Holiday season is usually a very busy time of year for most people regardless of your religion.  You have many gifts to buy and wrap, Christmas cards to send out, the house to decorate, holiday parties to attend, and last but not least, have the family over for dinner.  So, I like ideas that can save me time and I’d like to share one of my favorite things to participate in during the Christmas season:  cookie exchanges.

A cookie exchange generally works like this:  

•    Each person makes 12 dozen homemade cookies or bars of the same type.  This isn’t as hard as it sounds because most recipes make from 2-3 dozen from each recipe.

•    Once cooled and decorated, you place 12 cookies on a plate and secure with plastic wrap.  This will give you 12 plates containing 12 cookies for a total of 144 cookies.  

•    Type or write the recipe on small paper or 3” X 5” cards and tape to each plate of cookies, either on top or bottom.  You do want people to view the cookies though.

•    Bring the plates to the cookie exchange location at the assigned time.  Until the time deadline has been reached, you get to socialize and check out the selections that you will soon get to choose from.

•    You are then allowed to select 12 plates of 12 different cookies or bars to take home.  This is great because you now have 12 different varieties of cookies or bars to serve your family or guests even though you only made one kind of cookie or bar, plus you now have the recipes for the ones you liked.  Some exchanges will have you only put 6 cookies on a plate so you could wind up with 24 types of cookies!

•    I recommend making an extra couple of dozen or so, not only for your family and guests on Christmas, but in case you burn a batch.

Most cookies or bars can be frozen, so if you are lucky enough to keep them away from your family until Christmas, you have done minimal work in exchange for the great variety of cookies received in the exchange.  I say minimal work because it is easier to make one recipe, even if you need to make it several times, than to make 12 different recipes.  If you need more cookies you just bake extra dozens of cookies since you receive the same number of cookies that you bring to the exchange.  

The exchanges I have participated in only allow homemade items, no store or bakery products, which I like.  If your church, neighborhood, or friends have never done a cookie exchange, it is a great way to offer a variety of desserts to your guests and have a social gathering at the same time.

If you like cookie exchanges view our cute cookie ornaments which I’m sure you’ll like.

Now that Halloween has passed, it is officially Christmas season, at least for buying gifts.  Many of us prefer to get our shopping over early because we become busier as the holiday approaches.  I would like to share with you what type of homemade gifts you can find at your local craft fair and hopefully give you some different ideas for gifts this year.

The craft fair I attended this past Sunday was held at a local high school and was better than expected both in quantity offered and quality.   I have more than enough Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas decorations and was determined not to buy any decorations.  So much for that thought!  I couldn’t resist the inexpensive, adorable handmade gifts and decorations.  There had to be at least 100 crafters selling their wares and they offered a wide variety of distinctive products.

I purchased a lighted glass block decorated inside with Chicago Bears plastic players, footballs, jerseys, a Bear’s flag, and goal post.  For holiday décor I bought a Thanksgiving table centerpiece, a sign painted with a cute snowman, Christmas cloth place mats and an adorable elf doll about a foot high.

For women, there was handmade oak furniture, food, jewelry, quilts, candles, purses, and clothes decorated both in holiday designs, flowers and contemporary art.

For a grab bag gift I bought a hand-painted glass popcorn bowl which I will fill with microwave popcorn and popcorn salt.  Speaking of snacks, I was able to taste many homemade dips using pretzel sticks and bought several packages to accompany the handmade pottery dip holder.  It has a small bowl at the top to fill with dip which sits atop a base you can fill with ice to keep the dip fresh.  The pottery colors were beautiful and I don’t have to worry that someone may already have the same item.

For children’s gifts you can find hand painted shirts, sweatshirts, and quilts in various children’s styles.  You can buy step stools with the child’s name painted on the top and lap boxes with a chalkboard top that slides out to reveal storage for chalk and coloring books.  Child-size aprons with miniature cooking tools in specially sown pockets, baby doll clothes, puzzles and wood cars are just a few other items to be found.

For the men in the family I purchased embroidered sweatshirts that had sarcastic sayings about your favorite sport team vs. their competitors and MLB clocks.  There were bean bag games, alphabet architectural signs, sports decorated nut or candy holders, and funny bar signs.

