Tag: Holiday

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Craft crafts Holiday Winter

Easy Christmas Crafts: How to Make a Wine Cork Reindeer with Pipe Cleaners

Easy Christmas crafts are the best. You can use them as decoration, give them as gifts, or turn them into a Christmas tree ornament. This easy Christmas craft is a wine cork reindeer, and you might already have the materials on hand.

Easy Christmas Craft

How to Make a Wine Cork Reindeer as an Easy Christmas Craft

Required Material:

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

How to Make It:

Step 1

Using a knife, cut one wine cork in half crosswise. Then cut each half lengthwise to make four legs. It’s okay if they are uneven, mine were and the reindeer still stands. 🙂

Step 2

Cut two skinny slices of a second wine cork, crosswise again. One slice will be used for the neck, and the other will be cut to make the tail and ears.

Step 3

Set aside the slice for the neck, and then cut the other slice in half. Set aside one half for the tail, and then cut the other half in half again. These two pieces will be used for the ears.

Step 4

Using your hot glue gun, glue the four legs to one side of a full wine cork.

Step 5

Flip the cork over so that the legs are pointing down as if the reindeer is standing. Then glue the slice of cork intended for the neck on the end of the same full cork.

Step 6

Take another full cork and clue one end of it to the neck, with the rest of the cork hanging over the front of the “body”. This cork is the head.

Step 7

Take the half slice and glue it to the back of the “body” cork, with the curve of the cork facing outward.

Step 8

Find the two ear pieces (the half slice that you cut in half again), and glue them to the “head” cork, on the end where it’s glued to the neck.

Step 9

Twist two brown pipe cleaners around your pinky finger or a pencil to make spirals for antlers. Glue the tips of these pipe cleaners directly in front of the ears.

Step 10

Twist together one red and one sparkly red pipe cleaner to make a scarf for your reindeer. You can use any colors you want, but I used red. Green would be another cute option.

Step 11

Wrap the pipe cleaner scarf around the neck, adding a little hot glue to make sure it covers the neck.

Step 12

Add a green pompom to the front of the scarf (if you want).

Step 13

Place a small red pompom on the tip of the “head” cork to make a red reindeer nose.

Step 14

Add googly eyes.

Other Easy Christmas Crafts

If you love making easy Christmas crafts or doing sensory activities, check out these posts:

Recap: Easy Christmas Crafts – Wine Cork Reindeer with Pipe Cleaners

Now that you have your easy Christmas craft planned, you can get started making homemade ornaments and celebrating with your family.

What is your favorite part of Christmas? Leave a comment and let us know. 

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Craft crafts Holiday

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts: How to Make a Wine Cork Turkey with Pipe Cleaners

I love holiday crafts, especially when I don’t have to buy anything new for them. I have plenty of wine corks and pipe cleaners, so a wine cork turkey came to mind as an easy thanksgiving craft. My kids enjoyed making them, too. I helped put their pipe cleaners in but they did the rest and loved the result. 🙂

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts, Wine Cork Turkey

How to Make a Wine Cork Turkey as an Easy Thanksgiving Craft

Required Material:

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

How to Make It:

  • 1: Twist the pipe cleaners around your pinky finger, a pencil, or another thin object. Then slide the pipe cleaners off without straightening them, making sure to keep the curls.
  • 2: Stick the pointy metal edges of the pipe cleaners into the cork, leaving space for all four colors to go around. The pipe cleaners mimic feathers, so make sure they go around the back.
  • 3: Glue on the googly eyes. If you don’t have googly eyes, you can make eyes out of paper and glues those on instead.
  • 4: Cut a beak from orange paper and a gobbler from red paper. I ran out of red paper so I just found some red in a magazine and cut that into a gobbler.
  • 5: Glue on the beak and gobbler, and you have your turkey. 🙂

Other Easy Fall Crafts

If you love making fall crafts or doing sensory activities, check out these posts:

Recap: Easy Thanksgiving Craft – Wine Cork Turkey with Pipe Cleaners

Now that you have your easy Thanksgiving craft planned, don’t forget about Thanksgiving dinner! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and I’m excited about all parts of it.

