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How To Decide On Smart Gifts For Kids

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Smart gifts…hmmm. This makes me wonder if the gifts should be smart, or if they should contribute to the “smartness” of the kid. Let’s take the latter and hope they coordinate with the former. Personally, I would presume, the shopper in question is trying to spend their money wisely on wise choices for gifts for kids.


?     Beyond…

As you adjust your thinking, remember to consider such things as the ages of the children. Many frugal parents are so diligent they even prepare for usability of gifts beyond the age received. In this case, one would need to focus on durability and safety of the toys/gifts as well. Of course gifts like books have no such restrictions.

?     Physical…

Does the gift encourage physical coordination and prowess? If the child can use several body parts at the same time, the gift would be a wise choice.  One of my favorites not only for my children, but now also for grandchildren is the “Sit ‘n Spin”. It employed hand over hand coordination as well as strength while the child sat and pulled his way around and around the platform. Pre-bikes, as I call them, or “Big Wheels” offer physical activity in addition to “success” while bike-riding on the way to learning to ride tricycles and later a two wheel bicycle of his/her own. Scooters are also wonderful items in this category.

?     Sounds…

Does the gift encourage listening skills? Being able to discern various sounds prepares the kid for sound patterns, as with music, as well as auditory learning. Additionally, documentation has proven that music goes a long way in enhancing intelligence. The Leap Pad and VTech line offer a menagerie of skills, including some playback music/auditory opportunities. Child size keyboards offer tunes and rhythms with playback as well, so the parents don’t miss one singe concert!

?     More…

Other excellent choices for gifts include items where a child can, for example, “cook” in their own kitchen while modifying yet experiencing “real life.”  All sorts of art sets from highly reputable companies allow children of all ages to indulge in creativity beyond their wildest dreams…and most offer tools that do not stain carpets, furniture, or children. Travel sets are also available. Certainly an amazing range of dolls from ones that are soft and cuddly, to those that do things and teach things while they talk to the kid…can be part of any child’s repertoire of gifts.

Faves…

In summary, I hope you will indulge this author and note that my personal favorites have stood the test of time. Those include, in the order of their appearance for all my grandchildren: while still in the womb and till this day – books; board games of all sorts; and as the kid learned to read, they received their own magazine subscriptions which were greatly anticipated either every week or each month. Wise shoppers cannot go wrong with these suggestions; no doubt there are many others. Take a day and enjoy the plethora of ideas available for smart shoppers for smart kids’ gifts.

Julie Myers is a mother of two who loves to sew when she has time.  She enjoys sharing creative ideas and making great gifts for kids.

DIY Gift Ideas For Every Occasion

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Sacchetti saponosiHolidays, birthdays and every day celebrations can certainly be events to look forward to, but not when you have difficulty with finding the perfect gift to give. While some people were born to give gifts, the truth is, most of us aren’t very good at it. Rather than getting something for someone that is simply materialistic and not thoughtful, why not save your money and make something yourself. These DIY gift ideas are perfect for any occasion and are guaranteed to be a hit!

Pictures

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? What’s so great about giving a picture to someone is that it evokes memories and feelings of a previous event, whether they make you think back to when you were younger, someone who has passed or of people who you think about every single day.

Some creative DIY ideas around pictures:

  • Picture frame wreath – By gluing small frames from the dollar store to a wreath, you’ll have the opportunity to remind the gift recipient of why you care so much about them.
  • Picture magnet – Add an adhesive magnet to the back of a picture frame to make it magnetic and easy to move wherever you want it to go.
  • Canvas print – The idea of printing an image to a large canvas has grown to become very popular, and there’s good reason why. Canvas prints allow you to blow up a picture without having to really worry too much about the quality of the picture, and rather than paying a lot of money for a blown up picture and then having to frame it, a canvas print is just the image printed on the canvas, no frame necessary!

Coasters

While this gift might not come off as a personal or thoughtful gift, there are a lot of great DIY ideas that you can create for coasters. For example, if the gift is needed around Christmas time, you can visit local fresh Christmas tree farms to collect discarded tree rounds. After coating them with polyurethane to create round coasters, this gift is bumped up to awesome.

Some other great coaster ideas include:

  • Stamped tiles – Using inexpensive tiles from a home improvement store, you can stamp or etch whatever design you’d like to personalize these coasters.
  • Scrabble pieces glued together – Whether you have an old game of scrabble or you found one at the thrift store, these letters can easily be glued together for a set of fun word coasters.
  • Circular cork with old maps or jute – Cover circles of cork or thrift store coasters with jute or old maps using glue or mod podge for a creative set of coasters.

