Gift Ideas Opus

Female Gift Ideas

The holidays are quickly approaching which means you need to start thinking of gift ideas for the females in your life. Here are a few female gift ideas.

Female Gift Ideas

Female sounds like a strange word to use in this article, but there really isn’t any other way to group moms, wives, girlfriends, sisters, daughters and so on. With that in mind, here are the top female gift ideas, which you can find online by just searching for each name.

1. Sonic Stain Remover – .The Sonic Stain Remover is an electric clothing stain remover. It uses ultrasonic vibrations to literally shake the stain off of clothing without doing any damage to the clothing. Will tackle tough stains, even spaghetti sauce and coffee spills. The Sonic Stain Remover will run you as low as $23.99 online.

2. Medi-Points Foot Massager – Think she looks great in those high heels? Well, there killing her feet. Unless you want to be rubbing them all night, you’ll want to invest in the Medi-Points Foot Massager. This foot massager dominates the market because it actually straps her feet down onto the magic balls. Designed by acupuncturist, this gift will bring a sigh from her after a day of hoofing it around in those stilts she calls shoes. You can find it online for $95 to $100.

3. Snore Stopper – This is one of the gifts you give her, but she gives to you, your dad or whomever. The Snore Stopper is a watch-like device that is specially designed to stop people from snoring. It works by giving the snorer a little zing every time they start snoring. It doesn’t hurt, but is just strong enough to force the body to stop snoring. Eventually, the process will train the mind to control the sleeping process in a way that prevents snoring. No snoring means she’ll finally get some sleep! You can expect to pay in the $45 range online.

4. Nomad Writing Journals – If she loves the outdoors or traveling, Nomad Writing Journals make great gifts. These journals are tailored to activities such as travel, fly fishing, bird watching, backpacking, camping, rock climbing and so on. They come with or without a case and provide writing space as well as cues for writing down important information. A great keepsake for her to preserve travel and outdoor experiences. The journals cost as low as $9 without waterproof case and $25 with case.

Whether she’s your mom, girlfriend, wife or, yes, even a sister, she’s important to you. These female gift ideas are a good place to start when buying for her this holiday season.

Author, Rick Chapo, is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of writing journals for travel and outdoor activities. Writing journals make great Christmas gifts for her.

Holiday Shopping Opus

Paying For Your Holiday Shopping By Doing Your Holiday Shopping

Before you know it, the holidays will be upon us. If you're smart, whether you are first considering mystery shopping, or are a seasoned mystery shopper, this year, instead of running up the credit card bills, how about doing your holiday shopping the smart way? By getting paid while doing it!

I am not a big fan of relying on retail mystery shopping as a major source of income. Top-earning mystery shoppers focus on conducting research for companies that fall into the service category such as apartment complexes, home builders, financial service companies, testing centers, car dealers and fitness centers, and do the technology-based shops (audio and video-taped). But since you are likely going to be hitting the malls and your local stores, as well as eating out more as you rush around trying to get everything done once the season is in full swing, you might as well have a game plan in place to get paid for as much of that effort as possible.

For those of you who are new to retail mystery shopping, you can expect to make $7-$25 for each retail-based assignment you do between actual cash and free merchandise. The more you are asked to do, the more the assignment pays. I suggest that everyone focus on the best-paying retail shops--"purchase and return" shops, where you buy something and then return it anywhere from a half an hour to a day later to report on how both parts of the transaction were handled. So, for example, if you did 10 of these shops, you would make $250 to help stretch the holiday budget. Plus, while you are out and about, you can take on a fast-food or restaurant shop and have that paid for as well.

Once the holidays are over, if you enjoyed the experience, you can keep doing mystery shopping as an ongoing source of income on a flexible schedule. If there is a good demand for mystery shoppers in your area, it is entirely possible to make up to $1,000 in a month's time in actual cash and high-end freebies depending upon the types of assignments you do. Mystery shoppers in strong markets who get into the hot new fields of audio and video mystery shopping can make double this amount. Many good shoppers make between $300 and $600 monthly.

So how do you get these assignments to help pay for your holiday shopping and maybe even launch a new, home-based career as a professional mystery shopper? I go over the many ways to do this in great detail, along with lots of other great tips and techniques in my book "The Perfect Work-At-Home Job: Mystery Shopping". But feel free to start by visiting the "Mystery Shopper Lead Resources" page of my web site for a few free links at http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com (click on the left-hand button that says "Leads").

