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.

Stockings Still Empty? Fill Them Up! (Image Courtesy of Dawnzy58)

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but if they’re empty this post should help. Christmas is rapidly approaching and chances are you’ve got a lot on your to-do list, including picking up some stocking stuffers. Need some inspiration? Here are some tips and ideas on how to stuff that stocking in time for Christmas.

Candy

Candy always makes a good stocking stuffer. Jelly Belly offers a great selection of unique candy in over 50 flavors. This is a great way to start a tradition, too. Pick a treat and put it in the stocking year after year. May we suggest Fruit Gems?

Coal

As the old story goes, anyone who’s been more naughty than nice can expect coal in their stocking. Play a Christmas morning joke on your loved ones by filling their stocking with coal. Of course this coal is actually blackberry bubble gum and comes packaged with cute quotes like “because you’ve been very bad” and “It’s all you get.”

Activity Books

Stuff your stockings with activity books that will be perfect during that relaxing time after Christmas dinner. Choose small books like Sudoku, word finds or crossword puzzles. These are good fillers for just about every stocking hanging on your fireplace.While you’re at it, throw in a pack of playing cards to keep everyone occupied before dinner, too.

Socks

Throw a little irony into Christmas morning and stuff socks into your stockings. These Christmas Tree Pom Slipper Socks from Sears are the perfect blend of festive and tacky.

Funny Trinkets

Give everybody something to laugh at when they unpack their stocking Christmas morning. How about stashing in some astronaut ice cream, a mic sponge for singing in the shower, or a hot dog coin purse. Chances are these funny little stocking stuffers will be what your loved ones remember most about Christmas morning.

Give More Love This Christmas. photo courtesy of mysza831

As you tackle your Christmas gift list, try to think about how your dollar can do good. Not only will you be getting great gifts for your loved ones, but you’ll be supporting worthy causes at the same time. Here are some ideas that will make your dollar do more this Christmas season.

Flowers

Check out OrganicBouquet.com’s Flowers for Good section. Not only do these flowers smell good, but they do good, too. There are fifteen gorgeous bouquets to choose from, each one supporting a great cause like the American Lung Association, Nature Conservancy and Humane Society. Five percent of every purchase will support these charities.

T-Shirt

Everyone needs a funny t-shirt. Even though you can find these wardrobe staples in about three-fourths of the stores at the mall, why not pick one up at BringtheHope.com where 25% of profits go to charitable causes? That will make an ordinary t-shirt seem way more special.

Art

The beautiful photography found at AllieArt4Children’s Etsy shop supports Reach Out Children’s Fund, an organization committed to improving the lives of those living in the remote Andes mountains of Peru. Not only will you be purchasing an original work of art, but you’ll be supporting a great non-profit. And most of the art in the shop is under $20.

Soap

Magic Senses, the designer soap company, created a “Believe in You” Butterfly soap to support “Count Me In” in their efforts to promote economic independence and the growth of women owned businesses. 25% of the proceeds will be donated to this cause.

Purse

At Clutch for Cures, $10 from every purchase goes to a charity. When you make your purchase you’ll be asked to choose from a selection of non-profits and that’s the charity that will receive your $10. The unique clutches are designed by a mother of six in St. Louis. Choose from dozens of colors and designs to find one that someone on your gift list will love.

Food

Who doesn’t love good food? It’s a great gift idea for just about anyone on your list. And when you buy the food from AmericanFeast.com you can feel good about supporting family-owned sustainable farms in your area. Search for meat, cheese, and sweets that are made by farmers– not huge corporations.

Before you know it the holidays will be here. From family events to special gatherings, schedules will be filled will lots of extra demands. Want to make this Christmas season stress-free? Then start preparing for holiday gift-giving early with these simple tips.

Make a List

First things first– grab a pen, a piece of paper and get to work. Make a list of all of the people you know you need to buy gifts for. Talk it over with your significant other to make sure you’re not leaving off any important names.

