Gift Giving Archives - Page 16 of 16 - Good Cheer

Rainy Day Rescue

What’s worse than getting caught in the rain? Having to endure the awkward moment when you, bone dry and under your umbrella, must walk past an unfortunate soul who has forgotten his or her own! [read more]

Belated Thank-You Notes: The No-Shame Guide

Stephanie

If revenge is best served cold, does it stand to reason that a thank-you should be plated piping hot? Not necessarily.
Here we are, almost three months into 2011. Practically one quarter of the year has passed, and it seems like only yesterday you were jamming to holiday hits, wondering just what figgy pudding really was.

But by now, you’ve probably discarded the tree and paper snowflakes. And if you’ve forgotten to send your holiday thank-you notes, well, you’ve literally dis-carded more than that! Your friends and loved ones have (regrettably) been gypped of your proper gratitude.

If the guilt is finally starting to creep in, don’t fret. We might be glorifying procrastination here, but Elfster believes that a late thank-you note actually presents a golden opportunity for extending holiday cheer, and pleasant surprises are simply never a bad thing!

Are we making you feel any better? Now that you’ve found the necessary motivation to write a belated holiday thank-you note, here are a few strategies to give it character and tact:

“Let’s not tell Santa about this, shall we?”

Reference to a higher authority will help the recipient to remember that no one is perfect. Try to mention the special “powers that be” in your life to customize the message.

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11 Big Ideas for Year-Round Gifting

Stephanie

• Take it easy on the eggnog…

• Improve your snow-shoveling skills …

• Finally make a conscious effort to wash behind those pointed little ears…

Whatever your New Year’s resolution, there’s always one vice you can feel good about indulging in. (No, not reindeer tipping.) We’re talking about giving! When it comes to gift-oholics, we elves are proud to admit… We’re enablers!

To help make this year more memorable than ever, here are a few new ways to get your giving fix in 2011… only on Elfster!

• Birthdays

These prime present opportunities have a tendency to sneak up on everyone. But this year, you’ll never forget a buddy’s birthday with Elfster’s helpful reminders in advance! If you’re still a hopeless procrastinator, don’t fret. Our customized Wishlist feature ensures that you’ll always find something meaningful, even when time is tight.

• Study Groups

Cramming for an exam is about as fun as giving Blitzen a booster shot. Since your study group spends an awful lot of time hitting the textbooks, an Elfster gift exchange is the perfect way to inject some fun into your sessions. Find out your buddy’s favorite “Brain Food” or relaxation aid, and surprise them on test day with a “Good Luck” gift.

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The Elf Week Mall Duty March

Stephanie

On your mistletoes! Today is your final chance to grab those last-minute holiday gifts before Santa beats you to the tree. Now, we elves have spent an entire month posing for pictures in department stores across the globe, and frankly, our cheeks are getting tired… This Elf Week Mall Duty March sure has been a doozy!

Wild reindeer couldn’t drag us back into the mall after this rigorous event, but if Christmas snuck up on you, you might still have some last minute items to pick-up. Unfortunately, it’s a bit late for online shopping delivery, so you’ve basically got no choice but to brave the mall. Whatever you do, don’t panic! Just take a quick gander at these informative Elf Help articles, and you’ll be ready to crank the sleigh back into shopping mode in no time…

• Shopping Therapy: Mall Stress-Busters

• Man-Up at the Mall: A Guy’s Holiday Game Plan

Now, here’s what we’ve been up to all day with the Mall Duty March…

Current Standings

Elf Adrian has officially yelled “Dibs!” the loudest, earning First Place in this claims-staking event of the March. Apparently, he spotted an Amazon.com gift card he’s been jonesing for all year, and simply couldn’t contain himself.

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The Elf Week Reindeer Rally

Stephanie

Antlers Away! Today marks the midpoint of the Elf Week festivities, and we celebrate by paying homage to Elf’s Best Friend. The Reindeer Rally is a challenge that tests our way with the beasts, and also spruces the deer up in time for their Christmas debut.

In addition to rigorously training for the Rally, we elves have been diligently clipping the Reindeers hooves, making sure they produce that festive rooftop “Click, click, click!” sound that we all know and love. But whether your pet is a dog, cat, polar bear or penguin, we say they’re entitled to a little primping every now and again, and the holidays are the perfect time to show your appreciation! Giving your pet a Happy Holidays is easier than you might think. Just follow the advice of these handy Elf Help articles on the matter:

• Gifts for the Dog Who’s Naughty and Nice
• Ready for National Dog Day!

