For the Love of Lists

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The Secret to Simpler Gift Giving

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Gift Giving

Every year holidays and birthdays creep up on us.  No matter how we mark our calendars or set reminders, it seems like the week or two before we’re in a scramble for gift ideas.  These are supposed to be happy occasions and somehow they just end up stressful (Christmas ironically being the worst culprit as we have several people to shop for).  So last year I tested out a new gift plan that has helped me immensely.  Here is my secret to simpler, less stressful, gift giving.

Instead of waiting around until December to plan your gifts (or until the next holiday rears its head), create a notebook specifically for gifts and donations that you can update all year round.  I’m a fan of Evernote and this is a great use for it.  Here are the pages I suggest you include:

  • List of holidays and annual events
  • Recipients pages (one page for each person you typically give gifts to)
  • Generic gift ideas (ex. housewarming, baby showers, thank you gifts)
  • Donation log for charitable gifts
  • Log of past gifts received
  • Personal gift wish list
  • Holiday budget sheet
  • Holiday gift shopping list

Keeping a page for each person you give gifts to is the key here.  Write down items they mention, their interests, favorites, hobbies, or places they say they’d like to go.  Throughout the year if you see an item they’d love or think of a good idea, write it down and save it for the next holiday.  Also make sure to make notes of gifts you know they won’t like (ex. if your cousin returned that sweater you gave them).  When the time comes you’ll have a great starting pool of ideas to choose from.

Here’s a few more tips:

  • Set reminders for two weeks before holidays so you don’t forget to shop
  • Refer to your personal wish list if anyone needs hints for gifts you’d appreciate
  • Save photos of receipts for return information
  • Save photos of receipts for donations for tax purposes
  • Make notes of past gifts given so you don’t use the same idea twice (I’ve been guilt of this one)

The best part about this system is that you can better take advantage of sales throughout the year since you’ll be ahead of the holiday game.  I hope this helps make gift giving a little easier!

 

 

10 Free Ways to Boost Your Disney Vacation

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Disney Celebration ButtonsIn honor of Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration and its 24-hour kickoff (which starts tomorrow at 0600), here are 10 free ways to boost your Disney vacation:

  1. Scavenger Hunt – enhance your transit/queue time with a fun scavenger adventure (like this one for the Disneyland’s 60th anniversary!)
  2. Hidden Mickeys – Mickey ears are hidden all throughout the parks and resorts, so compete to see who can find the most
  3. Celebration Buttons – go to City Hall (or equivalent) to pick up free buttons for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduation, or just to celebrate
  4. Imagineering Field Guides – while you can buy park field guides at bookstores/Amazon, you can also browse Wikipedia while waiting in lines to learn fun facts about the development of the rides (could be a fun trivia game)
  5. Photo Ops – if you ask, the professional photographers will take photos of you and your family using your personal phone/camera for no cost
  6. Ride Times App – search for a simple app that will keep you updated on estimated queue lengths (so you’ll know if it’s worth it to trek across the park)
  7. Autograph Book – decorate a notebook with your child to bring when they meet all the characters in the park
  8. Ride Souvenirs – supposedly if you ask a skipper on the Jungle Cruise they will give you a free map, but otherwise you can always make your own ride tokens to give to your kids if they brave some of the larger rides (like a printable death certificate for surviving the Haunted Mansion)
  9. “Broadway” Shows – At several parks you can see a 45 min Broadway quality show (included with admission): Aladdin at California Adventures and Beauty and the Beast at Hollywood Studios
  10. “DisneyBound” – Create an outfit based on your favorite Disney themes/characters using suggestions from DisneyBound (great for kids’ outfits that are more functional than princess dresses)

For an automatic enhancement, visit Disney during one of the holiday seasons, particularly around Halloween (Sep – Nov) or Christmas (Nov – Jan).  These times include special edible treats, holiday overlays of several rides, and added shows.