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving? Leave a comment and let us know. 🙂

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Gifts Holiday

4 Proven Ways to Make a Gift More Meaningful

Make a Gift More Meaningful

What makes a meaningful gift? Is it the high cost or how much thought went into choosing the perfect item? This topic has generated diverse perspectives. However, what cuts across is the aim to find a special gift the receiver will cherish, whether it is a DIY, purchased, or experiential. Statistics indicate that 36% of gift-givers feel the need to outdo themselves with these presentations. This technique may not be advisable because of the tension it creates. Here are some ways to make your gifts more meaningful. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be something nobody wants.

Make a Gift More Meaningful
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How to Make a Gift More Meaningful

1. Consider experiential gifts

There has been a lot of discussion over experiential gifts being the most meaningful. While there is no evidence to prove that it is the best among the lot, the following reasons seem to support why people may feel so. First, an experiential gift primarily involves offering an experience rather than an item. Many believe these have more lasting impressions on the receiver than a material gift.

For others, the idea of eliminating waste is why experiential gifts may hold more meaning. The absence of wrapped gifts and boxes is their way of contributing to a green environment. So, if this is what you opt for, there are considerations to make it count even more. If you’re gifting a paid-for vacation abroad, it is advisable to find out if the receiver has a passport to travel. It would take a lot of creativity to find that out. If you are gifting a ticket to a game, it would be best to know if that is their favorite team. Research should focus on an experiential gift for a loved one, so keep this in mind.

2. Connect your gift to the receiver’s interests

Gifts can be meaningful when connected to the receiver’s interests and hobbies. These presents will be cherished and appreciated for a long time. It’s the same if the gift is related to their occupation. For example, if you’re presenting the present to a physician, you can consider a customized stethoscope for personal day-to-day use.

If their hobby is hunting, skiing, gardening, floristry, or other, all you have to do is find the appropriate tools relevant to these activities. If they have a green thumb or love flowers, you can send them unique flowers from popular sites such as lebouquetfleurs.com.

3. Meeting the receiver’s needs to make a gift more meaningful

Sometimes, a gift is meaningful when it meets the receiver’s needs. But how can you determine that in the first place? People have many different needs; therefore, getting it right from the onset can make all the difference. If it is a financial need, would you be in a position to part with a significant sum? Moreover, how much would be enough to meet their financial needs? Undoubtedly, this is tricky, but there is a way to go around it.

If the person to be gifted is someone you know personally, it would be easy to fish for more background information. When the receiver is a struggling parent, you may present them with a grocery shopping gift card for a particular month. That would meet their monthly needs and would mean a lot to them. Some people may be offended when gifted money without any explanation, so keep this in mind. Therefore, when unsure of their reaction, a safer option would be to present the money as a token to buy anything the amount will cover.

4. Passing down a legacy

This type of gifting is popular in families. It creates much more meaning when something that holds value gets passed on from one generation to the next. Things like hand-made family recipe books from parents to older children make meaningful gifts. It could also be a family heirloom passed onto specific genders within the family. 

The exciting thing about this type of gifting is the idea of a valuable item having moved through generations. It creates a sense of responsibility to protect the item and ensure it is in excellent condition to pass to the next generation.

Lastly, your gift would be meaningful if when centered around a shared memory. It is best when you’ve been old friends or a family, so feel free to consider this. The longer the relationship has existed, the more memories you can choose between.

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Adulting Gifts Holiday

4 Best Gift Ideas for all Kinds of Husbands and Dads

At some point in our lives, we want to express our love for our husbands or fathers with gifts. While this may seem like a piece of cake, many of us often find it hard to select the right gift for our husbands or dads. The best gift ideas are the ones that he’ll like, but first you have to figure that out.

What would he like?  

Do you buy him a fancy wallet, a record player, a pet dog, or a ticket to an exciting vacation spot in Oahu, Hawaii? 

Rather than spend so much time and brain power trying to come up with the ideal gift for your husband or dad, you can take some inspiration from the awesome gift ideas below. These gift ideas are designed for all kinds of husbands and dads and will go a long way in making them feel loved and appreciated. 

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Best Gift Ideas For Men

1. Personalized Song 

When you think of gifts, what are the standard options that come to mind? Accessories, gadgets, and other types of valuable articles, right?  

But what if we told you that you could try something out of the norm? Something as unique as creating a personalized song for your husband. 

But how do you make the song? 

What should be its content? 

To ensure that the song resonates with your husband, we advise that you incorporate exciting family memories and milestones into its lyrics. If you aren’t sure how to go about this, you can use the services of an artist who will create the song based on the personal details you provide and present it to you in an MP3 file. 

