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If you are buying several different gifts for Christmas hoping that the person will like them, then this article is for you. Discover ways to purchase what they desire, or ideally, provide them with a gift card and then enjoy the remainder of the day in each other’s company.

Christmas gets more extravagant every year. Christmas is time for picking up piles and piles of wrapping paper and trying to figure out how to fit gifts in cars, even though every year we swear that the next year we will be better prepared. Everyone loves gifts (especially kids), but is that a reason to lose our minds every year at the mall?

Unfortunately, the majority of the population are unaware of what most people would like. According to theory, you increase the odds someone will be pleased when you buy a large amount of stuff for them. Do an online search to find the perfect gift for your loved one. Ask people who would know what they want. Over the course of the year, a mild interrogation with in depth and probing questions will aid in identifying a suitable gift. This will hopefully stop you from buying those useless gadgets and trinkets. There isn’t anything wrong with a gift card when ideas elude you. You can personalize these with a few home-baked cookies or ornaments, or with a personalized card that lets them know that you wanted them to have the last say about their gift. Spending time with friends and family is more rewarding than any presents could ever be.

Many say that gift cards are impersonal, but think about it, isn’t buying someone something they don’t need or want impersonal too? When you cannot determine the perfect gift through any means, gift cards are the ideal solution. Most of the time people don’t know what they want, or won’t answer if they do. This group can also be pleased in a variety of ways. Here is a great site for some Christmas gift ideas for everyone.

Set the tone by playing music. Promote guest interaction. Steer away from written tests unless you have a special exception. Calling out answers is much more fun and social. Choose games that will not make your guests feel embarrassed. Unless you are assembling an intimate group of people, steer clear of topics that are too personal.

Treat the prospective bride to a martini-themed bridal shower invite with a mix of colors that evoke olives and different pinks. In the lower right hand corner of the invite is a martini glass festooned with olives. A person message from you can be imprinted in a similar type and color if you wish. The card is paired with a matching envelope in your choice of color, although white works quite well. Matching martini-themed napkins can also be added for additional charm and beauty.

There are a lot of online sites that offers a unique, innovative shopping experience that is different from other bridal shower invitations. From exclusive designs, exceptional quality and easy personalization to user friendly ordering and fast turnaround, stationery specialists are passionate about always exceeding your expectations on every wedding invitation and bridal stationery piece.

You can find your bridal shower games by mood or party type.
It is not necessary to have games; however they are an easy
icebreaker.

A great gift or a great way to celebrate a special occasion is
with a mini album. A mini album is a smaller album such as a 6×6
or 8×8 size. It usually only contains a certain event or a
theme. The layouts are usually all the same and use minimal
embellishments. Mini albums are fun to create because you can
complete a whole album in a couple of hours. It makes you feel
like you accomplished something. With the bigger albums, I
usually have a huge stack of photos that never seem to end. But
with a mini album, I know an end is in sight! Mini albums don’t
have to be albums. They could be tags, matchstick cases, or cd
holders. You can make an album out of almost anything. For
instance a school themed mini album could be made from pencil
shaped paper adhered together. Theme albums are my favorite.
These combine different pictures to make an album. It could be
your favorite pictures, pet pictures, or anything you have. An
example that I do is once a year I make a layout for each of my
boys. I write descriptive words of their personalities, their
favorite foods and their favorite things to do, words they say,
and a funny story about them. I also include picture of them
through out the year so that you can see how they have grow.
It’s easy and fast and a lot of fun to look at how they have
changed over the years at a glance with out having to lug out
the big heavy albums! Mini albums are a great thing to
scrapbooking. I would recommend you make one this week end!

These natural-looking flower pot wind
chimes will add a touch of charm to any porch or breezeway.
They are simple to make, and can be left out in all weathers.
Best of all, they cost you nearly nothing!

Here’s all you need:

1. Five clay flowerpots
   in varying sizes, none larger than 4 inches diameter (you may
   already have a few of these lying around the yard!)
2. Wooden
   beads (from the crafts store). For a complete set of chimes, you
   will need five beads of 3/4 inches diameter, and ten beads of
   5/8 inch diameter.
3. Two or three plastic salad container
   covers (from the salad bar).
4. Five one-inch plastic curtain
   rings (Bates makes these of Luxite, and a package of 15 sells
   for about $1.35.)
5. Stained glass paints in varying colors
   (optional), also from the crafts store.
6. Approximately 15
   yards of nylon or polypropylene garden twine.

Ready:

If your pots have been around the block a few times, you might
need to give them a bath. Scrub them with hot soapy water and a
stiff brush. After they have dried, check their physical
condition by tapping gently with a fingernail. A clean, dry,
undamaged pot will reward you with a resonant ring.

