Giving A Pet For Christmas

Pets are a wonderful addition to any family.  They cheer you up when you are down, keep you laughing, and love you no matter what.  There is nothing more heartwarming than seeing a child who has fallen asleep curled up next to a puppy.

Pets are a very common gift for children at holidays.  Puppies and kittens at Christmas, baby ducks, chicks and bunnies at Easter and so forth.  What child’s eyes wouldn’t light up at the sight of a brand new baby animal to hold and hug?  The promises to love, feed and take care of the new additions to the family flow like water. 

The critters are soft, warm and fuzzy gifts for certain but, and it’s a big but, they all grow up and in just a few short weeks are no longer cute little puppies but big romping barking dogs.  The cuddly little kittens have turned into large aloof cats.  The baby ducks and chicks are no longer soft and fuzzy, but big, noisy and messy, and those two bunnies, Fred and George turned out to be Fred and Georgia!

Pets are a long term commitment.  Buying a pet as a gift should be a well planned and thought out move…not a spur of the moment decision based on an emotional reaction. 

If you are honestly thinking of getting someone a pet for the holidays (even if it is not for a child) be sure it is something you would do even if there were no holiday involved.  If you are thinking about getting a pet for aunt Betty or for your grandmother, make sure they actually want a pet and will be able to take care of it for the next ten or so years.  While a pet is a thoughtful gift for someone who lives alone, it is not fair to that person, or to the pet, to give it to someone who will not be able to properly care for it.   

Make sure the gift fits.  If the primary responsibility of caring for the animal is going to fall to a young child you don’t want to get a dog that will quickly grow to the size of a small pony.  The child will not be capable of handling this size of a pet.  You might also want to make sure you expose your child to other people’s pets for decent lengths of time before buying one, so if by chance they have allergic reactions to animals you will know before you bring one home for them to fall in love with.  This will also give you the time to  convince them that they would really prefer a turtle, lizard or something else that doesn’t have dander.

Keep in mind those animals, like babies, cost money way above and beyond the purchase price.   Food, leashes, food, collars, food and water bowls, training supplies, food, toys, vet bills, food, licenses and tags, and more food! 

There is a great deal of time that has to be invested in most any pet and the holidays are not always a good time to start doing that.  The hustle and excitement of a houseful of friends and family may not be the ideal setting for a new puppy, kitten, or any other young animal.  A better idea might be to cut out a picture of the pet you have in mind and put that in a card and make sure the child understands that as soon as the holidays have passed and things have gone back to a normal relaxed state they can help pick out the newest member of the family. 

See larger image Valentine Dog Gift Bag! - Heidi's Homemade Holiday Dog Treats (Misc.) New From: $19.95 In Stock

Stop Giving Toys For Christmas

This year, consider giving an alternative gift instead of a toy.  Due to the recent mass toy recalls suffered this fall, even the safest looking toy can be a hazard.  Even the most popular toy of the year, Zhu Zhu pets, has been found to contain high levels of anitimony, a toxic metal, on the hair and nose of the rodent according to the consumer watchdog group, GoodGuide.  Each year it seems like more and more toys, as well as other items, are being recalled or found unsafe for our children.  It is never a parent’s intention to cause their child harm by giving them a toy for Christmas.  Yet, think about how many children are harmed before a toy company recalls a product.   Our children are becoming lab rats for newly manufactured toys. 

Because of all the toy recalls, many families are looking at the possibility that they are now offered a chance to look “outside the box” at the whole gift-giving scene.  Unsafe toys are taking families back to a time when Christmas was not about how much money you can spend, but time spent with family and friends.  There are many good alternative gift ideas for you to consider. Below is a list of some great kid-friendly choices for alternative gifts you may explore.

One kid pleaser is a gift certificate to someplace fun, such as camp or ice-skating lessons.

The Gift of Time:  Sometimes the best gift of all is the gift of time. Make a thoughtful collection of items that represent activities that you and your child can do together during the next year.  Wrap these items up and tell your child that this year they are going to receive the gift of time; time spent with their mom or dad, or both.  An example would be a small child’s baseball that would represent one baseball outing with dad,  a package of marshmallows would represent the opportunity for a whole weekend camping at a favorite campsite, and a peanut would represent one afternoon spent at the circus as a family.   Make sure you follow-up and actually do these activities with your child.  Remember, this is their gift instead of a toy.