2. A Grill Master Crate is a Best Gift Idea

Is your husband a grill fanatic? Does he often jump at any opportunity to display his grilling skills to people who care to watch? If so, consider getting him a Grill Master Crate. 

A grill master crate is one of the best gifts for meat mastery. It comes with everything your husband needs to organize an exceptional backyard barbecue. With the master crate, he can soften meat using a brass knuckle meat tenderizer, then daub it in a quality spice mixture and two flavors of BBQ sauce.  

3. Jewelry and Collectibles  

When you think of jewelry, your mind may drift to females. However, men love jewelry too. In fact, while women buy more jewelry each year, men are known to spend more on these accessories. So, if your husband is a jewelry fan, find his preferences and go for them. 

Common types of men’s jewelry are: 

  • Wristwatches 
  • Bracelets 
  • Rings 
  • Necklaces 

In addition to jewelry, another thing you can consider gifting your husband is collectibles. There are many collectibles for him out there. You can check out websites for inspiration. Whichever choice you make, ensure that it suits his taste and has lots of thoughts behind it.  

4. Play Station 5 

Guys and games are like 5 and 6, or as some would say, screw and bolts. So if your husband still has the gaming passion, then a better way to melt his heart is by getting him a brand new PlayStation 5. 

Unlike older models, the PlayStation 5 comes with an awe-inspiring design. It boasts of quick loading speed, cutting-edge graphics, and mind-blowing games. But, we must warn you that this game has the potential to captivate your husband in ways unimaginable, probably to the extent that you always have to remind him to eat. 

Best Gift Ideas

Figuring out the best gift for your husband or dad will be difficult if you don’t understand his preferences. First, you need to take note of your husband’s tastes, things he fantasizes about, and anything he finds appealing. Next, match your gift with his preferences, and you’ll be surprised with the outcome.  

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Gifts Holiday

Thoughtful DIY Gift Ideas To Wow Your Friends And Family

When choosing a gift for someone you love, the best ones are the gifts with meaning. Thoughtful DIY gift ideas will wow your friends and family, and you’ll give something they’ll never forget.

But how can you find the perfect gift for people you love? Let’s be honest; there is nothing more frustrating than feeling confused in the mall while surveying your gift options and still getting something boring and mainstream.

So, wouldn’t you want to gift your loved ones something special and unique? If yes, then this article is just the right thing you need. Here’s a list of some easy and thoughtful gift ideas to wow your family and friends. Keep scrolling through the article to find the perfect gift option.

Painted mason jar lantern

What if we tell you that you can literally gift light to people you love. Yes, that’s right. All you need is a simple glass jar and use your creativity to decorate it.

Here are the steps you would need to follow to create a perfect mason jar lantern.

Use acrylic paint to paint stripes of the insides of a mason jar.
Once the paint dries, use a battery-operated tea light and place it in the jar.
Decorate the lid with a piece of colorful ribbon or twine, and you’ll be good to go.

However, if creating a lantern isn’t possible, you can also use a plain mason jar and transform it into a spectacular candy jar. For this, you will need to paint the jar with acrylic paint, write some loving words and fill the jar with mouthwatering candies.

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Designer DIY quilt

If someone in your family loves quilting or sewing, then gifting them a designer DIY quilt is one of the best ways to impress and wow them. They would definitely love those beautiful patterns and the efforts you put in for them.

But how will you create a designer DIY quilt? In order to make a designer quilt, you will first need to learn the dynamics of quilting. And enrolling yourself in one of the best online quilting courses could be your go-to solution to learn the art. You will learn how to play with patterns and colors during your course using basic techniques.

Once you’ve learned the basics of quilting, you can easily create DIY gifts such as quilt hanging sleeves and many more. Consider adding a label to your DIY designer quilt for your family and friends to remember you.

Think about what you’ll need for your sewing projects so that you have all the materials and equipment required to do a successful job.

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Custom-made jewelry

Custom-made jewelry is definitely the best way to impress your fashionista friends. From elegant birthstone bracelets to cute pom-pom earrings, you have multiple options to choose from.

Such gifts are super creative and fun and allow your friends to flaunt their style. Not to mention, it also helps you add a personal touch to the gift.

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Final Thoughts: DIY Gift Ideas For Friends and Family

There is something extraordinary about DIY gifts. They literally show the efforts you put in to create something special for your loved ones. So, use the DIY gift options mentioned above and wow your friends and family with your creativity and skills.

