I don't know about anyone else, but I
love to give gifts for Christmas. That's actually one of the best
parts for me; as much as I like receiving gifts, I get the most fun
out of giving them. Going to the effort to find the perfect gifts for
the people you love and seeing the joy on their faces when they open
it almost makes up for all the crowd-fighting and paper cuts. Almost.
That's why it makes me sad when I can't afford to get anyone a gift.
However, I've come to realize that there are ways you can show the
people you love that you care without having to spend a lot of money.
One present that is fun and easy to
make is chocolate-covered pretzels. Just get some confectioner's
chocolate and melt it in the microwave in 30-second increments,
stirring between sessions. I use confectioner's chocolate because
it's specially formulated to melt easily and, well, I'm lazy. You can
find it in any grocery store. Once it's melted, dip each pretzel and
lay on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. If you're not a fan of
pretzels, using peanut-butter Ritz sandwiches or Oreos are also good.
I put the sheets in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until
the chocolate hardens. When they're finished, just make each person a
small bag or tin.
If you're concerned that your loved one
might not like this because they're on a diet, don't worry. It's a
well-known fact that foods eaten in holiday celebrations have no
calories. I found that on the internet, and they can't put anything
on the internet that isn't true. :)
Another good way to 'gift' your family
and friends is to cook for them. Some friends of mine threw a dinner
party where they served everyone Cornish game hens, pumpkin pie and
all sorts of sides. It might sound expensive, but it was cheaper for
them than getting everyone an individual gift. If you don't want to
'go all out' like this, you can make or buy one big thing for
everyone to share. It doesn't even have to be 'Christmas-y'; I once
made a batch of stuffed shells for some friends and they absolutely
loved it! If you can't be with everyone, you can order something
online from a place like HoneyBaked Ham and have it sent to them. It
doesn't much matter what it is; the point is that you'll be 'gifting'
everyone at once.
On the same tip, you could offer your
house for the celebration. The friends I mentioned above actually
gave us all two gifts-the dinner itself and their house as a
party venue. This doesn't necessarily mean that all the
turkey-and-trimmings preparation falls on you; you can also host a
cocktail or some other kind of party.
As you can see, there are several ways
you can share the holiday spirit that don't necessarily cost a lot of
money or require good gift-wrapping skills. Even if you end up
spending more than you'd like, at least you can be sure that everyone
will appreciate what you've done for them. That in and of itself is
worth the cost!
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