Gift Idea—Eye Sermons

I’ve mentioned the concept of preaching to the eyes, not just the ears before. Recently Melanie and Hannah each gave me a gift that does indeed just that.

My word for the year is “diligent”. I want to “try a little harder to be a little better” and more diligence will help me get there. Hannah made this darling canvas depicting my word and it sits on the old pie safe right next to the back door—the door I go out each morning. Several times each day it quietly and persistently preaches the goal I set at the beginning of the year.

Melanie gave me the handsome plaque that says “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” ~Thomas Jefferson. It hangs importantly over the dining room table between the shelves of the plate rack. I love its simplicity and the washed look adds to its antiquity.

Both of these gifts preach the message of kindness also. Each time I see them I think of the thoughtfulness of the givers.

Do you have any gifts that preach loud and clear?

Gift Idea--Use Your Creativity to Bless Another

Powerful. Humbling. True. Exciting. A gift to all mankind to bless all mankind.

I already told you what I thought about our creative abilities in Who Me? but I wanted you to see this video that Kristi mentioned. There are more inspiring videos posted here.

Gift Idea—Thank You Very Much

President Thomas S. Monson told this story: “Several years ago we had a young paperboy who didn't always deliver the paper in the manner intended. Instead of getting the paper on the porch, he sometimes accidentally threw it into the bushes or even close to the street. Some on his paper route decided to start a petition of complaint. One day a delegation came to our home and asked my wife, Frances, to sign the petition. She declined, saying, "Why, he's just a little boy, and the papers are so heavy for him. I would never be critical of him, for he tries his best." The petition, however, was signed by many of the others on the paper route and sent to the boy's supervisors.

“Not many days afterward, I came home from work and found Frances in tears. When she was finally able to talk, she told me that she had just learned that the body of the little paperboy had been found in his garage, where he had taken his own life. Apparently the criticism heaped upon him had been too much for him to bear. How grateful we were that we had not joined in that criticism. What a vivid lesson this has always been regarding the importance of being nonjudgmental and treating everyone with kindness.”

If criticism has the power to destroy, then surely speaking well of others has the power to build. What a great gift—to build another. Teachers, nurses, waitresses, housekeepers, doctors—everybody can benefit from a letter of commendation in their professional file. The next time you’ve been treated well and would like to send a “Thank you” gift, consider sending a letter of commendation for their professional file (by sending the letter to the administration or boss of the person you want to thank) as well as to the person to whom you want to show appreciation.

Click here for a professional business letter format.

Receiving a thank you card is a wonderful gift and receiving a thank you card in your professional file makes that gift last a very long time.

Have you ever received a thank-you letter for your professional file?

Who have you sent a "professional file" thank-you to?

Gift-Idea—Freebies

Calvin has been attending a grape conference for work. Conferences mean free pens and notepads. The potato conference means free pens, notepads and, on occasion, hot pads. But the grape conference means free fancy hors d'oeuvres, shopping bags, mini-planners, a travel toothbrush kit, a sporty water bottle, pocketknife and pens and notepads. Calvin was dumping his loot on the kitchen table and I had a clear visual of what he must have looked like as a little boy emptying his trick-or-treat bag. With each advertising item he pulled out he’d say, “I thought you’d like this . . .” and then show me some unique feature. I started laughing at his enthusiasm and ever so quietly reached for the camera. He was completely absorbed with all of the surprises he’d brought home and didn’t see it coming . . . that is until he heard the lens extend. Then he looked up with his hand still in the bag and said, “Not on your life. No way are you putting this on the blog.” And then he saw how hard I was laughing and joined in. I said, “You’ve got to admit this is pretty funny that two adults-well-beyond-the-normal-excited-for-freebies-age are so excited about a bag of pens.”

And that is but one reason we’re a good team, we both consider freebies as gifts and I agreed not to put his picture on the blog . . . tonight.