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For the Home Home

4 Simple Tips To Improve Your Home Security In Winter

When you think about winterizing your home, reviewing your security might not be the first thought you have. It’s true that home security matters all year round. It does, however, arguably matter more in winter because nights are longer, people go out more, and there are new Christmas presents in homes. With that in mind, here are four tips to improve your home security.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Improve Your Home Security
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Improve Your Home Security In Winter

Check Your Doors and Windows

You should be checking your doors and windows all year round, but it’s particularly essential in fall and winter. It’s more important because any damage to your doors and windows will usually impact your insulation as well as your security. For example, if the glass is loose in the frame, it’s easier for cold wind to get in and usually easier for a criminal to break or cut.

In general, you can usually work around minor damage for the course of the fall and winter. Then you can get your doors or windows replaced in the warmer months when it’s less disruptive. (Bremerton Window has some great options for replacement windows). However, severe damage will need to be dealt with no matter the season.

If your door doesn’t have any security features on it, then now is the time to install some. Smart doorbells can enhance your security, but it’s risky to rely on them. They need both power and internet connectivity to work. Both of these can be vulnerable in winter. A plain, old-fashioned door-chain and viewing glass always work no matter what.

Make Sure You Have Plenty of Light

Light serves two purposes. First, it allows visitors to find their way to your door. Second, it makes it easier to see unusual or unexpected visitors. These visitors may be legitimate as winter tends to be the time of year when people get a lot of home deliveries. Then again, they may not be safe visitors.

Because people get so many deliveries in winter, it can be a cover for criminals. These days, many packages are delivered by freelance delivery drivers. The companies behind them may encourage them to wear branded clothing, but it can be legally challenging to make it obligatory. What’s more, branded clothing doesn’t guarantee that somebody works for a company.

Ideally, you want to use motion-sensitive lighting. It’s the most economical (and environmentally-friendly) form of light. Plus, it can act as a form of alarm. Seeing a light suddenly come on will often draw your attention to somebody approaching your home. Criminals are well aware of this.

Protect Your Driveway

The closer a criminal can park to your door, the easier it is for them to move your property into their vehicle. This may sound far-fetched but remember, winter has long hours of darkness, bad weather, and many tradespeople doing legitimate business. All of this provides perfect cover for criminals. Fortunately, it’s now easy to protect your driveway.

If you already have or can install a fence or wall, you can add an electric gate. These essentially work in a similar way to automatic garage doors. In other words, you can open them without getting out of your car. Plus, you can get them in swing and slide versions, so you should be able to get something to suit your space.

If you can’t have a fence or wall, you can use smart parking barriers. These are basically rise-and-fall barriers you can operate from your phone without getting out of your car. They are easy to install and do a great job of protecting your driveway without sacrificing convenience.

Remember Out of Sight is Out of Mind

Technically, this isn’t strictly true. Criminals know that people will have presents in the house around Christmas time. They also know that people tend to go out more around Christmas time. You do not, however, need to make life easy for them.  

Keep your valuables out of sight and out of mind. If you put presents under the tree, keep the tree out of sight of the window or use fake gifts. It’s best to do both. The sight of fake presents might be enough to tempt a criminal to attack your home. Once they’re in, they may take a lot more than your fake gifts.

Similarly, be careful what you post on social media. Even if you think it’s private, it’s impossible to stop information from being shared, often with entirely innocent intentions. Keep information about your gifts and plans for people who need to know and encourage them to keep it private.

Tips To Improve Your Home Security In Winter

Protecting your home in the winter can be easy if you know what to do. These tips to improve your home security can make all the difference. Do you have any other tips to share? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Family Activities Holiday Our Family Parenting

The Best Matching Pajamas and Outfits for the Holidays

Christmas seems to be the best time of year for matching pajamas and outfits. While matching Christmas pajamas are the most popular, there are also many matching Christmas outfits for the family. If you start planning your family’s Christmas apparel now, it’ll be one less stress for you when the countdown gets closer.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Matching Pajamas and Outfits for Christmas

Matching Pajamas for Christmas

1. Burt’s Bees Pajamas

These pajamas for the whole family are so cute. My favorite print is the reindeer print, but you can also choose between:

  • Winter Hats
  • Snowflakes
  • Christmas Tress
  • Buffalo Check
  • Stripes

2. Elf Green Stripe Family Pajamas

These cute pajamas are fun and festive. You’ll all love wearing them, all they’ll be perfect for a Christmas Eve photoshoot.