Now back to our coverage of the Reindeer Rally!

Current Standings

Elf Peter is in the lead, putting his final coat of shellac on Rudolph’s nose. (You didn’t think it shined all on its own, did you?) This task is a necessity for both aesthetic and weather-proofing purposes, and Peter is performing flawlessly. Looks like Rudolph will be named “Best in SNOW” for the 300th Christmas in a row!

The Talent portion of the competition has been dominated by Elf Shannon, who in Second Place, has choreographed quite an impressive routine for ole Blitzen.

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The Elf Week Lumberjack Jamboree

Stephanie

In a season so heavily perfumed with pumpkin-spice-this and cinnamon-scented-that, today, we take a moment to stop and smell the sawdust. We of course, refer to the Elf Week Lumberjack Jamboree!

In celebration of all things “dude”, today we hold an event so manly, so swaggering, that the only price for admission is a well-articulated grunt. But be forewarned… The Lumberjack Jamboree is no hayride!

If all this “He-Elf” talk has got you just the teensiest bit intimidated, you might want to read-up on how to beef-up your Christmas holiday. To put some hair on your chin, we recommend a heaping helping of these hearty Elfster blog articles:

Man-Up at the Mall: A Guy’s Holiday Game Plan

Left-Brain Tips for the Right “Guy” Gift

DIY for Dads

Now, back to our live coverage of the Lumberjack Jamboree…

Current Standings

Splitting a Sequoia-sized candy cane with a single swing of the axe put Elf Ed in an early lead this morning.

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The Elf Week Wrapping Paper Relay

Stephanie

Roll out the transparent tape, and get your elf-friendly scissors into cutting position. Today is Day 2 of Elf Week 2010, and the Wrapping Paper Relay is well underway! If you haven’t been training for this strenuous sporting event, we won’t lie… You’re at risk for some serious hand cramps. So before you get “wrappy happy” on an unsuspecting Hula Hoop, read our official Elf Help Gift Wrapping articles for a helpful series of holiday how-to’s!

• Shopping Bag Chic
• The No-Wrap Gift Guide

Now, back to the Relay…

Current Wrapping Paper Relay Standings
Running on top of a giant roll of wrapping paper is no small feat…and it’s especially challenging while crossing a swimming pool full of hot eggnog! Still, in Fifth Place, Elf David is managing to keep his balance rather nicely. David caused a stir earlier this morning when he entered the arena wearing some fancy footwear (pointy elf clogs with separated toes!) But David swears by them, and seems to think they’ll give him and extra leg-up in the competition. We’ll have to wait and see…

In Fourth Place, Elf Shannon has now advanced to the paper-sizing portion of the relay.

[read more]

Shopping Bag Chic: DIY Holiday Gift Wrap

Stephanie

Is it just us, or does holiday gift wrap seem to be disappearing faster than a snowman in a sauna?

At many stores, all that’s left of your wrapping paper options are birthday and baby shower themes, which, you have to admit, you momentarily considered buying in a pinch. Though there are several ways to rationalize this thinking, the truth of the matter is, adorning your gifts with the announcement “It’s a Boy” will only cause confusion at the Christmas tree.

Don’t let the seasonal shortage in wrapping paper be your unraveling! We’re here to tell you, a simple, cost-effective solution is already in the bag…

Retailers are really stepping up their game when it comes to decorative shopping bags this season. Pretty ribbon drawstrings and glossy, eye-catching designs mean consumers look more chic than ever toting around their holiday purchases. So why not use these pre-made packages as your own wrapping material when you get home? With this solution, design and color scheme are already chosen for you, serving as a stylish, semi-subtle hint to the contents within.

A Few Tips:

• Keep the bag as flat and wrinkle-free as possible when transporting your goods.

• After emptying its contents, cut the bag vertically along one corner creases, stopping at the base.

[read more]

Gifts for the Dog Who’s Naughty and Nice

Stephanie

If your dog had a laptop, chances are, he’d be working on his Elfster Wishlist right now…

It would be mighty convenient to know just what present your pooch had his nose on this Christmas, but let’s not fool ourselves. He’d probably ask for a lifetime membership to the “Fire Hydrant of the Month Club”, or a provocative AKC Championship pin-up calendar for his dog house. (Typical.)

