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I Just Love It!
"I Just Love It!" You know the scenario. You're sitting at the family Christmas gathering and your ten-year-old opens one of Aunt Martha's itchy homemade sweaters. Or Uncle Bobby, who's been swearing to lose twenty pounds for years, opens an exercise cycle. Of course, if Uncle Bobby follows the politeness rule, he'll say, "Thank you, it's just what I wanted." (Then he'll conveniently "forget" about it in the basement or storage closet.) your ten-year-oldmay not be as skilled at pretending as Uncle Bobby, but kids know enough to know that any answer other than "Thank you, Aunt Martha, I love it" will raise the roof. There's nothing wrong with pretending you like a gift that someone has consciously bought because they think it suits you, you'll like it, or it will be good for you. The saying "It's the thought that counts" is a truism. Unless you habitually don't put much thought into your gifts. Have you stopped to look at other people's faces when they open your gifts? The excuse "I'm too busy" only goes so far, and your children know it. If you can take time out of your week to exercise (or not, in Uncle Bobby's case, and who knows, Uncle Bobby might have a physical reason for not losing those twenty pounds), rent a video, go jogging, go to the movies, you can put some thought into the gifts beyond recycling last year's "I love it" items or heading to the mall. It's important to let kids know that regardless of the gift, sometimes politeness above and beyond the call of duty is required. However, you personally can create more honesty from your kids and with your kids when it comes to gifts. Remember when your ten-year-old made you a clay ashtray? You don't smoke, but you cherish that homemade gift. Or how about when your parents hung your macaroni ornaments on the tree and your pictures of Santa on the fireplace? You genuinely said "I love it" and meant it. Your children could tell. Your parents were sincere with you. You are what you give, how you give it, and how you receive gifts. It's easy to moan that the true meaning of Christmas has been lost for our children. It's harder to turn away from the traditional gift-giving grudge. Some tips: * Start making homemade gifts of your own. Gifts of food, especially Christmas cookies, are always in season, and people genuinely love cookies. * Start a Christmas cookie party or recipe swap with your family and friends. Get everyone involved. (Be sure to make some healthy alternatives for Uncle Bobby.) * Make a donation in someone's name, say to a breast cancer organization, a hospital, a homeless shelter, a nursing home. * Be honest about what you can spend. Be creative. Perhaps if you can't buy everyone a nice gift, you can take friends out for a pre-Christmas dinner instead of everyone frantically buying gifts. * How many times have you said, "Oh, I don't want anything, I'll love whatever you give me?" Kids are great at making requests. Take a lesson from them. It's dishonest to expect others to read your mind and then be disappointed about the gifts you receive. * Encourage others to be honest about what they want. Even if you can't afford it you can ask for some wish list items, or say that you make most of your Christmas presents. * Always let your children know you love them regardless of any gifts that are exchanged. Above all, remember that the first gift of Christmas is love, and that's something no one can fake. Kristin Johnson is co-author of the "enthusiastically recommended" Midwest Book Review pick, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadablemedia kit is available at our Web site, http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available at http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com
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The annual commemoration of Independence Day has always been a bittersweet time for Americans who evoke the thoughts of Cordell Hull, "I am certain that, however great the hardships and the trials which loom ahead, our America will endure and the cause of human freedom will triumph. No More Ties! Homemade Fathers Day Gift Ideas If you are like me, you never know what to get dad for Father's Day. Well, today, you'll get a few ideas that will get you out of a bind any time. Valentines Day is NOT only for Lovers Some people hate to see Valentines Day come around. Some have ended relationships and feel lonely while others have not yet met that someone special. Planning a Gift Closet Creating a gift closet is a wonderful way to plan ahead for gift giving occasions. It's also handy for those last-minute emergency events that spring up throughout the year, may otherwise catch you by surprise, and send you on a mad dash to the store. Celebrate Your Freedom: 6 Important Freedoms to Celebrate Everyday At the end of the movie "Braveheart," William Wallace is tortured but refuses to cry out. Just as he is about to die, he belts out one word-"Freedom!"Freedom is a word and a privilege that has been easy to take for granted in America. New Years Resolutions Ah, the start of another year! In a groggy haze on New Years Eve, I promised someone (or was it myself?) that I would be good this year. I said I would draw up my New Year's Resolutions - particularly after the roller-coaster year I had last year. Survival Kit for the Holidays: Grace, Gratitude and Random Acts Of Kindness If you*re like me, the holidays always have a way of sneaking in. And - like an unexpected visitor who shows up the week I haven't cleaned my home - I'm caught in a frenzy, desperate to scrape up the tumbleweeds of cat fur and make the place look presentable. Top 50 Christmas Quotations "Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years. Funny Couples Costume Ideas For Halloween Tired of the same old typical Halloween costumes. You know the ones?. Easy Costumes Kids Can Make The kindergarten class I was teaching was scheduled to perform a dramatic recitation. We needed several flower and bumblebee costumes. Christmas Tree Topper Ornaments From my childhood memories, pride of place on the top of Christmas tree always went to a fairy dressed in white. Or was it an angel? No, I'm sure it was the Christmas fairy; and she was usually last to go on the tree apart from the tinsel. I Just Love It! "I Just Love It!"You know the scenario. You're sitting at the family Christmas gathering and your ten-year-old opens one of Aunt Martha's itchy homemade sweaters. Warning: include() [function.include]: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/allholid/public_html/4895.php on line 3506 Warning: include(http://www.cbmaximizer.com/rothtml.php?id=6072) [function.include]: failed to open stream: php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: Name or service not known in /home/allholid/public_html/4895.php on line 3506 Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://www.cbmaximizer.com/rothtml.php?id=6072' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/allholid/public_html/4895.php on line 3506
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