Tipping For The Holidays: Who To Gift And How Much?

The holidays are the time of year to share your love and appreciation to the most important people in your life. For many, that includes those people who provide support and services throughout the year. From your favorite babysitter, housekeeper or the hair stylist who always gets your cut just the way you like it, a tip - enclosed in an envelope with a handwritten note - is sure to be appreciated.

But how do you know how much to tip?

Holiday tips will vary according to your means, the city in which you live and the type of relationship that you have with the person being tipped. That being said, here are some general guidelines for a few of the outstanding individuals who might be on your list:

* Newspaper person: $15-$25 for daily, $5-$15 for weekend
* Doorman: $25-$100
* Building Custodian: $20-$30
* Building Superintendent: $30-$100 depending on building
* Housekeeper: A week's pay or more
* Babysitter: Two nights pay, or a small gift
* Hair stylist: The cost of a session, plus a small gift
* Personal Trainer: $50
* Parking Attendants: A half-month's garage rate divided among attendants; or $10-$20 per person

If giving cash doesn't feel quite right, is too formal, or policy prohibits it, why not give a small gift? Of course, the challenge of finding a gift for someone you might just know professionally or see only occasionally is you might not know what one item they would appreciate most.

Gift certificates are a versatile and personal way to show your thanks. And while the USPS does have a policy against monetary gifts to postal carriers, nobody said that you can't put a gift certificate in the mailbox. But how do you decide from which store to buy their certificate?

Imagine giving a gift certificate where your recipient can choose the store! GiftCertificates.com offers a SuperCertificate® that lets the person receiving your gift pick from over 200 top stores, restaurants, spas, jewelers and more. It's the gift that's always appreciated because it also gives the gift of choice.

Other people who might enjoy a SuperCertificate® include:

* Teachers
* School Crossing Guard
* Mail carrier (USPS Policy: "Cash equivalent can't exceed $20")
* Co-workers
* Your Administrative Assistant

By giving the gift of choice, you can make the holidays shine bright for someone special with your goodwill. Those who work so hard all year to make you smile are sure to appreciate and remember your generosity.

How to select a perfect gift for dad?

Are you confused in selecting a gift for your dad this birthday? Selecting a gift for your dad can be notoriously difficult. They are often not quite happy with the idea of a birthday gift.

One of the most ideal gifts for your dad would be picking up a traditional shirt or a formal tie. If you really apply your thoughts you could end up gifting your dad with something he will really love.

Tips to select a perfect dad gift
• It would be ideal to ask your dad about the gift hw would like to happy. If he has an idea you could save a lot of your time in selecting a gift for your father.
• You could gift him a once a month gift package. You could find many sites online that deal with once a month gift package. The gift package offers fruits, wine, beer, fishing lures and lots more. You can get the gift package delivered to your father as long as you like.
• You could also gift him with a membership to a nearby museum or some other attraction. In case of some sporting event or concert you could gift him with the tickets.
• If your father is aged you could buy him a year’s pass to the national or state parks.
• You could gift him a dad gift basket full of his favorite stuffs
• You could also gift him a photo album by neatly organizing your family history and photographs.
• You could hand him a prepaid phone card so that he can talk to you fro free

Tips that can help
• Avoid using gag gifts as they become useless after the initial fascination
• If everything fails you could buy a gift certificate
• If you dad plays golf , buy a golf magazine subscription.