Quick 10: Unique DIY Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

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Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Every year Mother’s Day sneaks up on me, sending me into a mini rush to make sure I don’t forget to send a gift.  I currently live 3000 miles away from my mom, so it’s not as simple as trying to spend the day with her and take her to dinner.  And while I went traditional with my gift this year (no, Mom, I’m not ruining the surprise), I started thinking about some unique homemade gifts that nearly any mother would appreciate.  Here are 10 that I may use in the future:

1. DIY Spa Gift Set – Search and you’ll find tons of recipes for homemade lotions, scrubs, masks, and bath soaks. Pair it up with a pair of comfy socks, eye mask, and ear plugs and your mom can have a relaxing afternoon.  If there are still young kids around the house, offer to babysit for a few hours as well.

2. Vacation-in-a-Box – Let’s say your mom has always wanted to go to Hawaii. Fill a box/basket with location-themed music, movies, candles, recipes, and fun items to help get her in the spirit until she can travel the world.  For mine, I’d include a lei, coconut drinking cup, Elvis’ Blue Hawaii, Polynesian music, and recipes for pina coladas and popular Hawaiian dishes.  Wall calendars and links to Google street views can also add to the experience.

3. Family Tree Book – If you don’t have one already, why not start an album detailing your family tree? Collect information on your ancestors by reviewing family records, asking your relatives, or searching on Ancestry.com.  Organize your findings in a dedicated book/journal or setup software like Family Tree Maker for continuous updates.  Be sure to include information on your family’s education, jobs, travels, homes, pets, etc to round out your research.

4. Memory Frame – This can be done a few ways, but is best with a folding frame (2-3 panels). We recently got married, so as a thank you gift to our parents we put their wedding photo, a baby picture of us, and a spot for our wedding photo.  For grandparents this can be their wedding photo, your parents’, and yours.  Another idea is a succession of family photos: yourself/siblings as babies, as teenagers, and as adults.  Or a series of photos of you with your mother and her with her mother.  If you don’t have enough photos to fit the theme, you can always fill a remaining panel with one of her favorite quotes.

5. “Words of Wisdom” Book – Is your mom the type who always has something to say? Record her most famous words of wisdom in a journal and present it to her on Mother’s Day.  Include her favorite stories she used to tell and quotes from her favorite books/movies.  You can also include your favorite memories of her.

6. Cook the “Family Dinner” – A lot of families seem to have a “family dinner”, a classic recipe Mom was always known for making (in our case it was London broil with baked potatoes and red rice). For Mother’s Day, show your mom that you’ve learned from her by cooking the entire dinner on your own (enlisting help from other family members is okay, just let Mom relax).  You’ll all enjoy passing the tradition along.

7. Handwritten Letter – While it’s easy to give a quick call or send a Hallmark card, there’s no reason you can’t go back to the classic days of sending a handwritten letter detailing your gratitude for everything your mom has done for you. As much as email is easier, it’s still nice to get something in the mail beyond bills and advertisements.  Find some nice stationery and a good pen and write a good long note.

8. Family Travel Map – This one’s good if yours was the type of family who either moved a lot or took a lot of road trips. Get a nice print of a map (U.S./world/state) and a frame to match it.  Put pins or stickers in all of the cities you’ve visited.  Plot out road trips with string/thread between the pins.  Place special marks in those locations you’ve actually lived.  This would also work by making a smash book out of a road atlas, using washi tape to secure travel photos to their respective locations.

9. Write a Song/Poem – If you’re a musical or writer type, you can create an original work for your mom. Brainstorm some ideas of what she’s meant to you and get out your pen.  You can perform or give it to her in person this Sunday, or post it to social media if you’re at a distance.  Another idea is to perform a cover of one of her favorite songs and share it with her.

10. Family Storybook – How much do you really know about your mom? Do you know what her favorite extracurricular activities were?  Or what her dream job was/is?  What about her favorite foods?  Come up with a list of questions you’ve never asked, and either use a tape recorder or notes to preserve her favorite memories.  Be creative and come up with your own questions, or use books like Listography as a guide to get started.

For those of you leaning towards a more “traditional” idea, here are 10 classic favorites:

  1. Flowers
  2. Chocolates
  3. Jewelry
  4. Sibling Portrait
  5. Actual Spa Day
  6. Chore Coupon Book
  7. Fruit Basket
  8. Photo Album
  9. Restaurant/Movie Gift Cards
  10. Anything from Bath & Body Works

I hope this has helped you choose a great gift for your Mom this year.  And if you’re an early bird who’s already ahead of the game, these make great gifts for almost any time of year.  Happy Mother’s Day!