So to help you choose a more sensible gift, we compiled a list of traditional pet presents based on what’s new on the market today. Now, we know that most pups are pretty eager to please, so we say every dog deserves a present. That’s why we’re including a few “Naughty Dog” options, too. Either way, your pup won’t be able to keep his paws off of these great gift ideas!
Treats

For the Nice Dog…

Premier Liver Biscotti Treats

For the Naughty Dog…

Isle of Dogs Breath-Sweetening Treats

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Man-Up at the Mall: A Guy’s Holiday Game Plan

Stephanie

Three words: Extended Holiday Hours. If you’re a guy, the acronym probably sums up your opinion of seasonal shopping pretty well (“EHH…”). But unfortunately, this disinterest does little to shield you from the mall-time mayhem. One way or another, you invariably end up accompanying your wife or girlfriend to her yearend retail pilgrimage. And it doesn’t even matter if you’ve been naughty or nice!

“Sure, I’ll meet you in Sporting Goods in an hour,” she claims. But by lunch, you’re still waiting, and ready to take a candy cane to the gut just to feel alive.

At Elfster, we think the secret to avoiding the doldrums in a situation like this is to have a game plan. So to reach out to dudes the world over, we stepped away from our workbench and designed a detailed agenda to help whittle away those “extended hours” at the mall. We know it’s no trip to the lumber yard, but compared to twelve hours of world-class thumb-twiddling, we think it’ll suffice.

1:00 pm-

Find a bench, read-up on your Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and bask in your newfound popularity among single moms.

2:00 pm-

Lay low in the Men’s Room after the unexpected influx of marriage proposals.

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The Elfster Guide to First-Class Teacher Gifts

Stephanie

We elves are no strangers to tall pointy hats, but we’re no “dunces” when it comes to holiday teacher appreciation, either! We know that a great gift can ensure “pet” status for even the rowdiest of rough-housers, but it can also be surprisingly difficult to choose an appropriate, yet personal way to thank the instructor.

Luckily, the answer to this holiday brain-teaser might be as close as your refrigerator door! That’s right, your child’s latest report card can serve as an excellent jumping-off point for selecting a primo present for the teacher.

Today, we’re giving you a few examples of how to decipher those cryptic comments, turning them into A+ gift ideas! All it takes is a little reading between the lines…

Social Studies: “I applaud Aiden’s budding interest in archeology. But unfortunately, his most prolific excavation thus far has been of his own nose.”
This is desperate cry for help. While there is no known cure for childhood nose-picking, the best you can do is try to help your son’s instructor encourage sanitary practices. These humorous tissue box covers are a good-natured and practical way to address the issue.

[read more]

Left-Brain Tips for the Right "Guy" Gift

Stephanie

We believe in order to shop for a guy, you have to think like a guy. This means using your “Left Brain”, ladies… Getting downright analytical! This week, we took it upon ourselves to design a few simple, pseudo-scientific experiments to help Elfettes discover what their husbands and boyfriends really want this holiday season… whether they know it or not! In the immortal words of Queen Victoria… “Men are hard to shop for!”

Okay, okay. There’s really no way to prove that one. But like every other wife or girlfriend in the history of holidays, we’re sure it crossed her mind at one point or another. The Strong-Silent-Type isn’t one to gush over his wish list, and even Mr. Sensitive tends to clam up when pressed for what he really wants. Still, ladies typically approach the task of guy- gifting with an emotional, intuitive philosophy, believing their male counterparts secretly pine away for the neckties of their dreams.

[read more]

The No-Wrap Gift Guide

Stephanie

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this week you’ve probably stocked up on more loot than a chipmunk with a hoarding complex. But if the idea of wrapping one more present has your packing peanuts in a jumble, you might want to consider these nifty no-wrap solutions! Elf Week rookies, these tips won’t help you much on the Wrapping Paper Relay, but they’re sure to save you a bundle of time and energy this holiday season…

1.) Let Pretty Packaging Pull Its Weight

Festively designed products not only look spiffy under the Spruce, they practically do the work for you when it comes to presentation. We love this adorable package of Pancake Mix from Chasing Fireflies, and these Scented Candle Tins from Voluspa. With not a stitch of Scotch Tape in sight, they’ll be the prettiest gifts ever to grace your tree skirt.

[read more]