Hold On To Your Gift Receipts (image courtesy of billaday)

Is that new sweater too small? Get a gift that you already have? Or perhaps you just want something different? Returning gifts for what you really want can be a hassle, but it can also be great to exchange something you don’t have a need for for the present you were really hoping would show up this holiday season. Here are a few ways to return gifts for what you really want.

Use the Gift Receipt

Chances are retailers are going to be a bit more strict post-Christmas than they have been in the past. They know lots of consumers may want cash-in-hand instead of the gift they received. If you’re lucky, your box held a gift receipt along with your present so you can return it. Some stores still may only give you gift cards instead of a refund. This is OK if you like the store, but if not you may have to get creative.

Sell the Gift Card

Whether you were given a gift card for a store you don’t usually shop at, or you ended up with one because you had to return something, you can still sell that gift card online for cash. A couple of sites to check out are PlasticJungle.com or SwapaGift.com. With Swapagift.com, the card must have between $25-$200 in value and be one of the dozens of stores on the preferred merchant list. They’ll pay you up to 70% of the card’s value. You’ll get the most if you’ve got gift cards from stores like Best Buy, Lowe’s, Target, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. You’ll take a hit on the value of the card, but at least you’ll be able to put that money towards the gift you wish you would have received.

Ask for the Receipt

If you didn’t get a gift receipt, consider asking for the original receipt. This can be a touchy situation depending on your relationship with the gift giver. Be tactful and honest. Explain why you’d like to return or exchange the gift. With the original receipt you shouldn’t have a problem getting a full cash refund for your item. If you expect the person to get offended, you may want to consider another alternative.

Sell the Gift

If you can’t return the gift, try selling it yourself. List it on eBay or even Craigslist.com and then use the cash to buy yourself something else. This option is a little risky since you may not know what kind of cash the sale will generate. But if you truly hate the gift you received, or you simply don’t have a need for it you may as well try to get something you really want.

Christmas Character Mugs

Grab your favorite holiday character and enjoy a mug filled with something warm and delicious on a cold winter night. Choose snowman penguin Santa or reindeer design. You can personalize your mugs with any name up to 9 characters. Ceramic mugs hold 14 oz. Hand wash.

Price: $4.98 each or $19.97 for a set of 4.

 

Snowman and Snowflakes Soap Gift Set

Our favorite winter soap gift set from MagicSenses.com: a cute little snowman and two beautiful snowflakes in an elegant, branded gift box. It makes the perfect Christmas gift.

Handcrafted from vegetable glycerin soap.

Price: $17

 

 

Snowman Aprons (set of 2)

Delightful mother-and-daughter aprons are ideal for holiday baking! 100% cotton aprons with cute snowman appliqués.

Buy separately or save $1.99 and buy both. Machine wash. Imported.

Price $26.99

 

 

 

 

Snowman Bathroom Set

Dress your toilet in holiday style with this plush 100% acrylic lid cover and contour rug. Rug with non-skid backing is 22″ x 23 1/2″; lid cover is 15″ x 16 1/2″; with elastic anchors fits standard lids. Machine wash. 2-piece set.

Price: $21.99

 

 

 

 

 
Ty® Snow Much Love Personalized Snowman

Let this lovable plush snowman warm your heart this holiday season. He’s dressed for winter weather in his soft blue fleece hat with white yarn pom-pom and shimmering velvet swirl trim and coordinating scarf. An ice blue t-shirt completes the look – perfect to enjoy and snuggle with during the holidays and all year through!

It measures a full 14″ long featuring movable arms and legs. His plump little tummy and super soft fur makes him perfect for snuggling all year through! Features a bean bag bottom, hands and feet as well as bead eyes and a 3-D plush “carrot nose.”

Price: $24.50
 

Snowman Family Kitchen Personalized Cutting Board

Make the Holidays and family get togethers extra special with this gift. Your finest Christmas dinner will carve to perfection on this unique and colorful Personalized Snow Family Cutting Board. This heat resistant glass cutting surface is dish washer safe. Includes self-adhesive rubber feet. You can even personalize it by choosing a custom message on top and bottom.

