Friday, October 30, 2009

Life in My World—Gift Ideas

This week I had a bunch of gifts to deliver. Here are some inexpensive, tried-and-true ideas that maybe you can use someday.
1.


Three friends' parents died in the last three weeks. To a package of flower bulbs I added a bag topper and attached one of Michelle’s tags:

“These are to remind you of your dad next spring, and the spring after that, and the spring after that, because families are eternal.”

My friend’s mother who died reminded me of pink hyacinths while “Happy Generation” tulip bulbs were fitting for another friend's dad.

2.

I love sending mailing packets because they're so colorful and little kids love them. If you want to make a kid happy, send a candy packet. If you want to make 24-year-olds happy, send them a packet. You mail them just like this so that when they open their mailbox they instantly see the colors and candy. Two year old Hydn loved his. Rachel wrote:

Dear Jane,

You saved us yesterday. Were you aware of that? Hydn got your present in the mail. We weren't going to give it to him because it was just too pretty and we wanted to save it. But then he saw it. So, we opened the sucker to give to him. We made him eat it outside, alone, in the rain. When he was done he came back in and I thought he would go straight for the other candy, but he didn't. He wanted those gloves!! NOW. We put them on him and he kept saying, “Ball. Ball.” (They have that basketball on them) He would stretch his hand out really wide, admire it, then clasp them together and just sit looking at them. He wore those stinking things from 3p.m. until night. And they kept him enthralled. I've never really seen anything like it. He couldn't wait when Bert came home for Bert to admire them. Truly, one had to sit and stare with him for five minutes before he would let you alone. He also grabbed a car and with his little car and his gloves he played happily all the rest of the afternoon. When it was night time I changed him for bed and tried to take his gloves and socks off. He let his socks go, but no way, no how were those gloves leaving his hands. So, there he lies. Still in bed this morning with his gloves on all night. It's very cute. So cute, I'd take a picture if I had my camera. I'm wondering if he'll let me bathe him.

Love,
Rachel


3.

I also had some wedding gifts to deliver and relied on the cookie jar idea with a tag saying,

A full cookie jar is the most magical appliance in the kitchen. If the cookie jar is full no one complains that dinner isn’t ready or that dinner is bad. If the cookie jar is full company feels like you were expecting them. Here is your first full cookie jar to congratulate you on your marriage. Best wishes!

4.

Finally I needed a few baby gifts, so I made hooded towels. These are still missing the rubber ducks and baby wash.


In the way of other news, Stacy is right. Sprinkles do make a difference. They magically turned our salad into a dessert.

So I took another suggestion of hers and rented the movie, "Gifted Hands" for us to watch tonight. (**Updated. It is really good. Calvin and I both enjoyed it.)

I hope these ideas can help you out sometime. I do appreciate all you bloggers out there who are so willing to share your ideas with me. Thank you.

5 comments:

Derek-Jenny-Kaitlynd-Ethan-Dylan said...

I love the ideas! I still need to get a gift for Grace and Abe!! I am terrible!

Lyle and Mary: said...

Great ideas Jane. I love how you have managed to be so thoughtful to others with out breaking the bank...now you've got me thinking.

Kathy’s Korner said...

Holy cow, they are mind boggling, but I am keeping this blog in mind. Love the candy mailer!

michelle said...

These are all great ideas, Jane! The bulbs are so thoughtful, and will keep on giving and reminding, year after year.

Anyone would be excited to get such fun mail in their mailbox.

I love the cookie jar! I am going to keep that in mind for future ward weddings.

And the hooded towel that I received when Max was a baby was one of my very favorite gifts.

Unknown said...

Jane, you're brilliant. Great ideas - thanks for sharing :)