Make reading fun - use personalized stories

Reading regularly from an early age has enormous benefits for a child throughout childhood and in later life: * Increased comfort with reading A comfortable reader is a confident reader. This means that the speed with which something can be read increases (useful for absorbing information, in exams, and also later on in the place of work), and the reader is also more likely to be confident and effective when reading aloud. (Presentations, the school play!) * Increased word power Coming in to contact with words more frequently means they are more likely to stick in the reader's mind, improving spelling. Reading often also enhances the chance of encountering new words, and therefore increases the range of the reader's vocabulary * Increased knowledge Whether reading for pleasure or for school, college or work, books help to broaden our horizons, increasing the general knowledge of the reader. So, how can we ensure that our children read, and read regularly? There is a simple thing to bear in mind to ensure a child wants to read - the child has to enjoy reading! And how is this achieved, I hear you say? For a child to enjoy reading, the subject matter must be one that they have some familiarity with and more importantly, that they are interested in. Now here's the real trick : There is nothing that interests any child more than themselves! Personalized stories will inspire the child to read and re-read a story, because this will be able to relate directly with the main character. (It is after all, themselves, usually taking part in some adventure akin to the kind of imaginary play the child would normally partake in.) Even if you are reading a story to an infant or toddler, the repetition of their name will generate interest and excitement in the story which will ensure that they enjoy reading the story themselves when they are older. There are many personalized stories available to buy over the Internet, ranging in price and quality. Because of the personalized nature of them, they make an ideal gift for special occasions such as birthday's and Christmas presents. Things that you should consider when looking to buy a personalized story book: - what level of personalization do you require? (Simply the child's name, or other details too i.e. friends, age etc.) - does the book promote a positive message? - how durable is the book? - what will it cost? (Don't forgot to factor in shipping costs!) - how long does it take to manufacture? (This can often be the more important factor, particularly if purchasing as a gift.)

Choosing Gifts For Your Mother

Choosing gifts for your mother is not an easy task to do. When we decide to buy a present, we cannot be 100 percent sure that she will really appreciate it or not. How will you know what she’ll appreciate? You are either a single mother yourself, you asked one what she could really use, or you read this article. A little bit of knowledge in this area goes a long way.

What you SHOULD NOT do:
Do not buy expensive things for her because you think she may like them. You may think it will be greatly appreciated because she likely wouldn’t or couldn’t afford to buy it for herself. This idea is wrong That’s usually not that case. She’ll be very gracious to your face and probably genuinely appreciate the thought. But she may be thinking “couldn’t she have just given me the money so I could get my brakes fixed” or “yeesch, I could pay my electric bill with the money she spent on this!” What many single mothers need is relief. They need a small slice of life taken off their shoulders. They need someone to take their children for three hours so they can have an uninterrupted bath or a nap.

What you SHOULD do:
What would bring a single mother great joy is to have you contact any of the utility companies and pay a month’s bill. She’d love car wash coupons because that may be something frivolous to her, but who doesn’t appreciate a nice clean car. “Let’s see, do I get eggs and milk, or do I drive my car through the car wash?” Or just show up someday with a hose and a bucket and wash it for her – inside and out. Make up babysitting coupons or better yet, just insist on picking up the kids Friday night to take them to a dinner and a movie. Give Mom some space.

What you have to do is finding a common theme in your mother. They don’t necessarily need help and wouldn’t ask for it, but if they received help, it would mean the WORLD to her. Instead of thinking of things that are special and pretty for her, consider what would make her life easier. This isn’t like the old adage you don’t buy your wife a frying pan for her birthday. With single parents, moms in particular, you need to keep in mind relief. How can you give this woman a small nugget of relief to make her life easier?

What Are The Perfect Gifts for Single Mom's?

