Shopping Small in 2020 After a year of unfortunate pandemic firsts, we find ourselves facing yet another, the 2020 Holiday Shopping Season. It would be convenient to shop exclusively on Amazon and online at big box stores. Yet, this year it is more important than...
Planning a COVID-Conscious Outdoor Gathering A year ago, a COVID campfire guide would never have occurred to me. These days, COVID-conscious outdoor gatherings are my preferred way to spend time with others. I had been talking for months about planning a small backyard gathering, but...
Prepped for a Different Crisis This is not the global crisis I had imagined. My imaginary crisis was fueled by books, movies and zombies. I was mentally prepared to flee the city and live off the land with my extended family. I went so far...
Regifting Rebellion When I first started this post, I thought I would be providing tips and rules for conscientious regifting. However, the rules of regifting don’t sit right with me. They are geared toward making sure the gift and its giver never cross paths again....
A Birthday Gift Macrame is quickly becoming the on-trend gift of the season and with Spring upon us, now is the time to get on board with this boomerang craft. I recently started looking into macrame as I was plotting a birthday gift for that...
The Theory Sometimes the story behind the gift is as meaningful as the gift itself. Great gift stories are born of those fated finds that are too perfect to pass up. As any bargain shopper who frequents the racks of TJ Maxx or Marshalls will...
Once upon a time, I gave a friend the gift of expired chocolate for her birthday and it was the worst. If you think of all of the positive reactions and feelings associated with giving a good gift, imagine the inverse of that and you...
The Alcohol Evolution Before I get into alcohol-related gifts, let’s flashback to spring break 2001. Instead of a booze forward, hook-up-filled Panama City spring break, my friends and I went to Charleston, SC for a more refined and historically significant spring break experience. On our...
My youngest sister gives amazing gifts. Being the oldest sibling in our trio, it is, of course, my job to tease her mercilessly and draw unwelcome attention to her remarkable skill. Things like… “Jane wins Christmas again.”“What did you whittle for us this year?”“Been creating...