Gift Idea--Bowled over by the Gift of Friendship

In the last 48 hours:


A friend e-mailed and said, “Hey, it’s time to do your hair. What day works for you?”

A friend called and offered to host a bridal shower for Cali and then kindly stepped me through wedding wonders.

A friend called and is coming over Monday night with a friend-force to help me finish a mega Christmas scrapbook project.

A friend sent me a plate of mint brownies with a big red bow.

A friend quilted me a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l tree skirt as a complete surprise.

A friend was willing to substitute teach for me.

A friend sent a card congratulating Cali’s engagement with kind and complimentary words tucked in for me.

A friend offered to let us borrow a movie.

A friend called to check up on me.




I am bowled over at the power of friendship.

What out-of-the-ordinary friendly acts have been shown to you in the last 48 hours?

Gift Idea--Gag Tag & Favor

Last week I saw two cute ideas at a craft bazaar using plastic, recloseable bead bags (available at WalMart, Staples, etc):

1. Gag Tag. A single battery in the bag with a cute tag attached that said, "Gift not included".

2. Favor. This story-verse was printed on a cute tag and attached to the bag of M&M's.

The Christmas Story on M&M’s

As you hold these candies in your hand and turn them, you will see the M becomes a W, an E and then a 3. They tell the Christmas story; it’s one I’m sure you know, it took place in a stable a long, long time ago. The E is for the East, where the star shone so bright. The M is for the manger, where baby Jesus slept that night. The 3 is for the wise men, to bear gifts they say they came. W is for Worship, Hallelujah, Praise His Name. So as you eat these candies or share them with a friend, remember the meaning of Christmas, it’s a love story that never ends.

It's been awhile since I've been to a bazaar, are these old ideas?

I'm wondering where (or to whom) would you give these gifts?

Gift Idea—Christmas Advent Boxes

Aunt Ethel made us an advent tree one year. It was a wall hanging in the shape of a tree with little gifts tied to it. Each morning one of us kids got to open one gift from the tree, counting down the days until Christmas. The gift I remember most was an ever-sharp pencil—the kind with ten little lead cartridges where you sharpened the pencil by pulling an old cartridge out and putting it in the top of the pencil which pushed a new little cartridge down into the tip.

Ever since Great-Aunt Ethel’s gift I’ve been replicating the advent. Some years I’ve filled a basket with 24 small wrapped gifts (a pencil, pen, magnet, lip salve, sucker, gum, key chain, bouncing ball, silly putty, frame, earrings, money clip, necklace, etc). Another year I tied little gifts to a table top tree. Several years ago I sewed a tree wall hanging (similar to Aunt Ethel’s) for my sister’s family and each year I send her little gifts to retie to the tree. While my in-laws were serving a mission in Australia I used envelopes and photographs to count the days down until Christmas. For missionaries, I’ve used a sock filled with count-down gifts. As you can see, there is no end to the variations of an advent.

I think advents make great gifts for at least three reasons:

1. It creates a family tradition.
2. Since advents must be ready to go by December 1st, shopping is done early and helps me avoid the last minute shopping/mailing chaos.
3. Items can be picked up year round to help spread out the Christmas expense and depending on your budget, you can buy inexpensive trinkets like the ones listed above or more expensive gifts. Advents fit every budget.

For the life of me I can’t get a good shot of this year’s advent creation. I’m so disappointed. It’s like trying to photograph food, the colors and details just aren’t clear so you’ll have to trust my description.

I bought four-drawer wooden boxes at the craft store and had Calvin glue them together. Then we painted and embellished them. We painted one box red and used simple rustic number stickers on the drawers.



We painted another box black and added embellishments like little cookie cutter charms, ribbons, tags and buttons along with the numbers. To add more Christmas color, I mod-podged some scrapbook paper to the outside of the boxes. In short, they are darling! I can’t wait to fill them and give them away at Thanksgiving.

