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Posts Tagged ‘gift ideas’

With Christmas well on the way I thought that it might be a good idea to actually write a list to the world on some of the craziest presents I have received from various people.

They do seem to get madder and madder with my growing age so perhaps it is a somebody trying to tell me that I am perhaps going a bit mad myself. My Aunt is the one who does this as she always hands out crazy gifts. Of course these crazy gifts are more than welcome to the boring socks that are opened.

Some of these Christmas gifts have even been eco friendly gifts which I cannot say I am a personal fan of but nevertheless some of them have been really quite fun to mess around with, so without further baffling, here is the list of my favourites.

The Fighting Old Geezers

These are simply brilliant and I was very chuffed indeed when I received these as they are such a simple yet brilliant gift to give. This was great as whenever I put these toys down on the table they started to lay into eachother. It was just like watching Hulk Hogan wrestle it out in twenty years time.

The simple USB Chess Game

Of course personally I will never play chess, I thought it was still a cool little gift as the set knew exactly when I made a wrong move

The poor Bed linen gift

Yes I received eco bed linen from my mad aunt and this is the strangest of all the items received as it isn’t even a crazy gift.

Has she actually lost it now altogether? I really cannot wait to see what crazy present she has in store for me this year. After all, most people have that crazy person who loves to give out wacky gifts every year right?

So now its your turn to tell me what have your wackiest and strangest gifts been at Christmas time.

Although it is still a while till the Christmas spirit hits many of us, there are actually many people out there who are ahead of us in that they are already looking for eco gift ideas. Is there ever any time to do these kinds of things. Some people may have time off in October to do shopping and some leave it to late November and even a few days before Christmas in an attempt to get some last minute deals.

Of course the choices out there are endless when it comes to buying Christmas presents, there are not many out there for people who are interested in the environment.

The Awsome Fair Trade Slippers

Alpaca’s are what make up these slippers and no this is not made up at all. All of the animals used for the making of these slippers have died of natural causes so you need not worry about that in any way. These slippers are actually fair trade so not only do you get the comfort of these nice slippers but you know the people who made them were paid well.

The Comfy Organic Bathrobe

In terms of eco tableware this is going to be of no use to you whatsoever, however this bathrobe is made out of organic cotton and is very comfy indeed.

When it comes to vases to keep the flowers in you wouldn’t expect to find vases but believe it or not you can even be eco friendly when it comes to keeping your flowers looking nice and healthy.

Of course children and younger people are not likely to appreciate these gifts as to them the Xbox 360 is a much better gift. Of course if you are enthusiastic about these kinds of things then why not purchase them for yourself?

So there you have it, you decide when and how you are going to do your Christmas shopping.

We all know someone who when you pass by the vitamin store in the mall, we’re not surprised to see them browsing the shelves.  They are the health conscious one in the neighborhood, the one we all unsuccessfully aspire to be.  Or, perhaps they’re new to the whole health scene.  For the third year in a row, they’ve made it their new year’s resolution to lose those holiday pounds, but this time they’re actually going to go through with it.    So, when their birthday comes around, it can be challenging to get them a gift that meets their healthy living. In fact, this give you a good starting point in deciding upon a gift.  Get your friend something that they’ll actually use and appreciate, or support your newly dieting friend by helping them along their way to a healthier and leaner lifestyle.

A good gift idea is to get them a membership to a local health club or gym.  Here you can find state of the art work-out equipment that your friend can choose from.  Some of the equipment can be intimidating or tricky looking, and the staff is always willing to demonstrate how to work them.  They might find that getting a personal trainer can keep them going beyond the point where, in past efforts, they may have simply quit.  Getting a friend a membership is a great way to motivate someone to get out of the house and get started on shedding the pounds.  If your friend is already a health nut, chances are they already have a membership, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a free month or two at their club of choice.

If a club membership is too pricey, you might think about getting them something else that will aid them in their quest for a healthier life.  A stop at your local sports shop is always a great place to find loads of gift ideas for your health conscious friend.  Health stores offer loads of ideas that can suit almost anyone’s interests.  You might find a video guide on a popular exercise routine or an inspirational book.  

Being healthy does not mean giving up food entirely!  There are a lot of books that can be found in sports shops or even health clubs with recipe guides and nutritional information.    In the same locations, you can also find useful gadgets such as pedometers that can be worn throughout the day to encourage walking instead of riding or the stairs instead of the elevator.