Price: $32.95

 

 

Snowman Clock

Large clock on wooden base has easy-to-read numbers. Snowman sports a fleecy white body. Runs on 1 AA battery; not included. 12″ x 18″.

Price: $14.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

SnowmanChristmas Stocking

Make Santa’s job a little easier with Christmas stockings! A great way to make each child feel extra special, these stockings make great gifts, too. 100% polyester; 20″ long.

Price: $8

This Holiday season, we decided to write about some of the nicest holiday candles out there. Before we start, I must say this: it was hard to choose!

Elegant Monogram© Personalized Candle Set

Accent any home with the elegant look and scent of natural, vegetable based, monogrammed candles.

This luxurious 2 candle set is carved with any name or monogram in your choice of 11 styles for a truly unique look.

Each candle is delicately infused with your choice of 2 soothing scents – green or orange tea. Choose to have both candles in the same scent or one of each.

Price: $44.95

 

Carved Solutions, Custom Carved, Vermont Made Candles

Each Vermont made, hand poured candle slowly melts (tunnels) into itself as it burns illuminating the carving and creating the perfect holder for a tea light. That means the carved candle is yours to enjoy for years to come. It’s the perfect keepsake!

These luxurious candles are carved from 100% palm wax, with all cotton wicks. The tantalizing scent (100% pure essential oils) is gentle yet uplifting with relaxing notes-a true aromatherapy experience! With their beautiful aesthetics and enchanting fragrance, Carved Solutions candles are enjoyed by all-a must have!

Personalize with a simply elegant initial, classic monogram or spoil with a family name, graphic or even a custom logo. Imagine the appreciation from the receiver knowing you truly thought specifically of them! With our 24-48 hour turn-around time giving “personal” is easy!

Price: $15 – $80

 

Clear Candle

Clear Candle features refillable, burnable white mineral oil candles art made right here in the USA. Made with edible grade mineral oil and zinc wicks! Zinc wicks are lead-free the candles are wax-free, toxin-free, soot-free & worry-free!!! We use real roses, orchids, fruit & foliage.

Our favorites: Apple pie, Tangerine, & Honeydew!

Elegant candles for exquisite lifestyles… Giving light & art for a lifetime!

Price: $20 and up

 

Shine Vanilla & Peppermint Holiday Candle

Celebrate the Holiday Season with HollyBeth’s SHINE Vanilla & Peppermint Candle – a relaxing blend that combines the sweetness of Vanilla with the fresh crisp tones of Peppermint. Made from 100% eco-friendly soy wax and infused with essential oils HollyBeth’s SHINE Vanilla & Peppermint Candle is hand-poured and contains no petroleum products, synthetic fragrances, boosters or colorants.

Cool and refreshing Peppermint Oil stimulates the mind and increases focus while the rich sweet aroma of Vanilla Oil is calming and soothing, aiding relaxation and creating a peaceful environment. Both bouquets harmonize to promote health, healing and happiness.

Price: $20

 

Ocean Bay

Ocean Bay Candle Company makes going green an easy process. Their soy candles are non-toxic and leave behind 90% less soot than your typical candle, so there will no longer be black walls or ceilings for you to stress about. They also burn longer, even, and are scented throughout. You can’t be wrong when going green, so start using Ocean Bay Candle Company’s scented soy candles. They are a perfect gift for yourself or the candle lover you know.

Price: $15.95 – $19.95

 

Christmas Tree Candles

Light these decorative Christmas Tree candles (from Hudson Goods) on your table or mantle and enjoy the holidays. They come in sets of two. (5w x 9h)

USE PROMOTION CODE 400

Price: $29

 

 

All these candles make great stocking stuffers, host gifts or “just because” gifts.

Make Baby's First Christmas Memorable. photo courtesy of Raphael Goetter

Is there a new bundle of joy in  your life this Christmas? Celebrate this special gift with the perfect gift that marks baby’s first Christmas in a memorable way. When that little boy or girl grows up they’ll appreciate the gift used to welcome their arrival into your lives during this very special time of year.

