Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets Blog

Surprise, I got you a bunch of flowers and some candy in a heart-shaped box for your Valentine's Day gift!  If you are really hoping to surprise your special lady on the most romantic day of the year, this is not the way to go.

It is the thought that usually counts, but not on Valentine's Day.  On Valentine's Day, you have to shine.  You have to save all your creative juices for this occasion and wow your wife, girlfriend, or the woman you want to be your wife or girlfriend.

If flowers and candy are out – or at least not the main event – what can you get for her?

For the New Relationship

This can be awkward because you do not want to give a gift that says too much – but you also don't want to say too little.  These gifts say just the right amount:

• A fun (or romantic, cheesy, chick flick) movie night with gourmet popcorn.  It says you thought of Valentine's Day and want to spend it with her without screaming, “I LOVE YOU!”
• Donation to her favorite charity.  She'll love that you both thought of her and her interests, but again, it isn't too intimate for the new relationship.
• Tickets to an event (symphony, theater, sports, etc.).  Another way to say, “Let's spend this day together.”
• A treat for her dog or cat.  If you have just started dating, this can be a cute way to acknowledge the day without putting pressure on her or yourself.
• Make her dinner and have her favorite wine or beer.
• Hand-dipped gourmet chocolates, especially if they are homemade.
• A crafty piece of jewelry.  No, not a diamond.  If your girl wears bracelets, necklaces, or earrings, look at pieces from local artisans and on Etsy.  Choose something that she might want to wear to work or while kicking back – but nothing fancy or overly expensive.

For the Established Relationship

When your girlfriend or wife says she doesn't want anything on Valentine's Day, she's lying.  Of course she does.  She just doesn't want to have to tell you; surprise her with one of the following ideas:

• A night or weekend trip to an inn or bed and breakfast. It doesn't have to be in an exotic or expensive locale, but a change of scenery and some time together will be appreciated.
• A gift certificate to a spa.  There are only two types of gift certificates you should ever get your partner for Valentine's Day.  A trip to the spa, if she enjoys pampering or a gift certificate for...
• Lingerie at Victoria's Secret or another store.  Again, if she enjoys lingerie, this will be a fun gift, but you never want to buy it yourself.  Sizes are tricky!  Plus, make it a condition of the gift card that you will accompany her shopping for a day.  You will score big points for that, too.
• Make her dinner (and clean the place up first).  You can't go wrong with her favorite foods, drinks, and a special dessert.  Sprinkle in a liberal amount of compliments and a small gift, and you're good.
• Jewelry.  You can go with more expensive pieces for anniversary years, but a great piece of more casual jewelry will give her something to wear everyday that will remind her of you.
• Write her a love letter.  Yes, it may be difficult and seem cheesy, but it will be her favorite gift by far.

What do women not want on the big day?  Things like lotion, bath supplies, or candles are nice thoughts for random Tuesdays, but they will disappoint on Valentine's Day.  The best Valentine's Day gifts for her are not the ones that are most expensive; sometimes the best gift is just spending time together.  Just make it special and make it about her. Women tend to value Valentine's Day more than men, so why not indulge her on this day with something a bit above the ordinary?

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When you throw a New Year’s Eve party, you’ll want to have festive foods. But did you know that some cultures shy away from certain foods on New Year’s Eve and believe they will bring bad luck? If you have many ethnicities in your groups of friends, you might want to know what not to serve in addition to what’s best to serve.

What Not to Serve

If you want to keep the superstitious friends in your crowd happy, don’t serve lobster. Lobsters crawl backwards and that can mean setbacks in the New Year for those who believe foods can alter fate. Also avoid serving chicken or any other bird so that any luck that does come your way won’t fly out the window. You may laugh at such silliness, but there are many cultures that still believe in traditions like these. And don’t expect friends of certain ethnicities to clean their plates. It’s considered bad luck to eat every morsel on your plate on New Year’s Eve. If you leave food on the table, either on your plate or canned foods, it’s certain to mean a year to come filled with plenty.

Serve these Happy Foods

Greens

Now that you know what not to serve, turn your attention to planning a menu that will make everyone feel happy and lucky. Go for greens like collard greens or Swiss chard. Green means money, so these leafy varieties are thought to bring luck.

Beans

Black eyed peas and lentils are two of the mainstays of New Year’s good fortune seekers. Many cultures fear that if they don’t eat at least a small scoop of beans, the New Year will be dismal. So get that crock pot out.