Gift-Giving Idea— A Good Book Has No Ending

~R.D. Cumming

For the last year I’ve been on the look-out at yard sales and used book stores for hard back books that would make good photo albums. I’ve found two books with a storyline that fit people on my gift list. For Deb, my scrapbook retreat partner, (who promised not to check my blog for a few days), I found a book called “Things to Do.”

The first page says, “Life is not as complicated as some may say . . . here are a few simple things to do to guide you along the way.”

It then gives encouraging advice like “Strive to grow and challenge yourself each day . . .”

Each saying is on a separate page and accompanied by a primitive illustration. To personalize the book I covered the illustrations with Deb’s photography. (I had Alyson, her daughter, sneak me twenty photographs from Deb’s collection.) I bordered the photos with coordinating paper and lightly embellished each page with a paper flower, curly-q and a small pearl. For the book cover, I mod-podged cardstock, added another photo and light embellishments and then spelled the title of the book in black stickers. I added rickrack to the spine for accent.

I worked on this project at the retreat last week, but came home with it unfinished and fairly disappointed in it; however, I learned back in my craft-booth days not to judge a project until it’s finished. I’m so glad I gave this one a second chance because by the time I finished it this afternoon, I was happy with it—it’s personal and so Deb. (And though it's tacky to talk price and friendship in the same sentence, one of the selling points of this gift idea is it's inexpensive--a couple of dollars inexpensive.)

Today’s tip is

• keep your eye out for good used books (can you imagine how excited I am for the annual city library book sale next week?) that could be easily adapted to photo albums

and

• don’t give up on a project until you have finished it.

Gift-Giving Idea—Plum Pudding

I’ve mentioned before that I love reading the Saturday religion section in my hometown newspaper. It tells which congregation is holding a bazaar or pancake supper, who will be singing at the different Sunday services, which preachers are delivering the sermons and where, what the various women’s clubs have planned and other community miscellany. Every year about this time this add appears:

Ascension Episcopal Church is taking orders now for its annual sale of Christmas Plum or Carrot puddings for the holidays. The sale continues a tradition started in 1994 as a church fundraiser.

Each pudding serves six to eight people; cost per pudding is $7.50. The puddings are decorated and wrapped for giving as gifts or reheating for holiday dinners. Recipes for sauces to accompany the puddings are included. The puddings can be frozen.

Although called "pudding," the texture and appearance of the plum pudding is more like a dense cake. The fruit and breadcrumb mixture is steamed in a fluted mold for three hours, then turned out on a table to cool. The recipe was given to Ascension by the women's group at St. David's Episcopal Church, which has been making the puddings since 1951. It is a closely guarded recipe and was only given to Ascension Episcopal after much consideration and assurance that it would be kept secret.

The carrot pudding recipe was a family recipe from an Ascension parishioner. Carrot puddings are softer and are cooked and reheated in tin cans. The original recipe called for "nut cans," but because nuts so rarely come in cans anymore, the church has used one-pound coffee cans.

The number of carrot puddings which can be made and sold is dependent on the number of cans collected for the activity.

To order a pudding, call _ _ _ _ _ _ _ between 9:30 a.m. and noon weekdays before Nov. 10. Puddings will be available Nov. 17 and 18 and can be picked up at the church between 9:30 a.m. and noon.

This add makes me smile just thinking of a select group of women holding a secret recipe and collecting coffee cans since nuts don't come in cans anymore. It also reminds me of this picture:

. . . the heart and soul of America; God-fearing people doing their best.

Today's gift idea is if you’re good at something (making plum pudding or carrot pudding for example), then give it! Just because you've given it before doesn't mean it wouldn't be welcomed again. For example, I love to go to events where my friends, Brenda and Nesha, are hosting because there is a good chance they will serve their Legacy Chocolates. One day Brenda and I were co-hosting a party and she said she hesitated to offer chocolates at it because she was afraid people were tired of them. Um. Nope. Not going to happen. Just as I will never tire of a loaf of Betty’s wheat bread, or a bucket of Jerilyn’s raspberries, or Sonja's cards, or a pan of Ludeen’s rolls, or a bag of Killian Korn, or . . . or . . . or . . . If you've got a talent that people enjoy, don't be afraid to use it again and again and again.

