It’s the season for gift giving; homes will be filled with plenty of gifts, which come with wrapping paper and boxes. Unfortunately most of the wrapping paper and boxes will end up in the local landfill causing a 30% bump in landfill waste due to these gift add-ons over the holidays. Here are a couple ideas to minimize the waste and be more environmentally friendly.

Use some left-over fabric to make a gift bag. If you can sew, put together a 2 or 4 sided bag with some handles. If you can not sew, just take a large towel, lay the gifts in the center and then tie the top together with some ribbon and other decoration of choice.   These fabric gift bags can then be used later throughout the year by the one receiving the gift.

Use reusable shopping bags that are now becoming quite popular. Shopping bags come in an assortment of styles and colors.  Yes they may have a company’s logo or an ad on the side, so what, it shows you are a leader in being green.

There are many ways to make the wrapping part of the gift.  Don’t just give a movie DVD, give a movie night. Place the DVD, popcorn, bottle of wine and maybe some cheese into a large mixing bowl or food container.  You can also use scarves, bath towels and handkerchiefs to help decorate and package your items in the container.

This year, think outside the box.

We all have times when we need to buy gifts for both our friends and our
families. Some of these occasions will come along regularly once a year such
as birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. Other occasions may not happen
that frequently but they still merit a gift. For example, you might buy
gifts for weddings, christenings, baby showers, exam success and graduation.
Sometimes these occasions that come along warrant an extra special gift.
You only pass your driving test or get your first job once, after
all.

Choosing the right gift

Buying the right gift does require some thought. A successful gift will
appeal to the person who gets it simply because they will like it. This
doesn`t mean that you have to give something obvious such as something that
relates to a hobby or interest. It simply means that you should put some
thought into what they would like to receive.

So, for example, you should think about the age and sex of the person who
will receive the gift. On paper your 90 year old grandmother may really like
a special box of chocolates but may not be so happy with the home brewing
kit that your father might prefer! But, if your grandmother likes home
brewed ale then this could be a good choice. Sometimes the personality and
likes/dislikes of the person you are buying for will buck standard
trends.

Conclusion

Finally, don`t forget about the card you choose here to go with your gift
which can enhance the overall message that you want to give. The verses
written inside, for example, can often be useful to look at here whether you
are looking for 1st anniversary gifts and presents or something suitable for a Golden wedding anniversary.

Roy at A1 Gifts

When it comes to placemats, drink coasters and table runners, there are many different colors and materials being used.  These Beach Stone Placemats are certainly different.  You can bring the beach or rocky shore to your table.  These would be perfect for that backyard gathering around the picnic table.  For a change in dinning experience, this is a great idea.

These were found at Kaboodle.  These Beach Stone pieces are created by hand using river rocks that have been washed and polished.

I was recently asked what I would suggest when an honored guest did not cooperate for an anniversary party in their name. Karen and her siblings were planning a 50th anniversary party for their parents. The planning had taken several months. The party was going to be at a banquet hall, rented just for the occasion with the family and a few friends invited, about 50 people total. Karen’s mother was excited about the party but her father was less enthusiastic. He did not want most of the friends, if any, invited and only wanted the immediate family to be in attendance. He preferred not to have it at the banquet hall but just a small gathering at their home. He actually preferred to not have the event at all. And yes they have been happily married for 50 years.

I have seen this situation before, with both anniversary and birthday parties. For any number of reasons, an honored guest refuses to cooperate or even attend the event. It might be that the honored guest does not want to be reminded of their age, a little fear that only a few people will show up, does not like to be the center of attention or maybe for health reasons.

If this is a birthday party and the honored guest does not want to be honored, so be it. Forget the party, simple as that. However for a 50th wedding anniversary, especially if one of the happy couple would like to be honored, some type of arrangement should still be made to focus on the event. An anniversary is an important date, especially the 50th. This could be a dammed if you do and damned if you don’t type of situation. But in the long term, I believe the anniversary couple will appreciate some anniversary celebration, especially provided by their children. It would be a big disappointment to them if nothing was done to acknowledge the event.

There are several potential solutions to this problem. First try to find out exactly why the person does not want to celebrate the anniversary. It is reasonable to scale down the event, including the number of guests and a change of location. It could be as simple as dinner at a local restaurant with a private dinning room. Remember it is certainly best to keep the parents home as untouched as possible. It is no fun for the anniversary couple to have to spend weeks cleaning and getting ready for a bunch of house guests for their own party.

Another possibility is to send the anniversary couple on a vacation. Purchase the airfare and hotel accommodations to one of their favorite locations. An all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean may be ideal.

Bottom line, save the frustration and speak with the honored guest early in the planning stage. Give them a few weeks to consider the options and then plan to party.