Brainstorm

Now that you’ve got your list, start brainstorming gift ideas. A sweater for Aunt Rita, a book for Uncle Joe, and maybe a new video game for your nephew. Come up with several ideas for each person on your list. When you’re not focused on one idea shopping will be a lot easier. Go high tech with your planning and budgeting by using an iPhone app like Better Christmas List. That way your list will always be with you and you’ll be able to track your spending when you start shopping for those on your Christmas list.

Start Shopping

Now for the fun part– start shopping! Rather than rushing around just before your deadline, start this step as early as possible. Keep an open mind when running errands or walking through the mall. Don’t leave all of your shopping to be done at once. Taking care of it over time will make it more fun, less stressful and easier on your budget.

Get Crafty

Perhaps you’ve decided to go handmade with some of your gift giving this Christmas. Making gifts is a great way to save money, but it’s done best when you give yourself plenty of time. Since you’ve started your Christmas gift-giving early, you’ve got lots of time to get crafty.

Buy Extra

Chances are there are people who have inadvertently been left off your list while planning. Buy a few extra gifts– perhaps candles, body lotion or a DVD. Keep the items flexible so they can be given to a wide variety of people who may pop up on your list as Christmas approaches.

Shhh! Surprises Make the Best Gifts. photo courtesy of powerbooktrance

I happen to be someone who is very hard to surprise. It’s not that I’m hunting for clues or searching for secrets. I am just observant. I notice things. So if you’re trying to pull off a gift-giving surprise, here are six ways to make that happen, according to someone who is very hard to surprise.

1. One thing I’ve noticed about marriage is that it can be extremely tough to surprise a spouse. They’re always around. They know your hiding places. And they have access to your bank account. That’s why paying with cash is key for pulling off a surprise. Chances are they’ll log on to the online bank account and see where you’ve been spending. Avoid that by using cash so your purchases can’t be tracked.

2. Maybe it’s women’s intuition or maybe it comes from my years of peeking at presents under the tree when my mom wasn’t looking, but I have a pretty good idea what’s in that box under the tree. So if you really want to surprise someone, don’t put it there. Stash it somewhere else– even at a neighbor’s house or at your office if you have to.

3. Buying online? Don’t have the gift delivered to your home. Your spouse could get the mail before you do. Instead, have it shipped to a friend’s house for safe-keeping.

4. Be low-key. If your loved one makes a comment about something they would love to have, make a mental note and move on. Don’t ask tons of questions to draw attention to the fact that you find this tidbit of information extremely interesting. Listen, downplay the comment and store it away for a future gift-giving moment.

5. Destroy the evidence. Don’t let your hard work be ruined by a pesky receipt or a shopping bag with a certain store logo on it. Get rid of the evidence quickly and there’s a better chance you’ll pull off a great surprise.

6. Let them believe something else. This is a tip only for the pros. If you really want to surprise someone, drop a few clues that lead them in a totally different direction. Put a decoy present under the tree, but keep the really good ones hidden away. A few days before the big event, mention that you have been too busy to shop or that you have no idea what to buy them. They’ll be even more shocked when you pull off the surprise gift-giving.

My husband and I have been busy. We decided that in order to save money this year we would give a list of 24 friends and family members a homemade gift. It’s neatly packaged muffin mix for one of our favorite recipes complete with the instructions. To be honest, I got the idea from another post here on 1HappyCorner. I just adapted it to make it more personal and threw in some low-cost packaging. Here’s how you can make a Christmas gift for under $2.

1. Make a list of the people you want to make gifts for. This will tell you how much of each ingredient you need to buy.

2. Select a recipe. Choose one that you like and that includes a majority of dry ingredients that can be included in a mix. We picked one of our favorite muffin recipes and adapted it to make it easier to package.

3. Buy baggies and measure dry ingredients into each one. We had to use a separate baggie for coconut and chocolate chips that are folded into the muffin batter at the end of the process.

