what gifts are included with the gift.
When it comes to purchasing the actual gift basket part of the present there are hundreds of styles to choose from in boutique shops and retail stores in shopping malls and other places that you regularly go to. Of course another obvious option that you may have is to make your own gift basket. There are plenty of instructions for making your own gift basket that can be found online, and the directions range from the different types of material that is used all the way to creating unique shapes for the gift baskets as well!
After you've purchased the actual basket or made the basket it is then time to turn your attention towards filling it with gifts that are perfect for the person on your list to buy for. The gifts that go inside a gift basket don't have to be all that expensive at all either, which makes purchasing them all the more easier! A couple examples, though, of the gifts you may want to include in your do-it-yourself gift basket are gift cards, coffees, soaps, air fresheners, candies, accessories, as well as a variety of other smaller gifts that can be easily purchased in a retail department store!
Of course putting the finishing touches on the do-it-yourself gift basket is also good so that a bit of personality and style can be added to it, and even a colorful gift tag can be attached to the outside of the basket as well. But chances are that after you've finished the gift basket for your friends, family, co-workers, employers, and other people on your list and have carefully chosen each gift inside the basket yourself then they will love everything that they receive!
Gift Idea No. 7 - Creating a Themed Gift Basket
When giving gifts to your family and friends it is very important to many people to buy something that they will obviously love! However, for those people that you know well, be it your family members or close relatives, one great present to give them is a gift basket. There are many different ways that a gift basket can be presented, but one of those ways involves creating a themed gift basket. You don't want to just choose any theme, however, you'll want to think about what the individuals' interests, likes, and dislikes are so that you'll know what and what not to include in their gift basket that you'll be creating.
In addition, there are also a couple choices that one has when giving a themed gift basket. There are all sorts of gift baskets already on the market that have themes running through them, but chances are that the gifts inside the basket won't be as personal as the ones you could pick out for you close friend or family member by yourself. Here are a few suggestions when creating a themed gift basket, and few ideas of gifts to include with that theme:
Sports
If the person you are buying the gift basket for loves college or professional sports, it would be a great idea to pick out some of their favorite teams and include those in the gift basket itself. For example, when it comes to college football many people have an Ohio State and Michigan rivalry. Obviously those who love Ohio State should be given a themed-Ohio State gift basket, while those who love the Michigan football team should be given a gift basket that's filled with Michigan football memorabilia. A couple examples of the gifts that one could include are a signed mini-football by one of the most important players of the team, the team's official hats, as well as a jersey that can be included as well.
Toys
When giving a gift basket for children it's also important to pick out some of the things that little boy and little girls would like. For example, buying small toys is a great idea when you place them neatly in a gift basket for the child to see. There are many creative ways that a gift basket could be given to a child that is filled with toys and anyone who wants to attempt a toy gift basket will more than likely have a whole lot of fun with it!
Of course these couple suggestions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating a themed gift basket. The possibilities are virtually limitless when it comes to giving gift baskets to your family and close friends, but perhaps the most important thing that one can include is the favorite items that you know your family or close friend will love. For example, if someone loves movies and goes to see movies regularly then filling a gift basket with DVD movies, popcorn, and other movie theater candy can also be created into a themed gift basket. All in all, though, there are many great gift basket ideas to use for your family and friends and there is pretty much no end to the way they can be presented!
In addition, there are also a couple choices that one has when giving a themed gift basket. There are all sorts of gift baskets already on the market that have themes running through them, but chances are that the gifts inside the basket won't be as personal as the ones you could pick out for you close friend or family member by yourself. Here are a few suggestions when creating a themed gift basket, and few ideas of gifts to include with that theme:
Sports
If the person you are buying the gift basket for loves college or professional sports, it would be a great idea to pick out some of their favorite teams and include those in the gift basket itself. For example, when it comes to college football many people have an Ohio State and Michigan rivalry. Obviously those who love Ohio State should be given a themed-Ohio State gift basket, while those who love the Michigan football team should be given a gift basket that's filled with Michigan football memorabilia. A couple examples of the gifts that one could include are a signed mini-football by one of the most important players of the team, the team's official hats, as well as a jersey that can be included as well.
