Monday, November 06, 2006

Make Your Own Dad Or Mom Gifts

Make Your Own Dad Or Mom Gifts
by: Kadence Buchanan

Whether their birthday is quickly approaching or Father and Mother Day are holidays you prefer to forget due to your inability to find something which can be a valuable present, a gift that you will craft yourself and will portray your own personal touch can go a long way into their hearts. Here are some easy craft ideas for those capable to open your computer and put it to work.

- Personal Music Compilation: You have heard them one thousand times. That Frank Sinatra song they were dancing last Christmas is engraved on your brain and you are catching yourself singing the lyrics every time you see a couple that resembles them crossing the street. One of the most appreciated gifts you can easily construct is that of a music CD containing all their favorite songs. You can even create the CD cover and labels on your computer and your gift can have a personal touch that will make tears fall from their eyes as they open the wrapping paper. Add a romantic photograph of them on the cover, put their theme song first and last, arrange the music according to their pleasing, and think of a good song that they do not know but will love when hearing. Improvise as much as you can and you will be glad you did.

- A Box Full of Memories: Last summer they have decided to visit Spain, but their tickets, photographs, beach shells, and museum passes have been inside a bag since then. Surprise them with a "Box from Spain." Arrange their favorite photographs and create on your computer a collage that will cover the sides of the box. Print and place the year and their favorite Spanish phrase, which they have been using since, on top. Place the tickets and passes on a transparency paper and glue them inside the box, organize the box according to days or places, and try to create the box you would like to receive. Give them a chance to travel back in time and smile to your ingenuity.

- A Photograph Album: The photographs they have been eager to take every summer are scattered around or placed in boxes that nobody has time to open up and see anymore. Visit your local art or bookstore and purchase a couple of albums that can host most of the pictures you know they cherish. Arrange the pictures in chronological order or just grab them from the box and place them in the album while adding your own comments or imaginary dialogues. You can also create the album yourself on your computer and bind the pages together with string and ribbon. Embellish the photograph albums with your own taste, like black and white copies of photographs and experience how it feels to have something truly valuable given to them.

- A Card Box: They are always searching those small pieces of paper with those old recipes or sports scores on them, which seem to have disappeared since you remember yourself. They are always complaining and thinking they are now really old and incompetent for not remembering where they have placed their favorite cards the last time they used them. Save them the trouble of trying to locate their "valuable" pieces of paper and create a box which can have a title and display their favorite colors. Add some paper labels inside and give them the chance to feel organized and prepared when the time to use them again comes.

Creating the perfect gift for dad and mom is not that difficult. It needs some imagination and time to invest. We know you got both; you know it too. Good luck and happy crafting times!

About The Author
Kadence Buchanan writes articles for For HomeLife - In addition, Kadence also writes articles for It's Family Time and Home Improvement Station.

More Funny Ways To Save Money

More Funny Ways To Save Money
by: Steve Gillman

I was doing research for my web site, on ways to save money. Checking other web sites and discussion forums, I found that the cheapskates are hitting new - and funnier - lows. Choosing a spouse according to how frugal he or she is, and reusing the plastic from bacon packages were just a couple of the serious suggestions. One man even said, "Instead of buying toilet paper, I use yesterday's newspaper."

Probably the suggestion that was the most ridiculous was to stop drinking beer. What are we trying to save all this money for? In any case, here are some more funny ways to save money. I suspect, or at least hope, that many of these really are not meant to be serious suggestions. Don't try these at home.

Ways To Save Money?



- Unplug your clocks at night to save on electricity.

- Carry powdered drink mix and add it to water when eating out, to save on buying drinks.

- Install a cat door and train your cat to go outside and to the neighbors yard to go to the bathroom. This saves you on cat litter and time cleaning the yard.

- Eat dog food. (According to this contributor, the dry dog food is better than the canned.)

- Tell everyone you'll be out of town for Christmas, so you can shop the after-Christmas sales for presents.

- Ask your friends to save the labels for you off any new products they buy, so you can put them on your thrift-store purchases when you are buying gifts.

- Run around the house and close the heater vents in all the rooms except your bedroom before going to sleep.

- Encourage mice in the house by leaving crumbs around - so your cat will have a free food supply.

- Learn speed-reading and read books for free while in the aisle at the book store.

- Leave everything in the same place in your house, so you can easily get around at night without turning the lights on.

- Bring back rolls of coins from Canada, to use at the laundromat and in pop machines, saving you 20% or more, depending on the exchange rate.

Okay, these may be funny ways to save money, but did any of them tempt you? Do you pick up pennies on the street? Wouldn't it be more efficient to just stay on the clock at work for an extra minute? Hey, and while you are there, take a big drink of water - to save on your home water bill.

About The Author
Steve Gillman studies money. To get free e-courses and e-books on money topics, and for more Funny Ways To Save Money, visit: Unusual Ways to Make Money

More Funny Ways To Save Money

More Funny Ways To Save Money
by: Steve Gillman

I was doing research for my web site, on ways to save money. Checking other web sites and discussion forums, I found that the cheapskates are hitting new - and funnier - lows. Choosing a spouse according to how frugal he or she is, and reusing the plastic from bacon packages were just a couple of the serious suggestions. One man even said, "Instead of buying toilet paper, I use yesterday's newspaper."

Probably the suggestion that was the most ridiculous was to stop drinking beer. What are we trying to save all this money for? In any case, here are some more funny ways to save money. I suspect, or at least hope, that many of these really are not meant to be serious suggestions. Don't try these at home.

Ways To Save Money?

- Unplug your clocks at night to save on electricity.

- Carry powdered drink mix and add it to water when eating out, to save on buying drinks.

- Install a cat door and train your cat to go outside and to the neighbors yard to go to the bathroom. This saves you on cat litter and time cleaning the yard.

- Eat dog food. (According to this contributor, the dry dog food is better than the canned.)

- Tell everyone you'll be out of town for Christmas, so you can shop the after-Christmas sales for presents.

- Ask your friends to save the labels for you off any new products they buy, so you can put them on your thrift-store purchases when you are buying gifts.

- Run around the house and close the heater vents in all the rooms except your bedroom before going to sleep.

- Encourage mice in the house by leaving crumbs around - so your cat will have a free food supply.

- Learn speed-reading and read books for free while in the aisle at the book store.

- Leave everything in the same place in your house, so you can easily get around at night without turning the lights on.

- Bring back rolls of coins from Canada, to use at the laundromat and in pop machines, saving you 20% or more, depending on the exchange rate.

Okay, these may be funny ways to save money, but did any of them tempt you? Do you pick up pennies on the street? Wouldn't it be more efficient to just stay on the clock at work for an extra minute? Hey, and while you are there, take a big drink of water - to save on your home water bill.

About The Author
Steve Gillman studies money. To get free e-courses and e-books on money topics, and for more Funny Ways To Save Money, visit: Unusual Ways to Make Money<.a>