Apples to Apples…a great holiday gift idea under $20

Talk about a party in a box!  This would be another Great Holiday Gift.  $19.99 at Target, Amazon, Toys R Us, etc…While stranded indoors during a weekend getaway, me and my 3 girlfriends spent countless hours playing this game, and even though we were in Paradise, the many, many hours playing this great game, still provide me with the best memories of the weekend!

And, if my ringing endorsement doesn’t give you reason to run to the store, there is even a Facebook Fan Page with over 17,000 fans…that’s almost as many as my blog!  And here is what Wikipedia has to say about Apples to Apples:

Apples to Apples was chosen by Mensa International in 1999 as a “Mensa Select” prizewinner, an award given to five games each year. It was also named “Party Game of the Year” in the December 1999 issue of Games magazine and received the National Parenting Center’s seal of approval in May 1999!

RULES

Each player is dealt seven “red apple” cards; on each card is printed a noun or noun phrase, or possibly a gerund.

The judge (a chosen player) draws a “green apple” card on which is printed an adjective (“scary”, “frivolous”, “patriotic”, etc.), and places it face-up on the table for everybody to see. Then each player (except the judge) chooses a card that they think is the best match for the green apple card, and places it face-down. The judge shuffles the red apple cards, reads them (often aloud), and decides which noun is the best match for the adjective. This decision is subjective; the official rules encourage the judge to pick the match that is “most creative, humorous or interesting”.

The player who submitted the chosen red apple card wins the round, and takes the green apple card to signify the win. All players then draw red cards until they have seven again, and the role of “judge” may pass to another person (generally going to the next player in line, though some rules have the round’s winner becoming “judge”). Some editions of the game suggest discounting the last red-apple card played, to encourage players to place their cards down more quickly.

The winner is the first player to accumulate a pre-designated number of green apple cards; the more players, the lower the total.

Examples of the Tomfoolery that transpired on our trip:

Example #1

Card:  COLD

Player 1:  Glacier

Player 2:  Lenin’s Tomb

Judge:  Lenin’s Tomb!

Player 3 to Judge:  Do you even know what a Glacier is?

Example #2

Card:  SHOCKING

Player 1:  Flat Tire

Player 2:  Challenger Explosion

Judge:  Flat Tire!

Player 2 to Judge: What is wrong with you?  A flat tire is more shocking than the Challenger Explosion?

Judge:  Have you ever had a flat tire?  It’s pretty shocking.

And yes, chardonnay was served.  But chardonnay does Not have to be served!  A party in a box!

More Spectacular Board Games under $30 (aside from Monopoly and Scrabble):

Girl’s Night Box of Questions $25

Catch Phrase $19.99

Taboo $27.99

Scattergories $27.99

The Game of Things:  Humor in a Box $26.99

You cannot go wrong with “board games”…Kids may not realize that games can actually be played without a PS3; Wii; or Game Cube!  Gather the family and friends and play a game.  You’ll thank me.

Coming Thursday:  a repost of last year’s blog on how much to Tip for the Holidays (by popular demand, or course)!

Merry, Merry!

xoxo,

T.

What to give, what to give, what to give…Holiday gift ideas!

It’s better to give than receive…we all know that, however, there is always a great amount of Stress in worrying about whether or not you are giving the right gift, or a gift that will be loved.  I received this email from a dear friend of mine, who is already stressing about the holidays and the gift giving:   “NOT my favorite time of the year due to the gift giving.  I know it’s for the kids, and hate to be a Scrooge, but it sucks so much joy out of the holiday for me…worrying about someone’s reaction to a gift is such a wrong way to start this blessed holiday. Plus knowing that kids are usually not blown away on my budget, never disrespectful, but not overjoyed…which is probably ok with me, maybe I’ve tempered them to have reasonable expectations and be grateful for the $200 of misc. they each get? Wish there was some way to truly balance the budget, kids and family expectations and the real meaning of Christmas.  Everyone struggles with this.  “

So along with stocking stuffer ideas, here are some Holiday Gift Ideas, which hopefully, will please whomever is on the receiving end, and lessen the stress of gift-giving.  And please remember the true reason for the season!  

NOTE:  Lengthy blog ahead…proceed at your own risk, or just read what’s in BOLD.

