Give the BEST Gift Ever - That Doesn’t Cost a Dime!

By Sherry Richert Belul

This time of year Santa isn’t the only one who is making a list and checking it twice. So many of us also have long lists of folks we love and whom we want to acknowledge with gifts. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming that we just run out to the mall and buy, buy, buy — just to get things checked off that darn list. I’d like to invite you to challenge that dynamic with just one person on your list this holiday season.

I want you to think about how wonderful it would be to give someone a gift that they would cherish forever. A gift that would be energizing and fun for you to make. A gift that doesn’t cost a dime, but would truly make a difference in your relationship. I promise you, if you’re willing to invest just one hour, you’ll experience something extraordinary.

This gift is so simple ... yet full of thoughtfulness and creativity. It is called The Love List. And here is what you do:

Say you want to make this really unique gift for your husband. All you have to do is set aside an hour of quiet time in which you can focus on him. Just sit down with some paper or at the laptop and start brainstorming what you love about your wonderful husband. Jot it all down. Think about qualities that are unique to him, things he does for you, special times you’ve shared together. Think about his quirky jokes or stories. How he always spends time helping the elderly lady next door. The way he makes up songs in the shower. How he saved the day that time in New Mexico. Tell him you love that he always answers the phone with a hearty “Hey there!” That he taught the kids how to ride their bicycles. That he can always make you giggle. Tell him you love his eyes, his intelligence, his love of puns. Tell him you love how well he treats Champie, the family’s four-legged, furry gal.

Your Love List can include big thing sand small things, funny things and sweet things. Your list can have twenty things or two hundred things. It can be written in pen on a plain white piece of paper. Or you can do a fancy design on the computer and print it out. You can add a photo or two. You can draw a picture on it. You can frame it. Make a scroll or poster. You could even cut each idea out on its own slip of paper, put them all in a jar and call it the Joy Jar or hang them on a mobile. Use your imagination and present your list in whatever way feels right.

These lists are treasures for someone to hear. I swear to you, they are the best gift someone can receive. It is amazing to receive a gift that mirrors who you are. It is a gift to be seen. And unfortunately, people often don’t get to hear these kinds of things in their lifetime. For some reason in our culture, folks wait until funerals to express their love. Love Lists are a way to express your love and appreciation NOW!

Promise me you’ll try this out with just one person on your list. I can assure you, it will not only be one of the best gifts you’ve ever given, it will also feel like a gift received.

Download Simply Celebrate’s free Love List PDF here — and commit to making this amazing gift for someone you love.

Sherry Richert Belul is mom to a witty and wonderful 10-year-old boy. She is also founder of Simply Celebrate and author of Present Perfect: It Really is the Thought That Counts —an ebook that includes dozens of no-to-low cost gifts that are fun to make and full of love. (http://www.simplycelebrate.net/presentperfect_ebook.html) Find her books or sign up for Simply Celebrate’s free newsletter at www.SimplyCelebrate.net. Email Sherry to tell her your Love List experiences or learn about the one-of-a-kind tribute books she makes at celebrate@Madmoon.com.

Great Girlfriend Gift!

What if the one man you thought you could count on left you? And on the very next day, your boss called you in and stripped you of your livelihood? And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, your best friend gets killed in a suspicious motorcycle accident?

Judith Marshall’s award-winning novel, Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever is a tribute to female friendship. Studies have shown that women have a greater need to bond than men. This need starts in childhood and increases during adolescence, when teenage girls find support from their female peers. This helps explain why women form some of their strongest friendships in high school, which can end up being some of the longest-lasting female bonds of a woman's life. Such is the case in this hilarious and heartbreaking story which centers around six women on the cruel cusp of sixty who have been friends since high school. The same audience that embraced The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood will enjoy this story

---Pat Holt, former book editor and critic at The San Francisco Chronicle

“(Judith Marshall) has created the atmosphere of comfort, humor, unconditional love and life-saving support shared by these women so well that I missed them at book’s end.”

