Okay, some of you may be thinking it’s a little early in the year for this, but with my small budget and my large gift list it’s never too early to get started on holiday planning! Between my five kiddos, my parents, my best friend and gift exchange parties at work I have a lot of people to buy Christmas gifts for. That’s not even considering the neighbors, the mail lady, the kids’ teachers, and all the other people I can’t remember right now! If I don’t start thinking about this stuff early then my entire budget is blown for months. That’s why I REALLY need a Christmas Planner and I thought it’d be awesome to share these super holiday strategies with you.
 Hilarious Gift Ideas for Co-Workers & Office Parties
Our annual office holiday party is always a riot and we all enjoy participating in a “Dirty Santa” gift exchange where everyone brings a wrapped gift (usually a max of $20), we draw numbers to see who gets to pick first and the next people in line can either “steal” an already opened gift (up to twice per gift or it might never end) or choose another wrapped gift. It’s hilarious when everyone wants to steal the same gift and super fun to see what everyone brings. Sometimes it’s pretty obvious when people are re-gifting something they’d really like to get rid of and there are always the usual gift cards and alchohol gift sets, but the best ones are the funny but useful gifts that everyone wants to fight over so I pulled together this list of my favorite amusing gift ideas for co-workers and office parties.
 
The Ultimate Wine Lovers Gift Guide
What kind of gift do you get for that friend or loved one who already has everything? Well if you have any wine lovers on your gift list then that makes it easy to find the perfect gift they’re sure to enjoy. There are so many wine themed gifts to choose from – everything from this hilarious glass that holds a whole bottle of wine to the practical plant watering spikes that used recycled wine bottles.
Personalized Gifts Are Timeless
As wonderful as the holiday season is, it can also be a stressful time. One source of stress could be the uncertainty of what gifts to buy for those on your holiday gift list. A few other trying moments might arise as you strive to create a holiday home decor that is as exquisite as those you see on display or one that is unique to your design style. One way to ease some of your holiday stress comes from a tradition that started many years ago. It’s origin is explained in numerous ways, but regardless of how the tradition of hanging stockings at Christmas began, it’s a tradition that continues to delight children and adults today.
Your family on display
Each person in your family has a unique personality. The display of stockings you hang during the holidays can be a visual example of those personalities. Not only can you hang stockings that have been personalized with each person’s name, you can hang stocking that directly relate to each person’s personality. From whimsical to elegant and from camo to purple velvet, there’s a stocking that complements all personalities. Your holiday stocking display can be somewhat like a family portrait when you hang individualized stockings. You’ll want to be sure to include pet theme stockings for the furry ones in your household.
Great gifts
Personalized gifts tend to become treasured keepsakes. You can eliminate a lot of your gift selection stress when you browse through the stocking designs at a site such as http://www.giftsforyounow.com/personalized-christmas-stockings 559.aspx. Matching a stocking design to a someone’s personality and having their name put on it is a thoughtful gift that is sure to reappear each year when the holiday decorations are unpacked. Long after the surprises that are placed in the stocking have been eaten or used, the stocking itself will continue to be a treasured part of each holiday season.
Decor
You can select stockings that are traditional or ones that are far beyond traditional in design to add to your holiday decor. Adding your personal touch to them makes them a more treasured part of your holiday decorations.
Decorating your home with stockings that are a display of each person’s individuality can make everyone feel special. The holidays are all about family, friends and special moments. A personalized gift can be a tangible memento that preserves those special moments.
 Frugal Gift Idea: Old Fashioned Paper Treat Bags
When I was young, my grandmother used to bake doughnuts every hunting season and place a dozen in a little brown lunch bag. She’d give them out to her sons on the first day of hunting season.
This holiday season, I thought about those ordinary little brown lunch bags. They were just the right size for a dozen mini doughnuts, and so why not a dozen holiday cookies?
If you have a few Christmas cookie cutters lying around, some brown paper lunch bags, and some scrapbook paper or construction paper—this craft should be a cinch!
Make paper shapes by tracing your cookie cutters on paper. Then attach your shapes to the brown paper bags using regular craft glue. Use a marker and write some type of holiday greeting below.
You can add little embellishments like ribbon or rhinestones like the stars on the little trees of the bags pictured.
It’s that simple. Aren’t they cute? Place a dozen or so cookies inside and they’re ready to give away for treats or cookie exchanges! (These are stapled or you can just double fold the tops and seal with stickers or gift tags.)
Romantic at heart, Susan Lower is one crafty mom. She has written over a hundred articles for venues such as ehow, triond, ezinearticles.com, and newspapers. When Susan’s not writing, she enjoys visiting friends and a good cup of tea. To find out more about Susan Lower you can visit her site at www.susanlower.com.
 
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