Holiday Gift ideas – What Women Really Want (and some of these would apply to men, as well)

1.  Hunter Boots – I have noticed more Hunter boots, as of late.  And they look super cute with the socks peeking out the top.  $115

2.  iPad – I will write about this often – the gift that keeps on giving.   In fact, I will put this on every list I write, because it really is That sensational!  You can buy one for less than $400…which, I realize is a lot of money, but you can also look for used iPads, and get them for closer to $275.

3.  Cashmere or Leather Glove - I was just given pink leather gloves…and absolutely love them..And, they go with all of my coats!

4.  “Dinner and a Movie” gift certificates -  There’s a new romantic comedy coming out “New Year’s Eve”, which paired with her favorite restaurant, makes a Perfect evening!  Or, for those here in Chicago…how about a Shaw’s gift certificate (Lettuce Entertain You) and AMC Movie Theatre…and I would use the Shaw’s certificate from 3P – 6P, where Oysters are Half-priced Every day of the Week!!  And of course go and see a lovely romantic comedy or that new movie with George Clooney!  Every year (or whenever he’s in town) my old CEO (he’s not old, I mean former) and I go to Shaw’s and eat oysters and drink chardonnay.  Always one of my favorite days of the year!

5.   Spa Certificate – sign me up!   Or, the lady you are buying for.

6.  Anything from Tiffany – sign Kevin up! 

7.  Sporting Event/Concert tickets – with basketball season starting and football winding down, these could be huge winners!  And hopefully, so will the Bears!  Remember women love sports too!

8.  “Of the Month Club“…Beer, Wine, Breakfast, Dessert, Coffee, Flowers, etc…there are many, many options

9.  A year of car washes.  You can also find great deals on Groupon for Car Washes…I bought 10 for $10 (each is typically $3.50), and these are not the gas station  variety either…it’s a pretty darned great car wash for a buck!  It’s wonderful driving around in a clean car!

10.  Perfume – my favorites, as previously indicated Amazing Grace by Philosophy; Gucci Li; and Beach by Bobbie Brown.  Find out her favorite, and get a gift set…It’s all about gift sets during the holiday season, and many of the add-ons are discounted…

11. A day with my family…No cell phones.  No blackberries (and that goes for me as well).  Just us, and I’d like to play Apples to Apples (and perhaps enjoying a glass or two of chardonnay).   I’m pretty sure most of my friends would agree with this as well.

***Things that are “In” now for Women:  Faux Fur; Sparkly things (Sweater, shoes, handbag); Rose Gold; Painted Totes. 

(Proceed with at your own risk…this blog now gets rather lengthy)

What Men Want – we know men typically buy things they want, so typically don’t ask for things.  I know this first-hand from Kevin, plus Jason confirmed this for me…However, these are some great gift ideas, provided from my posse:

1.  iPad – again…everyone will Love an iPad!

2.  Electronics, to include, but not limited to:  iPhone; iPod; Bose headphones or ear buds; Garmin GPS; Flatscreen TV.

3.  Things for their car – anything from car washes, to iPhone chargers, to car vacs, to trunk organizers.

4. Luggage – Tumi luggage…lasts a life time.   Costco even carries it.  Less then $200! 

 

5.  New Gym Shoes – but only if they ask, you don’t want to give the impression you want them to “work out”.

6.  Watch – while a personal gift, this can be something you shop for together.  The days of the Gold Rolex President are Long gone!  Watches are more modern, more sleek  and much less expensive.

7.  Tickets to a Sporting Event – may I suggest the Bears v Packers NFC Championship Game?  God-willing, of course. (Not after yesterday’s fiasco).

8.  Clothes – anything North Face; Tie (try the color pink, please); Dress Shirts; Sweatshirt; Belt; Jeans

9.  Tools – Good Craftsman tools!

10.  Gift Certificates Sur La Table (yes, men do cook), Sporting places (Dick’s; Sports Authority; Cabella) ; Nordstrom (yes, Men like Nordstrom as well); Barber.

***Things that are “In” for Men:  Bomber Hats; Puffy Jackets (not the Seinfeld Puffy shirt, either); anything Wireless; Headphones

What Not to Buy!

“Just don’t buy me a sweater.  Wives like to buy men sweaters.  We don’t like that”.  (Mark)

KIDS – this would be its’ own blog, which I will not be doing this year, but what’s new and trendy this year for kids:

Let’s Rock Elmo

Air Swimmers

Angry Birds Wood Game – it’s not just for your iPad or iPhone

I am T-Pain

Fijit Friends

More Unique Holiday Gift Ideas

1.  Go for the Limited Edition:  It doesn’t matter what your friends and family are into, there’s usually a limited edition version that you can get hold of that will make their eyes light up. Think about their favorite perfumes, books or films. Getting a signed poster of their favorite film or a bottle of the champagne they love that only comes out once a year will show them that you pay attention to the things that they enjoy. They might be a little harder to get hold of, but the effort will be rewarded when you see how happy they are to receive it.