Toys
When giving a gift basket for children it's also important to pick out some of the things that little boy and little girls would like. For example, buying small toys is a great idea when you place them neatly in a gift basket for the child to see. There are many creative ways that a gift basket could be given to a child that is filled with toys and anyone who wants to attempt a toy gift basket will more than likely have a whole lot of fun with it!
Of course these couple suggestions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating a themed gift basket. The possibilities are virtually limitless when it comes to giving gift baskets to your family and close friends, but perhaps the most important thing that one can include is the favorite items that you know your family or close friend will love. For example, if someone loves movies and goes to see movies regularly then filling a gift basket with DVD movies, popcorn, and other movie theater candy can also be created into a themed gift basket. All in all, though, there are many great gift basket ideas to use for your family and friends and there is pretty much no end to the way they can be presented!
Gift Idea No. 10 - Creating a Gourmet Gift Basket
Many cultures have a tradition of giving gift baskets. The traditional gift baskets started out as fruit baskets, though, and they were usually given at a house warming party or even at somebody's wedding as a gift. Gift baskets that contain fruit can even be set out on the table so that it can be enjoyed by everyone who enters the home!
If you're trying to decide on the perfect gift basket for one of your friends or acquaintances, though, a gourmet gift basket can be a good thing to give. Many people like receiving chocolate and in the American culture many people gift chocolate as a gift anyway. In addition, when creating a gourmet gift basket the first idea that probably popped into your mind was filling it with types of gourmet chocolate in the beginning. On the other hand, there are also a variety of other gourmet products that can all be safely purchased and gathered together in one small, or large, gift basket!
The First Gourmet Product: Chocolate
There are all kinds of varieties of gourmet chocolate to choose from and picking a few of your favorite gourmet chocolates to fill the gift basket with should be done in order to leave room for the other gourmet products. Nevertheless, a few of the gourmet chocolate brands around include The Godiva Chocolate Company, Christopher Norman Chocolates, MarieBelle New York gourmet chocolates, and Romanicos Chocolate. All of these can be great additions to your gourmet gift basket and will give anyone a great taste of the chocolates they have perhaps never experience before!
The Second Gourmet Product: Coffee
Gourmet Coffee is just as important to include in a gourmet gift basket. There are all sorts of brands of gourmet coffee to choose from. Whether you want Gevalia gourmet coffee, Jamaican coffee, Columbian gourmet coffee, or some of the other hundreds of types of coffee on the market, they are all available to include in the gourmet gift basket you're creating. In addition, if you want to get more creative you could always buy other coffee products too, such as espresso and latte mixes.
The Third Gourmet Product: Cheese
Even though it doesn't seem like cheese should be combined with coffee and chocolate, the gourmet cheese will stay with the theme of a gourmet gift basket. A few examples of gourmet cheese that can be added to the gift basket include Baby Gouda, Brie, Cabot, and Red Leaf Cheddar.
All three of these gourmet products are great to include in a gift basket if creating one that is made out of gourmet products. Another suggestion here, though, would be to take the gourmet gift basket idea one step further by creating three separate gift baskets filled with the gifts described above. That way the recipient will have three separate products to choose from, except they’ll have more of it. All in all, though, they are the perfect gift for any family member, friend, relative, or acquaintance if you're not sure what to get.
If you're trying to decide on the perfect gift basket for one of your friends or acquaintances, though, a gourmet gift basket can be a good thing to give. Many people like receiving chocolate and in the American culture many people gift chocolate as a gift anyway. In addition, when creating a gourmet gift basket the first idea that probably popped into your mind was filling it with types of gourmet chocolate in the beginning. On the other hand, there are also a variety of other gourmet products that can all be safely purchased and gathered together in one small, or large, gift basket!
The First Gourmet Product: Chocolate
There are all kinds of varieties of gourmet chocolate to choose from and picking a few of your favorite gourmet chocolates to fill the gift basket with should be done in order to leave room for the other gourmet products. Nevertheless, a few of the gourmet chocolate brands around include The Godiva Chocolate Company, Christopher Norman Chocolates, MarieBelle New York gourmet chocolates, and Romanicos Chocolate. All of these can be great additions to your gourmet gift basket and will give anyone a great taste of the chocolates they have perhaps never experience before!
