Archive for December, 2009
Thanks to the explosion of specialty gift shops in the last few years, shoppers are able to get everything from mineral makeup to super hot chipotle hot sauce at their local mall or online. With the season of giving upon us, people now have many new options when trying to find the perfect gift.
There’s an old saying that goes “it’s better to give then receive”. While the true merits of that statement can be can debated until the cows come home (getting gifts does kinda rock), it’s true that during the holiday seasons there is a special feeling that goes along with giving someone the perfect gift.
Thanks to the fact that specialty products have been big business in recent years (both specialty shops and chain stores now feature everything from mineral makeup to a wide variety of flavored hot sauces), you now have plenty more “specialized” options when trying to find said perfect gift. Because of the shear variety of these products, it’s worth taking a quick look at some of the more popular options available this holiday season.
One of the biggest gift industries to pop up in the last few years is specialized foods that offer fresh ingredients and quality you can’t get in more mainstream products. May it be different salsa, or meats, or a variety of cheeses, there are plenty of gift options to match the palate of the receiver. The most popular of the specialty food craze may be the different varieties of independent hot sauces that have taken the marketplace by storm in recent years. Everything from super hot chipotle sauces to fruity mango flavors have been flying off the shelves, and Christmas is their hottest (no pun intended) time of year.
Another specialty gift that has been increasingly popular the last few years has been designer candles and candle holders. Besides specialty shops like Yankee Candles, mega chain stores like Target and Wal-Mart offer aisles of candles of every imaginable sizes and scent. Surprisingly, one of the best places to find candles and accessories may be the “build-it-yourself” mecca of IKEA. Here you can get candle holders of all sizes (don’t worry, you don’t have to build them yourself) and a pack of 36 tea candles for around $4. You can even choose from a variety of scents such as pumpkin, lavender and green apple. Just don’t eatthem, no matter how amazing they smell.
One of the hardest demographics to shop for is 13-17 years old teenagers. In that world, trends last minutes, not weeks. What was hot three months ago is now so passé that you’ll get the stare of death if you purchase them the wrong item for the holidays. For this demographic, I heavily suggest some type of gift card to a specialty shop. For boys, any name brand clothing store specializing in “skateboard” inspired clothing is a pretty “hip” bet. Or for those who are into music maybe a local independent record shop or a big chain like Best Buy. For girls, try Hot Topic, Claires, Forever 21 or Abercrombie and Fitch. Also, someplace like Target or Wal-Mart aren’t terrible ideas since they have recently begun to carry “hip” brands featuring artists like the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.
Of course, the best present comes from the heart, so use it when trying to think of what to get a friend or family member. If you have any doubt a gift card might be your best option. Because, c’mon, who doesn’t like to go shopping with money already in their pocket.
In the experience of author Kimberly Green, mineral makeup has proven to be a very welcomed gift for any occasion.
When you’re a child you love your toys. Then you lose interest. Then, when you grow up, you yearn for your old toys once more. That’s where big business comes in.
Here’s how it goes: first it becomes popular, then it becomes unpopular, then it becomes kitsch, then, sometime after that, it becomes popular again. Hence goes the pop culture cycle. Chances are by the time you grow up, all those toys that you abandoned when you became “too grown up” to play with, become important to you again. They become reminders of your youth and you begin to yearn for them. Of course, you’re not the only ones. Big business knows this. Because of this you should ready to pay a premium for your beloved Playmobil toys or My Little Pony’s because you’re not the only one looking for them.
I recently went to the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, CA to meet some friends for dinner. As I was walking I noticed that there was a rather large Lego Chain store which sold nothing but Lego sets and products. I didn’t have to think twice, I made a bee-line for the store. Now, I know Lego’s are thought of as a little boy thing, but I’ll make no qualms about the fact that when I was a kid I loved Lego’s. Sure, I enjoyed Barbie’s, My Little Pony’s, etc., but for me there was nothing more fun then putting together a Lego airport, police building or pirate ship. As I walked into the store and began to look around, two things immediately popped into my head. First: if you can dream it, there is a Lego set for it now. Forget airports, you can literally build the Taj Mahal now out of Lego’s. Second, and most relevant, Lego’s have gotten expensive. I’m sure you can still get a small set at Wal- Mart for something resembling a reasonable price, but wow, if you want to build an airplane or an building or a pirate ship prepare to open your wallet. A set can cost up to $70 now. Even the cheaper sets cost $30. Needless to say I passed on purchasing a set, even if I felt a child like need to.