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins Single moms, like the rest of us, enjoy receiving gifts. Whether it is Christmas, a birthday, Mother's Day, or a gift as a token of love, gifts have a special place in their lives. Some of them might joy musical gifts such as ballerina music boxes, musical jewelry boxes, wooden keepsake boxes, and other music boxes. However, not just any type of gift will do! They are certain types of gifts that single moms will appreciate more than others. Let's discover what they are. First, here is what to avoid: purchasing hats, scarves, expensive bottles of perfume, and other pricey items unless they are items she truly desires. Some people think these types of gifts will be greatly appreciated since she could not afford them herself. For the most part, this is not the case. Most single moms will, of course, be gracious. However, in their heads they likely are thinking, "I could have used the money it cost for this gift to pay my car payment or get my car tuned up!" Seriously, what are the perfect gifts for single mom's? Many times it is simple as just taking some of the stress and pressure off. They need someone to take the kids for a few days so they can rest, nap, get a manicure, or spend time with a girlfriend. What would really make her happy is for someone to pay her electric bill for one month. What would make her smile is to give her a babysitting coupon for a few Saturday nights. She really would like to relax and have special mom time by someone taking the kids for a day or weekend. These types of thoughtful gifts single moms' love. If a single mom has experienced participated in activities that would invoke special memories with family and friends, and there are lots of pictures that have been taken, gifts such as a scrapbook of memories, or a video of these special events would bring a smile to her face. If you have a number of single mom's for friends, you'll notice a common thread. They may not need help and would not ask, but if help is received, it would mean so much to them. So, instead of giving expensive and pretty gifts, thoughtfully think about what would make life just a little easier. What would take some of the pressure off and bring relief? These types of gifts are the perfect gifts for single moms!

What would you put in your gift basket?

There are many occasions when a gift basket is a present that will be cherished and appreciated, even though it is not something people often think of. For many, the occasion that most brings to mind baskets is Easter. Easter baskets are generally full of eggs – either real hens’ eggs or chocolate eggs – and are sometimes accompanied by a bunch of Easter flowers. Taking your Easter eggs out from their cardboard packaging and putting them in a basket instead is a nice, traditional way to celebrate the Easter festival. Christmas is the other big time of year for baskets, and this time they are full of rich Christmas foods, such as Christmas pudding and cake. If you make or buy a Christmas basket, be careful not to overdo it – the food is so rich that if you fill the basket right up, you might not even manage to eat all the food before it expires! Harvest season is another big time for baskets, as they can be filled with fruit and veg that you’ve grown yourself and presented to your friends and neighbours as presents. It’s a fun way to make friends with the whole town. Anniversaries and birthdays can be nicely celebrated with more personal baskets, such as baskets full of wine or flowers. A florist will be able to choose nice flowers to put in a basket for you, and some wine comes pre-delivered in gift baskets anyway – you could even mix the two. Another thing to try is to package completely normal presents in baskets, just as you would with a gift box or wrapping paper. This way the recipient gets a basket as an extra present, and will be surprised that whatever’s in the basket isn’t what a basket usually contains – it could be a great surprise to take the DVD box-set your girlfriend’s been wanting and put it in a basket!

3rd Anniversary Gift - Boy, I'm in Trouble Now

Your third anniversary is coming up and your mind is racing as you browse countless gift ideas, a new pair of shoes, a tie L, flowers, jewelry? Then just like last year and the year before your brain goes into full overload, shuts down and triggers “gift shopping procrastination” till the last minute when in desperation you grab a cheesy scarf or tie depending on the sex of the recipient.

Keeping a marriage for three years can be a tough job. Surpassing every challenge and overcoming obstacles of married life can be quite difficult. Anyone who can reach this milestone should be able to get through finding a thoughtful gift.

What gift are you going to choose for your loved one? In your mind, you probably think it must be expensive, or it must be unique. Well a gift need not always be expensive to be appreciated. Remember the old saying “It is the thought that counts“, While this is very true, we need to clear up one important point, the keyword in that saying is “thought“. This does NOT mean that you “thought” enough to get a gift, but instead refers to the thoughtfulness that went into the choosing of a gift whether it be homemade or outrageously expensive.

Leather is the traditional 3rd year wedding anniversary. Leathers are known to be strong, warm, flexible and durable as well. it has strong qualities like that of the married couple who has stayed together three years. So with that in mind, lets look at some leather gift ideas.

Leather clothing – you should check your spouses’ closet before buying leather clothes. Leather jackets can be appealing to almost everyone.

