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The Little Gifts of ChristmasBy now many people are well into the Christmas shopping season. The big items are probably already purchased but inexpensive stocking stuffers and little "remembrance" gifts are always good to have on hand for those people who drop by unexpectedly. You know, the ones whom you love, but you just did not include them on your list, because, frankly, you just did not think of them. One solution to this problem is to do Christmas baking or candy making and set aside some small decorated offerings that are just waiting in the wings to fill this gap. When you bring them out, you get to bless your friends, and they feel pleased to be remembered. They don't have to know it was a "last minute" thing and it spreads the Christmas cheer just a little bit farther! This is the time of year when the old tried and true recipes come out because they don't require a lot of expensive ingredients and are often easy to make but remind us of Christmas when we were young. We like to pass those traditions on to the younger folks in the family as well. A small decorated paper plate of iced sugar cookies, lemon bars, and a few slices of ginger bread are always good to have around for gift giving. A clear plastic cup full of fudge and a peppermint candy cane wrapped in plastic wrap and tied with red or green curling ribbon is a very fast way to wrap and decorate at the same time. If you happen to have some Christmas themed stickers you can paste one on the side, too, and add to the Christmas feel. It can all be done very quickly for the giver, but receiving a little Christmas remembrance like this really is fun. People like it. Who doesn't need just a little seasonal treat at this time of year? Another thing that you can do is go online to order Christmas or holiday themed pocket calendars or candles for less than ten dollars a dozen. The Oriental Trading Company is a good example of a place to purchase these items so you can have them around to hand out at the last minute. They even have little homey wooden perpetual calendars with seasonal toppers that can be placed on a desk or counter but these are not sold by the dozen. OTC ships these out so fast you will have them in about three or four days. They also have tons of other Christmas or holiday themed stuff for teachers and group leaders who want to give out something small but not spend a life savings on the items. The fun of Christmas is being remembered with a gift. If you can bless someone else with a little something to eat, or a calendar, or candle, something that they might actually use later, it makes this special holiday a little more cheerful for everyone. Little gifts of Christmas treats are appreciated by the homeless, too, so put some in your car and when you see someone you'd like to "gift" then you have something handy to accomplish this goal. A few bucks and some Christmas fudge can go a long way to lift the spirits and remind them of the reason for the season - which is to spread the love of Christ. Being remembered in this way, can make it a little less lonely out there. Merry
Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Good Will to all |