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On Hand Presents to Make Gift-Giving Easy
by Cheryl Gochnauer, Homebodies.org

"Mommy, Billy's birthday party is tomorrow."

Not quite ready for the wakeup call you received while tucking your child in tonight?

Don't let "Surprise!" take all the fun out of your gift giving. Instead, pull together a stash of unisex presents and packaging so you'll never flip out at last-minute party announcements again.

PARTY ON. With 8 children ranging in age from 4 to 15, Kansas mom Elaine Munyan is a hearty advocate of pre-stocking. "If I run across a good deal, like specials on coloring books, paints, crayons, markers - anything like that - I buy a whole bunch," Munyan says. "That way, when a birthday creeps up unexpectedly, I can just take my child shopping in my closet."

• A suggested hoard for youngsters: beanbag dolls, books, travel-sized games, art supplies, yo-yos, zoo passes, sidewalk chalk and bubbles.
• When shopping at discount stores, keep your eyes peeled for clearance signs. I found a cart at Wal-Mart that had Winnie the Pooh journal/stationery sets, normally $7.95, slashed to $1.00 each. I bought eight presents for the price of one, and now I'm set for girls' birthday parties through the end of the year.

GROWN-UP GIFTS. It's nice to have presents for adults on hand, too, especially during the holidays, when seldom-seen friends can drop in unexpectedly. Consider stashing some movie passes, gift certificates, or flavored coffees and teas. Teens appreciate candles, salsas, and calligraphy pens. All of these are relatively small items that can be stored easily.

• I recently spotted dessert bread mixes (cranberry, pecan, banana, carrot, etc.) on sale for $1.50 each. I'd been saving my bread mix coupons for several months, anticipating such a sale. The grocery store doubled my coupons, slashing my cost to 50-60 cents a box. I bought 16 mixes, a total investment of about $9.00. Throughout the Christmas season, I'll bring fresh bread (wrapped in colorful cellophane with a bow) whenever I'm asked to provide treats. The loaves make great gifts for teachers and neighbors, too.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. Traditional giftwrap and bows work fine, but why not mix packaging up a bit? "We're doing a lot of mesh bags," says Ken Hamilton, owner of Bugs Ear Gifts in Liberty, Missouri. "People pick out what they want, put it in a bag, and we tie it off with a bow."

The empty colorful mesh bags are reusable, made from recycled products, and sell for under a dollar. Scrunch a bunch in your closet to fill when that unexpected invitation comes your way.

• Here's a tip for fun kids' or baby shower presents. Take plastic sand buckets, decorate them with paint pens and stickers, then fill with small gifts. Store already assembled buckets on a top shelf for easy grab-and-go.
• In a pinch, a paper sack can be transformed into a personalized gift bag using paint pens, stickers and crayons. Colored newspaper comics still make nifty wrapping paper, too.
• Instead of spending time browsing greeting card racks, keep a stack of unlined colored index cards and a set of pinking shears handy. Cut an index card into a fanciful shape, write a personal heartfelt sentiment, then use ribbon to attach it to a gift.

IT'S OUTTA HERE. If you exchange gifts with out-of-town friends and family, don't forget to set aside the necessary shipping materials. Keep a couple of padded envelopes on hand, along with brown wrapping paper and sturdy packing tape.

Stockpile small gifts and packaging for unexpected surprises, and you'll put a wrap on unplanned shopping frenzies.

(SheLovesGod.Com is holding their second annual Virtual Women's Conference this week, and Cheryl is leading the "Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom" teleclass on Thursday, October 18. For more details on how to sign up for this almost-free event (long distance phone charges may apply), visit http://www.shelovesgod.com/classes/.)

Comments?  E-mail Cheryl@homebodies.org, or visit her website at www.homebodies.org.  Her book, "So You Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom," is available at The Light Keeper's Bookstore..  

copyright 2003 Cheryl Gochnauer and Homebodies.org, LLC - All rights reserved.

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