There's a lot more to being a professional, top-earning mystery shopper than just this, but it's a way for you to dabble, make some money this holiday season and get a feel for what is possible. And for those of you who regularly do mystery shopping, this is a great time to make retail and fast food shops worthwhile and use your time wisely for the upcoming holiday season.

Besides her mystery shopping and merchandising work for several top companies, Melanie R. Jordan writes about work-at-home lifestyles, health and fitness and e-publishing. She also has a free monthly e-zine for mystery shoppers called "Perfect Work-At-Home Job Update" (subscribe by e-mail to mscoach@aweber.com). Visit her web site Mystery Shopper Coach’s Corner at http://www.mysteryshoppercoach.com. Melanie R. Jordan E-Publishing.


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Winter Family Fun Opus

Winter Blahs Become Family Fun

After spending another dreary winter Sunday with not much to do I decided our family needed an exciting activity. I thought I needed a break from planning dinner so I'd give myself a break and give them an activity.

I told my children that they were in charge of dinner tonight. They'd each need to prepare one part of the meal- their choice. Three of my four children were home and quite excited about the prospect of dinner plans. Even my sixteen year old son, who only gets excited about playing hockey was in to it. My husband wasn't as keen on the idea.

Each of my children started their dinner plans. They ran to the computer to locate good recipes. I sent them to Simply Delicious ( http://dateable.com/simplydelicious/) where they found some good recipes. They pulled out cookbooks and ran to find their supplies. Of course, what I thought would be a treat for me turned into a bit of extra work but watching everyone scurrying around the kitchen was fun.

My husband didn't realize I meant business and when he returned to the kitchen I told him if he wanted dinner he too needed to bring something to the meal. He's not much of a cook so he took out our dusty juice maker and went to work. He used up a good amount of old fruit and resurrected the use of the juice maker.

What started out as a boring Sunday became a wonderful way for our family to spend quality time together. The kids learned some new recipes and we're back to using our juice maker!!

Sarah Zanger is a freelance writer and mother of four. She is an editor at Dateable.com. Dateable.com is an exciting online community for singles, couples and romance lovers. Dateable.com has romantic resources, advice, poetry, message boards, event postings, greeting cards, contests, personals, opinion polls and more. You can visit Dateable.com at http://dateable.com.

Ho Ho Holidays Ode

Preparing For the Holidays: Ho Ho Ho... or Bah Humbug!

Some of my clients dread the holiday season because it often represents stress, pressure, expectations, guilt, disappointment, pain, loneliness, exhaustion... and the list goes on.

This is a choice. We choose who we spend time with. We choose what activities we say yes and no to. We choose where we go. Your holiday season can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make it, and it can be a lot of fun if you plan accordingly.

Take some time this week to think about what's most important to you this season, and then do a little planning. Here are some suggestions to help.

Create a list of holiday rituals that are important to you.

Seek your family's input on holiday decisions. Ask family members what they liked and disliked about last year's holidays. Write down the most important elements and activities you wish to include this year, and plan to make it happen.

Keeping time-consuming and irrelevant traditions or rituals "just because we've always done it that way" can increase stress. Keep only those traditions that have meaning to you, or create some new ones.

Give yourself permission to be in the moment and enjoy the smells, sounds, feel, and tastes that are unique to this season of the year.

Make a list of those you want to spend time with during the holidays.

Who nourishes you? Who are the family members, friends, and colleagues you enjoy being with?

Do you want to do any entertaining? If so, when and with whom? Plan ahead and ask for help if you want it. True friends and loved ones will not care how many hours you slaved over the stove. Spending time with you is what they'll cherish most. You don't have to be Martha Stewart to throw a great party!

Are you invited to holiday parties that you really don't want to go to, but you've gone in the past because you should? Be at choice -- don't play the victim! This is not about whom you should see, but rather whom you choose to spend time with.

Mail your greeting cards, holiday letters, and packages early.