Now is a good time (while you are waiting for your pots to dry)
to cut your plastic rectangles. From the salad container covers,
cut one each of these sizes:

• 2″ x 6″
• 2″ x 5 1-2″

• 2″ x 5″
• 2″ x 4 1-2″
• 2″ x 4″

Drill a small hole
in one short end of each rectangle. Stain these, if desired,
with the glass stain paint, following manufacturer’s directions.

Set:

For each chime, set aside:

• one flower pot
• one 3/4
  inch wooden bead (this will serve as the clapper)
• two 5/8
  inch wooden beads
• one curtain ring
• one plastic rectangle
  (matched by size to the pot)
• one piece of garden twine,
  about 3 yards long

Go:

1. If necessary, separate your piece of
   twine into one ply, and tie one end to the plastic curtain ring.
   Leave about 10 inches free to allow for later adjustment.

2. Working from outside to inside, feed the free end through
   the ‘weep hole’ in the bottom of the pot.
3. Now feed the free
   end through one of the 5/8 inch wooden beads. This bead will
   rest against the inside bottom of the pot to support the chime
   when it hangs. Adjust until the measurement is as you wish, and
   mark the string.
4. Positioning the 5/8 inch bead at your mark,
   loop the free end of the twine around the bead and insert it a
   second time through the same hole from the top to the bottom.
   ( Figure
   1). Tighten.
5. Suspend the pot by the curtain ring
   and determine the point at which the string meets the rim of the
   pot. Mark the string at this point.
6. Slide the 3/4 inch bead
   up the string to the mark you have just made. This bead will
   serve as the clapper, and should hit at the rim of the pot.

7. Now slide the second 5/8 inch bead up the string immediately
   beneath the 3/4 inch bead. This bead will hold the 3/4 inch bead
   in place on the mark.
8. Loop the twine up around the 5/8 inch
   bead and back down through it (as you did in Step 4 with the
   other 5/8 inch bead). Adjust the beads if necessary to ensure
   that the larger bead still hits the pot at the rim. ( Figure 2
   ).
9. Now feed the free end of the twine through the hole
   you previously created in the plastic rectangle. Adjust length
   as desired, and tie.

Repeat the above for each of the other four pots.

You’re done! From the eaves of your breezeway or porch,
hang each pot upside down by the curtain ring. Now mix up a
batch of lemonade, and invite the neighbors up on the porch to
enjoy the gentle sound of your beautiful new flower pot wind
chimes!

For the illustrated version of this article, please visit
http://www.pazpizzazz.com/chimes.html.

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You may reprint
this article freely if all links and the Author Bio are left
intact. Thanks!