The Second Gourmet Product: Coffee
Gourmet Coffee is just as important to include in a gourmet gift basket. There are all sorts of brands of gourmet coffee to choose from. Whether you want Gevalia gourmet coffee, Jamaican coffee, Columbian gourmet coffee, or some of the other hundreds of types of coffee on the market, they are all available to include in the gourmet gift basket you're creating. In addition, if you want to get more creative you could always buy other coffee products too, such as espresso and latte mixes.
The Third Gourmet Product: Cheese
Even though it doesn't seem like cheese should be combined with coffee and chocolate, the gourmet cheese will stay with the theme of a gourmet gift basket. A few examples of gourmet cheese that can be added to the gift basket include Baby Gouda, Brie, Cabot, and Red Leaf Cheddar.
All three of these gourmet products are great to include in a gift basket if creating one that is made out of gourmet products. Another suggestion here, though, would be to take the gourmet gift basket idea one step further by creating three separate gift baskets filled with the gifts described above. That way the recipient will have three separate products to choose from, except they’ll have more of it. All in all, though, they are the perfect gift for any family member, friend, relative, or acquaintance if you're not sure what to get.
Gift Idea No. 6 - Creating a Coffee Gift Basket
For someone that loves coffee, giving them a coffee gift basket can be one of the best things possible to do for them. Of course if you know exactly what types of coffee that they drink then this process will be a whole lot easier, but if you don't know what coffee they drink but only know that they're addicts when it comes to their cup of Joe in the morning then chances are that you'll be doing them a huge favor by purchasing a coffee gift basket.
There are plenty of choices on the market today for gift baskets and a coffee gift basket is just another one in the sea of themed-gift baskets. In addition, coffee is probably the most heavily relied upon product to combine in gift baskets simply because it's consumed by millions of people all over the world! However, you want to be careful that you don't buy this type of gift basket for the wrong person, but chances are that you'll already know if your friend or family member dislikes coffee.
Nevertheless, the first thing that you should probably do when trying to think of how to create the best coffee gift basket possible is to check out all of your options beforehand. Consider whether or not there are any pre-made gift baskets in the store that contain coffee items and gifts. Since coffee is such a prevalent beverage, as mentioned above, there is a very good chance that retail stores that carry gift items will naturally carry coffee gifts that are included in gift baskets as well!
If there are no coffee gift baskets, though, or even if there are and you simply want to create your own basket in the first place, then the first place to start would be a coffee mug. The coffee mug is a great accessory for anyone who has a coffee addiction and mugs are always a great gift to remember you buy. In addition, if you know that your family member or friend travels quite frequently then one common suggestion to try would be to look for a travel coffee mug to include with the gift basket. These travel mugs don't have to be expensive, but there are some decent-quality ones on the market that will keep coffee fresh, hot, and steamy all at the same time!
The next aisle you'll want to approach is the coffee aisle. Of course here you'll have a bunch of different options just because of the great amount of coffee in the world. There's Columbian coffee, cappuccinos, espresso products, plain old coffee beans, French Vanilla coffee, cinnamon coffee, hazelnut coffee, as well as many hundreds of other types of coffee to choose from. If you are putting these gifts in a gift basket then a good idea would be to buy several different coffee sampler products so that the recipient will be able to try out a bunch of different flavors. On the other hand, if you know that he or she loves a specific flavor then you may just want to buy the majority of that coffee flavor along with some new ones for him or her to try!
All in all, making a coffee gift basket is probably one of the most fun things to do when searching for the perfect gift or gift basket for that special person in your life. Not only are there hundreds of choices to decide from, but chances are that there are plenty of coffee products that your friend or family member loves as well!
There are plenty of choices on the market today for gift baskets and a coffee gift basket is just another one in the sea of themed-gift baskets. In addition, coffee is probably the most heavily relied upon product to combine in gift baskets simply because it's consumed by millions of people all over the world! However, you want to be careful that you don't buy this type of gift basket for the wrong person, but chances are that you'll already know if your friend or family member dislikes coffee.