Christmas Ornament

Of course a Christmas ornament is a great way to mark this special arrival and to celebrate baby’s first Christmas. Lenox.com offers a great selection of keepsake Christmas ornaments that can be personalized with the baby’s date of birth. Also, check out SantasOrnamentShop.com for dozens of styles of ornaments that can all be personalized.

Baby Long Johns

Get your new addition some adorable red baby long johns from RedEnvelope.com. The outfit features a traditional back flap and buttons down the front. The PJ’s can be personalized with up to two lines of text such as “my first Christmas.”

Photo Book

Make a photo book that your new addition will be able to look back on for years to come. Include snapshots from their first holiday season. Use promo code “photobooks” to get 25% off and receive free shipping at SeeHere.com.

Christmas Stocking

Baby will definitely need a Christmas stocking to hang on the fireplace mantel. Pick up a special one that will always be known as their first Christmas stocking. Home-n-Gifts.com has a cute, pastel stocking for just $3.95, or you can use these instructions from Better Homes and Gardens and make your own.

Baby Casting Kit

Preserve those little hands or feet forever with a Baby Casting Kit from CastingGifts.com. Choose between metallic gold, pearl, champagne or bronze. Your kit includes enough material to make multiple molds of baby’s hands and feet to create ornaments or shadow box designs.

Save-the-Date Necklace

Celebrate the special day of your little one’s arrival with this Mark  Your Calendar silver necklace. It includes a rhinestone marking on the date of the new baby’s birth and is a gift any new mother would love.

Wondering how you can save money this Christmas? How about trying your hand at some homemade gifts? We showed you how to make your own cake plate using vintage thrift store finds and how to make a scarf in less than a minute. Now we’re filling you in on another simple DIY project that will make a great gift for busy moms, teachers, kids and more. This chalkboard clipboard is super easy to make and extremely useful for writing to-dos, reminders and grocery lists. Plus it’s so cute you may just want to make one for yourself to keep track of your Christmas gift list.

Step One: Buy Supplies

The clipboard is your canvas for this project. You may be lucky enough to find a clipboard at a thrift store for $.50 like we were, but if you’re not pick one up at a craft store like Michael’s. They often come in a variety of sizes as well. While you’re there, buy a small container of chalkboard paint. We found ours at AC Moore for less than $5. This jar of chalkboard paint will leave you with plenty of leftovers to tackle other craft projects in the future. You’ll also need some painter’s tape and a paint brush or a small roller.

Step Two: Start Painting

For a crisp, clean line, tape off the top section of your clipboard using the painter’s tape. Next, apply a smooth, thin layer of chalkboard paint to the front of the clipboard. Let it dry for at least an hour and then apply a second coat to ensure complete coverage. Using a roller will give you a flawless surface without brush strokes.

Step Three: Write a Note

Once the chalkboard paint has dried completely, which can take up to 24 hours, remove the painter’s tape and write a thoughtful chalk message for the new owner of this lovely handmade gift. Include a piece of chalk with the gift so they can start using it right away because with a present this cute you know they’ll want to.

Images courtesy of Alison Storm

Feel like getting crafty for Christmas, but lacking in the Martha Stewart department? You can make handmade gifts for the holidays, saving lots of money and ensuring that everything you give is from the heart. This DIY project doesn’t require much time, money or skills. If those sound like three things you don’t have a lot of then keep reading for instructions on how to make the sixty second scarf. Similar scarves sell for nearly $30 at popular stores. We found this striped version at J. Crew for $29.50. But yours will cost less than $2 and sixty seconds to make.

Step One: Hit the Fabric Store

Head to your favorite local fabric store and make a beeline to the knit section. Look for something super soft, like pima cotton or jersey. We found lots of great colors like pink, orange and lime green at the local Hobby Lobby fabric department selling for $5.99 a yard, but with a coupon we snagged it for 40% off. Have the fabric store employee cut you 3/8 of a yard. Typically this fabric is sold in 60-inch width which is perfect for a scarf.