4. Put the baggies into a cute brown paper craft bag like these from CoffeeBags.com. They should cost less than $.50 a piece.

5. Afix each bag with a label. Just pick up shipping labels from a local office supply store and design them on your computer.

6. Include a note about why you chose this recipe along with the ingredient list and recipe instructions. We explained that we make these muffins on Saturday mornings and enjoy them warm out of the oven with a homemade latte.

7. Try hand-delivering them to friends to save on shipping costs.

8. Celebrate because you just saved a lot of money and still managed to give friends a thoughtful, personal gift for less than $2 a piece!

Christmas Gifts

Millions of Americans will head to an airport this holiday season and many of those air travelers may be thinking about how to bring along Christmas gifts for the ride. I’m heading to a family gathering this week and since I won’t see these relatives again before Christmas I thought I’d bring their gifts with me. Here are some tips I’m using to make sure my gifts arrive safely.

Think Ahead

If you know you are going to try transporting your gifts in your luggage, try buying items that aren’t big and bulky. You’ll be thankful for the extra room in your bag. Also, try to avoid very fragile items that might not survive a bumpy ride. And don’t buy any sharp items that could be mistaken as weapons.

Try Gift Bags

Unfortunately airport security doesn’t like wrapped presents and if they are suspicious of what you’re carrying they may be forced to unwrap all of those gifts you’re carting around. Rather than take the chance of having that hard work ripped apart by someone other than your friend or family member, try using gift bags instead. That way if you’re asked, you can easily unwrap it to reveal the contents.

Use Ribbon and Boxes

If you have an item that you really want to put in a box, instead of wrapping it just use a pretty ribbon. Crate and Barrel has beautiful tinsel ribbon that will add sparkle to any plain box.

Wrap the Top and Bottom

If you must use wrapping paper, wrap the bottom of the box separately from the top. Be sure to use plenty of tape to secure the paper to the inside of the box. Then use a ribbon to keep the top and bottom connected. If asked, you’ll be able to open the box and put it back together once the security check is complete.

Buy Bubble Wrap

You don’t have to travel much to know bags can take a big beating. If you’re putting fragile gifts in a checked bag, be sure to wrap items in thick layers of bubble wrap. They’ll have a better chance of surviving the airplane trip.

Expect a few Wrinkles

No matter how careful you are, chances are your beautiful gift bags are going to get a little wrinkled and your boxes may have a few dents. But at least your gifts aren’t going to get lost in the mail.

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If you have any other ideas on how to wrap presents when traveling on an airplane, please share!

A handful of exceptional skin care lines has made it easy to be earth-friendly from head to toe by providing organic and natural alternatives for many of the products we use everyday. Here are ready-to-go gift ideas for the health and earth conscience.

Korres Limited-Edition Sugar Plums Set

Korres Limited-Edition Sugar Plums Set

This limited-edition nature-inspired kit has all you need for a fresh and flawless look. Korres Sugar Plums Set comes with a lip butter, lip gloss, and a shimmering eyeshadow. The Plum Lip Butter is a mix of Shea Butter and Rice Wax that will melt on the lips and provides a shiny, tinted finish which will hydrate and add softness.  Plum Cherry Lip Gloss is a sheer, high-shine, color lip gloss.  Cherry oil hydrates the lips while vitamins E and C offer antioxidant protection. The Plum Shimmering Eyeshadow is very easy to apply and is infused with sunflower and evening primrose oils to nourish the sensitive eye area.

LAVANILA Three Wishes Healthy Body Trio

LAVANILA Three Wishes Healthy Body Trio

The trio of 100% pure Shea and cocoa butters are infused with super anti-oxidants Goji Berry and Kakadu Plum, for a healthy dose of 30 essential vitamins & minerals and 19 amino acids to feed the skin.  These naturally formulated and rich body butters deeply nourish and repair the skin. 