Pork

You can’t leave pork out of a New Year’s menu. In many Mediterranean cultures, pork is the symbol of wealth and good fortune. Since pigs push their food, it’s thought that good luck will be pushed your way if you eat pork. Many cultures even put pig statues and candy pigs on their tables at New Year’s. Pork is also very fatty, so fat wallets are thought to be brought on by eating this rich meat.

Fish

Include fish in your New Year’s buffet and you’ll keep the good fortune rolling. Because fish have so many eggs, caviar is thought to bring fertility. If you’d rather not encourage a larger family, eat shrimp or sardines which are as plentiful in the sea as your good luck will be.

Coin Cakes

Many ethnicities bake cakes that have small coins or trinkets hidden in them. The one who finds the coin in his slice gets a heaping helping of luck in the New Year. Just be sure you don’t swallow your good fortune!

If you don’t care to serve traditional New Year’s Eve fare, you can let your party’s theme dictate the food menu. If you’re going casual, have appetizers like bacon wrapped scallops (but you still may have good luck from the pork and fish), puff pastries, cocktail wieners, and little quiches. You can now go to the big box warehouse stores and purchase entire appetizer menus by the box. All you have to do is heat up the delicious goodies before the party. No more running from store to store for hard to find appetizers. They are all there in one place. And if you want to make New Year cookies, well that's okay too.

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Do you love sending out beautiful Christmas letters each year? Maybe you enclose them in your Christmas cookies or Christmas popcorn tins. Many people add them to their Christmas cards every year. Does your list get longer and longer and it seems you can’t find anything new to write inside? If you’re struggling to find something meaningful to write inside your Christmas card, why not borrow some words from days of old? Many quotes centering on Christmas can easily be found online.

Here are a few to get you started:

From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another

The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.

Emily Matthews

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.

Mary Ellen Chase

Good news from heaven the angels bring,

Glad tidings to the earth they sing:

To us this day a child is given,

To crown us with the joy of heaven.

Martin Luther

Love came down at Christmas;

Love all lovely, love divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Stars and angels gave the sign.

Christina Rossetti

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

Norman Vincent Peale

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on Earth, good will to men!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Heap on the wood!

The wind is chill;

But let it whistle as it will,

We'll keep our Christmas merry still.

Sir Walter Scott

Christmas hath a darkness;

Brighter than the blazing noon;

Christmas hath a chillness

Warmer than the heat of June,

Christmas hath a beauty

Lovelier than the world can show:

For Christmas bringeth Jesus,

Brought for us so low

Christina Rosetti

If it’s a Christmas letter you are looking to write, you can make it personal and festive with just a few simple tips. Write it once and print it from your printer to include inside or in place of a Christmas card and you’ll save yourself lots of time.

• Select a festive paper that you can use in your printer. Be sure it has enough room for your words and that your words will be legible against the background. There are so many fun papers that have holiday themes. You can find them at office supply stores.
• Write generically enough so that your letter can be sent to everyone on your list. A great way to start is, “This year at the Robertson’s…” Then you can fill in details of what your family did this year.
• Add lots of pictures. You can do this right in Word on your computer. Just select “Insert Photo” and you can upload photos that are already on your computer into your letter. Don’t forget, people who haven’t seen your children in a while will love to see how they’ve grown.
• Try to make it personal so it really gives a feel of what the family did all year. Did you get a new pet? Volunteer at a shelter? Run a road race? Include it all.
• Finish up with good wishes for the recipients. Something like, “We think of you often throughout the year and consider you among our greatest blessings. We wish you a year filled with joy, happiness and peace. Love, The Robinsons”
• After you print out copies of your letter, place them in a business envelope or tuck them inside your Christmas cards and mail.

Related Articles:

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Have you ever noticed how those lovely family holidays tend to make us crazy? We let stress carry away any joy we get from being with our loved ones, and if children are among your guests, you will find anxiety amplified. The good news, though, is that you can have a stress-free (or certainly less stress) Thanksgiving meal by taking a few easy steps before you even put the turkey in the oven.

Planning, planning, planning. Being prepared reduces anxiety levels enormously; it is when we are frazzled, harried, hurried, or torn in eight directions at once that stress overtakes us. To keep this from happening, sit down well in advance of Thanksgiving and plan your guest list and menu. If you tend to become easily stressed (and who doesn't around the holidays?), you may want to think about paring down your guest list.

If this isn't a possibility, it's time to delegate and plan your dishes accordingly. Instead of laboriously making portobello mushrooms stuffed with pine nuts and goat cheese, make a big pot of creamy garlic mashed potatoes. Guests will still love them, and you can make a large quantity easily. You don't have to write your menu from a gourmet, haute cuisine restaurant; simple favorites will do just fine. Better yet, have guests bring side dishes. You can be in charge of the turkey or ham, and your guests can bring the side dishes, appetizers, and desserts. Delegate; your local guests will be more than happy to bring food. And if you have to, buy a pumpkin pie instead of making one. It'll be fine.