It didn’t hit me until I got home why these Lego sets cost so much. These sets were not for children, but instead, for adults who grew up on Lego’s and again want to experience the thrill of constructing a building out of these tiny blocks. I recently help put together a small set a cousin brought over, and trust me; it’s still as fun to do as I remember it.
If anything, this experience at the Lego shop reminded me of the “kitsch” cycle. Toy sellers now understand that parents are as willing to purchase something that reminds them of their youth as they are to purchase these new products for their children, same goes for Playmobil Toys too. Look at the Transformer franchise. Most of the people who saw the film hadn’t played with a transformer for 15 years, but went in droves to the movie because of cherished childhood memories (the movies were terrible by the way, which makes the success of the second one even more “memories” based).
Next time you’re at Target look around and look at how much of the DVD’s or home supplies marketed to adults are simply repackaged and “hip looking” products from your childhood. I think you might be surprised at what you find. Chances are while you’ve “grown up” your tastes have pretty much stayed the same.
Author Kimberly Green has children ages 3, 4 and 6 and has lots of experience purchasing kids toys
Though wedding favors are usually on the back burner when it comes to wedding plans, at some point your going to have to figure out what to give out to your friends and families to remember your wedding. The key is thinking both inside and outside the box.
With so many aspects of a wedding to plan, obsess over and argue about, wedding favors are usually one of the furthest things from a couples minds. In fact, most wedding favors are usually one of the last wedding decisions that are made in the frantic lead-up to the wedding.
To be honest, most couples probably wonder what the need for a wedding favor is? I mean, would anyone even notice if one was not given out? Because I’m not a member of the wedding favor lobby I will tell you the honest truth: most people probably wouldn’t. Unless they are chocolate or cookies-which will be promptly eaten and enjoyed- most wedding favors are either thrown away or stuffed into random draws where they will sit untouched for years.
Alright, sorry, maybe I was a bit too harsh. I’m not trying to say that you shouldn’t give out small favors at your upcoming wedding; I’m just saying to be smart about. Don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money on them. The truth is, for most people (except close family and friends) even the most expensive of wedding favors find their way into the trash within the first week. The key is to find something that is cute, small, and something that you know you would want to keep if you were attending the wedding.
Hand’s down the best bet when it comes to providing wedding favors is some type of food. We’re not talking jambalaya here, we are talking about some cookies, fudge, or, even better, chocolates. Many couples love this idea because food can either be purchased cheaply or made at home. Most wedding guests will probably end up eating the chocolates at some point during the reception. Plus, who doesn’t like chocolate?
If you really want to go the whole “keepsake” route with your wedding gifts then some type of photo book or frame might work. You can usually get a good bulk rate on small photo books, and if you supply drinks and some sort of food, you can usually get your friends to help put together these photo books for no charge. Framed pictures might be a bit more expensive, but at the same time, if it’s a good picture and a cute frame, chances are many of the wedding guests will put it up and not stow them away.
In the end, a couple should just go from the heart when it comes to finding the perfect wedding favor. Of course, anyone can give guidance, but the final decision always rests with the bride and groom. Or, maybe, just the bride, if we are being honest.
The best wedding favors Author Kimberly Green ever came across were from SimplyWeddingStuff.com
Planning a baby shower can be tough work unless you can clearly map out what both you and the mother-to-be want in a party. All you have to do is focus on a few simple things to make sure the baby shower is a hit for everyone.
In the lead up to having a baby, for the parents everything can feel like a production. Besides the stress of the actual childbirth, you have to get the nursery together, deal with the insurance costs and make sure the child has a financial nest egg to start their life.