Step Two: Head Home with Your Fabric

Since the fabric store employee took care of starting off your scarf for you, now all you have to do is complete it. Finish off the edges by pulling them. Giving the fabric a little bit of a tug will cause it to roll as it stretches. This will make the edges look more finished off without having to pull out your sewing machine.

Step Three: Wrap Up Your Gift

Now that your scarf is made, wrap it up to get the gift ready to give. Your loved one will appreciate this new accessory that they’ll be able to throw on to compliment a variety of outfits since scarves are a hot must-have this winter season. Because the gift is so simple to make and affordable, consider wrapping up a collection of sixty second scarves. They’ll never know each scarf took just sixty seconds to make and cost less than $2!

Images courtesy of Alison Storm

The Complete Ripley Novels (Hardcover)

Looking for a gift for someone who always has their nose in a book?  Here are some gift ideas for the avid reader.

Boxed Sets

If you know what type of novels, series or favorite author a person reads, then a boxed set is the perfect present.  You can give an entire collection of works which can be added to a person’s personal library, or start one,  if they just gotten into reading books.  For instance, crime fiction lovers would be pleasantly surprised with the Complete Ripley Novels boxed set, which includes the well known The Talented Mr. Ripley novel for which a movie was made.  For lovers of the classics, Barnes & Noble Classics Great Novels Set comes with six timeless works for one affordable price.

Bookends

If you know someone who already has an extensive library, then bookends would make a great gift. Barnes and Noble has a great collection of bookends to choose from to match any decor.  From Playful Puppies Bookends to Homer and Aristotle Cast Marble Bookends, you would be sure to find the ones which would match any person’s personal taste.

 Reading Aids

Of course, the bookworm is not complete without the use of their reading aids.   A bookmark is nice, but a bookmark which is also a dictionary is even better.  The Franklin Compact Oxford Dictionary is a bookmark and compact dictionary in one, for serious readers who don’t want to get stuck with literary terminology.  If you want to give something more on the practical side, then the Old School Wooden Lap Desk is what you are looking for.  The wooden top of the lap desk has a pencil ledge and has brass hinges which opens to storage underneath.  The bottom is cushioned, which makes it great not only for reading, but also for writing notes in bed.

 Starting today, we are running a Group Writing Project and we’d like you to join us!

 

THEME

The theme of this Group Writing Project is very simple: Christmas Gifts. The intention is to have fun and give our readers as many and unique Christmas gift ideas as possible!

 

LINK LOVE

If you participate to this Group Writing Project,
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We all get gifts that we either don’t like, don’t need or already own. Whether it’s a sweater that’s too small, a gift card for a store you don’t care for or a gadget you already own, there are easy ways to get rid of gifts you don’t want. Here are a few of the best ways to unload your unwanted items.

Swap or Sell Unwanted Gift Cards

Gift cards are great, but sometimes plain old cash is better. At GiftCardRescue.com you can easily find out the redemption value of your unwanted gift card. Usually it’s between 60-80% of your card’s value. Ship the card to GiftCardRescue.com and they’ll give you the cash via PayPal. The site is also set up to allow you to exchange your gift card for a different one. If your grandma gave you a gift card to Sears, but you’d rather have Starbucks, GiftCardRescue.com can help. 
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Between birthdays, graduations, and weddings greeting card costs can really add up. Many of them can cost $3-$4 each. Throw in Christmas cards and the whole process might be setting you back far more than you think. But you can still be thoughtful without those high costs.

Make Your Own

Head to the craft store and pick up some supplies to make your own. Not only will you add your own special creative touch to the cards, you’ll save money too. Check out Michael’s for supplies and have fun.

Go Electronic

These days there are lots of options when it comes to electronic greeting cards. Send your message straight to your loved ones’ inbox and you don’t have to worry about forking over 42 cents for a stamp. Some to check out are HipsterCards.com, Hallmark.com and Someecards.com.

Buy Bulk

You know you’re going to need birthday cards throughout the entire year. So rather than running to the store every time you need a card, try buying them in bulk. You’ll save money and time.
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