Gifts Archives - 12thBLOG

Check out these 25 Christmas gifts for your husband – that we’re sure he’ll enjoy, appreciate and remember (that you took a bit of extra time of him)!

1. Star Wars Lego Clock

Instructables

2. Jack Daniels Hand Soap Dispenser

Curly Birds

3. Hand-Printed Mouse Pad

Design Sponge

4. Firewood Tote

Whipup

5. Monogram Mug

Design Mom

6. American Travel Map

Design Sponge

7. Golf Club Covers

Positively Splendid

8. Comic Book Coasters

Mod Podge Rocks

9. Paracord Watchband

Instructables

10. BBQ Hanging Towels

Silly Pearl

11. Mini BBQ Grill

Instructables

12. Gold Beer Glasses

A Little Nutmeg

13. Coffee Ground Soap

PopSugar

14. Tie Bookmarks

Martha Stewart

15. Rustic Pencil Holder

Strawberry Chic

16. Rum Spice Aftershave

PopSugar

17. Instagram Canvas

PopSugar

18. Coffee Syrup

A Beautiful Mess

19. Rosemary Mint Shaving Cream

The DIY Network

20. License Plate Key Hanger

Kojodesigns

21. Chalkboard Mug

Wit & Whistle

22.Vinyl Record Bowl

Instructables

23. Baseball Applique Pillow

BHG

24. Monogram Cufflinks

Purl Soho

25. Wallet

Noodlehead

The post Awesome DIY Christmas Gifts For Your Husband! appeared first on 12thBLOG.

Awesome Festive Ways To Wrap Your Christmas Gifts

TheMan — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 09:30:30 +0000

Check out these 30 festive ways to wrap your Christmas gifts this year!

1. Bay Leaves

Daisyley

2. Cohesive Collection

3. Gumdrop Garland

4. Paper Flakes

5. 3-D Accents

6. Typography

7. Snowmen

8. Paper Straws

9. Variety of Bows

The Sweetest Occasion

10. Candy Toppers

Housekeeping

11. Glittered Snowflakes

12. Wreaths

13. Glammed Up

14. Pine Tree

15. Envelopes

16. Washi Tape

17. Pink + Red

18. Reindeer Silhouette

Parties for Pennies

19. Printables

DIY Candy

20. Ornament Clusters

21. Santa’s Belt

22. Family Tag

23. Winter Scenes

24. Chalkboard

25. Gold Stars

26. Alphabet Soup

27. Nature-Inspired

28. Salt Dough

29. Parcels

30. Striped Wax Paper

Studio DIY

The post Awesome Festive Ways To Wrap Your Christmas Gifts appeared first on 12thBLOG.

7 Feel-Good Gifts To Give This Holiday Season

TheMan — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 02:54:24 +0000

These gifts from the heart will make everyone feel all warm and fuzzy this winter.

I have to admit, each year my skin starts to crawl when I think about shopping for those holiday gifts. Don’t get me wrong, I love the people in my life and the idea of showing them how much they mean to me warms my heart, but the shopping and preparing and stressing, drives me crazy.

For me, it’s all about finding a balance so that I can stay true to my spiritual and environmental beliefs while also embracing the fun-filled traditions of the season, especially for my little one.

Here are a few of my personal tips on how to honor your spiritual side during the holiday gift-giving frenzy:

