Gift #10 - The Movies

Put together a movie basket complete with tickets, popcorn, candy and drinks.  Or purchase a Netflix account for a family member.  The cost is as little as $4.99 a month and the person just needs internet service.  I set up the account for my parents and put their favorite movies in their "queue."  Netflix has no late fees and you can't beat the convenience of the return and delivery. Netflix also introduced digital downloads straight to your television.  You do not pay per download, just your monthly fee. We have been members for over 3 years and there is no better way to catch up on the television series you hear about, or get the latest releases for you and your kids. This is a great gift for teenagers, grandparents, or an entire household who loves movies.

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Gift #9 - Hats

Buy a HAT for someone.  Hats are an item that people don't necessarily go out and buy until they need it.  But there are so many hats that accessorize outfits, shade us from the sun, or show off our favorite team, one can never have to many.  

For kids under 5, these reversible hats work great for days to the beach, the baseball game or the park.  The traditional baseball cap is always a great option, especially if you know the team the person roots for.  For the winter, kids need a snow hat to cover their ears.  All of these hats are available at hats.com.

For women, hats are getting fun and so cute.  I just got back from New York in which I bought a few very stylish ones from the street vendors.  Buy one for a friend.  It is an inexpensive personal gift she will be sure to love.  

Lastly, for the man who has too many hats to ever wear in one lifetime, a hat organizer or hat washer makes a great gift.  And every year there is a championship in some sport - its a perfect way to get something you know he will love showing off and talking about with the boys! (not the hat, the championship)

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Gift #8- The gift of Survival

What about giving a gift you hope the person NEVER actually has to use?  An emergency kit filled with supplies for that "major disaster" moment we all fear.  Many families have one, but many of these items become ineffective or spoiled with time.  In addition, every car should have an emergency kit and your home should have at least one kit per family "member." 

The Red Cross has many resources for you to review on the necessities that would benefit us in the case of major disaster.  Put together a basket filled with these items.  People who could use it:

a college kid moving out, a teenager getting a new car, a teacher, a grandparent, every family member, a new mom, a new dad, EVERYONE.  Bring one to a holiday party you are invited to as the elephant gift - it is way better than the poker chip set I happen to get stuck with every year. In the meantime, Be safe!

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Gift #7 - Recipes

It is time to take those recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation and share them with your loved ones. Order a recipe box as shown (right) available at cooking.com. Then label, stencil, or paint on "Cohn Family Recipes." (of course use your own last name)

Mother and Grandmother didn't write things down.  Now is the perfect time to spend time with them and write down the "egg roll" recipe they only measure by hand.  Cook with them and learn how to make it so your kids can enjoy the experience and memories as well.

Or, fill the box with your favorite desserts, or appetizer recipes.  Make it a holiday recipe box and put the entire meal in it so every year you have it with you.  Make one for your husbands favorite meals. In the morning, ask him to pull a card out and voila, no worries on what to cook.  You know he will love it.  

Happy Cooking!

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Gift #6 - Music

Music is something everyone enjoys. Now you customize your music with iTunes - (download free now) and begin making CD's for yourself with your favorite songs or transfer them to an iPod Shuffle and give it as a gift.  

Shuffles are between $49 and $69. Shuffles are engravable, available in many colors, and if you buy a red one, a portion of the money goes to help others.  Shuffles are the smallest music player Apple sells.  If you are buying for a spouse or a teenager, an iPOD is a great choice.  IPOD's play videos and connect to your home stereo, clock radio and/or car radio, eliminating the clutter of CD's.  

Feel like giving a personal song for someone who has everything? We gave a song to our 92 year old grandparents and 

it was made possible by composer, musician,  Ken Medema.

A custom song costs $150.  You complete a questionnaire, and within 3 weeks, a song will arrive at your doorstep.  We first saw Ken perform at our church.  The miracle of him is, he can compose and write songs just from hearing a story.  They are filled with soul and energy. Although he is blind, he does not lose sight of the meaning of life and his songs portray this.

Give a Custom CD of your favorite songs.  Every year for our daughters birthday party, we give the guests a CD of her favorite songs for the year.  It is a great way to record memories and share them with people.  Kids can color the CD cover, or simply print out labels from your computer with many of the existing softwares and templates available.

Sing out Loud!

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Gift #5 - The Gift of Art

Everyone has a creative side.  For some it just takes a little more effort.  Bring out the artist in your loved ones by giving a gift they can create with.  

For ages 3 and under,  Crayola has this new set that sings as the child colors. 

They are musical markers.  To learn more, visit the link and watch the video.

Crayola's Beginner Scribble and Sing Art Station  

For ages 3-12, get a basket or container and fill it with art and craft supplies.  Fill it up with popsicle sticks, construction papers, markers, fingerpaints, googly eyes, pipe cleaner, glue sticks, styrofoam shapes, stickers, etc. Parents and kids alike enjoy this gift as it keeps them busy on days when they have "nothing" to do. 