3. Plaid Pajamas With a Deer and Tree

I love these pajamas for a few reasons. First, I love plaid. Second, the tree and deer are so cute, and they’re perfect for everyone in the family. The deer and tree aren’t the only patterns available, either, so take a look!

4. Christmas Lights Pajamas

These pajamas are the perfect ones to wear while decorating the Christmas tree together. I love the navy blue with Christmas lights. Plus, you can get pajamas for your family pet, too.

5. Plaid Flapback Pajamas

Is there anything cuter than flapback pajamas? These plaid pajamas have cute little bears on the bottom, making the flap even better. Click the link to check out the other patterns because there are plenty to choose from.

Matching Outfits for Christmas

1. Matching Ugly Christmas Sweaters

There are so many options for matching ugly Christmas sweaters. Plan for your holiday get together and choose which pattern is best for your family. I love the dinosaur print ugly Christmas sweaters.

2. Plaid Matching Mommy and Me Christmas Dresses

There is nothing cuter or more fun than matching your mini on Christmas or at a holiday party. These dresses are perfect, but there are other styles available, too.

3. Green Plaid Matching Dresses

These green plaid dresses are adorable and super festive. The best part is that you can easily find matching flannel shirts for the boys to wear. There’s also a red option available.

4. Whole Family Matching Plaid Outfit

I love these matching family outfits because everything you need is on one listing. Dresses available for mom and daughter, and flannel shirts for the boys. You won’t have to look anywhere else for the final pieces.

5. Knitted Ugly Christmas Sweaters

My family loves dinosaurs, so I’m all about dinosaur sweaters. These ugly Christmas sweaters come in all sizes, so everyone in the family can have one. The festive colors make the sweaters perfect for dressing up or down, too.

Fun Matching Accessories

You can pull the outfits together by adding some matching accessories. Consider Santa hats, reindeer antlers, comfy socks, or slippers.

Matching Pajamas and Outfits

The Best Matching Pajamas and Outfits

Get ahead of the holidays and start choosing your matching pajamas and outfits for your family. Which of the matching pajamas and outfits are your favorites? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Gifts Holiday

5 Ways to Find The Perfect Gifts This Christmas

Find The Perfect Gifts

Christmas is getting closer and closer, so now is the time to start thinking about planning your gifts. It can sometimes be a challenge to find the perfect gifts, but it doesn’t have to be this way. These tips will help you find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.

Find The Perfect Gifts
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How to Find The Perfect Gifts

Organize The Present As An Event

Be creative with your packaging! Think of the gifting experience as an event rather than just handing them a gift packaged in ordinary wrapping paper. One idea is to put together a scavenger hunt and hide the gift. Another idea is to put the present inside a giant stuffed shark that the receiver must undergo surgery to remove. 

Whatever fun event you choose for your gift-giving, remember how much fun it is to unwrap presents. Quantity isn’t always the best measure of quality, especially if there are a lot of small, individually wrapped items.

Give An Experience

If someone in your life loves the book Les Miserables but already has the book, movie, and movie poster, consider an experience instead. Maybe you can buy the person theatre tickets to see a performance and go on a theatre trip. If they love driving, book a driving experience. Or perhaps they love food and would enjoy a cooking class or a meal out. Gifting an experience is like gifting memories. 

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Make A List Of All Their Likes And Interests to Find the Perfect Gifts

Make this list as long as you can, spending at least two minutes writing down everything you can think of. Now, think of something to go with each item on your list, no matter how small or large. You don’t have to give all of those presents, but you’ll come up with some unique ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise, and when you combine a few of them, your recipient will appreciate how personalized and thoughtful you were. Do they love jewelry? Think about opals Australia. 

Look At The Past 

If the gift-receiver has any favorite memories they would like to share, give a gift related to the memory. If you think you can recreate it, be creative and give it a shot. You can also consider printing out a canvas picture of it for them to hang on their wall.

What Do They Need? 

Everyone needs something, even if they don’t know it. Sometimes, it’s important to think broader. Is there anything a busy, successful business person needs? Most likely time. Consider buying them something that makes them more efficient so they can finish sooner.

