Just because your mornings and the ensuing rat race may feel mundane, the fuel that gets you going and the apparatus it comes in do not have to bore you. I want to revive the reputation of your most under appreciated friend - the coffee mug. Although coffee mugs have been given so often as presents that they carry a boring reputation, they are still a great gift. They just need to be dressed up a bit.
Fill a mug with candy, tea bags, or coffee beans. You can put a small stuffed animal in a mug or fill it with silk flowers. Coffee mugs do not have to be boring. Check out antique malls or artsy retailers for a great mug that reflects your personality. You are more than the world's greatest grandma - say so with unique coffee mugs.
I have to say that I am not a big fan of some types of personalized coffee mugs. I really do not want to wake up and see the skewed face of my mother in the morning. You have seen those, right - the coffee mugs that you can put a picture on? Basically, I think it is a good general rule not to create anything or give anything as a gift that will lead to the recipient eating off of your face. Read that last sentence again and try to tell me that you disagree. If you do, you are kind of a freak, huh?
Coffee mugs can do a lot more than just hold coffee. I own a few large coffee mugs that are the size of soup bowls. I use them for everything from ice cream, soup, cereal, or even a pasta dinner. These oversized coffee mugs are perfect for any food or drink. Since they have handles, as do most all coffee mugs, they are easy to hold onto if you want to have a snack in bed or in front of the television.
Ramen noodles are a perfect fit in these coffee mugs and I think that size of mug is perfect for keeping the spilling accidents at a minimum. As a habitual mess maker myself, I can attest to the importance of dinnerware that is designed in such a way that makes it difficult to spill. The large mugs I use for all kinds of meals can be held comfortably in my hands and I have yet to spill with them. Rethink the great mug. It may be a better gift idea than you remember. You may be able to take care of a lot of the people on your Christmas gift list by finding the right mugs.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Creative gift ideas review
The holiday season is a great time for celebrating; however there is a great deal of stress that comes with the season. There are parties to plan and attend as well as gift giving to contend with. The gift giving gets tricky if you do not know if the other person is planning on giving you a gift. I used to worry about that, so I would avoid buying gifts for people that I did not receive things from, so as not to embarrass them. I then decided that this was silly. If I found creative gift ideas for someone I bought the items for the person so that I could experience the joy of giving.
Some people seem easier to buy for than others. There are many times when I am out shopping and I will find something that I know a friend or family member could use or would enjoy having. Then there are people on the shopping list that no matter how hard I try I cannot come up with creative gift ideas. These are usually the people that I feel obligated to get a gift for rather than people I enjoying giving to. My father-in-law falls into that category. For years I have spent hours looking for the perfect gift for him for father’s day, birthdays and Christmas. No matter what creative gift ideas I would come up with he would find something wrong with the gift. I finally told my husband that it was not worth the time or effort to try to come up with something special for him. My father-in-law is a very practical man so we started giving him things that he used all the time. We gave him certificates for car washes, gift cards to his favorite grocery store and also gift certificates for fills of gasoline. These were not the most creative gift ideas, but he actually appreciated the gestures.
I have found that I now shop quite differently for gift giving occasions. I think strictly of the person and how they react to gifts. If they are a person that appreciates time and efforts that go into creative gift ideas, then I will put forth the effort. If the gift is for a person that is not appreciative then I will go the more practical route in my gift giving. This way the person is going to make use of the gift and I will not have the frustration or hurt feelings of putting effort into gift giving that is not appreciated.
Some people seem easier to buy for than others. There are many times when I am out shopping and I will find something that I know a friend or family member could use or would enjoy having. Then there are people on the shopping list that no matter how hard I try I cannot come up with creative gift ideas. These are usually the people that I feel obligated to get a gift for rather than people I enjoying giving to. My father-in-law falls into that category. For years I have spent hours looking for the perfect gift for him for father’s day, birthdays and Christmas. No matter what creative gift ideas I would come up with he would find something wrong with the gift. I finally told my husband that it was not worth the time or effort to try to come up with something special for him. My father-in-law is a very practical man so we started giving him things that he used all the time. We gave him certificates for car washes, gift cards to his favorite grocery store and also gift certificates for fills of gasoline. These were not the most creative gift ideas, but he actually appreciated the gestures.
I have found that I now shop quite differently for gift giving occasions. I think strictly of the person and how they react to gifts. If they are a person that appreciates time and efforts that go into creative gift ideas, then I will put forth the effort. If the gift is for a person that is not appreciative then I will go the more practical route in my gift giving. This way the person is going to make use of the gift and I will not have the frustration or hurt feelings of putting effort into gift giving that is not appreciated.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
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