Gifts are great, especially when you can use them. The worst type of present is the one that never gets used. It’s a picture frame that doesn’t quite go with the decor, a shirt that’s too small, or a kitchen gadget that’s resorted to collecting dust. Before you give a gift that just ends up earning a couple bucks at a future yard sale, consider these practical gift ideas.
For the New Mom
It’s so fun to pick out little pink or blue outfits, but practical gifts are great for new parents, too. New babies can use up to ten diapers a day and if you’ve walked down the baby aisle lately you know that is a major expense. Wrap up a big box of diapers- it’s a gift that really will get used.
For the Graduate
College kids typically don’t have the best cars, yet they can spend a lot of time on the road. Buy them a AAA membership and it might come in handy during a difficult situation. Instead of being stranded on the side of the road with little cash, they’ll be able to use that membership to get help. Plus it comes with lots of other perks, like discounts and coupons.
For the Younger Child
It’s never too early to start saving. Teach a youngster about money by giving them a cool bank. Start them off with a few dollars in change. It will get them excited about saving.
For the Homeowner
Looking for a good gift for newlyweds, new homeowners, or anybody that’s too busy to mow? Try treating them to some free lawn care. Have a service cut their grass, trim the hedges and pull some weeds. Taking care of this chore will be a welcomed gift.
These salt and pepper shakers are the cutest little gifts I have seen, so far. You want a gift that is sure to be appreciated and loved, then these little shakers are right up your gift-giving alley. This pig and piglet are not just whimsical they are functional. A sure hit for anyone’s dining table.
They are remarkably created using high quality glass. The glass is handblown to create these truly astonishing little artistic shakers. For the pig and piglet shakers, the color is created by a mixture of hand-mixed colors and 24k gold. Now, that’s impressive quality. The pig’s nose or the salt and pepper toppers are corrosion resistant, so they won’t rust. The pig and piglet salt and pepper shakers are 2″x2.5″, small enough to sit nicely on a table.
If your person is a dog lover, the “Dog’s Best Friend” version may be a better fit. The shakers are decorated with hand-mixed colors that beautifully contrast each other. The dog is 2″x3″ and the hydrant is 2.75″x1.1″, making an adorable little decorative combo. Also made with the corrosion resistant toppers. So, as long as the person owns these shakers, they will look as gorgeous as the day they were presented. Adding these to the kitchen is like adding a piece of functional art to the room. The creative animal shakers make an ideal gift for any woman in your life and are really great for the animal lover or collector who likes one of a kind pieces.
You want to give your family and friends the best, but the best can often come with a hefty price tag. There are ways to save money while being your thoughtful, sweet, creative self. Here are a few ideas.
Plan Ahead
One of my best friends is getting married in a couple of months. I knew she would be having a bridal shower so back in February ago I got to work. I bought a Sharebook like this one on sale at Hobby Lobby. It’s a great product because it takes a lot of work out of putting the scrapbook together. It comes with envelopes and pre-made pages so you just have to send them out to friends and family members and wait for them to return to you. I included about ten of her closest family members and friends, assembled the book and shipped it to her so she could open it at her shower. The entire thing probably cost me under $30, but she told everyone it was her second favorite gift. (Her favorite was a handmade cookbook complete with family recipes that her aunt had compiled.)
Shop Smart
There are several sites that will pay you to shop with them. One to check out is Ebates.com. Just for signing up for an account they’ll give you a $10 gift card to a store like Target or Sephora. Then, you just shop online like normal. You’ll get cash back (usually 1-4%) from the sites you already probably shop at. It’s a cool way to get a little something back when you’re buying gifts for others.
Buy in Bulk
Come across the perfect gift that just about everyone will love? Why not buy it in bulk? Maybe a case of wine? Or a box of jam made by a local farmer? That way it’s ready to go when the need for a gift comes up. Plus you’ll save money by purchasing a large quantity.
Who doesn’t like cookies? Cookies can make such a great personal gift, especially home-made ones, Yummy!!!
But when you want to put a neat little twist on them, give the gift of the mix and they can cook it when they get ready. Sometimes you get cookies and you don’t have the time or the appetite at the time to eat them. This way your cookie gift can be stored and cooked at a later time. You will be giving them the cookie mix, the add ins, and the recipe.
Mix Ingredients
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
Ingredient Directions
Sift all dry ingredients together. Put these combined ingredients in a ziploc bag. Also, place separate bags of the add-ins; nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins aside. Place all the bags in a decorative sealed container. Write or print the following recipe on a notecard or a decorative card and tape to the inside lid of the container.
Cookie recipe to write or print up
Preheat Over 375°
Beat 2 cups of softened butter, 2 eggs and 2 tsp of vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix in cookie mix and blend thoroughly. Separate dough and use add-ins that you choose for your cookies. Shape dough into small round balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
You can either wrap the decorative container up in wrapping paper or you can give just the container. Everything will be inside the container so either way will be great. It just depends on your choice.
You stopped buying bottled water. You recycle just about everything. You even drink organic coffee. Now it’s time to turn your gift giving just as green as the rest of your life. Here are seven ways to be thoughtful to you friends, family and the earth.