What’s a gift that you’ve had success giving again and again?

Gift-Giving—Boo’ed

I was quickly wilting about 9:00 pm, when there was a knock at the kitchen door. It was Susan, Lilly, Meg and Tessa Pyle with a cauldron of carameled grains (popcorn, cereal, pretzels). What a fun, fun surprise. Susan has the self portrait of the event, plus the story (whenever Calvin, the dark and a potential predator is involved, there is a story).

Gift Idea--Conference Basket

Every six months (the first weekend in April and October) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a world-wide conference. This conference is broadcast the world over and can be seen from church buildings or on TV. Eight hours of instruction and encouragement are given by numerous speakers along with musical numbers. In addition, the men have a two hour meeting on Saturday evening. I love and eagerly wait for these conferences. However, ten hours of church can test the stoutest of children's attentions, so when our kids were little the legos were finally allowed in the living room on Conference weekend. It kept them busy and they quietly built castles and forts while we watched and listened. It's a fond memory for all of us, but I wish I'd have known about the following idea:

Last year a blogger posted an idea about keeping children engaged (not just occupied) during General Conference. She had a packet of papers with various coloring activities to help her children listen to the speakers and stay focused on the subjects being discussed. I thought the idea was wonderful and asked for a copy of the activities. Then, another blogger posted the idea of a basket filled with breakfast or snack items as well as note-taking supplies for adults. I thought her idea equally as wonderful. This afternoon Cali and I made copies of the activities and then went to the $tore to buy things for the baskets. Cali made a basket for a family that she has been staying with when she commutes to work. I made a basket for another family I thought might enjoy it. We filled our baskets with the following items:

conference packets with quiet activity pages
markers
crayons
drink
cheese and breadsticks
small candy bars
suckers
pipe cleaners (as well as the directions for a few simple things to form with them)
note pad (for the adults)
pen

and then wrapped them in cellophane with a tule bow because cellophane and tule can make a gift out of anything!

These packets have several inter-faith pictures from the New Testament (Christ with the children, raising the daughter of Jairus, feeding the five thousand, healing the leper, the wise man and the foolish man, a little booklet of Christ's life, etc.) and would make a great gift for any family.

If you'd like a copy of the packet just leave me a comment requesting it.

Gift Idea--A Place for Inspiration

( I'm sorry, I don't remember who to give credit for this picture)

It's begun! Better Homes and Garden's 100 Days of Holidays started sending e-mails a few days ago and from now to the end of the year they send a daily e-mail newsletter with ideas for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I really enjoyed the tips, pictures and recipes last year and this year promises the same.

Click to register for BHG's 100 Days of Holiday e-mails.

The Gift

Dick, Jeremy, Abe

Our purpose in going to West Point last weekend was to attend Ring Weekend ceremony for all Firsties (seniors). The idea of a class ring originated at West Point in 1835 and the tradition is very strong still. The rings symbolize more than a fraternity or alma mater, they symbolize that the cadets who wear one stand as a part of the long gray line—a group of men and women who have pledged to protect our Constitution from tyranny or outside forces. Some of the former graduates’ families and widows have donated the deceased's rings to be melted down and poured into the current class’ rings, continuing the tradition of service.

Abe listening to Plebes reciting the ring poop

After the Firsties receive their rings they must walk back to the barracks where the Plebes (freshmen) are waiting for them. Plebes have NO privileges at West Point. They are treated as nonentities and this is the one time they have a token of power. A Plebe may stop the ring-bearing Firstie to admire his ring. And then, as part of the admiration they obnoxiously say:

Oh my gosh, sir!
What a beautiful ring!
What a crass mass of brass and glass!
What a bold mold of rolled gold!
What a cool jewel you got from you school!
See how it sparkles and shines!
It must have cost you a fortune!
May I touch it? May I touch it please, sir?