Another great idea is to make a coupon book that contains fun family activities. Each coupon would be for one activity.  One might be for a family taffy pull, another may be for a night of camping out in the family living room on sleeping bags where you all tell ghost stories and play games, eat snacks and tell jokes.   Another coupon could be for baking chocolate chip cookies together or visiting a nursing home in the area and singing Christmas carols.   Think of activities that the kids would like, for example hiking on a local wildlife trail, going to the zoo, making and flying a kite, or visiting a chocolate factory. Make sure to think ahead to the different seasons and holidays that will come up throughout the year.  You can create and print the coupons on your computer.

Another great gift ideas is to consider making a craft together.  You can purchase all of the materials and print or copy the instructions for the craft or hobby project and put everything into a box, wrapped in their favorite colored paper. Tell them that this is something the two of you can do together. Girls especially love learning how to sew, embroider, knit or crochet.  They will have fun learning and doing this craft together with you.   Think of something that you are good at (model airplanes, mosaic tiles, pottery, etc.) and make it a gift of time spent together creating something fun together and teaching your child a new skill.

You can also buy or make one of those Gifts In A Jar items and wrap the jar up as a present. Make sure that the treat is the child’s favorite. Toss in some envelopes of hot cocoa and a bag of marshmallows and you have a terrific gift.

More Alternative Gift Ideas:

*  Books centered on the child’s favorite subject

*  Accessories for your child’s favorite sport

*  Costumes for dress up/playtime for the little kids (can be purchased cheaply right after Halloween)

*  A large box filled with craft odds and ends including: assorted ribbons, bows, pipe cleaners, buttons, pom poms, stickers, fabric swatches, shiny paper, construction paper, tissue paper, etc.

*  Give the gift of music in the form of an instrument, tickets to a concert, CDs, or a book about Jazz or the Blues etc.

*  Science experiment kits or a book about science experiments

These alternative gift ideas are a great way to give the gift of time and are great for any occasion – birthday, thank you, and Christmas or whenever you want to brighten a child’s day. Have fun thinking “outside the box” when it comes to gift giving.  I guarantee the fun and memories of a Gift Of Time will outlast any toy.

See larger image Gifts in a Jar: For Kids (Spiral-bound) By (author) G & R Publishing List Price: $9.00 USD New From: $3.56 In Stock Used from: $0.01 In Stock

Product Description

All About Thank You Notes

When planning any type of event or celebration, a thank you note is an element that is just as important as the invitation. There are lots of traditions surrounding the writing and sending of thank you notes. It is important to become familiarized with these traditions to help write the perfect thank you note.

When should you send thank you notes?  Thank you notes can be sent for any occasion where guests offered gifts or services. In many cases, such as a wedding if guests brought a gift or simply attended the wedding, it is proper to send a thank you note for the guest being a part of the special event.  A celebration or special event typically takes quite a few people to keep things organized and just simply to get things done.  A thank you note is the perfect time to recognize all that friends and family have done to help make the occasion special.

What should the thank you note contain?  Thank you notes can come in a variety of styles and themes. While some thank you notes will have thank you written across the front, it is traditionally accepted to send a blank card. This leaves more room for personal messages. Thank you notes should always be hand written.  A typed or template thank you message is too impersonal and does not genuinely convey thanks to guests.  Thank you notes should coincide with the theme of the event.  A good idea is to purchase thank you notes at the same time as invitations.  This will save time in the long run and help to keep a consistent theme.

Why are thank you notes important?   Thank you notes are important to show appreciation to guests, friends, and family.  Thank you notes should be sent promptly following the event.  It is helpful for those writing the notes to do so quickly so the events are still fresh in the mind.  Thank you notes give people the opportunity to sit down and write out thoughts on paper to guests and when hand writing letters, people typically are able to express feelings that cannot be conveyed simply by a verbal thank you or a phone call.

Thank you notes are the finishing touch to any event.  Whatever the event, whatever the reason, sending thank you notes should not be pushed aside or forgotten.  It is the guests who help make the event, and it is the guests who shape the guests of honor.  Without the guests, they would not be who they are.

