Feature photo by jimmiehomeschoolmom
Christmas is upon us and if your anything like me you’re looking forward to showing your loved ones how much you care with the perfect gift! On the other hand, you’re also pulling your hair out because you are so stressed about money, who to shop for, and where to find the perfect gift! Well have no fear because I have the perfect creative solution for your Christmas woes.
The Gift of a Full Belly
Food is a good gift for anyone and everyone. I remember looking forward to the candy in my stocking when I was little girl every year.Start by Googling some great popcorn recipes. My favorite thing to do is get a big plastic container and make a few bags of popcorn to fill it. Before you fill it, flavor the popcorn. I like to take the mac and cheese powered cheese from the box and mix it into the popcorn. Another thing to do is to melt a Hershey’s bar in a pan and pour it all over the popcorn along with food coloring (green and red for the Christmas effect). Even plain popcorn with some extras (M&Ms, nuts, pretzels) is a cheap, easy gift that your friends and families will love to indulge in. Bottom line: just get creative! Remember to wrap a red ribbon or put a bow around the container to make it look nice.
Candy is a great choice for the sweet tooth on your list! Buy a huge Mason jar or another plastic container and fill it with at least three different types of candy. Layer the candy in the container or jar to make it look pretty. For example, take M&Ms (Christmas colors are a must!) and pour them into the jar so they form a flat, even layer. Take another kind of candy (maybe Life Savers or Skittles) and just keep adding to the pile. It will look pretty and and give you great variety of the candy! Of course, if you like to cook or bake you can do that as well, check out Gozamos’ Food and Drink section for more flavorful ideas!
The Gift of Inspiration
Sure blogging is fun, but lets get old school for a minute. I still enjoy writing in a journal and I bet you know some one who does too. For this next gift, you’ll need another glass or plastic container. Hop on your computer (or do it by hand if you have nice handwriting) and type or write at least 30 open-ended questions that would help you kick off a journal entry. For example: “The best day of my life was…” or “Today I want to accomplish…”, maybe even “Ten reasons why I rock! “Just be creative with it! Then fold the pieces of paper up and put them in the jar. Next, buy a journal. You can get a nice journal for a couple bucks at Borders book store. Next time that budding writer in you life is stumped on what to journal about, these questions are sure to help them. It’s a creative and thoughtful way to show you care.
The Gift Basket
Gift baskets are simple and great for both women, men, and kids. You can get a basket from the Dollar Store to start with and layer the bottom with tissue paper. For a child, get a small stuffed animal, lollipops and a coloring book and crayons. For that special lady in your life (whether it be your hermana, tia or your hermanos’ crazy girlfriend), this gift is easy and shows you’re thoughtful. Go to the drug store and find the Wet and Wild cosmetics section and get a few 99 cent lipsticks, lip glosses, or eye shadows. You can get a few lotions in your local drugstore’s travel section for less than a dollar. For men, fill with nice smelling body wash, new razors and a few foods he likes such as beef jerky or beer nuts.
The Gift of Romance
This next gift you can either hand make, make on the computer or both! You might want to give this gift in private though. To make a coupon book, you’ll need a few crafty odds and ends. Start with some colorful construction paper or different color note cards along with a hole puncher, yarn or string, markers and whatever else you would like! Punch holes evenly in the cards, string yarn through the holes and tie it keep the paper together. Now for the fun part! Decorate the cover so it reads coupon book “For___”. Inside, write “This coupon is good for one: kiss/back rub/naughty maid service” Get as rated R as you dare. Each coupon page should be for something you don’t mind doing with that spacial someone. Just remember to be creative and you can’t go wrong with this gift!
Remember: if you are good at anything (scrap booking, knitting, baking) don’t hesitate to use your talents when thinking of great gift ideas. They mean more when they are thoughtful and from the heart!
I really like the gift of inspiration. What a great idea!