It appears that you can find many one-of-a-kind gifts at your local arts ‘n craft fairs this holiday season, and most will personalize while you wait.  Most fairs are small (<100 vendors) but you can get through those rather quickly and they may only charge a nominal entrance fee ($2) and offer free parking.  The larger craft fairs offer more selection, some higher quality products and more expensive selections but will generally take at least half a day to view everything.

So, if you are looking for unique, handmade gifts, consider the arts ‘n craft fairs that will be popping up in your neighborhood between now and Christmas.

If you like handmade ornaments, you may like our handmade clay ornaments made by a woman who creates these for us in her kitchen!

Although many companies have cut back on holiday parties, some companies use the party as a way to thank their employees for their hard work in the past year.  We’d like to give you some tips on planning  your company Christmas party this year.

Location
Consider the venue.  If you want people to have a good time, select a venue outside of work, yet close to your business location.  Book early as this is a popular time of year for parties.  Consider a “fun” activity such as bowling and glow-in-the-dark miniature golf.

Day & Time
It is always a good idea to hold it on a work day about an hour after work ends for most employees.  This way, employees don’t have to go home and then come back and if spouses are invited, it allows them time to arrive.  You will obtain a better response if people don’t have to attend on their days off.  Do consider that it is a busy time of year regardless of your religion.

Food
Depending upon your budget, you can serve appetizers and desserts, or a full meal.  If you cannot afford much, consider having your company cafeteria provide a holiday lunch at no charge to the employees.  Use any extra money for gifts.

Alcohol
Should you serve alcohol or not?  If the party is being held on company property, I wouldn’t serve alcohol due to the liability.  If it is held at a restaurant or hotel, then consider it.  You will probably receive a better turn-out if alcohol is served.

Gifts
Gifts are always appreciated and if your company has given gifts in the past, you will have a better turn-out.  Some companies give more expensive gifts which you can win in a raffle.  If you are going to give less than $50 per person, cash is king.  A gift card will also work. Small gifts could also include movie passes, car wash certificates (make sure it is near work or a chain), golf balls, ornaments, and turkeys or hams.  If you are going to raffle off larger gifts to those who attend the party, presents could include gift certificates for restaurants or retail stores, Blu-Ray players (< $100), theatre tickets or Ticketmaster gift certificates (minimum should be $200 to cover a guest).  Other ideas include an overnight stay at a hotel, days off without having to use vacation days,  Spa/Beauty Salon gift certificates, Golf course certificates, IPOD’s, IPOD Players, and small TV’s (≤ 32 inch).

Inexpensive Gifts for You to Give
If you are looking for inexpensive gifts, consider an ornament.  Ornament Shop.com carries over 3000 high-quality ornaments, most are under $16, and many can be personalized.  There are many categories to choose from such as Baby, Sports, Pets & Animals, Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes, Patriotic, Religious, Activities, Western, Music, Occupations, and more.  You can even buy an ornament stand to display your non-holiday related ornament year-round.  One of my favorites is the 2 person Snowmobile ornament.

Baby showers are always fun and a great way to get together with friends and relatives. There are fun games, good food, and of course, opening of the presents. While many guests give the traditional gifts such as diapers, blankets, baby clothes, and diaper pails, I prefer to seek out unusual, personal gifts.

For those also looking for a unique keepsake gift, consider ornaments or baby photo frames, not only as a gift to the mother-to-be, but as favors for the guests.  You’ll probably be surprised at what a cute and appreciated gift they can be.  At Christmas Ornaments.com, I like that they also offer ornament stands since many ornaments are not holiday related and can be displayed year-round. The baby ornaments are available in blue and pink, in addition to neutral colors such as white, lavender and green. Most baby ornaments can be found in a variety of styles.

I enjoy Christmas Ornaments.com’s adorable baby ornaments because there is such variety.  They include rattles, bottles, rocking horses, angels, blocks, baby carriages, baby shoes, diaper pins, miniature piggy banks, baby on a cloud, rubber ducky and teddy bears, just to name a few of the choices. For older siblings there are big brother and big sister ornaments too!  Ornaments for twins and triplets are offered in addition to fairy tales and nursery rhyme ornaments.

For those interested in holiday related baby ornaments, they offer pink and blue wreaths, stockings, mittens, snowflakes, drums, presents, snowman, penguins, and snow babies. 

ChristmasOrnaments.com also offers picture or photo frames that you can personalize with a fine tip permanent marker (or paint pen for glass ornaments).  Ornaments as gifts have grown in popularity as the choices have increased over the years.