Nevertheless, the first thing that you should probably do when trying to think of how to create the best coffee gift basket possible is to check out all of your options beforehand. Consider whether or not there are any pre-made gift baskets in the store that contain coffee items and gifts. Since coffee is such a prevalent beverage, as mentioned above, there is a very good chance that retail stores that carry gift items will naturally carry coffee gifts that are included in gift baskets as well!
If there are no coffee gift baskets, though, or even if there are and you simply want to create your own basket in the first place, then the first place to start would be a coffee mug. The coffee mug is a great accessory for anyone who has a coffee addiction and mugs are always a great gift to remember you buy. In addition, if you know that your family member or friend travels quite frequently then one common suggestion to try would be to look for a travel coffee mug to include with the gift basket. These travel mugs don't have to be expensive, but there are some decent-quality ones on the market that will keep coffee fresh, hot, and steamy all at the same time!
The next aisle you'll want to approach is the coffee aisle. Of course here you'll have a bunch of different options just because of the great amount of coffee in the world. There's Columbian coffee, cappuccinos, espresso products, plain old coffee beans, French Vanilla coffee, cinnamon coffee, hazelnut coffee, as well as many hundreds of other types of coffee to choose from. If you are putting these gifts in a gift basket then a good idea would be to buy several different coffee sampler products so that the recipient will be able to try out a bunch of different flavors. On the other hand, if you know that he or she loves a specific flavor then you may just want to buy the majority of that coffee flavor along with some new ones for him or her to try!
All in all, making a coffee gift basket is probably one of the most fun things to do when searching for the perfect gift or gift basket for that special person in your life. Not only are there hundreds of choices to decide from, but chances are that there are plenty of coffee products that your friend or family member loves as well!
Gift Idea No. 5 - Candy Gift Baskets
Gift baskets are probably one of the most favorite gifts to give away simply because they are not only fun to buy or make, but they're also fun to receive. Just the thought of receiving a bunch of different small things, or a lot of one single thing, is enough to make someone happy at the gift that they got. The holiday times are when gift baskets are usually given, but of course gift baskets can be purchased for numerous other occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, baby showers, Valentine's Day, or any other occasion that gift baskets may seem appropriate to give.
There are all sorts of ideas for creating your own gift basket to give away to someone, but one idea that is actually frequently used by many people throughout the world is a candy gift basket. Unless you're buying a gift for someone that's intentionally on a diet or just can't stand candy for some reason, candy is usually always well-received! Here are some ideas for filling the gift basket you're about to give with some of the best candy in a candy store:
Filling the Bottom
Perhaps one of the important things to do when filling a gift basket is to make sure there is plenty of stuff on the bottom of the gift basket to enjoy. Many gift baskets simply have a soft padding, such as shredded paper or even tissue paper lying in the bottom, but for a candy gift basket one suggestion to use would be to fill the bottom with M&Ms or little chocolate candy pieces such as those. It doesn't matter whether they're taken out of the wrapper or not, though, but if they were dumped out of the wrapper for the gift basket then chances are that they are going to be used simply for decoration anyway. But an M&M chocolate bottom can be used to hold the rest of the candy in the gift basket.
The Heart of the Gift Basket
The next thing that you'll want to get to is the heart and body of the actual gift basket that you're making. There are plenty of options here, but the best thing to do would be to take a trip to the candy store and spend just a set amount of money on candy altogether. Little candy bars can be thrown in, candy mints, gummy worm and other gummy candies, as well as a whole bunch of other option. The best thing to remember, though, is to fill the gift basket to the brim if you're going to make it right!
After you're all done filling the bottom of the gift basket, as well as the main part that the recipient will see then it is time to buy a few other large pieces of candy so that they'll lay neatly on top. Choices for this can either be King Size candy bars, big packages of variety packs of candy, licorice sticks, and just anything that would fit neatly on the top of the basket.
Of course you'll also probably want to wrap the gift basket in shrink wrap so that none of the candy falls out. You can obviously wrap the basket with a nice bow or ribbon for presentation and to secure the shrink wrap, but the essential directions of the candy gift basket should be adhered to as described above!