1. Give an edible gift. Check out your local farmers’ market and pick up some fresh fruit and veggies for an organic and yummy homemade gift basket. Edible gifts are great because you know they’ll be used.
2. Look locally. When shopping for presents support local craftspeople. Make sure the items are made with non-toxic supplies.
3. Give the gift of nature. For the outdoorsy types, why not give them a pass to the national parks. For $80 they’ll have access to dozens of parks across the country.
4. Look for earth-friendly gadgets. There are plenty of them at Terrapass.com. Check out this personal wind turbine. It’s a great way to charge your cell phone or iPod without using electricity.
5. Think about what they’ll actually use. It’s important to buy items that will be used, not wasted or thrown away.
6. Give them some land. For just $50 you can adopt an acre of Costa Rican rainforest, an area threatened by development. It’s a gift that they may never get to touch or so, but they’ll definitely appreciate it.
7. Think about the wrapping. Before you go snag some pretty paper and ribbon, think about what it’s made of. Avoid cards and wrap made with chlorine-bleached paper. Look for a PCF (processed chlorine free) label or products made from recycled material. Better yet, re-use paper and gift bags or put the Sunday comics to use.
Creative gifts are fun and interesting. The Fish Bowl Bookends fit perfectly into this description. These are sure to be something you haven’t seen before. Almost like magic, you put each half bowl on the side of your books and the illusion is created. These are a wonderful gift for someone who has it all, because we bet they don’t have these .
These adorable bowls are available in small (half gallon each side) and large (1 gallon each). You can get as creative as you like with these. Betta fish make the best fish to add to the bowls, but you can add rocks, plants or seashells to it. For purposes of gift giving, you may want to have it all set up for the person, if possible. But if you can’t have it all together, I would make sure to wrap the box with the book ends. Then buy the accessories of stones, fish, and plant (optional). Purchase the fish the day of the gift giving, they can be put into a solid container if you choose to wrap it. Have all your items wrapped and ready for gift giving. This way you are giving a complete gift and the person only needs to add the water. There is nothing worse than giving a gift and it never gets used. Always remember to give complete gifts.
This is truly one cool gift. If you are tired of giving ordinary unappreciated gifts, try the Fish Bowl Bookends. Sold as a set the small size retails for $35.95 and the large size for $59.95.
Looking for gifts? Browse our GIFT STORE! Also, check out the COUPONS page for savings at the best online gift stores!
There’s only one season that rivals Christmas when it comes to gift-giving and that time of year has arrived: it’s wedding season. Before the bride takes that walk down the aisle and the couple says “I do,” it’s a good time to start thinking about gifts. There are definitely rules for wedding gift-giving etiquette. So to make sure I was displaying good manners I turned to the one and only Emily Post. Here are some of the biggest wedding gift-giving questions answered.
1. When should I send my gift?
I’ve been told several times that you have a year to give a couple a wedding gift, but according to Emily Post, get it done within three months. The best time to do it is right before or right after the wedding. It is ok to bring the gift to the reception if you prefer, but that just means more work for someone taking on the task of gift wrangler.
2. Does the gift have to come off of the registry?
Emily says no. A registry is just a guide, but it’s a good way to make sure the couple gets exactly what they want.
3. How much do I have to spend?
It depends on a couple of things: your budget and how much you like the couple. If the bride is your twin sister, you may want to spend a little more than you would if the bride is a co-worker in accounting that you barely talk to.
4. Can I give cash?
Yes! Cash is good. Emily says if this makes you a little uneasy, try giving a gift certificate.
Photo Courtesy of Alison Storm and Denny Shortt Photography.
Looking for gifts? Browse our GIFT STORE! Also, check out the COUPONS page for savings at the best online gift stores!
My husband and I decided tickets to Costa Rica were a little outside our budget. And a road trip to New York City would probably cost as much as a real Gucci hand bag. So instead we decided to do something different for our summer vacation. We will spend a week riding our Vespa around the Carolinas, raising money and spreading the word about an amazing organization, Hydromissions. They are working to give children and families in third world countries access to clean drinking water.
We met the founders of Hydromissions, Steve and Jennifer Lorch, a few months back. The idea for Hydromissions came to Steve about five years ago. Steve, a surgical nurse, went to the Dominican Republic to help out at a medical clinic. In just three days he treated 800 patients and 85-percent of those people had problems that were water related. Tired of just treating the symptoms, but not the problem, Steve and Jennifer decided to do something.
Using sets of 100-year-old encyclopedias as research tools, Jennifer and Steve started inventing water pumps and drills out of bicycle parts and cheap items you might find at Home Depot. In just five years since the organization formed, Hydromissions has worked with close to 100 agencies in 30 different countries. Currently they fund all of their trips (about four a year) by selling soap they manufacture in their garage. Because we were so inspired by HydroMissions’ practical approach to this massive problem (1.1 billion people around the world don’t have access to clean water) we decided to do what we could to help them out.
The problem is huge. The statistics on the lack of access to clean water are astounding:
At least 1 in 3 Asians has no access to safe drinking water.
Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. That’s 5 million children a year.
At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.
The problem may be big, but we can do something about it. That’s why we created 2 Wheels 4 Water. The idea is simple. We are combining a topic that’s on everyone’s mind (high gas prices) with an important mission (providing access to clean drinking water.) This summer my husband and I (and whoever else wants to come!) will spend a week logging hundreds of miles through the Carolina’s on scooters, spreading the message of 2 Wheels 4 Water: Save Gas. End Thirst. With soaring gas prices, every mile driven on a scooter costs just 3.5 cents. Every mile driven in a typical car costs about 17.5 cents. We’re asking people to pledge the difference: 14 cents for every mile we cover. That money would directly fund Hydromissions’ efforts to bring access to clean drinking water to third world countries.
You can give the gift of clean water by logging on to the 2 Wheels 4 Water website, our Facebook page or our MySpace page and supporting us either through a donation or by spreading the word. It’s hard to imagine life without clean water, but for 1.1 billion people in the world, that is reality. Join us in our commitment to make a difference.
Photo Courtesy of Hydromissions.
Looking for gifts? Browse our GIFT STORE! Also, check out the COUPONS page for savings at the best online gift stores!
Tea anyone? Well with this cute little tea for one, you won’t have to share your beloved tea anymore. This is a great gift for a woman who needs a little Sereni-Tea in her life. A cool idea to add a personal touch to the tea gift is to fill the inside of the tea pot with the person’s favorite kind of tea.
The Tea Talk Sereni-Tea for One set comes with a teapot and a tea cup. It has the cunning phrase “sereni-tea: n. the absence of stress while drinking tea”, written on the cup. It also has a clever topper in the shape of a tea cup, how cute! The beautiful black and white color makes it easily adaptable into any room decor. An ideal set for the tea fanatic in your life.
Add in the Tea Talk Sugar and Creamer set to complete the gift set. The creamer has tas-tea written on the pot and has the phrase “tas-tea: n. adding cream to enhance your tea” written around the rim. The cute sugar container has the appropriate term swee-tea on the front and the phrase “swee-tea: n. adding sugar to your tea” encircling the rim. A great addition to the tea for one. This creamer and sugar set is wonderful to always be out on display. All of these beautiful ceramic pieces make a great thoughtful gift. The Tea Set for One and the Tea Talk Sugar and Creamer Set each sold seperately are available at Wrapables.com.
I am thrilled to announce that FLOR will be introducing the Alexander Girard “La Fonda Del Sol” Collection on June 2nd, 2008.
They sent us an offer: a FREE “La Fonda Del Sol” Color:Verde 3×5 area rug for one of our happy readers! The rug comes as modular carpet tiles and is made of recycled materials. The green always comes with other neutral colors.
For a chance to win please: subscribe to our Feed below AND leave a comment to any of our posts.
The two requirements must be met in order to participate. The contest will end July 2nd, 2008 and the rug will be shipped within 2 weeks (if not sooner) directly from FLOR.
For those interested in buying, samples and product will be available for purchase on their website at www.flor.com
The contest starts NOW! Let’s see who wants to… “GO GREEN”!! Good luck everybody!
UPDATE: OUR CONTEST ENDED. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
Looking for gifts? Browse our GIFT STORE! Also, check out the COUPONS page for savings at the best online gift stores!
"Hilarious gift items and ideas. Great blog and unique idea. This definately has some unique items for someone wo has everything - and I definately have it bookmarked for a later date of shopping. Keep up the good work." Toni shadowwingsconsulting.com
"Nice site, well laid out, easy to navigate, great items!" Marj beesknees-23.com
Gifts are great, especially when you can use them. The worst type of present is the one that never gets used. It’s a picture frame that doesn’t quite go with the decor, a shirt that’s too small, or a kitchen gadget that’s resorted to collecting dust. Before you give a gift that just ends up earning a couple bucks at a future yard sale, consider these practical gift ideas.
These salt and pepper shakers are the cutest little gifts I have seen, so far. You want a gift that is sure to be appreciated and loved, then these little shakers are right up your gift-giving alley. This pig and piglet are not just whimsical they are functional. A sure hit for anyone’s dining table.
If your person is a dog lover, the 
One of my best friends is getting married in a couple of months. I knew she would be having a bridal shower so back in February ago I got to work. I bought a Sharebook like 
Who doesn’t like cookies? Cookies can make such a great personal gift, especially home-made ones, Yummy!!!
You stopped buying bottled water. You recycle just about everything. You even drink organic coffee. Now it’s time to turn your gift giving just as green as the rest of your life. Here are seven ways to be thoughtful to you friends, family and the earth.
Creative gifts are fun and interesting. The 
.
My husband and I decided tickets to Costa Rica were a little outside our budget. And a road trip to New York City would probably cost as much as a real Gucci hand bag. So instead we decided to do something different for our summer vacation. We will spend a week riding our Vespa around the Carolinas, raising money and spreading the word about an amazing organization, 
I am thrilled to announce that FLOR will be introducing the Alexander Girard “La Fonda Del Sol” Collection on June 2nd, 2008.