If you are unsure what to get, ask your friends or others you know. If your sister goes to nursing school, make a nurse survival kit. By looking at that person on a more general level, you’ll be able to step outside your normal perspective, giving you creative ideas.

Find The Perfect Gifts This Christmas

This guide should help you find the perfect gift every time. Do you have any other tips that could help you get the right gift this Christmas? Leave a comment and share your tips! 🙂 

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Adulting Gifts Holiday How To Parenting

4 Ways To Save More Money In Your Christmas Budget

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Most of us are trying to figure out how to save more money this holiday season. This can be useful if you are struggling with your personal budget right now. Or, it can be useful if you are simply trying to stay ahead of your finances. Luckily, there are some great ways to keep the costs low and ensure that you still have fun with your family. 

save more money on christmas, save money on christmas, save money during the holidays, how to have a good christmas without money
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Check Out A Gift Guide 

First, you might want to think about exploring a Christmas gift guide at The Art of Doing Stuff or a similar resource. You’ll find lots of guides like this around the festive season that can be ideal for people who are trying to save.

There are always a few budget-friendly choices for a variety of individuals to choose from. You might also want to think about looking at guides that are laid out specifically for certain people. For instance, you can find him/her guides as well as guides for kids, boyfriends, and even those who are tricky to buy for. 

Gift Guides You Make Enjoy

Don’t Forget The Deals 

Next, you can think about exploring different business deals. There are always deals around the holiday season that will be perfect if you’re looking to save.

For instance, you should definitely explore the deals around Black Friday. Be aware that this is starting earlier this year, seemingly as a result of COVID-19. It’s worth noting that Black Friday deals aren’t always quite as they seem. Some products will rise in price a few months early only to drop later. 

You should also think about exploring coupons, codes, and vouchers. You’ll find lots of these online and potentially even a few in your email.

Start Early to Save More Money

A great way to ensure that you can save more money in your Christmas budget is to make sure that you are starting early. It doesn’t need to be the holiday season for you to start buying presents. You can do this at any time during the year and get some great deals on items, too. You could even start buying towards the end of summer. 

Make Your Own Decorations 

Finally, you could think about making your own decorations rather than buying them in-store. This is a great choice if you are concerned about how much you spend decorating your home.

It’s fair to say that the cost of Christmas decorations can certainly add up. You might discover that you are spending at least a couple hundred on your electric bill just to make your house look festive.

If you are interested in this possibility, then you might want to think about exploring a few DIY decoration guides online. This is also something you can do with your kids. 

save more money on christmas, save money on christmas, save money during the holidays, how to have a good christmas without money

Save More Money In Your Christmas Budget

It isn’t difficult to cut costs and save more money on Christmas this year. COVID-19 has hit everyone hard and you might not be prepared for the massive expense the festive season brings. With these tips you can avoid this expense completely or at the very least, reduce it. Do you have any tips for saving money on Christmas? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Gifts Holiday

11 Gifts No One Wants to Get This Christmas

11 Christmas Gifts No One Wants to Get

Each year when Christmas rolls around we buy gifts for the people in our lives. We exchange gifts with our family members, friends, children, and parents. When it comes to giving gifts to those you are closest to, it’s a little easier to buy something you know they’ll like. Sometimes, however, the gift-giving occurs in a group gift exchange or among co-workers, and you may not know what to buy. When this happens, try to avoid buying the gifts no one wants to get.

In these cases, you usually don’t know what specific item to buy, because you either don’t know who will be receiving your gift or you don’t know the person well enough to make an educated decision. This leaves you searching for and buying a gift that most people would like. This can be tricky, as many commonly given gifts in these settings are gifts that no one actually wants.

Now I don’t know about you, but I love to give GREAT gifts. If I gave a gift that no one was excited about or that paled in comparison to the other gifts, I would feel terrible! I would be so embarrassed, and I would feel bad for the person who was stuck with it. No matter who is receiving your gift, you should make sure the gift will be loved so that no one is disappointed (including yourself!).

To help you out, I have compiled a list of the gifts you should avoid giving at Christmas time. Also known as The Gifts No One Wants to Get This Christmas.

11 Gifts No One Wants to Get for Christmas

1. A pet

Giving someone a pet as a gift may seem like a good idea, but it really isn’t. A pet should be personally chosen (by the pet owner) to ensure that there is a bond between the owner and the pet. By gifting a pet, you are giving the receiver a HUGE responsibility.