# # #

Husbands May Come and Go but Friends Are Forever by Judith Marshall; Fiction; Soft cover; $15.38

ISBN: 0-9825046-0-8

ISBN 13: 9780982504604

Tara’s Diary Collection Charm Bracelet

Many women treasure their charm bracelets and enjoy adding new charms as the years pass…for some women, these bracelets tell a poignant life story, through charms that represent important milestones, such as weddings, anniversaries and the birth of children.

Giving a special charm to someone you care about, whether it is a mother, wife, grandmother, sister, or friend, can be a wonderful way to add even more beauty and meaning to a charm bracelet.

For women of Irish heritage, a charm from the Tara’s Diary Collection (a “finished” bracelet is shown above) can represent the Emerald Isle and pay homage to the culture and history of Ireland. Many charms from this collection also mark important occasions, while still retaining their unique Gaelic appeal. A pretty starter bracelet and even a charm “necklace” are available as well – both are crafted of fine silver and feature secure clasps. They are designed to hold as few or as many charms as you wish…

Every charm in this stunning collection is also crafted of shining sterling silver, as well as other fine materials, including colorful art glass, polished enamels, and birthstones and pearls. Most of the charms in the collection will also fit onto a Pandora charm bracelet, or any other charm bracelet. This versatility makes the charms from Tara’s Diary (each one is handmade in Ireland and stamped at the Assay Office of Dublin Castle) a perfect – and affordable – gift giving idea for any special occasion.

If you’re looking for a special charm that honors Ireland, this lovely Shamrock and Celtic spiral charm may be exactly what you are looking for.

For six thousand years, the Celtic spiral has adorned stone monuments and art treasures in Ireland. Each circle in this hypnotic pattern is connected to the next, symbolizing the endless circle of birth, death, and spiritual rebirth. For many Irish people, the spiral represents life force and eternity.

The tender Shamrock, carefully wrought of silver and a shining green gemstone, is also very meaningful – and so very Irish. Each leaf of the Shamrock illustrates the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Saint Patrick discovered this Gaelic symbol of the Holy Trinity - he used the tender plant to show God’s presence in nature.

Offer a friend or loved one a unique and beautiful way to display pride in their Irish roots – or treat yourself to a touch of mystical beauty you’ll come to treasure.

Having Fun Giving & Receiving Gift Baskets

You know that old saying, “It’s better to give then receive”. While that maybe true to some extent, your family can have a wonderful time both giving and receiving gift baskets for all occasions. No matter what time of the year it is, there’s always something fun going on. These are great for holidays, birthdays, and events of all kind.

A common problem when occasions of any kind come up is the question of what to give. Most people have a hard time coming up with that perfect present. Sadly no matter how much time you put into picking out a wonderful gift, it always ends up being less appreciated then you thought. If this has been going on for a while, we’ve found the perfect way to put an end to it.

By giving and receiving gift baskets for all your occasions you eliminate the need to bang your head against the wall trying to come up with something new and exciting. There are literally hundreds of variations when it comes to gift baskets so rest assured you’ll find one that works well for all the special people in your life.

The cool thing about gift baskets is that they are designed with themes in mind. Some common theme examples include birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, romance, wine, gourmet, baby gift baskets, and just about anything else you can think of. Typically they are filled to the top with mouthwatering foods, luxurious items, and fun activities to do.

So make it a habit within your family to give and receive gift baskets through the year. This will keep every occasion and holiday that comes up extra special for several reason. You won’t stress about what to buy, you’ll be excited about receiving a basket yourself, and you can spend all that saved time enjoying the company of friends & family!

Up-and-Coming Trend: Mix-and-Match Bridesmaid Gifts

Your bridesmaids. The one thing they have in common is you, and beyond that, each has her own distinct personality and sense of style. Typically, a bride-to-be identifies one item, often personalized, to thank her bridesmaids for their love and support. Instead of obsessing on pleasing every one with the same gift, why not go with your own sense of style, yet make each bridesmaid feel special with a different gift in the same design?

Unique Unity!

