holiday gifts

On the 8th Day, I Gave Photo Gifts

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I try not to give a picture of my kids in a silver frame to the grandparents every year, but it is hard to avoid. To be honest, someone in my family is getting something that is photo related at Christmas. First of all, I love photos. Secondly, it is just too hard to bypass once there are grandkids and family get togethers and new babies. However, you do not have to give a photo in a frame. There are many cool photo related gifts available. Here are some I like. What unique photo gifts have you found?

Idea 1: Easy123Art will take your digital photo and turn it into a paint by number. I gave my brother and sister-in-law a paint by number of one of their wedding photos the year they got married. These are not a child’s paint by number. One of my Atlanta friends completed two of these of her children, and they looked like professional paintings. She did say they take time and work.

Idea 2: Kolo 5×7 Vineyard albums are paper photo albums that hold 12 photos.. They come in a variety of colors. If there has been a special family trip or event, I will complete an album for a gift. When I went with my husband’s family to Yellowstone, I made albums for his parents and sister to remember the trip. When my whole family came to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I made albums for everybody with fun family pictures from the parades. The albums are little “best of” collections. I keep a huge basket of them in my living room, and guests browse through them– or I browse through them when I need a little pick me up.

Idea 3: Have a photo turned into a postage stamp. There is a surcharge, but these are actual USPS postage stamps. If you do not mind paying a little extra, these are fun for baby announcements, holiday cards, or wedding thank you notes.

Idea 4: Smartphone covers or e-reader covers can be made with a special photo. My husband had one made as a Mother’s Day gift for my iPhone. He used Zagg.

Idea 5: Have photos inserted into a set of Tervis Tumblers. A good friend saved invitations from parties she hosted and mailed them to Tervis. She has a set of “party cups” with all of her party invitations sealed inside. There are some size limitations.

Two Gifts in One (Day 7)

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My mom discovered the Scribble Press Store in New York City and picked up an Author’s Tool Kit ($28.95) as a Christmas present for my son a few years back. He LOVES writing stories, and this was an awesome gift idea. It is a design your own book kit. There are a variety of page layouts included in the kit, and the child writes a story and illustrates it. The kit also includes templates for a cover page, dedication page, and an about the author page. Once the pages are completed, you mail them back to Scribble Press, and they professionally bind the book. The book binding fee was included with our gift, but you have the option to order extra copies. Wrap the extra copies and give the finished books as a gift at the next holiday. It is the gift that gives back!

If you happen to live in New York City, you should look at the class and party options at their store. I also noticed an app and online book functions on the website that would be great for teachers (or parents).

Then I Bought a Group Gift (Day 6)

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If I can think of a gift that can be given to an entire family unit, I buy it. I shop for my two sisters (married with kids), my brother (married with kids), and my parents. Last year each family received a mini crock pot with a recipe for my favorite crock pot dip. I love mini things, and these little crock pots are really fun. When my whole extended family was together at Christmas, we got them all out one night and set up a chocolate fondue buffet with everyone’s crock pots. Yum!

I tied a recipe card with the classic Velveeta queso dip recipe on top of everyone’s wrapped crock pot.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut into 1-inch dice
  • 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (I like mild)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 lb. browned ground beef

Directions

  • Add Velveeta to crock pot with Ro-Tel tomatoes and browned ground beef. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Serve with Fritos Scoops or tortilla chips.
  • May need to half the recipe to fit in the mini sized crock pot.

Alternate Idea: See below for the triple crock pot that I saw on the Target website. I think the triple crock pots might be even smaller than the single mini! Maybe somebody will get this for me this year (hint, hint Sewing Sister and Aunt B).

On the Fifth Day, I Shopped for Man Gifts

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And on the fifth day of gift shopping, I had to buy something for my dad. He can be challenging. There are only so many pictures of the grandchildren I can give him. There are a few staple interests that my siblings and I use as fallbacks– college basketball, grilling, and/or golf. When those fail, we pool our resources and buy electronics. I am stumped this year, so I am open to any new suggestions!

Man Gift #1: A few years ago I ordered Nike ID running shoes. You choose the color and design. You can even have lettering put on the back heel (I printed the granddad name our kids use). My dad is a huge Kansas fan. I ordered Kansas Jayhawk crimson and blue. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the real thing to share, but they are a showstopper at games.

Man Gift #2: I think my mom discovered the personalized steak branding iron. My husband and my dad received one of these bad boys. Since I love anything personalized, you know this is one of my favorites. FYI, the branding irons work very well on hot dogs.

As a sidebar to the grilling theme, another fun gift is to organize a guy’s weekend to a BBQ judging certification class. I contacted the wives of my husband’s best buddies, booked hotel rooms in nowhere Alabama, and reserved spots at a BBQ judging class. You can choose between Kansas City or Memphis judging circuits. It did not matter to me, but if you are arranging this gift for a real grill connoisseur, the type of judging certificate will make a difference.

Man Gift #3: My sisters and I have all given needlepoint belts (the ultimate preppy gift) to my dad, brother, and the husbands. My favorite are the hobby belts that are personalized with scenes that represent the giftee’s interests (my husband’s belt had soccer, running, skiing, golf, and Kentucky Derby/horses). These look great on the golf course. I order through The Sign of the Arrow in St. Louis, MO. They will take an order over the phone. This is a gift that involves time and money. If you have not planned for this one by July, save it for a birthday or anniversary. Not only do you have to build in time to needlepoint the belt, you also have to allow time to finish the belt with the leather backing and buckle. Needlepoint finishers really get backed up pre-holidays.

On the Fourth Day of Gift Ideas

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I love anything personalized! After seeing a designer on Project Runway wear monogrammed t-shirts a few seasons ago,  I purchased a stack of Gap t-shirts for all of the women on my holiday gift list. I stuck with basic colors (black and white) and had monograms added. I probably should have included my pre-teen niece too because she is a preppy girl, and this is a great gift for girls ages 10 and up. I will monogram just about anything. What would work well for my shopping list this year?

What to Do: Find cotton t-shirts that are a good weight. I like the Gap Essential Crewneck Ts because they are a little thicker and can hold the stitching of the monogram machine. I took my shirts to a local monogrammer. You may want to ask about having a fabric stabilizer added to the back of the shirt, so the monogram is stitched in evenly.

Styles: I chose 3 letter monograms for all of the shirts. Some shirts had the fancy cursive and some were more tailored. It just depended on the person receiving the shirt. I think 2 1/2 inches is a good height for the largest letter in the center.