School and Craft Supplies

For ages 13- 18- adult, give a poster of their favorite singer, person, group, etc.  It is a personal gift that they can decorate their room with. A gift certificate works great if you don't want to risk getting something "uncool."  Visit allposters.com for the widest selection of posters and art.

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Gift #4 - All Aboard The Polar Express

We just got back from a two day vacation aboard

The Polar Express.

It was a wonderful trip and the cost makes it an affordable gift to give.  For those of you who

love the movie and still "believe", this experience is unforgettable.  

We drank hot chocolate, ate fresh-baked cookies, sang Christmas Songs, visited the North Pole, received a jingle bell from Santa, all while riding in the train in our pajamas (kids only please).  

The conductor even punched out holes in the kids tickets at the end of the train. 

The cost of the train ride is $26 per person but they do sell packages that include dinner, breakfast, 1 night hotel stay, with the train ride - but book early becuase it sells out fast every year. 

One more perk, the grand canyon is only an hour away.

The Grand Canyon Railroad takes passengers into the grand canyon on daily excursions.  In November, the weather is 75 degrees and gorgeous!

All Aboard!

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Gift Idea #3 - Ceramics

One item I use to decorate my home every holiday is a ceramic plate, custom painted to reflect the season.  The secret to making it look good - have a plan and go prepared to the ceramic store. Don't just go and paint - unless you are truly an artist.

Give a birthday plate as a gift or a "you are special today" plate.

This is a wonderful tradition. Every birthday serve the cake on the plate. Or when one of your children do something good, serve their meal on the "you are special today" plate.  The kids love it and it is wonderful to see how much pride they feel just by having their own plate.

Kids are welcome at the ceramic shop and they love to paint. Cereal and ice cream bowls are great gifts for the grandparents that kids can give.  Parents can touch up the art afterword by using puffy paint. My daughter made ice cream bowls for all of her grandparents.  Not only did we have fun doing it together, she took pride in wrapping and presenting the gift to them herself.  So be creative and have fun.

A great place to find designs to trace on your plate is at istockphoto.com, however any stock photo website that has vector art or illustrations will do. And if you want a classy font on your piece, simply go into Microsoft Word and find a font you like.  Print it out and bring it to the ceramic shop.  The trick is, be prepared and you will give a wonderful gift you can be proud of.  

Tatata!

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Gift Idea #2 - Photo Books/Scrapbook Pages/Calendars

This was going to be gift suggestion #8 or #9 but due to Oprah's broadcast yesterday, the gift of photo books moved up the ranks.

Photo books are so easy to make, and the quality is outstanding. And with Oprah's offer, you can get one free through Snapfish.com.  (see details here, offer ends in less than 5 days.)

My suggestions was to take a digital picture of your child's favorite artwork from the year and submit your artwork to your favorite photography website, then Viola, a beautiful published book.  

You can also make, calendars, but beware! - once you make one for a family member, they will grow to expect one every year.

Lastly, for those of you who scrapbook, there is a great website that you can make pages beautifully, with less fuss, and only $7.50 a page. The website is www.howfasttheygrow.com.

The pages are beautiful and they are adding more and more designs every month.

If you are still fearful of diving into the digital world, they still sell the photo albums that you peel back the plastic sheet and stick in the photo or artwork.  This method works just as well and costs a lot less money and time.  Whatever you choose, the gift of memories is always my favorite.

Tatata!

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Gift Idea #1 - Ornaments

The holidays are coming and I would like to share some great gift ideas for you over the next 30 days.  The gifts will be unique, useful and thoughtful.  Some gifts you will have to make yourself and put your own touch to it, while other gift suggestions I offer, you simply have to wrap up and enjoy the joyful expression you will receive.

Gift Giving Idea #1 - Picture Perfect Ornaments

When you receive a baby announcement, cut the picture out and place it in a frame for the parents to hang on their Christmas Tree for the baby's first christmas.  If you didn't receive a picture, buy a baby's first Christmas Ornament.  

Aaron Brothers sells a wide array of ornaments to hang on trees or set on tables.  

Simply cut and insert. These are also great as placeholders for holiday parties.

If you have experienced a loved one pass away or would like to monogram an ornament as a gift, Pottery Barn has some heirloom ornaments that are beautiful. (pictured left)

Lastly if you keep your digital photos on a website like kodakgallery, they offer ornaments in many shapes and sizes.  I use these to remember favorite vacations, quotes, and other memories.

Ornaments are a cost effective and thoughtful gift everyone loves.  Every year, I look forward to decorating my tree with ornaments of the people who mean the most to me in my life, as well as reminisce over the memories we shared.

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