If you’re looking for a more personal gift, one of the best healthy gift ideas you can get is a fruit basket. A fruit gift basket is a great gift idea for anyone who is health conscious and watching their weight.  Think of the food pyramid that you may have first glimpsed when you were in grade school.  Fruit is just plain healthy; it is totally cholesterol-free and provides many of the essential vitamins that we all require.  There’s no question that a fruit basket would be loved by your health conscious friend.  There are all sorts of fruit baskets from which to choose, one of which will fit your budget as well as delighting your health-conscious friend.  However, if your friend has just begun a low carb diet, he or she will not be permitted fruit until later in the diet’s progression.

So regardless of whether your friend is new to the health and fitness world or has been active for many years, showing your support for their efforts to drop some weight by getting them a healthy gift is a great way to wish them a happy birthday.

I must ashamedly tell you…I’m a gift klutz.  I guess it’s not really that I’m bad about the presenting part, itself.  Whenever it is gift-giving time, it just takes me an extremely long time to move beyond the decision stage.  I don’t know why my ideas seem to me to lack any originality.  I’m sure you’ve already discovered the solution to my despair: the Web.

The Internet is full of the usual and the unusual when it comes to gift suggestions.  Of course I know that a lot of the people making suggestions are actually trying to get me to spend my hard earned money.  Actually, I don’t even object to that.  I figure if someone can help me solve my gift quandry, then they deserve to make a profit from my purchase.  I’m an American, and we think of that as patriotism.

Where else except the Internet could I have learned that I could get my mother a New York cheesecake instead of the same boring chocolate cake I usually sent her?  Fortunately, I can stretch this one idea out for many years simply by changing the flavor of cheesecake from one birthday to the next.

My sister-in-law has my same decision making problem.  She went online and discovered a bracelet idea for her grandmother (on the good side of the family–not mine).  While it turned out well for her, it made me jealous!

There are gift ideas online for various age groups like retired folks or young couples.  You can also search using your favorite search engine by looking for gifts for a particular occasion from Christmas to Bar Mitzvahs, from anniversaries to house warmings, or even what I lovingly refer to as the “Hallmark holidays,” such as Valentine’s Day or Sweetest Day or take your terrier to work day.  You can even search by the category of the item that you want to give.  For example, you might know that you want to give a video game for a Playstation, a piece of jewelry that includes diamonds (you’ve just moved out of my price range) or even a gift for a dog.

Indeed, there are entire websites created for gift klutzes just like me where people publish ideas.  Apparently they have so many ideas they can afford to give them away.  If you happen to be one of those sorts of blessed people with too many ideas to use yourself, consider sharing them with me so that I can steal them from you and take the credit.  Just publish them online.  Thanks, in advance.

Although it would seem a bit shame for me to talk about Christmas when it is still a few months away yet, many people are out there looking for eco gifts. The main issue is time, when do we have any of it. Although many people will have booked some time off this month and next, many people will in fact leave it to the last minute to do their shopping.

Of course the choices out there are endless when it comes to buying Christmas presents, there are not many out there for people who are interested in the environment.

The Fair Trade Slippers

Alpaca’s are what make up these slippers and no this is not made up at all. Not one of these animals has been slaughtered for this cause, all of them that are used have died of natural causes. Not only do you get the comfort of the slippers themselves but you get the comfort of knowing the maker got paid fairly as these slippers are of course fair trade.

Organic Bathrobe

In terms of ethical tableware this is going to be of no use to you whatsoever, however this bathrobe is made out of organic cotton and is very comfy indeed.

When it comes to vases to keep the flowers in you wouldn’t expect to find vases but believe it or not you can even be eco friendly when it comes to keeping your flowers looking nice and healthy.

Although Granny and Granddad may love these as presents, the children will not so make sure you keep a look out for their all important Christmas Presents. If you really do love taking care of things then why not look into some of them for yourself?

So there you have it, you decide when and how you are going to do your Christmas shopping.

As Christmas is finally on its way I thought I would start to get into the mood by writing about some of the strangest things I have actually been given.

Her mind seems to be drifting further and further away each year as the presents are getting weirder with each passing Christmas. My Aunt is the one who does this as she always hands out crazy gifts. In a way it is a really nice break from opening the boring socks and clothes packages I am so used to getting.

Some of these ethical Christmas Gifts have even been environmentally friendly gifts which I cannot say I am a personal fan of but nevertheless some of them have been really quite fun to mess around with, so without further waffling, here is the list of my favourites.

The Fighting Old Geezers

The great thing about these is that whenever they are switched on you seem to get a small gathering of people each routing for one granddad over the other. Basically you get two toy granddads and once you set them down on the table or wherever they start hitting each other with canes. However I did get a bit of enjoyment out of watching two old men hit eachother with a stick, is that so wrong.