I highly recommend a look at this trend! Bridesmaid-gift designers are now creating collections—a variety of gifts in one pleasing pattern. You can choose to give your girls the same item in a particular collection, or you can choose items in the collection based on what you know each bridesmaid would be more likely to use. The pattern maintains the connection between your bridesmaids, and the individual gift shows you gave each of them special consideration. Here are a few examples:

Cosmopolitan and Cute

Premier wedding favor designer Kate Aspen gives you plenty of choices in “The Cosmopolitan” black-and-pink polka dot collection that lets you personalized the gifts with each bridesmaid’s initital. With a cosmetic travel bag, jewelry pouch, flip-flops and manicure set, you might even want to give two gifts to each girl—maybe a cosmetic travel bag and flip-flops, or the jewelry pouch and manicure set. Everything in the collection is pure, practical fun!

Bamboo-zled?

Absolutely! The color combination (brown, white and bright green) in the “Bamboo Lattice” collection really pops, and this choice lets you mix and match an eco-friendly shopping bag, an stainless-steel water bottle and a laptop case. If one of your bridesmaids is a stay-at-home mom, she’d probably like the shopping bag and a water bottle. For your career girls, the laptop and water bottle is ideal. You might even want to get a couple of items for yourself!

A Gifted Choice

You can go wild with “The Gifted Initial” collection! The name tells you anything in the set can be personalized, and the trendy polka dots on green, pink and black give this group eye-catching pizzazz. Items include an adorable ruffled apron, a set of four 16 oz. tumblers, lunch tote, cooler tote and a travel tumbler.

I love this hot, new trend because, let’s face it, variety is the spice of life!

Susan Hawkins is a writer for My Wedding Favors, Google’s number-one online site for unique wedding favors, bridal shower favors, wedding accessories, bridesmaid gifts table décor and a library of articles filled with helpful wedding planning ideas.

What is about Personalized Gifts

On special occasions, we always think about presents first. Giving and/or receiving gifts is a wonderful feeling. When you think about gifts to give for special occasions, personalised gifts are sure to be the most treasured. When looking for an unusual present, people frequently turn to personalised gifts. Great gift ideas for the everyday person in your life are available to buy and give. This will make more gifts for them, since they may have already gotten gifts that are similar. Of course, with a personalized gift, you have to consider the customization. That's what sets them apart from run of the mill gifts. Personalized gifts might not be easily found in your area. The Internet is a treasure trove of gifts that you can personalise, which is especially helpful if that option isn't available locally. You can find lots of places online to buy personalized gifts and presents. There are stores that will push their unique personlized gifts to get you to buy for that special someone. The entire collection of personalized gifts can be previewed in the online store's gallery. So all of you need to check the screenshot and pick the best one. Now let's consider several personalized gifts currently sold on the Internet.

A silver plated photo frame decorated with a cross is one of the most popular personalised gifts. It appears to be like a plain photo frame constructed of matte and then finished with a shiny coat of silver. It is personalized because you can add your own words on the section for cross-details. This gift also is a fantastic customized anniversary token.

One of the top selling individual gift is personalized bottles of wine/glass. It holds about as much as a wine bottle. The benefit of this gift is the fact it can be presented to any individual who enjoys wine. There is an area designed specifically for your special inscription. Gift messages can be written up to a specified number of letters and characters. Make a gift your own by personailising it, great for Christmas and Birthdays. Personalized gifts, that allow you to include your own special message, are easy to come by these days no matter who the present is intended for. Customized gifts are appropriate for all occasions. They are ideal to present at christenings. They may be given as a token of appreciation or to wish someone well.

When searching for personalized children's gifts, this is a good idea you can consider. A personalised teddy bear is one of the best gifts for kids. A knitted jumper is this teddy bear's standard wardrobe. You can give a child a personalized gift with a special message.

Personalised gifts allow the recipient to enjoy the gifts even more. Indeed, they will be able to notice immediately the individuality of these gifts, and clearly view what consideration went into their selection. So consider a Personalized Gift for your next gift purchase.