One of my favorite ornaments is the girl’s birth announcement plaque which can be personalized with the included pen once the baby is born. There is room for the baby’s name, date of birth, height and weight.

Through November 4, 2011, Bridal Shower Ideas For You is encouraging everyone to enter their picture frame ornament contest by visiting their site and answering one question:  “What other holiday tradition would you like to include at a winter bridal shower?”.  Visitors have the opportunity to win a beautiful, white resin picture frame ornament.  The 4” X 4 1/2” frame includes delicate white roses enhanced with green leaves and a pair of romantic doves. The white ribbon along the top and bottom can be personalized with names and dates.

An easel back permits the photo frame to stand alone so it can be used as a cake topper or for table numbers. A ribbon for hanging the ornament is also included.  It is a great keepsake to give as shower or wedding favors, bridal party gifts, or to family members to help everyone remember this special day. 

If you need help in planning a bridal shower, Bridal Shower Ideas For You is a great place to visit.  They offer advice on food, games, decorations, party favors and gifts.  You can find assistance with entertainment, etiquette, theme showers, and even a checklist so that nothing is forgotten.  So, visit their site and don’t forget to enter the contest by November 4, 2011!

The ornament was donated by ornamentshop.com.

Do you know someone who had breast cancer? Christmas Ornaments.com has two adorable breast cancer awareness ornaments that would make thoughtful gifts.  One is a pink baseball cap ($12.95) with the breast cancer awareness logo.  The other is a round, glass ornament ($17.95) that says “Faith goes the distance”.  The pink breast cancer awareness logo ribbon is being held by an angel.  Both can be gift wrapped as gifts for only $3.95 extra, including a hand-written gift card. To display year-round, they offer several ornament stands from $5.95-$8.95. This is a great way to let someone you know you are thinking of them.

Anyone who has tried to buy gifts for boys above age 10 knows how difficult it is.  Clothing is almost impossible unless you are the mom, and you don’t know what video game systems they have or which games they already own. 

Most boys are into video games so accessories are always a good choice.  Some can be used for multi-brand electronics gear, such as a charging station.  A gift card for an electronics store works well regardless of the game console brand they may own.  If you know they own an Apple product, you can give them an Apple gift card good on all Apple products including music downloads.  Of course, an Apple IPAD is on the wish list of many adults and kids!

Another idea is the gift of fun!  Give the person a gift card/certificate to a bowling alley, laser tag, paintball, movie theatres, batting cages, go carts, indoor golf, video arcade, water park, etc.  If they own a car, they would appreciate a  gasoline, oil change, or car wash gift card.  If they are into sports, you could give them tickets to a professional game, or even a local team.  Magazine subscriptions for either video game tips or their favorite sports are also appreciated.

Before you buy, it’s always a good idea to run your idea past the parents who can make sure you are buying something compatible with their child’s system, age, or interests.  This article gave us some great ideas:  “Christmas Presents for Young Guys”.

There is a year-round charity that sends “shoe boxes” full of items for under privileged children throughout the world.  Operation Christmas Child is just one charitable endeavor of Samaritan’s Purse International Relief.  They ask donors to use a cardboard or plastic shoe box to put supplies in, and to enclose at least $7 per box to cover the cost of shipping the box.  Checks should be made payable to “Samaritan’s Purse” and write “OCC” for Operation Christmas Child on the memo line.  Pre-printed boxes are also available for purchase.  Please mark the box as to boy or girl, and which age group the gift is for.  The age categories are 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.

In 2010 over 8.17 million shoe boxes were sent to needy children in many countries, of which 5.5 million boxes came from the United States.  Since 1993 they have shipped shoe boxes to over 130 countries.

They recommend the follow items but everything must be small enough to fit in the shoe box:

• Toys - Cars, balls, dolls, and small toys
• School Supplies - Pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons, markers, stamps with ink pads, paper, solar calculators, coloring or reading books
• Hygiene Items - Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap, comb, washcloth
• Clothing - T-shirts, socks, baseball caps
• Candy - Hard candy or lollipops (individually wrapped), mints, gum
• Miscellaneous - Sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries!)

What not to include
Used or damaged items, chocolate or food, out-of-date candy, medications or vitamins, breakable items, knives, aerosol cans, military figures or war-related items such as toy guns.

Personal note to child
Feel free to write a note to the child, or enclose a picture of yourself or your family, and put in a separate envelope with your name and address.

