A Gift Basket For Faraway Family Members

by Tracy Crowe

I know very well what it's like to have family who live far away. When I was growing up, my grandparents and aunts/uncles and cousins lived across the ocean. When I had my own kids, their grandparents and aunts/ uncles lived on the other side of the country. Now that my sister has 2 small children, the youngest of whom I've never met, this being far away has hit me again. How can we show far away family, especially when children are involved, that we want to be close and stay connected?

We could design a gift basket for family members who live far away, just to say we care. We would put into it several mementos that make the distance between us seem smaller.

If we have young children, we could send grandparents a digital picture frame. In case you're wondering what a digital picture frame is; it is a device about the size and shape of a picture frame that has a LCD screen. The screen displays multiple photos in a slide show format, and it connects to the Internet via the phone line to download new pictures and information to display. You use your computer to upload photos to a website and every day the frame uses the phone line to connect to the website and download any new photos. This is an ideal way to send digital photos of the family to grandparents who lack a computer and/or the skills to use one.

We could also include a DVD, or a video depending on the equipment we and they have, of some recent activity; perhaps our child scoring a goal at soccer or performing in a recital, or even just a family picnic or something like that. Photos are great, certainly better than nothing, but they just don't show you what the child is really like as well as video does. They don't give you as much of a feeling of being there as a movie does. We could also include a tape (either audiotape or videotape) of our child giving the recipient a special message.

Of course we could always send regular photos too. One idea to make a photo special is to cut out the shape of the children (the important part) and have it glued onto a plastic block so that it stands upright by itself. Another idea is to frame the photo in a magnetic frame that is suitable for the holiday so that it is easy to put on the fridge. I have one on my fridge right now that is a heart frame for Valentines Day. You can often get these at places like Target. We could include a picture the child has drawn or painted, or even a small thing the child has made himself if the child likes to do crafts.

Of course, most of these ideas are not just for children and grandparents, although I know that the time when you feel the farthest away from your family is when either you are a child away from grandparents, or you are away from a small child, especially a grandchild. These ideas can be applied to any faraway family members. When family members move away is when they most need to know that we're thinking of them. A gift basket would be a great way to reassure them of this.

Tracy Crowe loves to feel connected and closer to her family.

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Giving Unforgettable Birthday Gifts

by Tzippi Moss

Big birthdays are great opportunities to get creative. Instead of buying a gift that may or may not be appreciated, you can show your love, care and appreciation in ways that will leave a lasting impression and cost little or no money.

I was recently talking to a friend of mine who had just celebrated a big birthday. He told me how people went all out on the gifts, sparing no expense. When I asked him what his favorite was, he said, 'Oh, that's easy. No contest. It was the one from my daughter. She gathered pictures of both of us and made a big collage that she then had framed. On the wood frame, she painted 'I love you' with hearts and stars. That gift made me cry. None of the other store bought ones did.'

That got me thinking. What were the best gifts I have ever received? One that immediately stands out is what my then 17 year old daughter did for me at my last birthday. She told me that I needed to give her a couple of days notice before she could give me her gift. She said that I would need to clear a few hours on my calendar and tell me what day I had chosen. That got me curious. I was sure she was planning on taking me somewhere. One morning, I told her I had cleared my calendar for the next day. The following morning, just before leaving for school, she dropped an envelope on the table. 'Happy Birthday, Mom- don't open this until after I leave. I hope you like it.'

I was surprised. What in the world could she have given me? I tore open the envelope. Inside was a page of yellow lined paper with the following message:

Dear Mom,

You have your present coming to you, but like the parties you throw for your friends, you have to work for it! That is why I am sending you on a treasure hunt! Make sure to follow instructions carefully. Your notes are small yellow or orange notes. If you have any problems, send me a SMS. Wear comfortable shoes.

Here's your first instruction. Go to….

P.S. If you had given me more advance notice, I would have had more time to prepare. Thanks a lot! :)

Oops. So much for my following her pre-gift instructions of giving her a couple of days warning. Anyway, my blooper didn’t keep her from planning an incredible tour of one of the historic areas in our city that I barely knew. I searched for notes that directed me to a hollow tree stump, to a certain sales person named Dan in a local bookstore and other hilarious instructions that entertained and taught me about hidden gems in my own home town. The different stops included historical information about what I was seeing, a coupon for a used book, and a gift certificate to buy myself some article of clothing at her favorite store, so I would stop borrowing her cool clothes.

Follow the tips below and you'll be remembered for unforgettable gifts as well.

- Give a gift that expresses your love loud and clear. My friend’s daughter’s gift stood out because of the effort she made to personalize her present and her clear message of love.

- Give an experience. My daughter’s gift scored big because she sent me on an adventure that I will never forget! The more novel or unusual the experience and the more it fits the person’s interests, the more memorable it will be.

- Give the gift of your time. Again, my daughter’s gift was a winner as it was clear how much effort she had gone to to surprise and delight me. My mother's favorite gift was a hand made book of coupons she received from her grandkids that could be redeemed for giving her a piano concert, baking cookies together and other activities where they spent time just with her.

- Know the celebrant's dreams and desires and help them come true. My husband knew how much I had wanted to go on a meditation retreat and for one of my birthdays he made all the arrangements so that could happen. I have never forgotten that present. If you can make someone's dream come true, you have given a gift beyond measure.

Tzippi Moss is an expert in the areas of imagery, expanding creativity, dream work, stress reduction, and goal setting. She is the author of 'A Dash of Soul' and 'Real Women Sizzle'. Read more about them at: http://www.WomensBirthdayClub.com.

For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Gift Giving Products information... visit our site at http://www.gift-giving-central.com.