This is why baby showers are left to the new mother’s friends and family, because the last thing a mother needs to worry about is getting the right baby shower decorations. While it’s not exactly brain surgery, if it’s your first time doing it planning the right baby shower can be a little bit stressful. There is figuring out the guest list, sending out invitations, planning games, getting food and drinks, and, most of all, making sure everyone has a great time. It might sound like a lot, but as long as you take it step by step it shouldn’t be any more of a hassle then, say, planning a get together with your friends.
Maybe the easiest part of the planning is getting a guest list together. This is pretty much all on the expectant mother, whoever she wants she can invite. Chances are she’ll already have a list in her head ready by the time you come with her with your inquiry. Just make sure you have enough room for everyone in either your or her residence.
Picking the right invitation again falls under the discretion of the mother-to-be. Some women might not care what invitations go out (at that point you can purchase them at Target or Wal-Mart), while others might want something more formal. You might want to check shops like Paper Chase and Papyrus for a wide variety of cute (though somewhat pricey) invitation ideas.
When it comes to planning games for the baby shower, your best bet might be to check out the countless number of “baby shower” planning books that are out there or, more economically, you can check out internet websites which highlight baby shower games. Some expectant mothers might want to skip the games and make the shower a more streamlined affair.
Two of the most important components of the baby shower will be the food and the drinks offered during the affair. Let’s face it: one of the main reasons to go to any party is to graze on the food and drinks offered at it. While freshly made party platters offered from local grocers are a good idea for any party, those looking to get the affair catered might want to look towards a chain restaurant that offers platters off different “ethnic” food such as Greek, Mexican, Japanese, etc. Make sure the food matches with the expectant mothers and attendees tastes. As for drinks: soft drinks, mineral waters, juices, and wine are always good ideas.
The key to making any baby shower a hit is making sure both the mother to be and guests have a good time. The combination of good food, drinks, fun games and an overall good atmosphere will make any baby shower a hit.
Author Kimberly Green’s favorite part of planning baby showers is picking the baby shower decorations – never been disappointed when shopping online at SimplyBabyStuff.com
While you count down the days until birth, parents are hard out work making sure their baby’s nursery is the perfect haven for their little miracle. While it might be tempting to let others decorate the room with personalized baby gifts, making sure that they blend with the planned design of the room is of the utmost importance.
Nine months is a long time to plan. Nine months to work. Nine months to search. Nine months to perfect. Part of the magic of a new child is putting together the perfect nursery to welcome the little miracle to the world. Seeing a finished nursery is one of the most magical and rewarding things you will ever experience.
Of course, it’s only rewarding afterwards. Putting together any new living space can be a stressful ordeal. But putting together a living space for someone who doesn’t have any tastes or ideas yet, well, that’s nearly impossible, right? Thankfully, parents have been doing it for centuries and it’s not that tough. All you have to do is keep a few things in mind and just go by your own personal tastes. In the end, your baby won’t mind as long as it’s comfortable (remember your doing this more for yourself then the baby at this point).
If you really take a breath and think about it, the key to putting together any room in the house is pre- planning and making sure everything matches. People are going to buy personalized baby gifts for your baby, and while that’s sweet unfortunately these gifts don’t always match the planned décor. Because of this try and give those who you know are going to buy gifts an idea on what you want the baby’s room to look like. Show them around the planning stages. Don’t tell them what to buy, but instead let them in on the process so that they can buy the perfect gift that matches the overall theme of the room.
Of course, the overall theme and color scheme of your babies nursery is going to come right from your own brain. Thankfully, thanks’ to the explosion of chain stores you can get most of your babies furniture and decorations at one or two locations. Plus, you can usually get everything at a pretty competitive price if you check prices at different stores. You can now get everything from cute paintings, to mirrors, to cribs, to lamps in one location, all for a cheap price (and all made in China).
Planning is paramount in making sure that you put together the perfect nursery for your baby. Before actually buying furniture and decorations, make sure you measure and diagram where you’re going to put your furniture. It might sound like your being over cautious, but before you start impulsively buying furniture make sure you take precise measurements on what will go where in your nursery. Nothing is worse than putting together a crib and realizing that it’s too big for an area. That’s when the real stress comes in. Thankfully, by taking a few steps, you can make sure it all goes painlessly.
Author Kimberly Green has gotten personalized baby gifts for all of her children and they are the absolute best presents ever!
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