Some time-saving tips:
- Write a short holiday letter that covers the highlights; copy it on holiday paper and add a note at the end to personalize it. Make a collage of pictures to photocopy on the back side of the letter.
- Use self-adhesive return labels. These labels are inexpensive and often come with festive holiday designs. One great online source for these is Walter Drake at http://www.wdrake.com. Colorful Images is another source. They can be reached at 800-458-7999.
- If you have your addresses on a computerized database, consider printing out your mailing list on clear address labels. Years ago, an old college friend commented that she thought it was tacky to use address labels on holiday cards and letters. I told her that my choice was to either use labels or not mail our annual holiday letter to the 250 people on our list. Now that she has a young family, I've noticed she has started using address labels, too!
- E-mail a holiday letter to those with whom you correspond electronically. You can easily personalize this for each recipient. Attach color photos highlighting the past year. Another alternative is to create a holiday web page, and include the link to it in a personalized e-mail message.
- Mail packages early to avoid longer lines at the post office and ensure they will arrive in time. Or, better yet, sign up with Stamps.com and avoid the lines altogether. You can mail large packages without standing in any lines -- as long as you have an accurate way to weigh them before you purchase postage online.

Thoughtfully plan your gift-giving.

Give from the heart... not out of obligation. Decide whom you choose to give to and make a list. This will help you avoid overspending through impulse buying.

If you think back to the most cherished gifts you have received, they are often homemade or from the heart. A gift of time -- such as a gift certificate redeemable for an activity you can do together -- can be very meaningful. Among the most prized gifts I've ever received have been homemade cards with a heartfelt note written inside. Value goes far beyond the cost of the gift.

A great resource for homemade gift ideas is a book called The Perfect Mix. It contains creative edible gift ideas, including wrapping suggestions and tag instructions, along with a source guide for supplies. The book offers more than 90 recipes for soups, breads, muffins, cookies, and other gifts. The gifts I've created from this book have been very well received and appreciated.

Instead of exchanging gifts with friends, consider having a holiday or post-holiday party with them.

Avoid parking hassles, gridlock traffic around the malls, and long lines at the register by shopping online and through catalogs. A number of retail stores now offer merchandise online, as well. If you are purchasing a gift that needs to be mailed, you can arrange to have it sent directly to the recipient, thus avoiding the extra steps of wrapping, labeling, and mailing the gift.

Spread out your purchase of gifts over the weeks of November and early December. It's easier on the budget, and less stressful than waiting until the last minute.

Wrapping gifts can take a lot of time. Instead of wrapping all of them, use a gift bag with a nice bow tied at the top, or use a decorated gift box.

Consider giving an alternative gift to a friend or loved one by giving to a charity in their name. One of my favorite charities is Heifer Project International. Through living gifts of animals, HPI is helping families worldwide to become self-reliant. You can buy an animal that can change the life of a hungry family and at the same time honor family and friends. Visit HPI's "gift catalog" at http://catalog.heifer.org/index.cfm.

Spread the holiday cheer with those in need.

Volunteer to serve a holiday meal to the homeless, work in a soup kitchen, or work at a food bank.

Adopt a family for the holidays and provide them with gifts or holiday foods. Many churches and non-profit organizations can match you with a needy family.

Look for a Giving Tree in your local retail stores. The tree is filled with cards that list a specific gift desired by someone in need. You select a card off the tree, purchase the suggested gift listed on the card, and return the gift to the tree with the card attached. The store wraps the gift and delivers it to the intended recipient.

The end of the tax year is a great time to review your budget and consider a year-end gift to your favorite charities. This can represent a significant tax deduction if you itemize, while doing great things locally and globally.

Use your calendar.

Now that you're clear about your intentions, calendar them in. Writing them down for follow-up on a specific date will help you to remember to do it and will keep things from falling to the last minute. Here is a list of activities you can pencil in on your calendar:
- Schedule family meeting to discuss plans and intentions for the holiday season
- Make airline, hotel, and rental car arrangements (if traveling out of town for the holidays)-- ASAP!
- Holiday decorating (indoor, outdoor, office, etc.)
- Finalize holiday entertainment plan and guest list
- Mail invitations or call to invite others to events you have planned
- Meal planning and preparation (can some cooking be done ahead of time and frozen?)
- Prepare gift list
- Holiday gift making/holiday baking
- Gift selection & purchase
- Gift wrapping
- Prepare mailing list or database for holiday cards/letters/e-mails
- Prepare holiday cards, letters, e-mails, Website
- Mail cards, letters, packages
- Gather information about volunteer opportunities and calendar in activities you choose to do
- Finalize charitable giving plan for 2000

Happy holiday organizing!

Kathy Paauw, President of Paauwerfully Organized, specializes in helping busy executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs declutter their schedules, spaces and minds. She is a certified business/personal coach and professional organizer. Contact her by visiting her website at http://www.orgcoach.net and learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5 Seconds - Guaranteed!