For drop-off locations call 1-800-353-5949.  You can mail your shoe box to:  Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, NC 28607.

We previously wrote about some summer-time Christmas stress reducing concepts, but now that it is closer to Holiday season, we would like to provide some additional ideas to minimize Christmas stress.  Fall is a great preparation time for the holidays before it gets crazy.

Christmas Lights: Take out and test all of your lights and put batteries in those decorations that require them.  We don’t recommend putting up your lights in September, but there is nothing wrong with putting them up while the weather is good especially when you don’t have to turn them on until holiday time.

Personalization:  Now is the time to order gifts to be personalized.  This could be ornaments, children’s toys, jerseys, t-shirts or Christmas cards.  If you didn’t buy your cards on clearance at the end of last holiday season, then check online for deals or just to have them in your hands earlier than the stores will. 

Christmas Cards: If you plan to send out picture Christmas cards, take the picture now and get it to the printer before everyone gets too busy.  Update your Christmas card list with any new addresses, then sign, address and stamp the Christmas cards.  You can even order Christmas stamps from the post office online!

Christmas Letter: If you write an annual Christmas card letter, start working on it.  This way, you won’t be rushed and what you want to share will be easier to remember than if you wait until December.  You don’t have to seal your cards until you are ready to mail them just in case you want to add something to the card such as a newsletter or picture.  If you plan on writing a newsletter but want to start on your cards now, insert the signed card into the envelope with the opening facing outwards so you can slip something in the card without taking it out.

More Stress Reducers: Fall is also a good time to polish your silver, paint the house, or practice the new recipes you’ve been saving.  More details on polishing silver and tasks that can be done ahead of time to reduce Christmas stress levels can be found in our article “Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Tips”.

Since most men don’t have to wear ties to work anymore and suits are mainly used for weddings and funerals, there probably hasn’t been too much buzz on Christmas ties the last few years.  However, if you like to be festive at Christmas, adding a Christmas tie is an inexpensive way to express yourself.  And you’ll have tons of choices, as we found over 18,000 different Christmas ties online!

As you might expect, you’ll find ties with familiar Christmas symbols like ornaments, Santas, Christmas Trees, stars, snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, candy canes, presents, Christmas lights, holly, gingerbread, wreaths, elves, mistletoe, doves, poinsettias, and of course Scrooge.

For those who like the unusual you can find ties with Santa dogs, cats, cows, Obama, smiley faces, skeletons, pirates, frogs, and even sport Santas (basketball, football, baseball).

For the colorful, the ties come in neon, tie dye, peppermint swirl, ties that light up, and every color you could imagine.  If you want to wear or give a tie for a particular occupation, those are also available as well.

There are ties that say, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Dear Santa, Bah Humbug, and What I Want for Christmas.

For the risque, there is a snowman flasher, sexy woman Santas, naughty sayings (some too spicy to print here!), and a female vampire Santa with plenty of dripping blood.

You can also find a Griswold Family tie, Santa in the unemployment line, Santa smoking, three wise men on camels, The Nutcracker, religious ties, pink flamingos, penguins, and even an anti-Christmas tie!

So, to get into the holiday spirit and some good conversation starters, consider wearing a few holiday ties at Christmastime!  For more interesting facts, read our article “Christmas Ties for Men and Boys - Yesterday and Today”.

Next to a spouse and children, dogs are a much beloved part of many families and are increasingly treated to gifts at Christmas. Any why not?  Dogs love you unconditionally, are tons of fun, and are great companions. We get pleasure from rewarding them for all they do for us.

Owners buy their dogs decorative bowls, collars, dog tags, beds, houses and toys.  Stuffed animals aren’t just for kids - dogs have their own selection of these now!  There are dog strollers, diamond collars and tags, dog smoothies, bow ties and even doggie beer!  There are dog bakeries who produce dog cookies, biscuits, and food.  People play with their dogs as if they are their children.  They take them to doggie parks for interaction with other dogs, run with them, and throw a ball with them.  

Although not new, it was only logical that dog clothes were created.  We haven’t seen much for cats, but for dogs, there are sweaters, shirts, hats, pajamas and even booties.  They can be plain, fancy with diamonds (think celebrities), sports themed, university themed, and seasonal such as Santa or elf suits.