Product Description

Stylish and sophisticated, these sweet red and green polka dotted thank you notes are a perfect way to spread your Christmas gratitude! Colors include: red, green, white Package includes 12 flat panel cards and 12 white envelopes. Paper: 50% recycled, eco-friendly, Bright White, Heavy Weight Stock Size: 5.5 x 4.25 All printing is flat printing This is a stock item

Buying Jewelry On eBay

eBay is a great place to find almost any item that you can imagine. Jewelry auctions are no exception and are quite common on eBay. In many cases, you cannot beat the deals that are offered here.
However, there are also many con artists that operate through eBay so you have to use caution.

Start by reading all of the fine details about the jewelry that you are considering purchasing. If you still have questions, send those questions to the seller through eBay’s website. Make sure that
you keep all of your contact with the seller through the website so that there is documentation.

Check out the person or company that is offering the jewelry. Look at their ratings and their feedback. Has there been any negative feedback? If so, you may want to reconsider your options and
look into other auctions. If the feedback is all positive, and the seller’s rating is high, doing
business with them should not be a problem.

Make sure that you are clear about shipment costs and the shipment time frame, as well as the
payment options offered. Usually, the buyer is responsible for the shipment costs, and this is
added to the total and paid before the item ships. In the case of high ticket items, insurance may
be required on the item as well. While you can find free shipping items on eBay, the shipping costs are usually already added to the price of the item.

If the jewelry is a high ticket item, such as jewelry that is rare or expensive, you should strongly consider using the escrow service that is recommended by eBay. If the seller recommends any escrow service other than the one that eBay recommends, you might not want to do business with this seller – it could be a scam.

Beware of sniper’s on eBay! Sniping is against the rules at eBay, but a large group of people do it
anyway. Sniping is automatic bidding, which is not against the rules, but bidding which is done through a software or service that is instructed to place your highest bid in the last possible seconds of the auction – leaving no time for anyone else to place a higher bid. Again, this is against eBay’s rules.

Instead of sniping, place your first bid at the maximum amount that you are willing to pay for the jewelry. Each time someone outbids you, your bid will automatically be raised – until your limit is reached. This is not sniping, and it is a perfectly legal way to bid on auctions at eBay.

If you have never bought anything through eBay, it is easy to sign up and free for buyers to use. While you do have to watch out for the occasional unethical sellers, these are actually rare. I have used eBay for about 5 years now without a problem. I never buy from a seller unless they have a score of at least 300 with 99% positive feedback.

The best way to pay for your eBay purchases is through paypal.com. It is also free for buyers to use and will protect your purchases up to $1000. If you do not receive your item, paypal has an excellent dispute system where they will refund your money if the seller cannot provide proof of shipment. If your item is defective you have paypal and eBay’s dispute systems at your disposal. Just make sure that the auction does not say, “no refunds, item sold as-is”.

Handmade Christmas Gifts

This year, I am making most of the Christmas Gifts that I will be giving friends and family.  The harsh economic times has made it a necessity.  However, I have come up with some really special gift ideas that I will be proud to give.  For those of you who are like me and must give handmade gifts from the heart this Christmas, I am happy to share some of my gift ideas along with the recipes, templates and instructions.

The first gift set I am making contains Homemade Oatmeal Soap, Homemade Almond Oatmeal Scrub and Homemade Bath Bombs.  I will be including some sort of loofah or bath scrubby.  The Almond Oatmeal Scrub can be put in either a small canning jar or a cosmetic jar which can be found on ebay.

To make the Oatmeal Soap you will need one large bar of Dove soap, 3 or 4 Tablespoons of ground up Oatmeal, and 4 or 5 tablespoons of water.  The Oatmeal should be ground up enough to break up most of the individual flakes, but not reduced to a flour.  You will want to leave your Oatmeal some substance.  Grate the Dove bar into small slivers, add a couple of tablespoons of water and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to let the soap bubble over the bowl.  Stir the soap once or twice while heating.  Once the soap has dissolved, remove from microwave and stir.  Add the Oatmeal gradually until you are happy with the consistency and the proportion of oatmeal to soap.  Pour into a mold and let cool.

For the Almond Oatmeal Scrub you will need 1/4 cup of Oatmeal, 1/4 cup of almonds, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of Chamomile flower tea.  Add all of the ingredients together in a food processor or blender and process until mixture resembles a fine mealy textured powder.  Funnel into small glass jars.  Add the following instructions for use:  Place 1-2 teaspoons of Almond Oatmeal Scrub in your hand.  Add enough water to form a paste.  Dab onto face with fingers and gently scrub with a soft, circular motion, avoiding the eyes.  Rinse well with water and fresh washcloth.