There are all sorts of ideas for creating your own gift basket to give away to someone, but one idea that is actually frequently used by many people throughout the world is a candy gift basket. Unless you're buying a gift for someone that's intentionally on a diet or just can't stand candy for some reason, candy is usually always well-received! Here are some ideas for filling the gift basket you're about to give with some of the best candy in a candy store:
Filling the Bottom
Perhaps one of the important things to do when filling a gift basket is to make sure there is plenty of stuff on the bottom of the gift basket to enjoy. Many gift baskets simply have a soft padding, such as shredded paper or even tissue paper lying in the bottom, but for a candy gift basket one suggestion to use would be to fill the bottom with M&Ms or little chocolate candy pieces such as those. It doesn't matter whether they're taken out of the wrapper or not, though, but if they were dumped out of the wrapper for the gift basket then chances are that they are going to be used simply for decoration anyway. But an M&M chocolate bottom can be used to hold the rest of the candy in the gift basket.
The Heart of the Gift Basket
The next thing that you'll want to get to is the heart and body of the actual gift basket that you're making. There are plenty of options here, but the best thing to do would be to take a trip to the candy store and spend just a set amount of money on candy altogether. Little candy bars can be thrown in, candy mints, gummy worm and other gummy candies, as well as a whole bunch of other option. The best thing to remember, though, is to fill the gift basket to the brim if you're going to make it right!
After you're all done filling the bottom of the gift basket, as well as the main part that the recipient will see then it is time to buy a few other large pieces of candy so that they'll lay neatly on top. Choices for this can either be King Size candy bars, big packages of variety packs of candy, licorice sticks, and just anything that would fit neatly on the top of the basket.
Of course you'll also probably want to wrap the gift basket in shrink wrap so that none of the candy falls out. You can obviously wrap the basket with a nice bow or ribbon for presentation and to secure the shrink wrap, but the essential directions of the candy gift basket should be adhered to as described above!
Gift Idea No. 4 - Buying Gift Baskets for Family and Friends
There are all sorts of gifts for your family and friends that may seem like the "right" gift, but there are some times throughout your life that you may just pass up on practically everything that you see because nothing seems right or like the perfect gift for the person you are buying. There are all sorts of reasons why you may be hesitating to buy a gift for your family member's birthday or your friend's Halloween party. But being in a difficult spot shouldn't hinder you at all from eventually picking up the right gift. One route that many people take in their lives is to buy gift baskets for their family and friends no matter what occasion it is. From Halloween to Christmas to birthday parties, gift baskets can be filled with a range of gifts that are perfect for any occasion.
Family Gift Baskets
A gift basket for your family member is considerably a lot different than gift baskets for your friends. However, some of the same gifts could be used for each, but the reason for saying that was to make note of the fact that your family's gift baskets should definitely be more personal than the ones for your other friends simply because they're your family and they usually deserve something extra special. For this reason, though, there are a plethora of family gift basket ideas, such as including pictures of family events, decorating the gift basket with shared memorabilia, as well as including things in the gift basket that would only be remembered by you and the other family member. Chances are that if you have this good of a relationship with your other family members then you won't even be purchasing a gift basket, but nevertheless these are some great ideas for family members' gift baskets!
Friends' Gift Baskets
On the other hand, chances are that your friends' gift baskets will take on a whole different meaning. Think about the times, though, that you've tried to find the perfect gift (other than a gift basket) for one of your friends. If they are a relatively new friend or acquaintance then chances are that you might not know enough about the person to get them what they truly want, which is another reason that should be added to the list of why gift baskets are good ideas! They truly offer an in-between style present for the person you are buying it for. If this is going to be for your friend, though, you may want to include some small gifts that you think they'd like, but also include some others that you may not be too sure about just to be on the safe side!
All things considered, creating a gift basket for your family, friends, and acquaintances doesn't have to be that difficult at all. However, it only takes a little bit of time and consideration before packing it all together to think about what type of gifts you'll be including. Whether you'll be including large gifts, like reading books or small electronic gadgets, or smaller gifts like electronic accessories or other type of small gifts is really dependent upon your relationship with the other person. All in all, though, making sure you have the right gifts in a gift basket is very important!