There are many websites that cater to clothing for dogs.  You can buy dog outfits for any major league sports team plus cheerleader, lion, bumble bee, fairy,  devil, princess, or pirate costumes.

For more ideas about dog clothing gifts, see our article, “Christmas Outfits Are Going to The Dogs”.

One way to keep kids from driving you crazy at this time of year is to get them involved in Christmas decorating or other holiday projects.  Make decorating the Christmas tree a family project and have the kids make homemade ornaments and gifts. There are kits at craft stores you can buy, or you can buy pre-cut multi-colored strips and make a chain they can glue together to put around the Christmas tree.  Even if you need to buy colored paper and cut it yourself, this is an easy project and works especially well for young children who may not have a lot of coordination yet.  Using some of the fancy-edged scissors or unique papers found in the scrap booking department can add a little pizazz to your strips.

Give the kids a homemade ornament project: Spray different colors of spray paint on top of a bucket of water (in the garage, without the cars inside!).  Do not stir or mix the paint.  Use stiff wire to run through the top of white ball ornaments and then dip the ornament into the water several times.  Hang the ornament over a plastic drop cloth and allow to dry.  Continue to add different colors to the water to create unique ornaments with different colored swirls on each ornament.  To remove any paint color you no longer want to use, run a paper towel over the top of the water or on the side of the bucket. You can buy cardboard buckets in the paint department to eliminate clean-up.  Although bright colors are attractive, using black and gray or beige and brown together make beautiful ornaments and gifts.

A great gift idea for grandparents is to buy the glass drink coasters that hold pictures.  You could even have the kids take goofy pictures of themselves, then cut with safety scissors, and insert into the opening under the coaster.  These are usually on sale at department stores around the holidays.  

Children also love to help their parents bake cookies or desserts, and since many of these can be made ahead of time and frozen, it will save you some time as you get closer to Christmas.

Make an aroma-filled tabletop evergreen tree. To learn how, check out our article, “Family-Friendly Christmas Tree Table Centerpiece Project”.

Our article discussing inexpensive homemade Christmas gifts had some ideas we wanted to share with you.   You might laugh at the old coupon book, but they are actually valued!  Perhaps you would like one from the kids that include taking out the garbage, bringing their dirty clothes down and emptying the dishwasher, but done without complaining!  My husband would like a coupon book to cook his favorite dish, give him a back rub or sew that button back on his shirt.  Having your child make a coupon book for their teacher would be treasured.  Teachers receive many gifts that are repetitious, but having someone wipe the board after school or help clean up would be so appreciated.  

As for homemade food gifts, you can supervise your kids in making chocolate truffles, which are very easy to make, and kids love rolling the truffle center in sugar. If you don’t have much time to bake, participate in a cookie swap where you only have to make one type of cookie yet can exchange for many different varieties.  If you make a dessert that you receive a lot of compliments on, those make great gifts.  Zucchini, banana, and carrot breads also are appreciated as gifts.

Another sentimental idea is for kids to make a plaster mold of their hands or do it in ink on paper.  They could also make bookends by tracing their hands onto wood and gluing them to metal bookends.  Enjoy our  article and instructions titled “Creative Christmas Gifts for Children to Make” to learn how to make these and other gifts.

It may seem impossible to wrap a gift as neat as the department stores do, but with a few tips from one of our articles, you can be a pro before you know it!  

1. Cut the wrapping paper a couple of inches larger than the gift.  The easiest way to cut straight lines is to buy electric scissors or a paper cutter tool from a hardware or craft store.  If you use scissors and are using rolls of wrapping paper, unroll the amount needed and then cut along the still rolled wrapping paper keeping the paper taut.  It may not give you a perfectly straight edge, but it will be pretty close.  
2. Set the top part of the gift face down on the back side of the wrapping paper, fold the paper to overlap on the back side of the gift, and then tape together.  Keep scraps of wrapping paper to fill in gaps if needed.
3. Fold in the ends from the corners to make a tight angle, and then bring up the angle piece and tape to the bottom.
4. Attach a bow to one of the corners.  Bows are inexpensive to buy in bags, but you can tie a shoe string type bow if you only have ribbon available.  If you want to be green, you can save bows from gifts you received and use those on other gifts.
5. Other gift wrapping ideas include buying decorative bags or boxes and using the newspaper or garbage bags with a ribbon around it.

To see more ideas view the article “Easy Christmas Gift Wrapping”.