Tag: gift

Ah, the holidays are in full swing. The lovely sights of Christmas, the glory of Hanukkah, and the beauty of Kwanza; each of these celebrations—and more—lead us to the birth of the New Year. The spirit in the air is one of joy, delight, and anticipation.

Yet we can’t ignore the rather unfortunate truth that the holidays can also make us frazzled, frenetic, and downright depressed. With sparkling holiday festivities, towering mounds of gifts to be bought and wrapped, and brilliant lights aglow, you might ask, "Depression? During the holidays? How can that possibly be?"

Is it just me or does it get more and more difficult every year to find those special gifts that stand apart from the traditional mall fodder as unique or original?

A candle—even for a candle lover—seems predictable, overdone and just plain blah after so many seasons of giving. The same can be said for bath sets, food baskets, calendars, etc. For many of us, the decision to "keep it modest this year" means that we find ourselves giving and receiving the same sorts of things over and over again, even when those items aren’t even on someone’s list. Why not break the pattern and try something original this year with these holiday gift giving tips and tricks?

As an individual who cares for the environment, you want to show appreciation for your loved ones with the occasional "just because" gift—perhaps a little something to get through the stressful holiday season—without buying into our society's wasteful and overly consumptive culture. Here are eco-friendly ideas your significant other (and mother earth) will love.

I have been accused of being a quart low on estrogen. I am unromantic, exceedingly practical and pragmatic in the extreme. Neither a believer of soul mates nor fairy tales, when asked for advice on marriage I invariably discuss the logistics of love. I talk about the mechanics of a constructive argument. I teach people how to listen intelligently. I promote financial literacy. I get all animated about making a budget.

That’s just the way I think. I am all about process and procedure. I have always believed that the love will take care of itself if the details are okay. As a result, I have never thought much of Valentines Day.

Many of us feel that Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday. This might fill your husband’s heart with trepidation, not merely for the cost of an impressive gift, but rather the imaginative wow factor of planning a scenario to suit female idealized expectation.

A man does not want this type of reaction from his wife, "This last minute cheap box of chocolates?—is this what he thinks of me?" "No rose petals on the bed?" And women often buy their man a gift to which he might reply, "Oh, you shouldn’t have," and he means it, literally! Take heart because thanks to the recession frugal is the new sexy!

Your spouse is upset with you.

"I want to talk with you," he says. "I'm really upset over how you rushed through our date night yesterday. It’s supposed to be our special time."

Before your husband even finishes his sentence, you're apologizing: "Yes, I know, I'm sorry, I realized later it wasn't a nice thing to do but I was so worried about getting home to the kids and ready for work, what could I do?" And you're on to the next thing.

It took seconds to unwrap the beautifully packaged gift, a mere fraction of the time it took the giver to find the perfect gift, wrap it with care and deliver it to your door. The holiday season has not officially come to an end until one final detail has been accomplished…the Thank You note. A well thought out thank you shows appreciation for the giver’s efforts and reaffirms the value you place on your relationship with the giver.

Leaving a message on a person’s voicemail, texting or sending a Thank You note via e-mail simply doesn’t take the place of a handwritten Thank You note.