2.  Make a Photo Album:  Making a photo book for someone is a great way of creating a unique, inexpensive gift that can be treasured for a lifetime.  Photo books are versatile – you don’t have to stick to a pre conceived format or style. Put your own stamp on it by writing a story and using photos of your friends and family to illustrate it. There are hundreds of ideas that you could choose so take a look around for some inspiration and then get snapping!

3.  Treat them to a Little Luxury:  If they’re the type of person to feel guilty for spending money on themselves then consider buying them something extra special. Pick up some exclusive chocolates, a bottle of champagne or a voucher for a foot massage – anything that you think they would enjoy but wouldn’t buy for themselves. Everybody loves to be indulged and pampered a little, so go all out and make them feel special.

4.  Nostalgia:  Everybody loves a bit of nostalgia so think about buying something retro rather than shiny and new. If your friends were children of the 1980’s then get them a Super Nintendo to game on or the Back To The Future DVD box set.  Stocking fillers like dominos, microcars, Tamigotchis and an Etch A Sketch are guaranteed to make people smile. Pez dispensers, trivial pursuit,  there’s a huge wealth of opportunities to explore so be creative and create a festive trip down memory lane.

5.  The Gift of Time:  Give your cherished one the gift of Your time…Give them a day to do Whatever they want…Eat where they want and when they want…Make it all about them!  And you will reap the rewards!

(Source:  tiptoptens.com)

Whatever you give, if given with a smile, and given from the heart, you can’t go wrong.

Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

T.

Upcoming Blogs:  Wednesday; More Holiday Gifts:  Friday; Ugly Christmas Sweaters.

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Holiday Gift Exchanges…

There’s Nothing like a 20-year old nephew.  You have to love their wit, charm, and ability to poke fun at the old, weary aunt.   When lounging after our Thanksgiving dinner, all 17 of us, we drew names for the “kids” Christmas gift draw, and I was the keeper of the list.  I indicated I’d send out an email with the limit, and who buys for whom.  Matthew (again, gotta love him) said, “Oh why don’t you just blog about it”? Hmmm…I’m sensing a tad bit of snarkiness, but just in case he was serious…

Matthew, this blog’s for you!

In researching holiday gift giving, secret santa’s and gift draws ,well as much as someone can research anything while perusing her new favorite pastime, Pinterest (truly worth of its own future blog) as well as staging the Christmas tree for the “big build” on Friday, I found this article, which I believes covers all bases. 

Even though we’ve been hearing Christmas songs since Halloween, and have been subjected to Holiday directions for well over a month now, since its Thanksgiving week, its high time we start thinking about what you’ll do, if anything, to manage gift giving in your family or circle of friends. This list of common gift exchange rules/arrangements is meant to help you think about whether this kind of arrangement will work for you when deciding if you’ll want to suggest or participate in one this year.

A note: Although it’s tempting to dismiss a lot of concerns as being immature, I believe it’s human nature to want things to be fair and to get your share. Sometimes life doesn’t work out that way and it’s certainly better to handle it with grace and a positive attitude, but I don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with addressing these kinds of concerns. And let’s be honest, we can’t always choose every person in our life and doing what we can to appease difficult people is sometimes necessary.

Limits on Spending or Kinds of Gifts

Many families and groups set a spending limit or decide that only certain kinds of gifts will be given, such as used items, homemade gifts or gifts from the dollar store.
Pros:

• Avoids bad feelings on both sides when gifts exchanged are not of equal value. Nobody feels cheated or embarrassed.
• Can help keep spending in check.
• Can encourage creativity and it can be fun to see what everyone came up with.
• Might help keep the focus on being together instead of material things.

Cons:

• Some will feel it’s too restrictive and would prefer to give what they feel they can afford, not what the group decides.
• The spending limits might still be too high for some members and although these are limits, they might feel obligated to spend at the upper end of the range lest their gift come up short.
• Not everyone will have the time or inclination to find gifts that meet the criteria.
• Enforces the idea that fair is always the same as equal, which isn’t always true in real life.