Family Gift Baskets
A gift basket for your family member is considerably a lot different than gift baskets for your friends. However, some of the same gifts could be used for each, but the reason for saying that was to make note of the fact that your family's gift baskets should definitely be more personal than the ones for your other friends simply because they're your family and they usually deserve something extra special. For this reason, though, there are a plethora of family gift basket ideas, such as including pictures of family events, decorating the gift basket with shared memorabilia, as well as including things in the gift basket that would only be remembered by you and the other family member. Chances are that if you have this good of a relationship with your other family members then you won't even be purchasing a gift basket, but nevertheless these are some great ideas for family members' gift baskets!
Friends' Gift Baskets
On the other hand, chances are that your friends' gift baskets will take on a whole different meaning. Think about the times, though, that you've tried to find the perfect gift (other than a gift basket) for one of your friends. If they are a relatively new friend or acquaintance then chances are that you might not know enough about the person to get them what they truly want, which is another reason that should be added to the list of why gift baskets are good ideas! They truly offer an in-between style present for the person you are buying it for. If this is going to be for your friend, though, you may want to include some small gifts that you think they'd like, but also include some others that you may not be too sure about just to be on the safe side!
All things considered, creating a gift basket for your family, friends, and acquaintances doesn't have to be that difficult at all. However, it only takes a little bit of time and consideration before packing it all together to think about what type of gifts you'll be including. Whether you'll be including large gifts, like reading books or small electronic gadgets, or smaller gifts like electronic accessories or other type of small gifts is really dependent upon your relationship with the other person. All in all, though, making sure you have the right gifts in a gift basket is very important!
Gift Idea No.3 - Building Your Gift Basket Business
Going into business for yourself and making a name for your company is always going to be difficult and building a gift basket business is definitely no exception to the rule. There are many interesting things about building a gift basket business, however, that one should know about before they ever get started! What type of baskets are going to be used, what the baskets will be filled with, and how much they'll sell for are just part of the tip of the iceberg when considering a gift basket business. However, here are some general guidelines to use if you need some direction as to where to go when creating gift baskets:
Filling the Gift Baskets
As mentioned, one issue that needs to be thought about is exactly what type of products or gifts the baskets will be filled with. There are a couple of options that one has to take. First, this business could be a themed gift basket business, meaning that the baskets could take on a Christmas theme, Easter theme, or even a Birthday theme. Of course, these baskets could also take on a multi-purpose theme where they could represent any type of holiday or event that they're bought for. One thing that will distinguish your business from others, however, is the uniqueness. Finding what is unique about your gift basket business compared to another's is crucial because it will allow you to market your company a lot better!
The Type of Baskets
There are so many shapes and sizes of gift baskets that it's probably going to be a difficult task to decide which ones to use. However, a great idea for this dilemma would be to let the type of gift basket determine the range of baskets that you'll be using. Since there are several different sizes of gift baskets on the market, one could have one price for a small basket, another price for a medium-sized one, and a higher price for a bigger basket. This way your customers won't have to feel like they are buying the most expensive product, but you'll be giving them choices so that they'll have something to decide from.
How Much
A big issue that you'll obviously need to think awhile about is how much you'll charge for the gift baskets that you're building. Even though competition in your price for the baskets is key, it is also important to not let the market decide how much you will actually be making for your hard work. If you do, however, you just might get bogged down into price wars, which isn't a good thing for anyone. Taking a look a current market prices for gift baskets around your area is a good idea because it will allow you to set your prices accordingly, but relying on them too heavily is unnecessary.
All of these things are very important when dealing with a gift basket business. Deciding how much your baskets will cost, the type of baskets used, and what you'll fill your gift baskets with are just several of the most important issues to think about!
Filling the Gift Baskets
As mentioned, one issue that needs to be thought about is exactly what type of products or gifts the baskets will be filled with. There are a couple of options that one has to take. First, this business could be a themed gift basket business, meaning that the baskets could take on a Christmas theme, Easter theme, or even a Birthday theme. Of course, these baskets could also take on a multi-purpose theme where they could represent any type of holiday or event that they're bought for. One thing that will distinguish your business from others, however, is the uniqueness. Finding what is unique about your gift basket business compared to another's is crucial because it will allow you to market your company a lot better!
