On the Wall...

Inexpensive wall art can be a terrific gift for kids, teens, young adults, guys with a "man cave," or anyone who has a work space to decorate.

As always, consider the person you are shopping for: does he/she have a favorite movie, travel destination, beloved hometown, celebrity, musical group, catch phrase, athlete, car, TV show, sport...? Or would he get a kick out of again owning an old poster he had as a kid? Your job is to search and surf -- chances are there's a poster to fit what he/she is all about (or something that the two of you share in common).

Important side note: it is a good idea to take the attitude that your gift will probably not be a focal point in your giftee's home (in fact, you may never see it again). If your gift ends up on the back of a laundry room door, c'est la vie. It's the thought that counts.

Here are three good online options for wall art:

1. AllPosters.com has an amazing selection of posters, frame-worthy art, and metal signs (plus some cool retro rock band tee shirts).
   
   
2. eBay is a good place to look for vintage or collectible posters.
   
   
3. Despair.com is the place to go for tongue-in-cheek "demotivational" posters with a sardonic twist. There is also an option here to create your own motivational (or demotivational) poster with your own photo and whatever wording works.
   
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Holiday Gifts for Teachers

The holidays are a lovely opportunity for parents to spread a little joy and give thanks to the teachers who make such a huge impact upon the lives of our children. But there are some challenges here: we parents don’t necessarily know our childrens' teachers very well outside of the classroom, and our children's gift-giving judgment may not be fully on target…what to do?

I surveyed a cross-section of teachers on this topic, and came up with some interesting input that may be helpful this holiday season:

What are teachers’ favorite holiday gifts?

The most appreciated gifts are the personal ones:

• A note of gratitude written by the student and/or the parents
  
  
• A creative gift handmade by the child with the teacher in mind
  
  
• Something coordinated by the entire class
  
  
• Support for the teacher’s passion: a donation to an animal shelter for an animal lover, or a gift to a homeless shelter where the teacher regularly volunteers, or a pledge to the school’s annual fund in his/her name
  
  
• A special gift related to the teacher's curriculum
  
  
• Yummy homemade edibles (especially those that don't need to be eaten right away)
  
  
• For a teacher/homeowner: an apple tree to plant in honor of his/her students
  

Gift cards! Classier than cash, but potentially oh-so-useful…favorites are:

• Local malls or American Express/Visa cards that they can spend virtually anywhere.
  
  
• Locally-owned stores (book stores, smoothie spots, restaurants, hardware stores, etc.)
  
  
• Nearby chain stores (Macy’s, Borders, Target, OSH, Home Depot)
  
  
• Movie theater passes
  
  
• Teacher supply stores
  
  
• Gift certificates for manicures, pedicure or massages
  

Think about the recipient...coffee shop gift cards are nice only if the teacher is a coffee-drinker (I know of one teacher who has more than $200 in Starbucks gift cards – and he doesn’t drink coffee). A hardware store gift certificate is perfect for the teacher who just bought a new home. Do your detective work (chances are your child can be a very good spy for you)!

Thanks -- but no thanks...

• Holiday decorations (aka “dust catchers”)
  
  
• “Best teacher” mugs…or any mugs at all, really. Teachers typically don’t have a lot of time to drink coffee on the job, and they only need one cup to hold their pencils...
  
  
• Teacher trinkets, period. Any teacher who has been on the job for more than a year really doesn’t need any more tchotchkes featuring cheerful apples or frolicking chalkboards.
  
  
• Candles, soap, lotion. Bear in mind that a teacher can be receiving 20+ gifts at a time...how many of these gift shop items does one person really need? If you find something you know the teacher will love, then lovely. Otherwise, keep looking.
  
  
• Useless gift cards: Please avoid something for an out-of-town store or a tiny amount at a high-end store (“$10 at Saks Fifth Avenue? Kind of humiliating…”)
  
  
• Inappropriate gifts part 1: Think about whom the gift-giver is…how is a middle school teacher supposed to thank a 7th grade boy for bubble bath or a bottle of champagne?
  
  
• Inappropriate gifts part 2: It is sweet to give your young ‘un the independence to pick out a gift for teacher, but it is also your responsibility to draw the line when he/she chooses a tacky reindeer statue from Costco or a half-empty bottle of perfume off your dresser.
  

Bottom line: hard-working teachers greatly appreciate your sincere and thoughtful gestures of thanks and goodwill for the holiday season!

Dinner Out of Town

If there is someone on your list who lives far away...or someone who is planning a trip to a distant locale... the internet makes it easy to buy them a nice dinner at a great local restaurant, wherever they are.

1. Check out restaurants in their city or destination by visiting TripAdvisor.com. Just click on "restaurants," enter the city name and go. Most restaurant listings include diner reviews and links to the restaurants' websites.

2. Follow the link to the website of the restaurant that you think the recipient will enjoy -- bonus points if you pick a popular local restaurant that is not part of a chain. If they sell gift cards (chances are they do), make your purchase and have the gift card or certificate shipped to you at home so it can be properly packaged for gift-giving.

3. How you wrap up this gift can make it extra-memorable. Include a printout of the restaurant's menu, and put the card in a clean Big Mac box (between two buns, perhaps?)...or a Chinese food to-go container weighted down with uncooked rice...or an empty box that once contained Lean Cuisine or pasta or taco shells...or attach it to a cookbook, or a book about the city...be creative and have fun with it (and let us know if you come up with something great)!