100 Ways to Connect with your Teens

1.View adolescence as an adventure.
2.Respect their privacy.
3.Create family times around activities they enjoy.
4.Keep the delicate balance between holding on and letting go.
5.Understand the nature of the adolescent beast.
6.Take advantage of an unexpected connection.
7.Bite your tongue.
8.Don’t take their chaotic behavior or mood swings personally.
9.Help them discover their spirituality.
10.Catch them doing something right and praise them.
11.Influence your teens’ decision making, but don’t say “I forbid.”
12.Give privileges with age and responsibility.
13.Be their mentor and ally.
14.Guide them, not manage them.
15.Be clear about expectations and the consequences for not meeting those expectations.
16.Be your teen’s advocate.
17.Show true interest in their activities.
18.Expect miracles.
19.Be their parent. Teens do want rules, limits, and questions from you.
20.If your can’t police, monitor or enforce a rule, don’t have it.
21.Watch the little rules that poison relationships.
22.Spend time alone with your teen.
23.Ask open ended question, such as “What are you learning in your history class?”
24.Encourage them to talk it out.
25.Actively supervise your teen’s exposure to media violence.
26.Acknowledge your teen’s fears, even if you do not agree with them.
27.Control your own behavior.
28.Talk about gangs and cliques.
29.Allow them safe and healthy outlets for their energy.
30.Use “I” statements rather than “You”.
31.Enforce the important stuff, not the little stuff.
32.Seek to understand what your teen is really saying rather than reacting.
33.Share something personal that relates to your years as a teen.
34.Avoid giving unwanted advice.
35.Discuss personal matters on sex and fears.
36.Give your teen the impression that you trust them to do what is right.
37.Listen patiently to your teen’s reasons for wanting to do something.
38.Connect with your teen. Reflect on your adolescence.
39.Avoid lecturing.
40.Be someone they can believe in.
41.Make your home a place where teens want to hang out.
42.Talk less about the media and more about real heroes in our country.
43.Make a list of ten things you like about your teen and tell them.
44.Teach them how to be compassionate, empathetic, and fair.
45.Show compassion to other teenagers.
46.Keep your face relaxed when they are telling you something you don’t want to hear.
47.Talk about drinking and its consequences. Make your expectations known.
48.Help them establish their own autonomy while maintaining a loving relationship with you.
49.Support your teen’s interests and encourage in their accomplishments.
50.Have regular family meetings in which the whole family talks things over and makes decisions together.
51.Ask what worries them most about their future.
52.Use natural and logical consequences, so discipline makes sense.
53.When they come home from an event ask, “How did you show good character?”
54.Teach respect for life in all forms.
55.Ask if they would like to go out to eat, run an errand, or go shopping with you.
56.Show up to watch them in their activities. Clap loudly.
57.Talk to their friends, learn their names, and let them confide in you.
58.Work together in community activities.
59.Learn more about their world.
60.Believe they can make a difference and be a success.
61.Admit when you are wrong. Be able to say, “I’m sorry.”
62.Hug them often.
63.Say, “I love you. I’m proud of you.”
64.Show your teen respect.
65.Eat dinner together four to five days a week.
66.Never berate or belittle teens in front of their friends or peers.
67.Ask their opinions.
68.Give them room to breath to balance independence with dependence.
69.Set standards in clothing while still allowing them to express themselves.
70.Talk to your teen when there is not a problem.
71.Listen carefully to what is being said as well as what is not.
72.Have daily conversations.
73.Share your concerns rather than being the undercover cop.
74.Keep the discussions with your teen confidential unless they are involved with something dangerous.
75.Follow through on promises.
76.Allow your teen to take responsibility when you see them handling it well.
77.Forgive your teen when they make a mistake.
78.Negotiate new challenges.
79.Give your teen increasing autonomy (even if it kills you).
80.Accept all of your teen’s feelings as long as they are respectfully conveyed.
81.Schedule times to talk about unappealing topics. Do not catch on the fly.
82.Focus on what your teen did right before offering constructive criticism.
83.Make more statements rather than asking questions.
84.Talk to your teenager rather than at them.
85.Don’t over-react.
86.Accept they will have moody behavior and teach them how to deal with it.
87.Allow them to make decisions about their own lives whenever possible.
88.Remember you are in the process of “people-making.”
89.Express words of appreciation.
90.Listen with your heart.
91.Help them develop a sense of humor by telling funny stories of your day.
92.Enforce mutually acceptable behavior standards.
93.Listen to the whole story before you react.
94.Use natural and logical consequences when a boundary is broken.
95.Cook together or teach them how to cook.
96.Wait up until they come home.
97.Talk in the dark after the house is quiet and they are tired and relaxed.
98.Find out if they want you to fix it or just listen before you give advice.
99.Discover a shared passion together.
100.Remember, children become who you predict them to be.

About the Author

Dr. Debra Hapenny Ciavola is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with children, adolescents, and adults. The author of 50 Great Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Connect with Your Teen, she can be reached at DrDebbie@greatparentingtips.com.

Binoculars make a wonderful gift idea for anyone you may need to
purchase a present for that likes to see things close-up. Sports
events, scenery, wildlife, even the night sky are seen much more
clearly with the use of binoculars. These gifts can range from
under $100 to over $1,500, depending on the strength of
magnification you select. Before choosing the gift, consider
exactly what the recipient’s primary use of the binoculars will
most like be so that you can select just the right set of
binoculars for them.

People who enjoy attending sports events such as football games,
horse races, car races and other similar events are certain to
enjoy the gift idea of binoculars. A compact, easy to carry set
with a strong neck strap makes a perfect present for any
occasion, whether birthday, Christmas or another special day.
These handy magnifying devices bring the action up close and
personal for those attending the event.

Concert goers will also enjoy binoculars. Because most concerts,
unless one is lucky enough to get a front-row seat, place the
viewer far from the stage. By using binoculars, the performers
can be seen as if the viewer were sitting very near the
performers.

Anyone who travels and enjoys beautiful scenery will love a set
of binoculars. Those distance scenes can be brought near and
viewed in great detail. Hunters, boaters, just about anyone who
enjoys the outdoors will enjoy this gift idea.

Bird watchers are known to be especially selective about the
binoculars they choose. If you want to give the perfect gift of
binoculars to an avid bird watcher, you might consider giving a
gift certificate so they can select the exact set of binoculars
they feel will best fit there specific needs.

Binoculars can be found that are in rubber cases. These are
particularly great gifts for those who boat or participate in
activities that could cause dampness to contact the binoculars.
A sturdy neck strap is a must; check that the set you are
considering appears to have a strong neck strap that looks
comfortable. Choose binoculars that have coated lenses to avoid
scratches and that have eye-piece protectors for the lenses when
not in use. A carry case will also provide additional protection
for the set of binoculars.

By selecting binoculars as a gift, you can be certain the
recipient will enjoy your gift for years to come. This gift idea
simply keeps on and on giving as they are enjoyed on various
outings again and again.