The Firsties must stand there until the Plebe has finished his verse and stared at the crass mass of brass and glass. (Abe said when he was a Plebe he would say it painfully slow or even make mistakes while saying it so that the Firstie would have to stand there for a long time.)

unknown firstie trying to escape

This year it was raining and such a funny scene—Firsties trying to dodge and outrun hordes of Plebes. It reminded me of tag in first grade, because the Firsties were only safe from the chanting Plebes when they hit the base of barrack steps. When we got to the inward courtyard between the barracks, Abe took off on a dead run to miss the barrage. He was able to skirt them (he must be a quarterback or something), but the Plebes looked like galloping gray ghosts chasing after him.

We went up to Abe's room and met his roommates while he changed his clothes and we hoped to dry out some. Since parents are only allowed in the rooms a couple of times during a cadet’s tenure at the academy, it never gets old seeing their neatly made beds. Each year the cadets are given more privileges and Abe and his two roommates can now have a mini-fridge and futon in their room. Abe sleeps on the hard futon every night rather than sleeping in his bunk and having to make a neat bed in the morning.

The night of the ring ceremony, Ray took us out to supper at the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate. After we had ordered and were waiting for our food, Calvin tapped the glass with his knife and said, “Can I have your attention? Abe has something he’d like to say.” Then Abe pulled out a little black box and said, “Mom, this is for you.”



I opened it and inside was a pin in replica to his class ring. He said how much he appreciated me helping him get through West Point and how he never would have made it without my encouragement and support. It was one of those moments that my heart will replay often for the pin symbolizes more than “thank you” to me. A son must cut the apron strings for proper growth, but even though you know it must be done doesn’t mean it isn't painful. What a wonderful gift to discover that after those apron strings have been cut and your son has learned to balance and walk on his own that he can and will bind himself back to you with bonds much stronger, more durable and flexible. To me, that gold pin replaces the strings and I wear it with as much pride and humility as I wore the apron, but probably with more grace and definitely more patience. I just love it and am so grateful for the gift and all it represents.

Gift Idea--Sympathy Tokens

It all started at our first retreat at Mountain River Lodge. Thirty plus scrapbooking ladies minding their own business (there’s a lot of business to mind at those retreats and everybody stays busy), when the owners of the lodge had a crisis. One of their brothers, who lived less than a mile away, had suddenly died of a heart attack. Thirty of us were feeling sadly for a family in mourning and wishing we could do something to help. Michelle, an organized and quick-thinking scrapper, suggested we make a memory book for the owners. Each of us made a 4” x 6” layout without a picture and put it in a small album. The family added their favorite pictures and had a instant and valuable memento.

A few weeks ago, one of our scrappers from the Mountain River Lodge Retreat passed away unexpectedly. Again, many of us were feeling sadly for a family in mourning so Alyson, a creative genius, offered to put a tag book together for Cynthia's family. Whoever wanted to make a tag in Cynthia's memory was encouraged to do so. I don’t have a copy of the completed book, but here is my tag. (The folder opens out to a small picture of Cynthia and the reasons why I love her.) Alyson will take all of the completed tags and compile them into a momento for the family.

Just a couple of sympathy token ideas and one reason I love scrapbooking and scrapbookers.

Do you have a token of sympathy idea? I would love to hear it.

Gift Idea-Chinese Style

I shared this idea in a newsletter two weeks ago, but liked it so well I’m sharing it twice. Besides, time is running out to use it!

1. Decorate a Chinese take-out box with the Five Olympic Rings

2. Fill the box with candy or caramel/flavored popcorn (country’s colors) and a Fortune cookie

3. Print the Olympic creed on a tag and attach to the take-out box handle. The Olympic Creed: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

4. Give as a gift to friends, co-workers, teachers, students, visiting teachers, visiting teachees . . . anybody.

I read these Official Guidelines to gift-giving in China and thought they were interesting and well worth sharing, because you never know when you might have the opportunity to give someone in China a gift and you don't want to make the mistake of giving a clock or fan or green hat.

