photo courtesy of redstamp.com

Feel the need to do something you’ve never done before? Want to bless a stranger or make someone’s day even though you’ve never met? A funny thing happens when you try to do something nice for others– you end up feeling better, too! Try some of these ideas for giving a gift to a complete stranger.

Pay For the Person Behind You

This works perfectly whether you’re in the drive-thru at McDonald’s or waiting to pay a toll on the Interstate. Simply tell the cashier you want to pay for the person behind you. They’ll get a surprise gift and you’ll feel good knowing you’ve done something to improve another person’s day.

Send an Anonymous Gift

Pull out your phone book, close your eyes, and point to a name. Wherever your finger lands is the recipient of your gift. Send them a card with some encouraging words, some cash or a gift card to a local restaurant.

Call the Utility Company

Call your local power or water company. Tell them you want to pay someone’s bill who is at risk of having their service cut for non-payment. Perhaps you’re helping a struggling single mom or a father that lost his job. You may never know how much this gift means to someone in need.

Help a Teacher

Find an under-served classroom in your area through AdoptaClassroom.com and help a teacher by purchasing needed supplies or books. Not only will you be giving the teacher a gift, but you’ll be helping the students as well.

Bake Some Treats

Bake brownies, cookies or pies and take them down to your local fire station. Chances are you don’t know any of the men and women there, but you’ll be giving them a great gift– the knowledge that someone appreciates their hard work.

Pick up the Tab

Next time you’re at a restaurant, gas station or coffee shop, offer to pick up the tab for a stranger. If they ask for a reason just tell them you wanted to make another person’s day. And chances are you will.

Make this Moment a Memory. photo courtesy of nutmeg

You buy a present, wrap it up, and hand it over to your loved one. They open it, thank you for the gift and the experience is over. Why not infuse some creativity, spunk and excitement into the gift-giving process so that it becomes just as memorable (if not more!) than the gift itself? Here are some suggestions:

1. Create a Scavenger Hunt: My husband’s birthday fell on Easter this year. I decided to create an Easter egg scavenger hunt. Each egg contained a small gift (like iTunes gift cards), the clue for finding the next egg, and a puzzle piece. At the end of the trail of eggs he assembled all of the puzzle pieces and discovered his big gift– a weekend getaway. Your scavenger hunt could just include clues that lead to the hidden present at the end. Either way, it makes getting the gift fun and challenging.

2. Wrap the Gift Ten Times: Maybe you’ve seen this before. You start with a small gift and wrap it. Then you put that in a box and wrap it. Then you put that in a box and wrap it. I’ve seen some gifts where layers of wrapping were funny lingerie from a thrift store. It made the opening process very entertaining (and extended) and the final gift even more appreciated.

3. Have Someone Else Deliver It: Enlist a singing telegram service or a person dressed in a funny costume to deliver your gift. Not only will the person enjoy the present, but they’ll enjoy the presentation of it as well!

4. Buy a Decoy Gift: Pull a little prank and buy a gag gift for your loved one, but present it as a “real” gift. (It could either be something really practical like laundry detergent or really bizarre like a Richard Simmons workout tape.) Once you’ve made the recipient believe this is for real, pull out the “good” gift and have a laugh.

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!

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.

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!