The awsome USB chess game

Of course personally I will never play chess, I thought it was still a cool little gift as the set knew exactly when I made a wrong move

Bed Linen

Yes I received organic bed linen from my mad aunt and this is the strangest of all the items received as it isn’t even a crazy gift.

Has she actually lost it now altogether? I really cannot wait to see what crazy present she has in store for me this year. What will it be?

Do feel free to drop a comment to tell me what your strangest Xmas gifts have been.

When the going gets tough, get playful.  I guess that not exactly the way the old cliche goes, but it makes sense to me.  Face it, we’re in a recession, and everyone is feeling at least a little pinched.  But…people are still going to have that annual birthday, the year is still filled with those never-ending greeting card holidays, so can you really just forget about some of our most enjoyable cultural rituals?

When it comes to gift giving, I propose that the time has come to alter a few of our attitudes about what makes a gift valuable.  At the heart of gift giving is the thought, but now we have an additional incentive to remember that it truly isn’t about how much a gift costs.  Presenting a beloved relative or a cherished friend says that you remember them and care about them.  That is all that the message of giving means, or that is all that it needs to say.

So let me share a recommendation about giving the inexpensive way: Consider jewelry!  I know that seems a bit contradictory, however what I am suggesting is Italian charm jewelry, and that truly is inexpensive giving at its most fun.  Let me explain.

If a friend or relative of yours already has an Italian charm bracelet, you can give her a silly (or beautiful) Italian charm to her collection for well under five dollars.  You might even have enough left from your five dollar bill to treat yourself to a small soda.

If she doesn’t have any such jewelry, you can buy her an entire Italian charm starter bracelet while only investing less than ten dollars.  That’s about the same as two cups of the house blend Java at your local coffee shop.  Furthermore, that will give you an opportunity to build her collection for years to come.

What if that dear relative or friend is a male?  Try an Italian charm keychain.  The starter keychain is around five to seven dollars, and you can add a humorous charm for a little extra cash, and you are finished with your shopping.  In later years, as your economic life returns to normal, you can spend a little more to get an official sports related Italian charm endorsing his favorite professional basketball, football or hockey team, or even his beloved NASCAR driver..

Remember that you don’t have to give up giving or a little whimsy when times get rough.  In fact, this is just the thing to bring fun, rather than high price tags, back into the spirit of giving.

What can be more disheartening than opening a gift and finding it to be something you will NEVER use? That has occurred to us all at several time or another. You have quite a lot of options. You can smile and pretend to like it, knowing that later you will either discard it, throw it in a closet never to be seen again, or give it to someone else and hope it never gets back to the person who gave it to you in the first place. You can inform the person that you do not like it and desire to exchange it for something else but then you danger hurting the feelings of somebody you dearly love. This is where the idea of giving gift cards comes in. Imagine being able to give your loved ones whatever they want. With a gift cards, that becomes possible.

With the incredibly high cost of gas, gasoline gift cards make an excellent gift idea. Everyone can employ them (assuming of course, that they can drive!) and they’re very suitable to directly at the force. This is an especially great idea for teenagers, because often if you simply give them a Visa or MasterCard gift card, they may wastefully spend it on unnecessary items. A gas gift card will ensure that it will be used for needed transportation. These gift cards can also be reloaded and used over and over again. There is a phone number on the back of the card. When you first acquire the gift card, write that number down. If the card is ever lost or stolen, you can call that number and get a replacement. Don’t you desire that you can replace lost or stolen money that easily?

Weddings are an ideal time to give a gift card. How many of you received four dozen glasses and three toasters for your wedding? Giving a gift card will ensure that the couple will get something they truly need and want. If you need a creative idea for giving a wedding gift card, try buying a wedding gift card holder. You certainly will not be the only one bringing gift cards as a present. With a gift cardholder, they can keep all the cards together in one place. A few look a lot like birdcages or decorative boxes with a split in the top. You can find them anywhere that wedding supplies are sold. Attempt to go with a color and style that matches the bride’s theme. If you aren’t sure, go with white, it is always a classic. This even works as a gift for an engagement party as well.

If you own your own business, gift cards are a great way to bring more exposure to your business. They’re simple to buy and can be overloaded at set amounts or you can have the client choose the amount they wish to set. If the card never gets worn, it is 100% pure profit for your company.

Don’t think that gift cards are just effortless way out. They show the recipient that you took the time and thought to choose an exacting store or restaurant that you know they love. But they have also allow the gift beneficiary to choose amazing that would truly enjoy. Who would not prefer that more than something they’ll never use?

Are you going through a sales slump? Are you feeling the chill from all those cold calls? Then why not “warm up” your clients and strengthen your customer relationships? Sales professionals earn respect by being competent and experts in their field, but respect plus being liked by your clients will result in an endless stream of referrals and a potential for exponential sales growth.