Leather shoes & bags / handbags – check your spouses’ shoe size before buying new leather shoes, be extra careful in choosing handbags, because wives are choosy when it comes to their accessories. You might want to enlist the help of one of her friends in choosing a gift like this.

Leather wallets – be careful with choosing the wallet for your hubby. Like wives, they can also be meticulous about it.

Leather roses - yes you read that right, and yes they are available, just search leather roses on any search engine.

Leather belts – this is a practical gift. Check out the size of your spouse before buying one.

Leather gloves – there are many type of gloves that you can choose. This is great for areas with cold temperature.

Leather desk accessories – check your spouses’ deck, is it organized? Give him/her a leather desk set to organize his/her desk.

Leather briefcase – this is the right gift for people on the go or for executives and lawyers.

Leather sporting goods - Is your spouse a sports fanatic? Footballs, baseball gloves and a lot of other sports equipment is made from leather.

Leather luggage – plan to have a romantic out of the country trip? Surprise him / her with a new luggage bag.

Next week we’ll cover the fourth wedding anniversary.

What are Gift Baskets?

Gift Baskets are a popular gift option especially during the holiday season. The basic purpose of a gift basket is to give your fellow friend number of small gifts instead of giving a larger one. Every item in the gift basket is arranged in a container and the entire package is attractively wrapped in cellophane. Each gift basket is designed to create a complete and personal moment for the recipient. The small gifts present in the gift basket are carefully chosen and blended to make a cohesive whole. Gift Baskets are available in different themes. For instance, if you want to gift a gift basket to writer then you can tailor the basket as per the recipient’s interest. You can fill the basket with books, paper, pens, pencils, and dictionary and so on. Similarly if you want to gift the basket to a beautician you can arrange the basket with nail polishes, lipsticks, combs and shampoos, dryer and so on. Gift baskets are not just good ideas for Christmas but also for any other occasion. They create a personalized feeling that anyone would enjoy receiving them. There are three main types of gift basket mainly •Pre-made Gift Basket: A pre made gift basket are attractively wrapped and ready to purchase. This is gift giving at its best. •Create din Store: There are many stores that allow you to decide what gift items should be wrapped in the gift basket. This gives the basket a personal touch while still allowing for a more professional presentation. This is a perfect choice especially when you want to gift a friend with a professional gift. •Homemade Gift Basket: if you want to have a total control over what to put in the gift basket and how it is presented then a home made gift basket would be a perfect choice. Homemade gift basket gives you an opportunity to buy the contents and wrap the basket yourself.

Gift baskets are arguably one of the oldest and most traditional presents around

Humans have definitely made baskets for tens of thousands of years, with the earliest baskets found being around 12,000 years old (they were found in Egypt) – but some believe that basket making may have been practiced as long as a million years ago. Basically, for as long as people have had something to carry, they have picked plants and made containers from them. It is an understandable animal instinct – even a bird’s nest is, after all, a kind of basket. Throughout history, baskets have been made with whatever material was closest to hand – willow, twigs, bamboo, wheat, grass, wicker and even glass, plastic and metal in modern times have all been used to make baskets, and all work very well, although in general the baskets made from more solid materials will be more sturdy. The chances are that you use a basket yourself quite often – a metal shopping basket is just as much a basket as any other, and follows many of the same principles of construction. People in poorer countries today still use plant-material baskets for many practical purposes, making them by hand from the local wild plants and carrying them around on their heads, just as was done in Ancient Greece. Some primitive houses in these areas bear a striking resemblance to baskets in their construction, as basket making is one of the few skills the people have. Baskets were used by hunter-gatherers to bring back large amounts of fish, fruit and nuts – and, interestingly enough, it is still popular to give these things in gift baskets today. Gift baskets are arguably one of the oldest and most traditional presents around, and that applies not only in the West but also throughout the world. An ornate basket full of fresh produce is one of the nicest gifts you can give someone – baskets are not only beautiful, after all, but are capable of holding anything.