Bath and beauty products

For someone who needs some serious pampering, these gift ideas are absolutely perfect. While bath and beauty products have always been a go-to gift idea, think about how much more it will mean to the recipient when they find out that you made the item yourself.

Some bath and beauty gift ideas include:

  • Sugar scrubs
  • Lavendar sachets
  • Hand-carved soap
  • Lip gloss

Food

Edible gifts are usually a big hit, whether it’s the holidays or the middle of summer. What makes the DIY food gifts so special is the fact that you know the exact ingredients that are going into your gift, which allows you to decide how healthy you’d like it to be.

Here are some really unique DIY food ideas:

  • Edible wreath – Attach clothespins to a cardboard ring to create a colorful wreath. Clip tea bags, hot chocolate packets, spice packets, or even seed packets for a unique and useful gift.
  • Homemade vanilla – Mix good quality vodka with vanilla beans in a pretty glass bottle. Just keep in mind that “brewing” takes up to eight weeks!
  • Spice rubs – There are several recipes on the Internet that you can find for spice rubs. Combine spices in a pretty jar with a suggested use for a quick, yet thoughtful gift.
Attached Images:

Amy Richards is a freelance writer who loves to give custom gift baskets as presents to all her family and friends. She’s always determined to include at least one of her DIY projects, to really show how much she cares for those she’s giving gifts to.

Why Personalized Gifts Are Priceless In Value

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Every single day, millions of people around the world are either buying gifts for the people in their lives that they care about or they are actually presenting those gifts that they have already purchased to those individuals.  Gift shops will probably never go out of business because of the fact that millions of people seem to depend on these businesses year after year to help guide them in the right direction whenever these moments arise.

However, did you know that there is a way that you can make even the smallest gifts priceless in value that can be cherished for a lifetime?  How is this possible?  By making sure that you find a way to personalize the gift before giving it to that special someone!

Setting Your Gift Apart from All Others

By making sure that you find a way to personalize your gift, you will be effectively setting your gift apart from all of the other similar gifts that this special someone may have received in the past either by you or other people.  This will allow your gift to stand out and maintain a strong presence within their memories, because they will always be able to distinguish yours from all of the others.   How does that exactly work?

The Value Has to Be in the Memory More

Let’s say that you want to buy your special someone a valuable item of jewelry.  Millions of people have this idea year after year, which is one of the main reasons why billions of dollars are spent on jewelry annually on a global scale.  By giving it to them the way that you bought it, they will be able to appreciate the value of the gift itself but not really the person that gave it to them.  How so?

They will be able to cherish the memory of receiving this valuable gift as well as the memory when they may have found out how much the value was worth.  However, there really is not going to be anything that sets those items apart from many of the other items that they have.  You have to be able to create a memory that they can cherish even more than item itself.

Adding a Personal Touch makes it Priceless

If you can find a personal way to put a personal touch to your gifts, this is the way that you can make it priceless and truly valuable for a lifetime.  Do not just buy her a necklace or bracelet.  Find a way to have a special message inscribed or engraved in that jewelry to make it memorable.  Do not just buy her a collectible doll.  Invest in one of the high quality dolls that look like you so that she can have a doll that is not available anywhere else.  You have to be able to go the extra mile to make your gift different in order to engrave the memory in her mind forever and allow her to never forget about the moment that she received it from you.

This article was written by Kate Carson, an author that remembers firsthand the joys of receiving personalized gifts, such as dolls that look like you, as a present. She was been writing content articles that she can personally relate to for many years, but she also enjoys writing about such niches as politics, current events and technology.

Make Your Green Thumb Sweetie A Gardener Gift Basket

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If you have an avid gardener in your life or just someone who likes to be amist the flowers and plants, give her a gift basket with a garden theme this year. A gardener’s gift basket is one of the loveliest and most thoughtful things you can give someone who loves to plant and nurture their garden.

The Basket/Container

Consider what you will put your basket in. It doesn’t have to be a true basket, just something that will hold all the items. Consider a bell jar. These glasses resemble upside down wine glasses without the stems. They are perfect for starting and growing seedlings or one perfect plant. You can include everything inside and tie with a nice fat ribbon.

