The gift of giving

So as I am thinking about the upcoming holiday season I cant help but be a little excited. I love the holidays. There is always the hustle and bustle of the eager shoppers with Starbucks in hand. The views and decorations are just gorgeous, and everyone just seems to have that spark! The holidays are when you get to see those family members you don't get to see everyday. You get to slow down (mostly because of the turkey) and realize what you are thankful for. The holidays mean something different for everyone. Every family has different traditions and way of doing things. For some the holidays are about religion and are celebrated in a more spiritual way. For others its the more commercial way of doing things and for some there is a balance of both! Whatever way you celebrate is awesome!

But with the holidays comes the gifts. Not necessarily receiving, but giving. Everyone (well not everyone) loves shopping for other people. I don't know about you guys but I just love seeing faces light up when they open your gift! Shopping for anyone for anything is just so much fun! Aside from being fun it can also be hard. You always want to do something that person will love, but what is that one thing they have been looking for?? Even when you know what they are looking for sometimes it just may be out of budget. Especially with children, of course you always want to find a way to give your little ones everything that they have dreamed of but sometimes that's just not realistic! What do you do in cases like this? Especially in cases with children I think you can make a holiday really memorable without all the gifts. But if little Suzy wants a play kitchen but the one at your local toy store is over $200 what do you do? I say you make it! Re-purpose an old entertainments center you find at a thrift store or get some plywood and paint. Kids are very creative and open minded a lot more than we are as adults so keep that in mind :)

There are also so many special and sentimental handmade gifts you can give. People bake, build, create, etc. Who doesn't love the special things that are made with love? Sometimes doing something like that is more time consuming but a lot easier on your pocket book. I myself do these kinds of gifts for all the grandparents from B. Everyone loves getting something that his little hands made. It is always a hit! For some people there isn't budget issues, but even still what kinds of gifts do you prefer to get? Do you want the newest and latest electronic gadget or do you like the more unique one of a kind gifts? Its hard, I mean I love my iPhone for sure, but I do love home made anything especially if its something from my little one :)

I guess this post is really to gauge what you guys think. I am having a really hard time coming up with the "perfect" gift ideas for some people in our families. So ladies and gents what do you prefer?? Please feel free to post a comment and let me know your ideas and opinions and as always have a wonderful day!