beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz) (11/19/85)
I think that many of these ideas apply to men as well. I second the vote for some poetry you've written. If you don't feel at all poetic, some sincere verse on a card along with a simple present will be remembered. I also second the vote for window shopping. Notice what they examine most closely in several stores. Last Valentine's Day I received a poem titled "My Everyday Valentine." It had the intended effect; instant hug. A calendar made out of an art notebook and pictures taken from one of their favorite magazines, and marked with "important" dates and sayings. (Mothers like this one.) Diamond earrings if she wears such things and you can afford them. A fleece jacket. (I just received one of these for my birthday.) "Cuddleskin" nightgown. Satiny on the outside, flannel on the inside. Expensive but nice. ("Cuddleskin" is a trademark of Barbizon. Some of the finer department stores have similar items. $40-$60.) I still like stuffed animals. A couple of years ago I received a stuffed Ewok. He now looks well cuddled. Hat and mittens, socks, flowers, plants, and socks may be appreciated by both men and women. Coffee mugs, kitchen utensils, and snacks might also be good. I might get one of those new ice cream freezers you put in the freezer without ice or salt (made by Donvier, I think). Try to think about what the person likes to do. If you plan to spend the day playing with Christmas (or whatever) toys, make sure there are some toys to play with. Grown-ups are kids too. Beth Katz Univ. of Maryland - Computer Science Dept.
wiebe@ut-ngp.UUCP (Anne Hill Wiebe) (12/05/85)
I've become something of an old hand at giving Christmas presents that don't cost much and that people like. I second the suggestion about thinking about what people like. But for myself and many others, the big dilemma is, how to give gifts when you have almost no money for it? One good one is a pretty picture frame. Especially nice is one you make yourself with cardboard, scraps of batting, and scraps of fabric glued over to make a padded fabric frame. This could be personalized with embroidery, say in the name of the person or a favorite theme such as a cat or whatever. Or, even cheaper and easier, how about one of those acrylic standing frames, see-thru and modern, with some imaginative decoration, or the name painted on? I like to look through expensive shops for inspiration on something I can very easily make and give. Another thought: shop stores with estate-sale, semi-antique but cheap merchandise. You can find things like a gorgeous satin slip, an evening purse, beautiful table linens, beautiful old glassware, a semi-antique long fitted dressing gown -- all under $5. They may need a little cleaning up and pressing, but they're really quality merchandise and highly appreciated by those who love beautiful things. For children (yeah, I know that wasn't the question but I'll answer it anyway) it's really very easy to give cheap and appreciated gifts. Buy a little toy or doll and write a story about the child and the toy, with the child as hero or heroine. Write it out in a little notebook, and/or record it on a cassette tape. This is for kids under about 8 or 9. For little girls, buy a very cheap jewelry box and some fake jewels, gold braid, etc., then glue together a really sparkly treasure chest. For our nieces far away, my brother and I recorded a tape of our singing and playing all the chidren's Christmas songs we could think of. Their folks told us they LOVED it, they played it over and over and over and over. Variation on the homemade picture frame: cover a cheap photo album with fabric and make a ruffled and padded front cover, with an oval opening for a photograph. Actually, in general, I love to buy something useful and fairly cheap, then decorate it to resemble what the fancy/expensive shops sell. Try this with lace and ribbons or ruffly eyelet edging sewn onto towels, for example. Very easy, very beautiful. Books, when carefully selected to appeal to the interests of the recipient, are a relatively cheap gift. I'd better quit -- but I'll add that having married this summer and being extremely broke and in debt, our Christmas presents to our family are copies of wedding pictures, albums and frames covered with white fabric and scraps from my wedding dress. For my nieces, an acrylic bent-over frame with a lace motif glued to a corner, and a picture of me and my new husband inside. Wish me luck! Merry Christmas, y'all!