Christmas Gift Ideas

A good gift for children is the 'Highlights' magazine with it's many stories and activities plus a FREE gift . Any child would enjoy this.

What child doesn't like LEGOs. Even though my boys are grown now, once in a while I will still buy Legos for them. The son that still likes them is still intrigued with puzzles and I think they help to develop math and analytical skills. New kits and projects are constantly being developed so one would have a hard time running out of ideas.

I still keep some of the Duplos around for vistors children. Kids of all ages like to play with Legos. The last date to order and have delivered by Christmas is for ground - Dec 14th and for express shipping - Dec 23rd by noon.

Lego Universe is 50% off until the end of the year if this is what your child/children are hoping for.

Give a gift and help a cause - Dec 13th Woman's World has a page that suggests purchasing gifts that also contribute to charities. For example: if you buy a handcrafted doll or toy at www.handcraftingjustice.org - 100% of the proceeds go to the artisans to help create sustainable living conditions in their developing nations.

Another suggestion is for every t-shirt purchased from www.teesforchange.com a bamboo tree is planted to help prevent deforestation.

Here's a list of other sites that donate part of their proceeds to charities: several donate part of their proceeds to help fight cancer in children.
http://www.naumesfruitgifts.com/
http://www.giftback.com/
http://www.stinkykids.com
http://www.laffylaffalot.com/

Give a free ebook - can be downloaded onto hard drive, then copied to floppy or cd and wrapped as a gift. Click Here for ideas.

Decorate a pine cone with colored beads and put a felt or paper star on top. OR use wire to place a bow on the wide end and use as a tree ornament. You can purchase a bag of awesome cinnamon scented pinecones at Wal-Mart for less than $4.

Most people have duct tape around the house. There are several creative ideas for using the tape to patch things or even make useful items. For example, make a duct tape wallet for the special man in your life. Click here for directions.

Have a Christmas tea – peppermint is good – make simple cookies that don’t cost a lot.

Take and share family photos. If you live in MN – I can take digital family photos for you and you can upload them to your blog or I can upload them to Wal-Mart and you can order 25 beautifully created Christmas cards for .33 - .40 each. I ordered these for several families last year and they are very well done. Email me if you're interested. The total would be under $50.

36 Ways to Save Money This Christmas

Thanks

1. Determine not to charge anything.
2. Plan a family game night with snacks – bars – koolaid with ginger ale
3. Have a movie night with popcorn and root beer floats
4. Draw names and only purchase one ‘big’ gift
5. Set a price limit on the ‘big gift’.
6. Keep the gift giving to your immediate family instead of buying for all the aunts, uncles and cousins – but be sure to include the Grandparents
7. Give a home made gift click here for ideas
8. Use simple decorations – “Less is More” – is a common adage.
9. Write your yearly newletter and upload it to the web – send an email letting family members know where to see it
10. Take digital pictures and email them to family members
11. Set up a blog – some sites have a 30 day trial – that’s long enough to set up a blog to share stories and pictures with family members – that’s even better than gifts especially for those that live miles away
12. Send an e greeting – following are several web sites that offer free ecards
13. Make a simple Christmas dinner – you can have an elegant dinner without all the fuss. Click here for ideas.
14. Instead of buying new ‘fancy’ clothes that you may only wear once, look in your closet and see what you can put together. For more information about making and using a Capsule Wardrobe, click here.
15. Order your ‘inexpensive’ gifts online to save on gas and time it takes to go shopping. Great online places to shop – click here.
16. Give an ebook that can be downloaded and put on a cd or emailed to your family member or co worker. Click Here.
17. Take time to relax and read a good book.
18. Bake cookies and take some to a shut in to share the Christmas Spirit
19. Take your musical instruments to a rest home to sing and play for the attendants.
20. Buy items that offer rebates – just remember to send in the rebates.
21. Gather your little ones together and read them the Christmas Story from Luke 2 while Christmas carols play softly in the background.
22. Cut paper snowflakes out of white paper and hang around the room (especially fun to have the kids help with these).
23. Make a paper chain from strips of colored construction paper.
24. Make new simple traditions that involve the family instead of shopping and trying to get more things.
25. Be sure to have a crèche somewhere in the living room where all can see it. There are several ways you can make one yourself if you don’t already own one. Click Here for ideas.
26. Wrap gifts in newspaper – especially the comics.
27. Use hair ribbons, tape measures or zippers for bows.
28. Pringle’s cans make nice gift containers – decorate with paper, stamps, ribbon. . .
29. Find a hard puzzle to put together as a family.
30. Use card stock, paper and stamps and make a card for someone.
31. Play Christmas Carols while putting up decorations.
32. Take unused - good condition - clothing to Goodwill or Salvation Army to bless someone else and you will be blessed just for the opportunity to give.
33. Make a Christmas card for your neighbor thanking them for being such a good neighbor. Deliver it in person.
34. Bake a loaf of bread for an elderly person that can no longer cook for themselves.
35. Offer to run an errand for someone that's home bound because of sickness or any other reason.
36. Watch a young couple's children for a few hours while they go shopping.

Save money this Christmas by learning how to incorporate a Capsule Wardrobe - using items you already have instead of purchasing new clothes for those special occasions. Click on Picture for more information.