Merry Christmas!

I'd like to take the time today to wish you all a very merry Christmas this year. Whether you're with your loved one or somewhere else, rest assured that everything will be okay. Christmas, for me, has always been a tradition thing. It's a time when what family we have left goes from my parents house to my grandmothers house for breakfast and presents and more presents and then lunch and cookies and fudge. Lots of cookies and fudge.

We do this every year and have done it every year since I was born. The huge family gatherings we used to have have dwindled to mere immediate family members but the tradition is still there. Every year my mom somehow floods her living room floor with presents, even if she barely had any money. She always wants to get all of us tons and tons of things when we in reality don't need anything, but we've always always always had more than enough and I have appreciated that.

So we all sit there in the morning with A Christmas Story on the TV (more than likely, anyways) waiting for my father to crawl out of his man-cave and creak up the stairs to make himself some coffee and then sit with us so we can all open presents. All the while making hilarious little side comments about everything we've gotten. It wouldn't be a good Christmas without him or his jokes! Then we head to my grandmothers house and do the same thing while we either wait for another turkey dinner or a delicious honey baked ham and this year, some fried chicken....Mmmm.

We never do anything hugely extravagant, but the little things we do are what make the tradition and the difference. I might not be with my fiancée this year like we planned, but we are together in our hearts and I hope he and all of you have the best Christmas yet.

Stay strong and love on! 

5 Inexpensive Gift Ideas

Having trouble deciding what to get your SO this year? Money problems? Here, let me get you your membership card! More and more of us are having this problem, so the “cheap gift” idea is nothing new, especially in long distance relationships (hey, we have to pay for shipping and insurance, you know)! What you can do, though, is get him or her something you’ll both love. Your SO will love it because it is meaningful, you’ll love it because it didn’t cost you an arm and a leg!!

1.       Think Unique. We all have the ideas of iProducts and gaming systems, but what really says you care is something he or she can show off that nobody else will have.  My advice? Browse your local flea market, second-hand store and antique store. Here at my local flea market, The Hartville Marketplace, there are tons of stores run by local people who sell one-of-a-kind pieces, often homemade. How many of your friends can say they have a handmade Native American pipe with real deer antlers and real feathers? 

Yep, I searched high and low but found this amazing piece for next to nothing.

2.       Get Personal. Nothing says I love you more than a poem straight from the heart. Your feelings are free, and paper and a frame can stay under $5. If you don’t have the know-how to create a beautiful picture of your feelings worthy of framing, you can always Google for a design creator or commission me for a measly $5. (Yeah, I had to! Fiverr.com/EthaNox)

3.       Adopt. This may be edging on pricey, but I’m including it anyways. If your SO is a planet or animal lover like me, this is a very touching and thoughtful gift. You can symbolically adopt an animal through WorldWildlife.Org for as little as $25. This is a great gift idea and is something your love can show off and proudly display in his/her home, while simultaneously working towards saving endangered animals.

4.       Get. Damn. Sexy!! We’ve all seen the tacky ribbons girls put on themselves as a “gift”…but it’s not as tacky when you get down to it! Whether you’re a woman or a man, let your present be YOU! Write your lover sexy coupons for anything he or she will enjoy and that you feel comfortable letting them cash in on.

Not into that phase of your relationship yet? Write coupons for everyday nice things. Like a foot or back rub, breakfast in bed, walk at the park, letting them choose the next movie…whatever would please them!

5.       COOK! I don’t know about you and yours, but my fiancée and I are a bunch of fatties that LOVE FOOD. What is the best, most inexpensive way to treat him or her to a nice meal or dessert without the pricey bill? Do it yourself. There are literally millions and millions of recipes online for completely unique food and treats you can make from what you probably already have in your cupboards. Completely homemade, I-spent-all-day-in-the-kitchen food is like nothing else, and might end up being a tradition of sorts. My advice? Go crazy and cover everything in chocolate…or make some of those cake pops…

Mmm I'm getting hungry already.

Whatever gift you decide to get, remember that it’s not how expensive something is that matters, it’s the thought, time and effort you put into getting them something. Do something memorable this year.

Stay strong and love on!