Enlist family or a close friend to help you clean the day before your Thanksgiving feast. Children can pick up toys, straighten out rooms, and maybe even man the vacuum. This will leave you free to cook and perhaps even enjoy your guests on Thanksgiving. This is a great time to delegate as well: just because your great-grandmother single handedly cooked Thanksgiving differ for 25 people while making crafts and warming apple cider for everyone doesn't mean you have to. Get your spouse, children, and friends to help you prepare foods and get your house ready for guests. If they're eating with you, they can very well help out! And they will probably be very happy to do so. And if not, you can bribe them with pre-Thanksgiving treats.

Preparing the meal is not stressful when you're at home with the leisure to do it yourself. But when guests start arriving and your aunt starts looking over your shoulder and giving you tips about your gravy, this is when it starts to get a little too warm in the kitchen. To avoid some of this stress, give your aunt – and anyone else who is dishing out advice – jobs. People can peel, chop, grate, slice, or wash to help you out. Every chef needs prep cooks, so don't be afraid to delegate tasks.

If there are guests who you know will be more hindrance than help in the kitchen, create other jobs for them. Maybe someone can help the kids make crafts or read them books to keep them out of the kitchen. Maybe you can set up some board games or put on the game in the living room. Maybe you could send people out to gather leaves and acorns for a centerpiece or let them paint gourds. They'll feel helpful and they will not be underfoot. Let others know that they should relax, have a drink, read, watch television, or visit with other guests without feeling obligated to do anything. If all else fails, set a tray of holiday chocolates in another room and run for the kitchen.

If you have children at your gathering, give them a break. They pick up on the excited or stressed atmosphere and act accordingly. If they cannot sit through an entire adult meal, set a kids' table. Let them get up before the adults and go watch a movie or set up a game in the living room for them. Don't be too rigid about rules today – letting it slide will help alleviate a lot of stress, and life can go back to normal tomorrow.

Most of all, give yourself a break. Remind yourself that you are thankful for all of these people in your home and for the food which you are preparing. One step at a time; you will get there, people will eat, and Thanksgiving will be a success.

America’s best loved parade, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, is now a historical icon of American culture. Most people cannot imagine Thanksgiving Day without it. It’s easily recognized as the official kickoff to the holiday season. Americans young and old eagerly await the parade that brings larger than life helium balloons, Santa, and millions of audience members to the streets of New York.

How did this tradition get started? In 1924, Macy’s was already a leading department store in Manhattan. As a way for its immigrant workers to celebrate their new American culture, Macy’s organized the first parade that year. It was originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade until its name was changed officially to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is so well-known now that people often refer to it as the Macy’s Day Parade.

That first year there were no oversized balloons marching down the sidewalks. Instead, live animals were borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. For various reasons, including the safety issues of parading live animals, the parade began to feature balloons in 1927. Goodyear Rubber and Tire made the balloons, the first of which was Felix the Cat. Balloons are inflated the night before the parade outside of the Museum of Natural History, and the public is invited to watch.

The parade started at 145^th Street in Harlem and marched its way to the Macy’s building at 34^th Street. In 2009, the parade route was changed to eliminate Broadway, where it has marched every year, so that more viewers can see the parade. Millions line the streets to watch as floats adorned with roses and manned by celebrities and animated characters march past them. Each year bands compete to be awarded the honor of marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Professional athletes, starlets, Broadway stars, and ordinary people march in the parade, many of them Macy’s employees.

At the end of every parade since the first, the parade ends with a big wave from Santa.

The parade became a permanent fixture in American history after it was featured in the 1947 film Miracle on 34^th Street. Actual footage of the 1946 parade was made a part of the film which forever immortalized the festivities.

The parade has run every year since 1924 except from 1942-1944 when the parade was canceled due to WWII. The rubber and helium necessary for the balloons was needed for the war effort. The parade was back on again for 1945. In 2006, parade organizers, noting a world-wide shortage of helium, proposed excluding the balloons from the parade, but public outcry got the balloons back up again. From that point, fewer balloons have been a part of the parade.

Since 2002, the balloons and floats have made their way to Orlando, Florida after the parade where they are marched down the streets of Universal Orlando Resort. Guests are given the opportunity to be balloon handlers for a day.

Each year a different character is featured in balloon form as an older one is retired. Broadway shows are also featured complete with the stars and performers from the production.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a piece of Americana recognized and cherished by more people than any other parade.