The Type of Baskets
There are so many shapes and sizes of gift baskets that it's probably going to be a difficult task to decide which ones to use. However, a great idea for this dilemma would be to let the type of gift basket determine the range of baskets that you'll be using. Since there are several different sizes of gift baskets on the market, one could have one price for a small basket, another price for a medium-sized one, and a higher price for a bigger basket. This way your customers won't have to feel like they are buying the most expensive product, but you'll be giving them choices so that they'll have something to decide from.
How Much
A big issue that you'll obviously need to think awhile about is how much you'll charge for the gift baskets that you're building. Even though competition in your price for the baskets is key, it is also important to not let the market decide how much you will actually be making for your hard work. If you do, however, you just might get bogged down into price wars, which isn't a good thing for anyone. Taking a look a current market prices for gift baskets around your area is a good idea because it will allow you to set your prices accordingly, but relying on them too heavily is unnecessary.
All of these things are very important when dealing with a gift basket business. Deciding how much your baskets will cost, the type of baskets used, and what you'll fill your gift baskets with are just several of the most important issues to think about!
Gift Idea No.2 - Being Successful With Your Gift Basket Biz
Creating a unique business always gives you the upper hand because it gives you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. If you live in a relatively small town and would like to start a gift basket business then chances are that you are pretty much the only one in town who is going to do such a thing. As a side note, one of the great things about living in small towns is that you can develop creative businesses without fear of it being replicated too much, but on the other hand big cities usually always have duplicates of small businesses. Nevertheless, though, a gift basket business is not only a lucrative opportunity for you to profit in your market you're about to advertise to, but it also gives you the chance to hone your creative thinking skills and personality!
If you have already somewhat gotten started making gift baskets and advertising your service to family and friends then you probably already have a lot of orders coming in. This can be a good thing because it allows you to get your feet wet without having a full-fledged brick-and-mortar gift basket store, but once you can keep up with the orders then it may be time to take your gift basket biz to the next level.
What's the next level, though? In many businesses people see the "next level" as something that they will eventually reach, but the next level for a small gift basket business often involves making professional ways to advertise your services at the very least. For example, creating a website is just one of the ways you can successfully advertise your services. Another way, though, is through the development of business cards that you can pass around your city or town. The point is, though, to spread the word about your profession so that you will be able to have orders for gift baskets coming in daily. Let's face it: there are plenty of occasions going on daily that people need gift baskets for and tapping into the market is one good thing about your business.
Another thing that one should definitely do with his or her gift basket business is to keep him or her self as organized as possible. Even though you may have previously just gone out to stores to create gift baskets on a per-order basis, one idea to try would be to keep everything at your house or another storage facility so that you can simply use the resources and materials that you have as you need them. This will not only save a whole lot of money, but you'll also be saving valuable time as well just in case a whole bunch of gift basket orders come in all at once!
There are plenty of other ways to be successful with your gift basket biz. If you're just starting out in the business then you may want to experience making many different types of the gift baskets themselves, changing the actual gift baskets that you use, or just mixing things up a bit so that your business will stay as creative as possible!
If you have already somewhat gotten started making gift baskets and advertising your service to family and friends then you probably already have a lot of orders coming in. This can be a good thing because it allows you to get your feet wet without having a full-fledged brick-and-mortar gift basket store, but once you can keep up with the orders then it may be time to take your gift basket biz to the next level.
What's the next level, though? In many businesses people see the "next level" as something that they will eventually reach, but the next level for a small gift basket business often involves making professional ways to advertise your services at the very least. For example, creating a website is just one of the ways you can successfully advertise your services. Another way, though, is through the development of business cards that you can pass around your city or town. The point is, though, to spread the word about your profession so that you will be able to have orders for gift baskets coming in daily. Let's face it: there are plenty of occasions going on daily that people need gift baskets for and tapping into the market is one good thing about your business.
Another thing that one should definitely do with his or her gift basket business is to keep him or her self as organized as possible. Even though you may have previously just gone out to stores to create gift baskets on a per-order basis, one idea to try would be to keep everything at your house or another storage facility so that you can simply use the resources and materials that you have as you need them. This will not only save a whole lot of money, but you'll also be saving valuable time as well just in case a whole bunch of gift basket orders come in all at once!
