Kelly’s Christmas Shop

Posts Tagged ‘christmas gifts’

It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas — oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it overspending… the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma — the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler’s ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, I wish just one of them could have won, he said. They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.

Mike loved kids — all kids — and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me.

His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition — one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn’t end there. You see, we lost Mike one year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.

Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.

Author Unknown (Please notify me if anyone can identify the author. Thanks!)

Help Santa Claus deliver Christmas gifts to the houses in this game. You will fly with Santa in this game and throw the gifts into the houses. If you can throw the gifts right into the chimney of the house, you will get extra points.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Is all your Christmas shopping done yet? Chances are it isn’t and you’re already stressing about fighting your way through the crowds in search of those perfect presents. Relax. Buying Christmas gifts doesn’t have to resemble an episode of Survivor. Instead grab your gift list, your favorite beverage and head to your computer for the easiest holiday shopping you’ve ever experienced.

It’s Better with Baskets

Gift baskets are a super easy way to whittle down your Christmas list. While you may think that gift baskets are impersonal, today’s baskets can be found in a multitude of themes that will suit most anyone on your list. Know someone who has a sweet tooth? Gift baskets comprised of gourmet cookies or chocolates are perfect. For anyone who’s counting their calories, a beautiful fruit basket or spa collection will easily fit the bill.

Gift baskets aren’t just for the ladies either. Golf themed Christmas gift baskets or baskets containing any tasty snacks should suit someone you know quite well.

For couples, try a gourmet cooking basket or wine basket that they can both enjoy for many months to come. The best part of giving these baskets is you don’t need to worry about wrapping or shipping — the company will do all that for you. How easy is that?

Save the Shipping

Christmas gifts are expensive enough once you tally them up – but add the cost of mailing packages out on top of that and gift giving can get pretty expensive. While the post office isn’t likely to have a sale on shipping during the holidays, there are many online stores that offer cheap or free shipping with your purchases. Some stores will offer free shipping if your purchases total a certain amount while others offer to ship your purchases to the nearest physical store at no charge. If you plan on going away for the holidays, why not make all your purchases online, get the company to gift wrap them for you and have them all shipped ahead to your holiday destination? Now that’s shopping smart.

Christmas Gifts That Keep on Giving

Everyone has someone on their list that’s hard to buy for. Instead of stressing yourself out searching for that perfect one time gift, try giving them something related to an interest of theirs. Magazine subscriptions to a topic they love work great. Since there’s a magazine out there for just about any passion or hobby you can think of, you’re bound to find something suitable.

Enrollment in monthly clubs is also a wonderful option. As an example, there are wine of the month clubs, beer of the month clubs, gourmet foods, or even monthly craft clubs for kids. You simply order the subscription online and provide the recipient’s address. Then, every month thereafter they will receive a new delivery. This is a great way to make your Christmas gift last all year long!