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School Day Memories

Chances are, there is someone on your list who (a) has fond memories of school days and (b) wears tee-shirts...yes?

Here's an easy gift:

1. Visit PrepSportswear.com, find your giftee's high school (or elementary school...or college...) and customize a shirt with his/her grad year and (optional) favorite sport.

2. Get creative with giftwrap -- make an enlarged photocopy of the giftee's yearbook photo to use as wrapping paper, or wrap the box in the school's team colors.

This gift also works for kids who are still in school!

Timing is Everything

Attention, holiday shoppers! There is a lot of adorable Christmas paraphernalia on retailer shelves and catalog pages this year, with no shortage of Santa toys, Santa statuettes, Santa tea towels, Santa boxer shorts, snowman candles, reindeer platters, gingerbread pajamas, candy cane tee shirts, mistletoe napkin rings, elf snow globes or dancing pine trees...the list is endless.

If you find really great Christmas-themed gifts that you know your giftees will love (be honest, now!), my best recommendation is to give them ASAP, so they can enjoy it throughout this holiday season.

If you wait until December 25 to give someone a Christmas-themed gift, it will be used and appreciated for exactly one day, and then either recycled, sent to the landfill, or boxed up for 11 months. Even seemingly neutral holiday themes (including skiers, snowflakes, pine trees, peppermints or any red/green color combo) do not carry over well as attire or decor in January and beyond. Trust me.

Here are four golden opportunities for advance gift-giving of (appropriate, lovable, tasteful) Christmas-theme presents:

1. St. Nicholas Day is December 6. In many parts of the world, people share small gifts with each other in honor of this saint (known as a generous protector of children and the model for current day Santa Claus). Share your knowledge of this holiday and dazzle your giftee.

2. If you want to get creative, you can call December 14 the first day of Christmas and give a gift then. Interesting fact: the 12 days of Christmas on the Christian calendar actually are the 12 days after Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6)...but if your gift is a good one, the recipient probably won't call you on this technicality.

3. Holiday parties with friends or co-workers can be an OK time to give Christmas-themed gifts (as long as you are certain that the recipients celebrate Christmas, and the gift is one they will want to keep and use from year to year).

4. Secret Santa gift exchanges often lend themselves to more humorous, less personal gift-giving, so the funny light-up Santa hat, festive cubicle decor or popular CD of holiday music can be quite acceptable (again, be sure of what he/she celebrates in December).

Please be a smart shopper! If you find a lovely holiday-themed gift that your friend or loved one will appreciate and keep -- hooray. But a lot of the holiday-themed junk on the market is truly junk, so it is up to you to be a prudent shopper. Future posts on this blog will help you find alternatives to the caroling chipmunk toilet paper dispensers or glow-in-the-dark nutcrackers, I promise....


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Get Your 1,000 Words' Worth

There are so many gifts you can make with photos (including, um, framed photographs), but it is early enough in the season right now that there is plenty of time to have some cool gifts custom made with your favorite pictures (old or new).

Be sure to pick photos that will be meaningful and loved by the recipient (see if you can use a photo he/she hasn't seen for a while -- if ever). And please don't just slap a picture on a coffee mug -- think about what your giftee will use and enjoy!

Here are five ideas to get things rolling:

1. The photo book. If you have a lot of photos, it's easy to upload your pictures online to create a beautiful bound book -- ideal for capturing vacation memories, family history, special events, baby's first year, favorite sports shots, whatever. There are a lot of book producers out there now; I have seen good ones made by KodakGallery.com, Picaboo.com and Snapfish.com.

2. Photo memory box. Pick a favorite, meaningful photo and have it made into a tile on a beautiful laquered box. Bonus points if you fill the box with something special (jewelry, a gift card, cash, chocolate kisses or a personal note, perhaps). I just ordered a very nice personalized photo keepsake box from CafePress.com for $23.

3. A locket. You can use your computer and printer to shrink down a great photo and add it to a piece of jewelry to create sentimental, wearable art. UncommonGoods.com sells a pretty sterling silver and glass locket for $48.

4. Playing Cards. If you are finding a gift for someone who loves to play games (or your resident poker player), simply find a good (vertical) photo and upload it -- easier than a game of 52-card pickup! You can find photo cards for $20.99 at KodakGallery.com.

5. A Jigsaw Puzzle. This is a good idea if you are putting together a gift for someone who enjoys puzzles (duh), but it could also be a fun one if he/she will be spending the holidays with a group who could have fun working on the puzzle together during their downtime (apres ski, perhaps?). KodakGallery.com has 252-piece puzzles with matching box for $24.99.

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A Sentimental Journey...

Sentimental gifts can be a personal, meaningful way to share with family members or old friends...and there is still time this season to find:

• Mementos from the company where one of your parents or grandparents worked
• Souvenirs from a summer camp or family vacation spot
• An old toy or doll someone loved (or coveted but never got)
• Favorite books or comic books
• A magazine from a memorable year (not necessarily a birth year - which we don't remember!)
• A piece from your grandmother's china pattern
• A toy model of the car your dad drove
• A baseball card or pennant from someone's favorite team
• College or high school memorabilia
• Old record albums (Restoration Hardware has album-size frames for instant art)

eBay is a great place to find gifts that are oldies but goodies.

Some people on your gift list will be thrilled with a sentimental gift...others might be confused and ask you why you are giving them some old piece of junk. Your job is to know the difference!

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