Only Buy for the Children

Some families choose to only buy for the children and not the adults, either within the nuclear family or the extended family/circle of friends.
Pros:

• Children are generally easier and less expensive to shop for than adults who might already “have it all”.
• Many adults genuinely believe that the holidays should be focused on the children.
• If times are tight, most people are reluctant to disappoint children or have them feel left out when everyone around them seems to be getting tons of gifts.
• It cuts down on the time spent shopping and wrapping gifts.

Cons:

• Those without children might not give and will get nothing in return.
• There can be disagreements on when a child ages out of getting gifts. Most of the time, the hurt feelings aren’t discussed which makes things worst.
• Families with more children will get more than those without and for better or worse grandparents might struggle with how to make this fair to their grown children.
• Many people find a lot of joy in finding that perfect present for somebody old enough to really enjoy it and almost everyone enjoys getting gifts, no matter how old they are.

Buying for Families

Instead of buying individual presents, each family group buys presents for all of the other family groups to enjoy together.
Pros:

• The holidays are about family and friendship, so what better way to honor that than to buy a gift that encourages family bonding?
• Cuts down on time spent shopping and wrapping.
• One family gift is usually less expensive than several individual gifts.
• There is an opportunity to be creative in thinking of something the whole family will enjoy.

Cons:

• Some people relish the opportunity to buy individual gifts, particularly for children.
• Single people might get the short end of the stick since they might very well get what they would have anyway.
• It can be a challenge to find an affordable gift that an entire family can enjoy.
• If the gift is a household item, like an appliance or towels, the adults might appreciate it but the kids might not.

Drawing Names/Secret Santa

Everyone draws a name from a hat and buys for that person. This is often combined with a spending limit and in some groups, only the adults draw names and everyone buys for the children.
Pros:

• Get one, give one, what could be simpler?
• It’s often more affordable to buy one fantastic gift for one person than to try and stretch that to buy for many.
• Less chaos under the tree, more time spent enjoying each other’s company than unwrapping gift after gift after gift.
• Saves time on buying and wrapping gifts.

Cons:

• The pressure is really on to make that one gift super.
• Some might wish to buy for everyone and either feel cheated that they don’t get to or go ahead and do it anyway and people feel awkward that they can’t reciprocate.
• If the person buying for you drops the ball or is the family cheap skate, you’re out of luck.
• For many, the holidays equal abundance and a feeling that dreams should come true and one gift can put a damper on that.

No Gifts at All

Generally, this is just the extended family/circle of friends and nuclear families and romantic partners do buy for each other and exchange gifts in their own homes instead of at the big gathering.
Pros:

• Saves a ton of money.
• Saves a ton of time.
• Takes the focus away from gifts and back to simpler pleasures.
• No expectations means no disappointment.

Cons:

• Gift giving is fun.
• Gift getting is fun.
• Somebody is bound to ignore the agreement and others might feel awkward about that.
• If you don’t like your family and friends, you’ll miss the welcome distraction of gifts and cleaning up. (Editor’s Note: Oh no…)

This list is by no means exhaustive and I’m sure there are several pros and cons I haven’t begun to think of. Ideally, the holidays should be a time where everyone feels welcome and secure and nobody is anxious about material things like gifts. The reality is that even those of us who are completely comfortable with the way we deal with our own finances in everyday life can feel pressured by family and friends and welcome ways to keep things fair and happy.

Remember that ultimately you have to do whatever is right for you and your immediate family. If you aren’t comfortable with the proposed arrangements, feel free to decline to participate. It’s up to you to balance your needs with what the rest of your family wants.

Source:  http://moneyning.com/money-management/should-you-suggest-gift-exchange-rules-for-your-extended-family/

And for the kids in our family, the Specifics of our actual Gift Draw :

Matthew buys for Kelsey

Meredith buys for Kaitlin

Kaitlin buys for Meredith (since Mer and Kaitlin did the actual drawing of names, I’m sensing this part was fixed)

Patrick buys for Joey

Christopher buys for Patrick

Kelsey buys for Jack

Jack buys for Christopher

Lindsey buys for Matthew

Joey buys for Lindsey

The limit is $50 per child.  There will be No gifts this year for god-children (sorry, sad, but true.  Well maybe not sad for the god-parents ).

Please email your wish lists to the person who has you or to me and I will distribute them (and not via a blog).

Photo disclaimer:  this pic is 2 years old, but couldn’t put my hands on a more recent one…

Merry Merry, and Happy Shopping!

xoxo,

Aunt Terry