the holiday storm
Man, the holidays are HERE. Today I got a huge shipment of all the photo gifts I had made for Christmas (well, I'm still missing one that's due in tomorrow) including all of my holiday cards (personal and business) and my new mailing labels. Huzzah! And now the holiday card envelope-stuffing party can commence! It will be taking place in front of the Buffy reruns I have tivo'd and accompanied by a big glass of wine. Wish me luck!And on that note, yesterday I offered up some gift ideas for people who have too much stuff. The theme was getting time back into your life. Today I'm going to offer up ideas on consumable gifts -- which are wonderful to receive and better yet, can be used up and don't take up space. Here are some favorites:1. Tarot card/palm reading: This is something that most people love to have done (it’s not just me, is it?), but nobody wants to really pay for. But what a fun night! You can treat and the both of you can go and learn your future!2. Wine from a favorite restaurant: A bottle of wine is ALWAYS welcome in this household, but make it something that I have a great memory or experience with and it’s even better. Pay attention when friends comment on delicious wine and then snap a cell-phone picture of the label for future gifts. Then remind them in the card of the lovely evening you spent at Restaurant X, and the bottle has much more meaning. And if your shopping for me, you should know that Cocobon is a favorite. And? It's only seven bucks!3. Massage. This one almost goes without saying – just make sure your friend isn’t creeped out by the touch of strangers, as this is more common than you might imagine.4. Class. There are so many fun classes out there! Whether your friend has mentioned that they’ve always wanted to be a better cook or they wish they had been taught how to dance (ballroom! Belly! Hip-hop!) or they wish they knew French, these things make for great, long-lasting gifts. And, um, I would be a pretty horrible business owner if I didn't remind you that I'm teaching a photography class in January that would be a stellar (and very generous) gift.*5. Tickets to shows. Whether it’s the upcoming Guthrie performance or the punk band at the Triple Rock, tickets to the arts give them a fun memory, and it’s even better if you can attend with them.6. Soap. Yes! Soap! Us girls love the fancy soaps from Caldrea or Thymes or Restoration Hardware. But we don't like to spend money on it! It's fabulous to put out for your guests so that we can all pretend we bathe in luxury every day of the year.* I also sell gift certificates for photography sessions! Another nice idea...Ok, ok. Enough about presents! How about an internet share of the day? My friend Sarah wrote up a post about the fact that you decide what your holiday experience is like. I love it!