To learn more visit: http://www.articlesbase.com

Dear Mommy : The Best Mother's Day Gifts

New Zealand celebrates Mothers Day

Mother’s day is celebrated on second Sunday of May, every year. The celebration is in exact resonance with the US celebration of the day. Therefore, the pattern of celebration is same as that in the USA. The children of New Zealand leave no turtle unturned in realizing their mothers that they are the most important personality in their lives. They make them feel that they are fully aware of the hardships and difficulties that they have faced in bringing them up. No child in this world could be able to make achievements in this world without the untiring efforts of his mother. No child in this world can return even a few seconds of the pains that his mother might have under gone in bringing him to this world. Mother’s Day is here with all of its splendor and dignity.

The people of New Zealand pay homage to their mothers by presenting bed tea to their mothers. After that, girls prepare a delicious breakfast for mothers. Whole of the day is spent in merry making and realizing mothers that their efforts have not ended in smoke. The New Zealanders employ different ways to wish their mother. Most of them go for greeting cards. According to a careful survey, the card sellers make the highest business for Mother’s day cards. They keep on introducing new and better cards for the day. The other way, for those who can’t see their mothers is online greeting cards. Dozens of websites are there that offer free or discounted e cards for mother’s day.

The other most important means of wishing one’s mother on mother’s day in Newzealand is, making phone calls to one’s mother. New Zealand’s phone lines are laden with phone calls Mother’s day. Email greetings are also common way of wishing mothers. Some financially strong families go to restaurants; and others arrange special Mother’s day parties in their mother’s honor. However, no celebration is complete without Mother’s Day flowers in New Zealand.

Mother’s day gifts Ideas

Mother's Day is a treasured holiday that each year is celebrated with an overabundance of flowers, brunch reservations, and sappy cards intended to give moms across the nation a little well-deserved recognition. But today's moms are drastically different than the pearl necklace and high-heel wearing housewives of yesteryear. Women have careers to juggle while simultaneously catering to their families and upholding a decent social life. Traditional gender roles are being challenged on a daily basis with the frequency of single moms, stay-at-home-dads, and the complex uniqueness of the modern family. As meaningful as traditions can be, the modern mom's idea of a day devoted to her has changed from what it was twenty years ago.

So, it's time to catch up with the trends and give Mother's Day a renewed jolt. Think about your mom's unique interests and try something unusual. Here are a few ideas that have become high demand activities of the modern woman.

A Day to Relax:
Give her a day to relax at a spa. Women are the masters of multi-tasking, and often need to be forced to take that extra time for themselves. As a loving child, you can be the one to provide it for her this Mother's Day. Most day spas have options to include a stress-relieving massage, a rejuvenating facial, a manicure, or a pedicure.

Toys for Mom:
A major market for moms that has missed the mainstream focus is their love for electronics. It's not just dads who enjoy a new toy! Mom would like to work out with a new iPod, download books to her new e-reader, and keep it all together with a smart phone or mini/compact laptop. Gadgets for the home, car, and work are all things she will use and love.

The Great Outdoors:
Of course, there are a ton of moms out there who love nature, hiking, and being outdoors. Consider a pair of custom-fit hiking boots, some camping gear for summer, or gardening equipment for the mom who loves to spend time in her garden. You could plan a weekend camping trip or a daytrip to a place you know mom will love, or even arrange to help her spend the day preparing the garden for summer before it's too late!

A Night to Play:
Having a relaxing Sunday is great, but some moms really need time to play! Instead of celebrating on the day of, take your mom out Saturday night to a wine bar, a piano bar, or her favorite hot spot. Have drinks, have fun, dance and let loose, and for once be the one to make sure mom gets home safe instead of the other way around. Great spirits, food, and music may be just the thing your mom desires.

The Mom with a Cause:
Everyone is more conscious about the state of our Earth, and what we can do to help it. It's no coincidence we refer to her as Mother Nature! Help your mom achieve her goals towards improving our planet. As a little something extra for mom, help her with a switch from paper to digital, from plastic to canvas and glass, or from coal and gasoline to high efficiency. Give her flowers that can be planted instead ones cut from the bush. Try a lasting change that will help your mother and all other mothers for generations to come.

To learn more please visit ImpressInPrint.com