For the Fizzy Bath Bombs:

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Another gift set I am making consists of Hot Cocoa Mix, a couple of mugs and Chocolate Covered Spoons.  The Hot Cocoa Mix is made from 5 cups of powdered milk, 2 cups powdered coffee creamer, 1 1/2 cups sifted cocoa powder (you can use dutch cocoa for a richer, darker mix), 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and mini marshmallows.  Use a wire whisk to mix the dry ingredients together.  Make sure to mix it well.  Stir in the marshmallows and divide the mix into canning jars or other containers for gift giving.  Attach the following instructions:  To use, fill mug 1/3 full of Cocoa Mix and stir in hot water. 

For the Chocolate Covered Spoons you will need heavy, plastic spoons and 6 ounces of dark dipping chocolate and 6 ounces of white dipping chocolate.  Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper.  Put the white and dark chocoate in seperate bowls and melt each in the microwave at half power for 1 minute.  Stir well.  If not completely melted, microwave and stir at 15 second intervals until smooth and completely melted.  Dip a spoon into one of the bowls, covering both sides completely.  Place spoon on cookie sheet with handle resting on the edge.  Make some spoons covered with white chocolate and some covered with dark chocolate.  For an extra special touch, drizzle a small amount of the contrasting chocolate over each spoon or you can sprinkle a little colored sugar on the spoons.  Refrigerate the spoons until the chocolate is completely hardened.  Wrap each in cellophane and tie with a ribbon. 

For family, I am also including a Rice Buddy Hot/Cold Pack that is super easy to make.   You will need cotton, fleece or other suitable fabric, sewing thread, sewing machine, one cup measure, scissors, 3 cups of rice (not instant) and a funnel.  Trace around a hot water bottle leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  If you do not have one, the link for the template can be found below.  Fold fabric right sides together and place the template along the fold line.  Pin the fabric pieces right sides together.  Starting at one side of the neck, sew around the fabric to the other side of the neck, using 1/4 inch seam.  Leave the top open.  Turn right side out.  Top stitch a straight line down the center of the pattern from nub on the bottom to base of the neck. 

Using a funnel, put approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup of rice into each side.  Top stitch a straight line across the pattern trapping the rice into 2 segments approximately 1/3 of the way from bottom of pattern.  Repeat this step 2 more times ending with a short sewing line across the neck of hot water bottle pattern.  Turn in a 1/4 inch hem on neck and sew close to the edge to close your Hot Water Bottle Rice Pack.  Include the following instructions:  Rice Buddy Hot/Cold Pack – Microwave for 1 – 3 minutes until hot and use as you would a hot water bottle.  Great for easing aches and pains.  For cold pack, store in the freezer until ready to use.

The other Handmade Gifts I am making are from the “Gifts In A Jar” e-book.  There are many, wonderful handmade gift ideas for all occasions included in the e-book.  It is well worth the money.  For adorable 3D gift box and packaging templates for Christmas and other occasions that are easy to make, it is well worth buying the “DIY Gift Package” e-book.  You will be amazed at the cute templates that are in the e-book.  Your friends and family will love receiving their gifts in a unique 3D gift box.

** Hot Water Bottle Templates (Templates are in PDF format):  Top Half - Bottom Half

See larger image Simply Handmade: 365 Easy Gifts & Decorations You Can Make (Crafts) (Hardcover) By (author) Meredith Press List Price: $29.95 USD New From: $4.65 In Stock Used from: $0.01 In Stock

Product Review

Open this idea-packed volume completely at random and you’ll come up with a great project every time. Besides great holiday-related crafts–lots of marvelous Christmas decorations, some fun Halloween items, lovely Valentine’s Day keepsakes, Easter goodies–there are loads of wonderful objects for year-round use (frames, vases, lampshades, napkin rings, candleholders, table settings, and so much more). Everything is very easy to make, from simple step-by-step projects that require a modicum of time and materials to quickly made pieces that need only a very few supplies and even less time, to instant crafts that you can throw together out of almost nothing in almost no time. (Try this glittering centerpiece, for instance: fill lots of mismatched glasses and goblets with water, add sprinkles of confetti, and float a candle in each.) Even if you’ve never crafted before, you can handle nearly any project in the book, but each one is so appealing that experienced crafters with fairly sophisticated tastes will also find much to enjoy here. –Amy Handy

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