What to Include

Start with a pair of gardening gloves. They can be any color, just make sure they are the size that will fit your friend. Then, include a nail brush and gardener’s soap so that she can scrub her hands clean after playing in the dirt. A garden tool set in miniature is perfect if she likes to work in a greenhouse or with potted indoor plants. They’re also great if she likes terrariums.

Other things you can include are seed packets. If you know she loves flowers, go with all flowers. Or do a mix of vegetable seeds if you know she loves to tend her vegetable garden. A gardening book tailored to her interest is a nice idea. If she’s talking about making a shade garden or a raised bed garden this year, there are books specifically on those topics. Or if you don’t know what she might already have on her bookshelf, give her a gift certificate to a garden shop or bookstore that sells gardening books.

Also include sunblock for when she’s out in the sun, a hat that rolls up would also fit in the basket. You can also include a lip balm in a nice fragrance. Anything she might use when she’s out gardening is perfect.  A gardening themed t-shirt can be rolled up and placed in the basket as well.

If you’re stumped for what to give your gardening friend, go for a trug. These baskets are made for gathering flowers or fruits and vegetables. Any garden catalog or store will have them. Then, you can fill it with flowers and a gift certificate to a nursery that you know she loves. Throw in a magazine subscription about gardening and your gardening gift basket is all set.

A nice set of gardening sheers can be a great addition and a kneeling pad will save her knees. If you know her shoe size, go ahead and include gardening clogs. You might include a wind chime or another outdoor decoration that she can use in her garden and think of you.

Gardeners are a special breed. They love what they do whether they do it as a job or as a hobby. You will show how much you care about their interests and how you really went out of your way to make a gift that they will enjoy. Start making baskets today and you may make baskets for all your birthday and holiday gifting needs. It can be so much fun!

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Barbara Petersen is a crafty writer with a special interest in gift giving and party planning. She regularly contributes to the All About Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog, put on by http://www.aagiftsandbaskets.com.

How to Fill a Gender Neutral Gift Basket

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Filling a gender neutral Christmas hamper can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to know exactly what to put in a gift basket which could go to a girl or a boy. Finding presents for a girl or a boy is easy but finding a present which would suit both can be a challenge. Finding enough presents to fill a basket can seem impossible. However you don’t have to worry there are plenty of things you can put in a Christmas hamper which will delight both boys and girls. These days’ toys are not as gender specific as you may think.

 One great idea for gender neutral Christmas hampers is stationary. Both boys and girls need pencils, pens, markers and paper and both boys and girls enjoy drawing and colouring in. Plus you will also make their parents happy because it saves them a trip to the shops before the school term starts again. If possible it is always a good idea to try and make your gifts practical as well as enjoyable.

Depending on the age of the children that your basket will go to, stuffed toys and teddy bears can also be a great gender neutral gift. Children under the age of eight generally enjoyed playing with stuffed toys no matter what their gender. Just make sure you avoid overly girly colours like pink and purple and you’ll be fine.

Books are a great present which can be given a child of any gender. Books like the Narnia Chronicles, Harry Potter and the Hobbit can be given to children of any age even if they can’t read. These books are not gender specific and will delight both boys and girls. The parents will also be delighted because your gift will encourage their children to read.

DVDs and music can also be great non-gender specific gifts. There are many mix CDs available which feature a wide variety of songs which will appeal to just about any child or teenager so you don’t need to worry about the music not matching their tastes. There are also a wide variety of gender neutral movies released each year which can be enjoyed by both males and females. Including one of these DVDs in your hamper is a great idea.

Vouchers are another great thing you can put into a gender neutral Christmas hampers. This way no matter whom your Christmas basket is given to, they can go and buy what they really want. However consider being more specific with your voucher as opposed to just giving them a generic shopping mall gift card. Movie tickets are a great gift for anyone especially children because it allows them to go and see whichever movie they really want to. Vouchers for music and games for a child’s phone is also a great thing to include because it allows them to customise their phone in whatever way they want.

Finally one great thing a friend of mine suggested when I was assembling a gender neutral Christmas hamper was blowing bubbles. These provide hours of fun for young children and are suitable for both boys and girls. Silly toys like these which are simple but that children get great enjoyment out of are a great thing to include in a gender neutral Christmas hamper.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=gift%20basket&ex=2

About Author

Sam has written this article on behalf of Gift Basket Company,Australia’s premier Gift Basket and Christmas Hampers network with distributors across Australia.

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