There are plenty of other ways to be successful with your gift basket biz. If you're just starting out in the business then you may want to experience making many different types of the gift baskets themselves, changing the actual gift baskets that you use, or just mixing things up a bit so that your business will stay as creative as possible!
Gift Idea No.1 - Alternatives To Gift Baskets
When searching for the perfect gift for one of your family members or even one of your friends there is usually a whole lot of pressure to buy the right thing simply because you don't want to disappoint anyone. There are times when you just don't know what to buy, and everyone has those experiences as well. Some people choose to take their time when buying gifts while others like to get it done as quickly as possible. One route that many people take when they find that buying gifts is too difficult is to purchase gift baskets for their friends and families. Gift baskets can be good gifts for multiple reasons; one of them being that the recipient will receive a whole plethora of smaller gifts instead of one.
However, some people may consider gift baskets to be some of the most impersonal gifts they could ever get (even less so than cash!) just because it shows that the person who's buying it doesn't really know him or her at all. Of course, this doesn't go for gift baskets that have a theme running through them, like sports memorabilia and the like. But simply because gift baskets can be seen as impersonal means that if you aren't sure what to get for your close friends or family then maybe it's time to finally ask them what they've always wanted. Until you know that piece of information, though, here are some ideas to check out that can be used as alternatives to gift baskets:
Board Games
Unless you know the person really well and know that he or she doesn't like the thought of board games, buying a board game usually always is something that plenty of people enjoy. Whether it's buying a relatively older game with a new twist, such as a new version of Monopoly, or buying one of the latest games on the market that is also fun, such as Mad Gab, there are plenty of choices in retail stores that you'll have to make. Nevertheless, though, hopefully you can see how board games can be used as alternative gifts to gift baskets!
Gift Cards
Even though gift cards are essentially a trade of cash, buying gift cards for your friends and family can be a unique thing to do. Of course this requires knowing exactly where the recipient likes to shop, but these are the perfect alternative to a gift basket. Instead of putting your money into one large basket that may contain a bunch of things that your friends and family dislike, placing all of the money that you'd be spending on the individual on a store gift card is a great idea! Of course, you may just want to include a little bit more money on the gift card than you would have actually spent, but buying a gift cards is a great present for someone whom you don't know what to buy.
Of course, there are plenty of other perfect gifts that are great ideas and alternatives to gift baskets. Oftentimes gift baskets come in big, bulky packages anyway so buying something that is less cumbersome is a good idea!
However, some people may consider gift baskets to be some of the most impersonal gifts they could ever get (even less so than cash!) just because it shows that the person who's buying it doesn't really know him or her at all. Of course, this doesn't go for gift baskets that have a theme running through them, like sports memorabilia and the like. But simply because gift baskets can be seen as impersonal means that if you aren't sure what to get for your close friends or family then maybe it's time to finally ask them what they've always wanted. Until you know that piece of information, though, here are some ideas to check out that can be used as alternatives to gift baskets:
Board Games
Unless you know the person really well and know that he or she doesn't like the thought of board games, buying a board game usually always is something that plenty of people enjoy. Whether it's buying a relatively older game with a new twist, such as a new version of Monopoly, or buying one of the latest games on the market that is also fun, such as Mad Gab, there are plenty of choices in retail stores that you'll have to make. Nevertheless, though, hopefully you can see how board games can be used as alternative gifts to gift baskets!
Gift Cards
Even though gift cards are essentially a trade of cash, buying gift cards for your friends and family can be a unique thing to do. Of course this requires knowing exactly where the recipient likes to shop, but these are the perfect alternative to a gift basket. Instead of putting your money into one large basket that may contain a bunch of things that your friends and family dislike, placing all of the money that you'd be spending on the individual on a store gift card is a great idea! Of course, you may just want to include a little bit more money on the gift card than you would have actually spent, but buying a gift cards is a great present for someone whom you don't know what to buy.
Of course, there are plenty of other perfect gifts that are great ideas and alternatives to gift baskets. Oftentimes gift baskets come in big, bulky packages anyway so buying something that is less cumbersome is a good idea!
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