“Well, I know my product, but I’m not the most outgoing person in the world. What can I do to get my customers to like me more?” You may think to yourself.

One good approach is to give them something valuable that you could afford to give away for FREE and in the process ask questions to learn more about your clients.Offer them some advice that could help them save money, solve a problem, avoid a potential problem, etc.Send out a monthly or quarterly e-zine or newsletter with FREE and beneficial information whether you are a loan officer, life insurance agent, auto salesperson or sell vending machine equipment. Do what others nor your competitors would be willing to do and do it better!

The second part is to send them quality gifts they will enjoy that are inexpensive for you to make and deliver. They can be something personal to your clients’ hobbies, family or job or just something they would enjoy and be grateful to you for going out of your way to do. Other gratifying business gifts that are inexpensive and that can be produced in mass are certain desserts and candy. There are many different kinds of cookies that are easy to pack for delivery or drop off, as well as chocolate covered pretzel rods, chocolate covered crisped rice treats to mention a few. For your truly special clients you could choose from many easy recipes for cake or pie. Learn which sweets your customers like best and they will appreciate your efforts. Try to stay away from recipes that ask for nuts since some people are allergic to them, unless you know for certain they don’t have any nut allergies. Drop in a list of the ingredients to be safe. Of course if you would rather order your gifts and have them sent there are many great websites that sell these items~Of course if you are “kitchen-challenged” then you could order the gifts online and have them delivered}~{Of course you do NOT need to make the gifts yourself, you could order them online and have them delivered}~Of course if you are “kitchen-challenged” then you could order the gifts online and have them delivered}.

“When is a good moment to give my clients gifts?”?” You wonder.

That’s the magical question, now for the golden answer! You should get to know your client on more of a personal level and learn to become a good conversationalist. Learn about your clients’ lives and their families. Through the course of your conversation keep track of special occasions or anything they are proud of. Then create an organized system in which to remember each of your client’s unique moments or achievements.

Here is a list of 10 ½ Great Occasions in which to give your clients gifts:

1. Congratulations on their birthdays or
2. Their children’s birthdays or graduations
3. Milestone wedding anniversaries
4. Milestone anniversary for a big award they’ve won
5. Wish them “Bon Voyage” for their Out-of-State Family Reunion
6. Congratulations for their awards or achievements they’ve earned or
7. Their children have earned
8. Birth of a new child
9. Retirement
10. For becoming the coach of their child’s soccer team

And finally…

10 ½  Reward them for milestone referrals they give you

As you come up with your own occasions just simply think about moments, events or achievements for which they would be proud of themselves.

A fruit giftbasket is filled to the brim with the delicious taste of luscious fruit and is sure to brighten the day of anyone who receives it. Giving it to a friend who is not feeling well will be a wonderful thing!

Fruit baskets can be personalized for the special person that you are giving it to. They are usually filled with an array of fruits which can be picked specifically for the recipient or filled with a random assortment of fruit. They are usually made with ribbons and bows that can also be customized.

If you know the type of fruit that someone loves, why not fill their basket with that!  Whether it is strawberries and kiwi or oranges and apples, they are sure to love it.  Chose ribbons and bows of their favorite colors or decorate it with small objects that  represent the things that they love in life. Personalization is easy if you know what  they like!

The gift of flowers is a very common gift. Flowers usually set on a desk or counter and look beautiful until the petals begin to wither. While they are beautiful to look at, they will not get the reaction that a fruit basket will. A fruit basket will really be a surprise.

If you are sending the gift basket to a person that has been ill, keep this in mind. The fruit basket is filled with fresh fruit that contain vitamins that will help the person to feel much better much quicker. It will also make them smile and help them improve their spirits.

If you are looking for a gift for one of your coworkers, the fruit basket will be a wonderful idea. They can do so many things with the fruit basket that wouldn’t be possible with flowers. They could share the fruit with the office workers, take it home to their families, or even keep it at their desk and have a healthy snack whenever they want one.

Getting a gift for a male boss can be a very tricky thing to do. If you don’t know for  sure what sports team he routes for or what he collects or likes a lot, what do you  get him? A fruit basket is a great idea! He is sure to like it and will appreciate it  a lot more than a nice flower arrangement.

The fruit giftbasket is a very versatile gift and will be appreciated and enjoyed by anyone who receives one. When you are considering gifts for that special someone or for that person that you do not know so well, consider the fruit basket. A fruit basket designed particularly for someone is a very unique gift or just simply make it a collaboration of fruit. Either way, it is sure to be enjoyed!