December 9, 2008· Filed under Holidays, Shopping
Last year I posted the ultimate clutter-free gift giving list for everyone you know because I feel like as a society we have become all about the stuff and less about substance. As we get into the prime time for holiday shopping, keep these ideas in mind - the people on your gift giving list will thank you - not only for your thoughtfulness, but also because they don’t have to put the gift away.
This is also a great list to give to aunts and uncles, grandparents, and friends, too.
For the Kids
- Movie tickets
make a great clutter free gift. We rarely go to the movies, so movie tickets are a huge treat for my kids.
- Make coupons for tuition for sports lessons, a drama class, or new activity. Five years ago we gave our kids ice skating lessons for Christmas. They loved it and it sparked an interest in my son - he is now in his third season on the ice hockey team.
- Coupons for a day with Dad (or Mom) - or for a special dinner out, bowling afternoon, round of putt putt, etc. The gift of time is the best one you can give.
- Magazine subscriptions or book club memberships are gifts that keep giving through out the year. Kids love to get mail! (We like Tessy & Tab Reading Club for Preschoolers, Zoobooks
, Highlights for Kids Magazine
, Discovery Girls, Popular Science just to name a few)
- An iTunes gift card will give them the opportunity to fill that iPod nano with the tunes they love.
For Teachers, Coaches, and Such
Gift certificate to a local cafe, coffee shop or restaurant.- Teachers spend a lot of their own money buying supplies for their own classrooms. Teachers love gift certificates for a teacher supply store.
- Put together a gift box of stickers, small prizes, pencils
and the like for the teacher to use as rewards and incentives in the classroom. (DEAL ALERT from SmileMakers who have the best stickers: Save 20% off your entire order. Enter Promo Code: AFILT21
)
- Treat your child’s teacher by sending in breakfast or lunch one day - be sure to include a note expressing your appreciation for all they do all year long.
- Designher Gals has the coolest notepads, stickers and cards that you can completely customize to look like your child’s teacher. Guaranteed to be a huge hit!!
For All the Other Grown Ups in Your Life
Grown ups like movies, too. Treat them to a movie night out (complete with babysitting services) or for movie nights in, try a Netflix.com
subscription. Dress up the gift with some packets of microwave popcorn and theater size candy and you have a fun gift for just about anyone on your list.- Tickets to a favorite sporting event are always a hit. I gave my husband tickets to a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game last year and he had a great time! StubHub Gift Certificates
are perfect because StubHub is the best source for tickets to sporting events and concerts.
- Tickets for an upcoming concert, show, or similar event - do your research and this can be a very appreciated gift! (see my recommendation for StubHub above)
- Gift certificate for a local car wash.
- Gift certificate for house cleaning. You can also make your own coupons and give your own cleaning services - especially for an older family member who would love the extra help and the company.
- Treat a friend to a spa facial, manicure or pedicure.
- Indulge in a hobby - spring for golf lessons, sign you and your honey up for ballroom dance lessons, or a pottery class. This make take some research, but the recipient of the gift will certainly know you care.
Not only are all of these items clutter-free, you can get them last minute and make them budget friendly. One note, if you are purchasing a gift card for someone on your list make sure the retailer will be in business for a while. Millions of gift cards go unused every year.
November 18, 2008· Filed under Fun, Holidays
For the past few years Office Max has joined forces with JibJab to create Elf Yourself - a super fun way to get in the holiday spirit. You can upload the pictures of you and a few of your friends, transform yourselves in to elves, then pick the dance that fits your mood - like disco, Charleston, country and so on. You can’t but to laugh! And you really like your elf self, this year you can even purchase a memento or two.
What are you waiting for? Go Elf Yourself!
November 13, 2008· Filed under Shopping, Working from Home
If there is one thing I have a total weakness for, it is journals, notebooks and agendas. I have them in every shape and color. For someone who does a lot of writing, works from home, or wants to stay organized, journals are a perfect gift for any holiday! My favorites this year include:
Venetian Wrap Journal from Kiki James
Based in London, Kiki James carries an amazing selection of gorgeous leather journals, diaries, address books and gifts. I recently received the Venetian wrap journal and it is just gorgeous. The leather is buttery soft and feels rich. I love the wrap closure detail and the pages are a nice medium weight. The pages in this journal are unlined which makes it perfect for adding doodles, sketches, photos and momentos to journal entries. It comes in a variety of colors, but of course, I had to have red because we all know I have a little thing for RED.
2008-2009 momAgenda Personal Portfolio
It’s no secret that I love my momAgenda planners - I have sung their praises before (can you say sanity saver) - and I proudly advertise their products on my sidebar. They are that good. As a busy mom who juggles 3 kids’ sports and school schedules, my own business, and our family schedule, the momAgenda planners and organizational tools are created with me in mind - I’m sure of it.
The momAgenda Personal Portfolio is THE perfect gift for any Mom who likes to stay organized (or wants to make that a goal). The smart looking portfolio contains momAgenda’s unique weekly layout that lets you plan your week and the activities for up to 4 kids all at one glance. It also contains monthly calendar pages, an address book, organized notes areas for a variety of topics, a zipper pocket and places for business cards. I have one and I use it everyday.
See Jane Work
See Jane Work is like going into a candy store for hip office supplies. I could seriously buy everything for my office there! They have a great selection of journals and notebooks that range from fun to funky to classy beyond belief.
At $17, this Orla Kiely Pear notebook is affordable and fun.
Give Green
As we become more eco-concious, I know people will be looking for eco-friendly gifts this year. The Green Office carries a wide variety of paper products made from recycled materials, contain lower chemical levels and are biodegradable. Each product is marked based on its classification, too.
Personally, I really like the Casebound notebook that is made from 100% premium-grade recycled paper with 30% post-consumer material. Its 9-1/4 x 7-1/4 pages are permanently bound in lizard-look hardbound textured covers. The pages are ruled, too.
Right now they have a special deal, too -10% OFF Gift Cards at TheGreenOffice.com! Give Green, Save Green!
Moleskine
Moleskine is the legendary journal that has a community following of its own. Moleskine’s come in so many different sizes, paper styles and covers that you are bound to find one that will be a perfect match for the big thinker in your world.
Moleskine are especially great for capturing tales from travels, sketching out designs, keeping track of important data, and anything else you may be able to imagine.
I love the smaller versions which fit easily into a pocket or purse like this set Moleskine Museum Sketchbook - 6 pack: 6 Assorted Colors per pack.
Others We Love:
Truly Mom Leather Planner with its unique tri-fold design with pads including “my day”, “my list”, “a note to”, Post-it note pad, pull out spiral bound calendar. It also comes with pocket, pen, address booklet, and a heart clip.
Happy writing!
November 4, 2008· Filed under General
It’s official, I have cast my votes in the 2008 US Elections. Rumors of long lines at the polls didn’t distract me and for good reason - I have never once stood in line to vote in my little podunk corner of quasi suburbia. The process was so easy - just make 3 selections - we didn’t even have any “issues” or referendums to vote on this time. Easy.
So take the time to vote and then get the perks:
Get out and vote today!
October 14, 2008· Filed under Shopping
On October 13, American Girl announced that it is archiving its Samantha collection in an effort to make room for new dolls. American Girl collectors and fans from all over the world are expressing their feelings on the matter and as a result, American Girl has started a Web 2.0 Farewell to Samantha campaign to allow its fan base to share their Samantha stories.
Full details and the Share your Farewell to Samantha widget is on my Doll Diaries site. If you have a Samantha fan, be sure to stop over and share your farewell message.
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