The LAVANILA Three Wishes Healthy Body Trio comes with a Pure Vanilla Body Butter, Vanilla Grapefruit Body Butter, and a Vanilla Blossom Body Butter, all in a beautiful signature gift box.

Tsi-La Organic Eau De Parfum Mini Collection

Tsi-La Organic Eau De Parfum Mini Collection

Delicate, sophisticated and 100% organic. Untouched by alcohol, preservatives, artificial fragrances or colorings, the Tsi-La Organic Eau De Parfum Mini Collection uses a moisturizing base of select coconut oil infused with botanical extracts of pink orchid flowers.

The 4 miniature bottles are perfect for travel and come packaged in a black lotus signature box. 

Comes with four fragrances: Fleur Sauvage, Kesu, Ilang Ilang , and Kizes.

Burt’s Bees Men’s Natural Grooming Kit

Burt's Bees Men's Natural Grooming Kit

We didn’t forget the men!  This collection of men’s grooming necessities is the perfect gift for guys on the go. Burt’s Bees Men’s Natural Grooming Kit is all you need to cleanse, moisturize, shave and invigorate your skin with natural botanicals including Sunflower, Coconut, Cyprus and Fir oils, Aloe and Vitamin E. Each kit contains aftershave, shave cream, body wash, bar soap, and a lip balm all in a men’s travel bag.

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Do you have any earth friendly bath & body products you would like to recommend?  Please leave a comment and share any ideas you have.

The holidays are just around the corner and so are all the holiday parties. Don’t know what to bring? Here are a few ideas to help you decide and give you one more thing to check off your list.

Strirrings Chocolate Peppermintini Gift Set

Stirrings Martini Gift Sets

Get the party started with this martini gift sets. Each set comes boxed with the the cocktail mixer (makes about 11 cocktails) and rimmer garnish. Just add the vodka. Choose between three flavors: Chocolate Peppermintini, Apple Martini and Cosmopolitan.

Colin Cowie Square Bowls in Wood Tray

Help out the host by gifting something they can use immediately. Colin Cowie Set of 3 Square Porcelain Bowls in Wood Tray provides a beautifully contrast of white porcelain bowls against the dark wood tray. Contemporary in its clean style, it is a set designed to impress, and the dark wood blends well in traditional settings and makes an elegant food presentation.

Suck UK Key Bottle Opener

Finally! An attractive bottle opener. It’s a key shape bottle opener that looks like one belongs on your key chain. A practical and affordable present that comes in a gift pack.

Junior’s Little Fellas Mini Cheesecakes

Good things come in small packages. Made in convenient individual sizes and these Little Fellas cheesecakes are sure to please every guest at the table! Each box comes with 9 mini cheesecakes. Available in Strawberry Swirl Christmas and Assorted (Devil’s Food Cheesecake, Carrot Cake Cheesecake, and Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake).

Faith Hill's Joy To The World Album

Music

Stay away from the boring traditional Christmas music and give music for today’s audience. There are more and more artists who are making or revamping holiday music then ever before. Give your host an artist they truly love and they will always remember your present. Suggestions: Faith Hill’s first holiday album Joy To The World, What A Night! A Christmas Album by Harry Connick Jr., and A Swingin’ Christmas by Tony Bennett. For more ideas, check out Amazon’s music section.

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Do you have any great ideas for cool host gifts? Let me know and leave your suggestions!

Christmas Gifts Group Writing Project

Today is your last chance to submit your post for the Christmas Gifts Group Writing Project!

All you have to do is write a blog post about Christmas gifts and post it on your blog (with a link back to 1HappyCorner.com) or just e-mail it to us at support [at] 1happycorner [dot] com. Then leave a message on the announcement page to let us know you are participating!

Read more about the PRIZES, POST IDEAS, RULES, LINK LOVE, HOW TO PARTICIPATE, etc. The deadline is TODAY by the end of the day.

Hurry up!