Welcome to the world of cleaning up after a pet, feeding, grooming, and paying vet bills. While this world is great, it should be something that the pet owner (or the gift receiver, in this case) chooses for themselves. Unless someone specifically asks for a certain pet, avoid this gift at all costs.

2. Exercise equipment

Exercise equipment is a gift no one wants for a couple of reasons.

First, it puts potentially unwanted pressure on the receiver. Either they feel pressured to begin working out, or they just got a gift that will collect dust. There is no in-between.

The second reason that exercise equipment is a bad gift no one wants is that it could be insulting to the receiver. They may feel like you are implying they need to lose weight, which you never want to do when giving someone a gift.

3. Anti-aging cream

Just like with exercise equipment, anti-aging cream could be unintentionally insulting to the receiver. This is a gift best left for personal purchase instead of as a gift.

4. Cleaning supplies

How exciting is it to buy cleaning supplies? Now, consider how fun it is to use or look at cleaning supplies? Not much fun, right? Think about that when you’re buying a gift.

Would someone be excited to unwrap a gift only to find all-purpose cleaner or sponges in the package? I wouldn’t be, especially if everyone around me was opening exciting gifts. If there is nothing pleasurable about it, don’t buy it as a Christmas gift.

5. Gag gifts

While everyone may get a good laugh out of a gag gift at first, it is going to quickly lose its charm. There isn’t much that a person can do with a gag gift, so it ends up being clutter or trash. You don’t want to give a gift that is never used and barely remembered.

Now, ignore this tip if the theme of your gift exchange is gag gifts. Also, ignore this if the gift exchange is between children because children do love a good whoopee cushion or bubble-gum zapper (their parents may hate you for it, though).

6. Lingerie

So, not only could lingerie be an embarrassing gift for the receiver, but it is also a gift that isn’t of much use. If a man gives a woman lingerie as a gift, he is essentially buying a gift for himself. Um, what?!

Men, don’t buy lingerie as a gift for women. Women, don’t give lingerie as a gift for Christmas, either. Save it for a bachelorette party.

7. Socks

Unless the person receiving the gift specifically asked for socks, don’t buy them as a gift. Socks are so impersonal, and it isn’t always very exciting. If you do buy socks as a gift, make sure they are high-quality, fashionable socks. Regular white socks from Walmart should not be a gift.

8. Fruitcake – Gifts no one Wants

I have never in my life met someone who actually likes fruitcake. Why is it still such a popular gift at Christmas time?! Please don’t.

9. Seasonal clothing

If you give someone a Christmas sweater or Christmas leggings as a Christmas gift, they will only be able to wear them that day and then not again until next December. Even if you give the gift a week early, the receiver will only get to wear it a couple of times before the Holidays are over.

10. Gift cards to expensive stores

Unless you are using a large amount of money to buy the gift card, the receiver may actually be inconvenienced here. If you give a $20 gift card to a store that only offers items that cost more than $20, you are forcing the gift receiver to pitch in money for their own gift. They can only use your gift at one store, but if they can’t even afford to buy one item with that gift card, it isn’t really a useful gift. See the problem?

When is a Gift Card Appropriate?

If you want to buy a gift card, make sure it’s to an affordable store or website and put enough money on it that the receiver can buy something without using their own money. Amazon gift cards are my favorite because the receiver of the gift card can literally buy ANYTHING.

11. A vacuum cleaner

If you have carpet in your home, you need a vacuum cleaner. This doesn’t mean anyone (even if they have carpet) wants a vacuum as a Christmas gift. You can say Merry Christmas in a better way than dishing out chores to the receiver. Unless someone specifically requests a new vacuum as a gift, don’t do it.

Gifts No One Wants

Some of the most popular gifts to give are gifts that no one really wants. You may be guilty of giving these gifts yourself. If so, don’t feel bad. Most of us have done it.

This year, avoid giving the worst Christmas gift by avoiding these 11 gifts no one wants. By figuring out which gifts people don’t want to get for Christmas, you have made your choice so much easier. Even if you don’t know what someone DOES actually want, your chances of hitting the mark are much better now.

What gift can you think of that no one wants to get? Better yet, is there a gift that you receive every year that you don’t enjoy? Tell me about it in the comments! Also, tell me what you do with the gifts that you didn’t want after you get them home.

Related post: 5 Tips to Get Away With Re-Gifting (Kidding, Kind Of)

11 Christmas Gifts No One Wants to Get