Sep 25, 2014

Christmas Countdown 2014

I glanced at my calendar this morning and noticed the date and then went about my business for the day.

But, then a few hours later, it struck me... there is exactly 3 months until Christmas!

How crazy is that? I have no idea where 2014 went and can't believe that it's already time for me to start planning out our Christmas. (I do this 2-3 months in advance just because I like to be super planned and not stressed out during the holidays).

So, I sat down today and I wrote down a Christmas gift checklist to see who I will be buying gifts for this year. Not much has changed from last year, but my daughter started kindergarten this year so I did have to add her teacher to the list as well a small treat/gift bag for her class as well.

I also noticed that the Christmas movies are starting super early this year as well.

I was watching a movie on the Hallmark channel last week and it had a commercial stating the Countdown to Christmas starts Oct 31 with the premier of a new Christmas movie.

Um... am I the only person that thinks Halloween is too early for Christmas movies? I know that I like to start planning the holiday out and even start my Christmas shopping in October, but I'm not ready for Christmas movies yet.

Actually, last year I sort of got burned out on Christmas movies before Christmas was even here. This year I may just wait and not turn on the Hallmark Channel until after Thanksgiving since they usually replay all the movies they premier in November again in December.

So, have you started your Christmas planning yet this year? Any really big gift or party plans with you and your family this year?

Jul 10, 2014

Think Hobbies When It Comes to Gifts for Guys

When it comes to buying gifts for guys, one of the easiest ways that I figure out a good gift idea is to look at the man's hobbies.

Whether I am buying a gift for my dad, brother, or husband, I can usually come up with a good idea that has to do with their hobby, no matter what it may be.

Here are some examples of popular hobbies that men may have and some gift ideas for each one.

Hobby: Guns


My husband is a big gun enthusiast, so I know that I can buy him anything to do with guns and ammo and he will be happy. It doesn't even matter if he already has the item or something like it.

If you want a simple gift for a gun enthusiast, then look for things like ammo, shooting targets, and even things like shooting related bumper stickers and pictures. You can even get them a t-shirt that shows their love of shooting.

If you don't mind spending more money then go for something like a gun cleaning kit, small handgun safe, and gun and rifle bags. You can also find some ammo cases for pretty cheap and buy a few of them and even fill them with ammo for a really nice gift.

Hobby: Golf


Golf lovers are pretty easy to buy for as well.

If you want a simple and inexpensive gift, things like golf balls, tees, and even a practice putting kickback putter. You could even put together a nice gift basket with a few golf balls, tees, golf towels, and maybe a gift certificate for a round of golf at a nice local golf course.

For more expensive gifts, you can always buy him new clubs, a new quality made golf bag, a membership to a local golf course, or some nice golf clothes.

If you really want to impress him, buy him some personalized golf balls or a golf GPS tracker.

Hobby: Sports and Sports Teams


If you have a guy in your life who is really into a certain sports team or watching a certain sport, then you should have plenty of options for gifts.

Keep it simple with a t-shirt or a hat from the team or even something really inexpensive like a bumper sticker or beach towel.

If you don't mind spending the money, tickets to a game or sporting event is probably the ultimate gift idea. If the tickets aren't that expensive you can always add in a nice shirt to wear to the game as well.

If your guy likes to actually play the sport, then just find something that he can use. For example if he plays soccer you can buy him a t-shirt that has to do with soccer or some practice gear for the sport. If he likes to play softball, then buy him some new batting gloves or some shorts and socks he can wear to the game.

Hobby: Beer


If your man really likes beer and is a beer connosiurr, then this should be pretty easy to buy him a gift.

Find his favorite beer of all time and simply buy him some. If you don't know what his favorite is or you can't find it, then check out some of the local brewarioes that you have around you and see if they offer tours for a gift.

You can also find beer of the month clubs that you can sign him up for and he can get different beers each month to try.

Hobby: Fishing or Camping


For a guy that likes to fish or camp, simply buy him stuff he can use outdoors. This could be as simple as a nice hat for being out in the sun or even something small like a mini keychain size multi tool or knife.

If you don't mind spending more money, things like a new fishing rod, reel, tackle box, and  utility vest could be good gift ideas for fishermen.

For men who like to camp, simple survival tools like a nice quality knife or a little portable tool set would be a good gift idea as well as other items like a new sleeping bag,  a small portable stove, and an air mattress would also be great gifts.

No matter what hobby the guy has, there are always items you buy that would relate to the hobby and be something that he would love and use.