Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday of mine, probably because it is filled with tradition. I love watching the parade, and saw it in person with my children for the first time in 2010. That was an experience of a lifetime and well worth getting up at 5am for! I also love gathering family and friend, having a fantastic meal and watching football.  I am not a big fan of "Black Friday" and all the hype that goes with it. Strange for a retailer to say, huh? To me, gift giving is not about commercialization - it is about being thoughtful and choosing something that will surprise and delight. If getting up at 3am to get that one special gift that will surprise and delight someone - by all means go for it - but don't forget to stop and enjoy the simple joys that make holidays....holidays.

Thank you to all of the wonderful customers, too many to list, that call year after year for Woof & Poofs. Hearing from you and getting updates is the best part of my job!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Holiday Gift Tip #1 - Personalized Gifts Are Meaningful Gifts

Give a personalized gift - it is unique to the recipient and shows that you put some time and effort into selecting the gift, making them feel even more special.  Personalized gifts do not need to be expensive to be meaningful, either.  You need to allow a little extra time for the personalization process, however, so now is the time to be ordering a personalized gift.

Suggestions:

1) Personalized stationery - nice stationery is always useful, even in the digital age.  TheSurpriseInside.com carries personalized notepads, one of our best selling products. 

2) Monogrammed blanket or throw - who doesn't like to cozy up under a blanket with a book, movie or tv show?  There is a wide range in prices, too, to fit every budget.  This is one of those items people love to have but don't often buy for themselves.

3) Canvas tote bag - another super useful item  to have but that most people would not purchase for themselves.

Some other great ideas include:  personalized travel mugs and water bottles (also found at TheSurpriseInside.com), guest towels and bath towels, bags for make up or toiletries (TheSurpriseInside.com), aprons for cooking or gardening, scarves, mittens, key fobs, drink cozies, and picture frames.

Holiday Gift Ideas

Want to be a great gift giver, but don't know where to start? You are not alone, and I am here to help! Every day this month I will be sharing tips and ideas for giving great gifts. 

To come up with ideas for great gifts, here is how to get started:

Think about the person you are giving the gift to. What are his/her hobbies and interests? Does he/she commute to work or work from home? Does the person live in the city, or in the country? Is the person active in sports or exercise activities? Asking yourself questions like this about the person will start to form a picture of the persons interests for you and thus generate ideas.  Think about the kinds of things the person could use in these daily activities that would make their day more fun/easier/enjoyable.

Here are some examples of gift ideas you might come up with after thinking about those questions:

If the person commutes via public transportation, a gift that can make the commute easier (a book, magazine subscription, knitting needles and yarn, warm gloves and hat, personalized travel mug) would be very thoughtful.

For a city dweller, a beautiful pot, seeds, gloves and a book on container gardening might be fun.

For a chef:  Do a quick Google search to find out what is new in the field of cooking - for example, Anthony Bourdain has a new book out about the industry that a true foodie would love.  A basket full of personally chosen gourmet ingredients (infused olive oils, exotic spreads and spices)  along with a personalized apron or fresh oven mitts is always a great gift.

In the coming days, I will share some ideas of great gifts I have seen. In the meantime, call me or email me (info@thesurpriseinside.com) if you would like help with some ideas for that hard to shop for person on your list.

Misfit Toys

I have to admit that even though I am an adult in my 40's, I still enjoy watching all of the holiday cartoon specials. My favorite is "A Charlie Brown Christmas", followed by the one with Heat Miser and Snow Miser (is that "The Year Without A Santa Claus?).  My own children watch them now, and I excitedly snuggle under the blankets with them to enjoy each and every one.  I love that these shows have been around since I was a kid. They represent years of tradition and history to me - and those are the things that make holidays so meaningful.  I love the Island of Misfit Toys - I would take each and every one of them, particularly the water gun that shoots jelly.  However, even after all these years, it is still a mystery to me as to why the adorable little doll is a misfit!  A friend of mine has a daughter that is the spitting image of Cindy Lou Hoo - big bright eyes, adorable blond hair and feet pajamas.  That is holiday joy you cannot buy in a store.

Here's to finding the pure, free joy in the season, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is fun to watch the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and see all of the balloons and floats that have been an annual presence since I was a kid. It is also fun to see what is "new", particularly all of the singing acts that are the latest teen sensations.  It is amazing to me that this parade I watched as a child is still going strong, and I am now watching it with my own children. Of course, an incredible meal, a day of football and a walk in the crisp, cool air round out a perfect Thanksgiving day.

This year, I had the great fortune of visiting Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, MA, with my daughter's class field trip. It was wonderful to go "back-in-time" and stroll through this living history museum to experience life as it was when the Pilgrims first arrived. My daughter and I liked the Wampanoag settlement the best.

I am thankful to have a wonderful circle of family and friends. I am also thankful for a business that has been successful, even during difficult economic times. The best part of this business for me is hearing from our regular customers year after year. It adds a higher level of personal connection that can sometimes be lost with an online business. I am thankful for everyone who has taken the time to call me or email me to share their excitement about the gift they just ordered - those make my day.

Happy Thanksgiving, and warm holiday wishes to everyone!

Thank You, Veterans

For years, I have been talking about how the best gifts are the ones that have meaning to the recipient. After all, that is the driving force behind The Surprise Inside. However, few gifts can compare to the gift we are given every single day - freedom. It is particularly amazing when you consider that we are given this gift in large part by people we don't know, who are making the conscious decision every day to risk their lives to ensure the freedom of strangers.  My father was a Navy veteran. My grandfather served in World War I and was badly wounded.  My father-in-law is an Army veteran. They, along with thousands of other people who have served our country, were willing to risk their lives, whether they saw active battle or not, to ensure the freedom we enjoy today. What an incredible gift.

My hope on this Veteran's Day is that people stop for a moment to remember and thank the brave men and women who have given us the gift of freedom, a gift that came with a very high price for far too many, and one that is too easy to take for granted.

In recognition of Veteran's Day, and in honor of all of the men and women who have devoted their lives to protecting our freedom, THANK YOU.

Simple Gifts

Not all gifts cost money. Sometimes the most meaningful, lasting gifts are a note, a phone call or even an email. My favorite is the hand-written note, because in addition to conveying a sentiment, the handwriting itself makes a personal connection with the writer.  I have kept many of the notes written to me by my parents during my life, and now that they are gone, I love to take them out on occasion and re-read them, and look at their handwriting, which was unique and individual to each of them.

I recently read an article about Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, the "hero" pilot who safely landed a plane in the Hudson River in New York.  In the article, his wife mentioned the mountain of mail they have received from around the world, and how they are taking the time to read each one as a family. One letter came from overseas, and was simply addressed to "Hero Pilot" with a note to the postmaster that the address was unknown. The letter made it to the Sullenbergers.  There were so many resulting gifts in this one simple letter: 1) Someone overseas took the time to write a letter of thanks and hope to the Sullenbergers, which truly inspired them;  2) Someone at the USPS took the time to forward the address-less letter on to the Sullenbergers; 3) The Sullenbergers shared this story with the reporter as an example of the kindness of strangers.

We are headed into a season where it is easy to become bombarded by commercialism and the pressure to spend money on gifts. Take the time to handwrite a gift card to even just one person on your gift list, or send a note to someone in your life and tell them how much they mean to you. Take the time to say a warm thank you to someone such as the school custodian or the crossing guard, who may not hear it often enough. The best gifts come from the heart.