Merry Monday week 3!

Merry Monday is upon us again and we are counting down the last days until Christmas!

Miraculously I became an early bird holiday shopper this year, but if you are anything like I was in holidays past, then you may be a Christmas procrastinator.

Don’t worry, I have good news! I have found some great last-minute holiday shopping resources that will guide you in the direction of some very merry, affordable and fun gifts just in time for Christmas!

For all of you last minute shoppers out there who think that personalized gifts are impossible at this point- think again!

Zazzle.com is the perfect place to create great personalized gifts, and right now they are offering 50% off express shipping! So not only can you give a thoughtful gift, you can actually give it on Christmas day! Hurry, Hurry, Hurry…………. You still have to create it:)

You are short on time, have a tight budget and are stumped about what to give……… Don’t fret, just go to TheLedger.com and check out their article entitled 20 last minute gift ideas for less than $20

If you are still having trouble finding that perfect last minute gift then you may want to visit http://www.redenvelope.com/ and/or http://www.amazon.com/, they both offer overnight shipping on unique gifts, toys, and apparel.

And if you just don’t feel like sorting through all of the listings then check out
www.gifts.com. This site makes shopping a breeze by dividing gifts into categories based on the recipient’s personality.

Now that you (hopefully) have all of the gifts out of the way, you can concentrate on the most important aspect of the season… FOOD!

Weather you are planning a large holiday buffet, or a small cocktail get together, these are the sites where you will find the tastiest recipes around.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Christmas-Recipes

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/Christmas/Candy/Main.aspx

http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/index.html

That’s all for this Merry Monday, come back next week for our final Merry Monday and some hot post-Christmas finds!

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Quick and inexpensive last minute Valentine’s Day gifts

We are now counting down the final hours until V-Day, and some of you still have not got your Valentine a gift. You may not even know what to get your special someone, and you are probably sweating bullets right about now. I know your dilemma all to well, that is why I have conjured up several great last minute gift ideas. So sit back, relax, and wipe the sweat from your brow.

Although these ideas are somewhat of a quick fix, you certainly do not have to give your honey the impression that your gift is not heartfelt and sincere.

Rent his or her favorite movie
With prices on everything skyrocketing it has become increasingly difficult to stay entertained on a budget, renting movies is a great inexpensive way to have a great night in with your sweetheart, especially if you let them know how much you care by grabbing their favs at the video store. Be creative; make a small “Now Showing” marquee out of cardboard or construction paper listing all of your sweetie’s favorite flicks. Place the sign in front of the TV. And don’t forget to grab his or her favorite snacks while you’re out!

Love note card
In an earlier post I talked about homemade cards, they are a great personalized way to show your love, but they can take time and possibly supplies that you just don’t have this late in the game. Don’t fret; you can still make a great personalized Valentine. Now, I understand that writing can be difficult, especially in the love department, but if you truly know how you feel about your special someone, it really won’t be that hard to make a note of those feelings. Step one, grab some printer paper, and get a ruler, a marker (preferably red) or a red ink pen (a regular black or blue pen will work). Sit down and just write whatever comes to mind about your Valentine, write your feelings for them. Once you have done that, look over what you have written, and edit anything that you want, check for spelling, etc. Once you have narrowed down what you want to say, then grab a clean piece of printer paper and your ruler (or some type of straight flat object that will help you keep your penmanship straight and clean looking). Place the ruler on the paper where you want to start your note, write everything out in your best penmanship and then sign the paper. You can title the note (e.g. For my lovely Valentine) Just be honest and heartfelt, and your handwritten note will hold a special place in his or her heart for a long time.

Make his or her favorite dish
If you know what their favorite foods are, then this should be an easy task. Go to the market, grab what you need to make their favorite dish, bring it home and whip it up. Now I know some of you are probably thinking, “easy task my foot” but this can be altered to fit anyone’s schedule or lifestyle. If you don’t cook and have no clue how to cook, then you will need to put more effort into the shopping portion of the task. You will need to find instant, microwavable, already made, or easy to make foods. I suggest browsing the freezer section; most markets will have a rather large variety of semi- gourmet meals for two that can be popped in the oven and ready to go in about an hour. Again, be creative, set a nice table with flowers, buy his or her favorite wine, and grab a quick dessert. Bon appetit!

Note: if these tips just don’t fit your plans, you can resort to the Valentine’s Day norms of flowers and candy; just make it a little less predictable by thinking outside of the heart shaped box. Buy lilies, instead of red roses, get him or her a big cookie with a short, yet sweet personal message written on it in icing.

Remember, no matter how ‘last minute’ your gift may be, you can still make it shine with creativity, personalization, and most importantly, LOVE.

Have a happy V-Day!

Pink Sugar, how come you smell so good? Just like a candle should:)