Holiday Gift-giving And Entertaining Tips With A Personal To

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(ARA)- As carolers sing during chilly nights and stockings hang by crackling fires, families and friends everywhere will celebrate this holiday season by giving gifts, decorating trees, and treating themselves to festive food. It's the time of year when people will become inspired to make their loved ones feel as cherished as the season -- and you don't have to spend a lot of money or invest a lot of time to get the job done.

This is the time of year when you want your home to feel extra warm and inviting, your food to taste even richer and more delicious, and your gifts to be remembered long after the wrapping paper is tossed, says lifestyle expert Sandra Lee and creator of the Semi-Homemade(R) philosophy. By applying personal creativity with inexpensive items, holiday efforts can impress while also saving valuable time and money.

Sandra Lee shopped Wal-Mart stores and created the following tips for holiday entertaining and gift-giving with flair:

Packaging is everything. Doubly delight family and friends with gifts that are wrapped within another gift. Try a pretty scarf, vase, hatbox, ...
... or even a pair of red long johns. Or, add a special touch by tying an extra gift onto the bow and ribbon such as an ornament, a pair of gloves, a bag of golf tees, or candy.

Themed gifts capture attention. Create themed gifts around the recipients' favorite hobbies or interests. For example, give a favorite movie video or DVD in a ceramic popcorn bowl and include microwave popcorn, Junior Mints, Sugar Babies, Charleston Chews, and other nostalgic movie candies. For an angler, fill a tackle box with fishing line and other gear. Place in a large fishing dip net and secure with a red bandana for a knapsack effect. For the busy mom in need of pampering, fill a basket with spa soaps, lotions and oils, and include new slippers and her favorite magazine. Weave a colorful ribbon through the basket and tie the bow with a pretty card featuring an I.O.U. to help her find the time to relax with her gifts. Merry memories can be made by tucking a camera and film inside a photo organizing box and writing a personal note on the back of a picture of the two of you together and attaching it as a gift card.

Create a centerpiece good enough to eat. To make a Nutcracker Holiday Cake that can double as a table decoration, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch-round cake pans. Combine two boxes of gingerbread cake and cookie mix, two eggs, and two cups water in a large mixing bowl. Stir until just moistened. Divide batter equally between two pans. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes and allow to cool completely for 20 minutes. Frost the top of one of the cake layers with cream cheese frosting. Place second layer on top. Frost the entire cake with remaining frosting. Decorate outside rim of cake with tiny, wrapped presents and ribbon. Top with a wooden nutcracker and place on a cake pedestal. Or, purchase an easy-to-assemble gingerbread kit from a discount retailer such as Wal-Mart for a quick and easy centerpiece.

Deck the halls with a festive bow-quet. Use velvet bows to attach garland to stair banisters, porch railings, window frames, and mantels. Affix bows to wreaths and wrapped packages. Decorate indoor and outdoor trees by tying velvet bows around the branches, and use a large bow as a consistent and eye-catching topper. For another festive touch, buy a box of cards in your favorite design and adorn 12 to 24, depending on size, with braiding or piping from a craft department. Many retailers sell inexpensive and festive cards that you can hang as ornaments on trees and stair banisters.

Treat guests to a sweet arrival. Make your own Lollypop Lane by placing large circular pieces of Styrofoam on a wooden dowel and wrapping them in colorful cellophane. Place them in the ground approximately 18 inches apart down the length of your walk or driveway and embellish with pre-made velvet bows. String white lights between each lollypop, swagging slightly between each one, and securing to the bows. Make sure lights are plugged into a fire-safe outlet before flipping the switch to a sparkling path.

The best gift of all is time to spend with family and friends and these gift ideas can help you find that time. Simply purchase items from your local discount retailer and then add a personal touch to make them special and festive. These items can be purchased at a one-stop discount retail store like Wal-Mart.

Courtesy of ARA Content





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Courtesy of ARA Content