We’d been watching my father-in-law hack away at an enormous ball of duct tape for the better part of an hour. Each year, his niece gives him a present that’s as difficult to open as [read more]
Beatrix stared at us from behind my father-in-law’s desk, her webbed feet and orange bill standing out against the dark wood decor. For Christmas, I had painted a picture of my father-in-law’s pet duck, Bea. [read more]
My husband sat on my enormous suitcase, which bulged cartoonishly at the seams, while I struggled to close the zipper. The telltale crackle of wrapping paper and ribbons being crushed created a worrisome soundtrack. I [read more]
T’was the night before Christmas, and I was incredibly unprepared for the following day’s festivities. Despite my best intentions to get my shopping done early and enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve in front of the [read more]
“Let me guess… Peanut M&Ms?!?,” my dad says, squishing the wrapped gift in his hands and shaking it ever so slightly. While they’re still his favorite treat, and a longstanding tradition I always include with [read more]
Sometimes, the best gift is simply being appreciated for who you are and where you come from. My alma mater, in the Bay Area, attracted a diverse student population—the racial makeup of our student body [read more]
Fall is my favorite time of year—the leaves change colors, the weather starts to cool, and there’s always a lovely autumn breeze. But every once in awhile, in my little Texas town surrounded by nothing [read more]
“Above the river and over the woods, to Grandmother’s house I’ll fly…” I can’t help but laugh at my own goofy rendition of the familiar holiday tune, all the while puzzling on how I can [read more]
As a child, Christmas was full of magic. I loved the gifts, the food, being with family—and collecting leftover wrapping paper at the end of all the festivities. I always asked my family and friends [read more]
This time last year, I had just started in a new department at work. Along with my orientation package came an invitation to participate in the office Secret Santa gift exchange. I was hesitant because [read more]
Gifts are my favorite Christmas decoration. Each present is its own story—mysterious and offering the promise of joy—and the wrapping paper is the prologue. Watching as they are opened, and the heartfelt gifts inside discovered, [read more]
Christmas music chimes through overhead speakers, brightly colored lights gleam in window displays, and vast aisles of decor offer an assortment of musical novelty toys all belting out carols like a dissonant choir. Rushed shoppers [read more]
Buying gifts for seniors, whether your parents or another special person in your life, always seems strangely difficult, even as it feels more vital and urgent—and I think I’ve figured out why. They’ve had a [read more]
There’s a special magic that wells up in children everywhere this time of year—their hearts are filled with hope at just the thought of twinkling lights, happy carols, and the possibility of snow flurries to [read more]
Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. — Author Unknown Ready or not, the holidays are here. Time to finish up the shopping and the wrapping. Time to [read more]
Well, business has sure picked up for the elves over the past few weeks and that means the much-anticipated holidays are just around the corner! Time to get your wish lists in order and start [read more]
There’s something so magical about baby’s first Christmas — a holiday season filled with wonder and awe. Curious eyes gaze at twinkling lights. Carols sung softly drift into baby’s sweet ears. Christmas card photos proudly [read more]
The holiday season has arrived quickly yet again this year – so much to do, so little time. But in the hustle and bustle of these crazy days, it’s also time to give thanks and [read more]
Comics Therapy is a weekly podcast that promises, “No Reviews, Just Analysis. Comics, our lives, and the big issues we all deal with.” The show is the work of two creators, Andrea Shockling and Aaron [read more]
Who doesn’t love and appreciate receiving a special handmade gift? For people who enjoy making crafts, sometimes they are more often on the giving side of handmade gifts, and less frequently receiving them. One group [read more]
As you can imagine, this time of year is very busy for all of us at Elfster. We love it. We wait all year for this, and we get so excited when our site [read more]
The Zac Brown Band enjoys phenomenal success. They have twelve hit singles, two platinum records, and a very loyal fan club, known as the Zamily. Currently over 13,000 members strong, they are leveraging the power [read more]
We’ve all been busy elves over the last few weeks. No matter which holiday you’re celebrating, it’s a time for family, goodwill, and renewal of relationships. Then all of a sudden, a knock comes at [read more]
Thanksgiving is now one for the memory books, and the hectic weekend is over. If you are tired from visiting all your favorite stores, or you just have not gotten started on your holiday [read more]