• Lavish gift-giving was once an important part of Chinese culture. Today, official policy forbids gift-giving as it can be considered bribery.


• The Chinese do not usually accept a gift, invitation or favor when it is first presented, but will politely refuse two or three times to reflect modesty and humility. Accepting something in haste makes a person look aggressive and greedy, as does opening it in front of the giver.


• When or if a gift is given, it should be offered with two hands. Any gift offered with two hands should always be received with two hands.


• It's traditional to bring a gift when invited to someone's home. Fresh flowers or fruit are your best bet, and it is a good idea to bring eight, rather than the typical Western dozen. Eight is a lucky number.
  
• Never give a clock as a gift. Traditional superstitions regard this as counting the seconds to the recipient's death. Another interpretation of this is that the phrase "to give clock" in Chinese is song zhong, which is a homophone of a phrase for attending a funeral.


• Also avoid giving fans. The word fan (shan) sounds like san, meaning scatter or to loose. San kai means to split up. Traditionally, the bride gives her parents a fan, symbolizing that she is leaving them for her husband.


• Never give a man a green hat. The Chinese saying "wearing a green hat" means someone's wife is unfaithful.


• If possible, have your gifts wrapped in red paper, which is considered a lucky color. Pink, gold and silver are also acceptable colors for gift wrap. Gifts wrapped in yellow paper with black writing are given only to the dead. Also, check on the regional variations of color meanings - a safe color in Beijing could get you in trouble in Shenzhen. Your safest option is to entrust the task of gift-wrapping to a store or hotel that offers this service.

Gift Idea--Help

My birthday present from Abe was a day of doing whatever chores I needed done. He programmed my iPod, dug out flowerbeds and polished my shoes. I worried about taking advantage of his generosity, but he just smiled and asked what else needed done. It was so appreciated . . . especially the smile part . . . and was such a great gift.

Craft Idea--Rag Dolls

this isn't the doll pattern I mention below, but I still like it

Last night I dreamed I was making rag dolls again. For several years I sewed and sold handcrafted items to supplement our income. Old-fashioned rag dolls were my favorite thing to make. I found I could do several things with one good doll pattern

• add a dress and pinafore and she was a little girl
• add a little doll in her hand and she was an adorable little girl
• put a quilt in her hands and she was a quilter
• put a baby wrapped in a quilt in her arms and she was a mother
• put a rolling pin or an sack of flour in her arms and she was a homemaker
• paint the feet brown and add a few stitches resembling laces and the doll was wearing winter boots, add a pair of pants, a wool shirt, a knit cap and a little wooden sled and he was a little boy playing in the snow
• add a carpenter apron with a few miniature tools, a beard and a tiny bird or olive branch to his hand and he was Noah
• add a red triangle for the nose and red hair and she was Raggedy Ann (or Andy)
• add wings and she was an angel
• add big, floppy ears and he was a rabbit
• paint two dots on the face for the eyes, paint a whole clove stem orange and glue it on for the nose, and glue whole allspice in a curve for the smile and it was a snowman
• paint the feet black, add a red, pointed hat, a beard, red pants, a red shirt with a strip of white down the middle and a few black buttons and he was Santa
• add a bag to Santa and it was the perfect place to put a gift card
• add excelsior to the neck, leg and sleeve openings, a straw hat and a necklace of corn kernels and he was a scarecrow

One afternoon a few years ago I sat down and sewed several dolls. I didn’t have anything in mind other than they would be given as gifts to someone in the future. Last night’s dream made me want to sew dolls for gifts again.

(By the way, I'm not a seamstress. I can sew straight seams for curtains and do primitive hand-stitching. Doll making is a combination of the two. It's relatively easy if you want to try.)