Serve Instead of Give: If you ask most people what they need more of, they’d probably tell you time. A great way to give your loved one something of value, while also honoring the environment, is to give services instead of products. Offering to make supper for one week or mow their lawn over the summer is a great start. And many times, just planning an extended visit is more than enough to show that you care.
Send Positive Vibes: It’s never too early to teach your children about the power of intention (and if it supports your belief system — the power of prayer). Take time to sit and close your eyes and send love and positive energy to your loved ones. Encourage your family to do the same. You can visualize sending beautiful colors to them, feel yourself sending warmth from your heart, or pray for their well-being. This type of gift is always free, it doesn’t take up any space, and it brings the most value for both the giver and the receiver.
Create, Create, Create: If you’d rather give something that they can unwrap, consider making the gift yourself. Homemade gifts are more meaningful, and the process of creating them shifts your mood. Any form of self-expression, such as crafting, calls your soul to the surface. And you don’t have to be Martha Stewart to try this, just start simple. It can be as easy as combining sea salt and baking soda in a decorative jar for a relaxing bath experience. Pinterest is also a great resource for craft ideas.
Exchange Rather Than Purchase: If you have children, a money-saving, environmentally friendly way to bring new toys into the house is to start an exchange with another family with children of similar ages. One child’s trash is another’s treasure. Consignment shops are also great resources for gently used toys.
Shop During Normal Hours: If you still feel called to do some traditional holiday shopping, try to stick to the normal store operating hours. Every year, store hours become longer and longer to support holiday shoppers. Think about all of the employees who are working mandatory overtime at ridiculous hours instead of spending time with their own family.
Donate: Buying gifts for needy families, donating gently used toys, and volunteering your time at local shelters are all great ways to care for those in need. You may also consider asking your children to choose one new toy they’ve received for the holiday and donate it before even opening it. This is a great way to teach them the joy of giving others something that is valuable to them.
Include Nature: Many times we think about family and friends when it comes to gift-giving, but don’t forget about the other living creatures that need our help. You can make edible animal-friendly decorations out of peanut butter and bird seed to decorate the trees outside. If you live in a suitable climate, you can plant a tree. Not only will you give back to the Earth, but you’ll shift your energy just by spending time in nature and taking in all that fresh air.

No matter what traditions you choose to embrace, the closer you align to your deepest beliefs, the more meaningful your holiday experience will be.

And if you find yourself stuck between what you believe is right and what is expected of you, don’t hesitate to contact me for a personalized strategy session to create a plan that works for you.

The post 7 Feel-Good Gifts To Give This Holiday Season appeared first on 12thBLOG.

15 of the Most Romantic Gifts From Significant Others

TheMan — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 03:30:39 +0000

Flowers and candy are always welcome, but the truly memorable gifts are thoughtful ones. This week, one Redditor asked women what the most romantic gifts they have ever received were. Your heart is going to melt into a puddle on the floor when you read just how creative some people are. These significant others were really paying attention! Check out our favorite stories below.
A Gourmet Dinner

“One year we couldn’t spend my birthday together, so he sent me a care package. Inside was an instruction booklet titled ‘Romantic Birthday Dinner’ and beneath it were all the “ingredients” so I could cook it myself. Ingredients: Bread, Jelly, Peanut Butter. The killer for me was the ‘instruction manual’ – it was overly detailed and technical (he used the world ’emulsification’ like twice) with step-by-step picture guides. I was laughing so hard I was in tears. He literally bought me a PBJ for my birthday and it’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”
Light Up the Night

“My husband and I were at a friend’s destination wedding in the mountains a few years ago, and we got into an argument after the rehearsal dinner. Seeing as I was the maid of honor with a wedding to control the next day, and it was like 1 am, I left him outside to smoke a cigar and went to bed. Next thing I know at 3 am and he’s in my ear telling me to look up. I roll over, the room is pitch black save for the dozens of fireflies. He knew I’d never seen them before, so he spent 2 hours in the dark catching them by hand, then released them in our room at the cabin. Next to our wedding, that was the best night of my life.”
Space in His Heart

“For Christmas, my son gave his girlfriend (now fiancé) a reserved parking space in the city. (He leases the space in the alley of a homeowner.) She works crazy hours as a med student on rotations and would come home late at night exhausted, then have to drive for 30 minutes to find parking. Now she is grateful to him every day when she parks her car and has a safe, short walk to her apartment.”
Sci-Fi Story Time

“My boyfriend and I are both sci-fi nerds. He has dyslexia, and does not read well. I have over 300 books and love to read. So he gets me Sci-fi books and we snuggle as I read them to him. It’s super nerdy but it fits us. The best gifts are tailored to activities both of you enjoy. They bring you closer to each other, and can be enjoyed over and over again.”
A Package of Care

“I was going on a girls trip to Thailand and was really busy beforehand. He bought me a vacation package full of sunscreen for my face and body, aloe vera, SPF lip gloss, a book to read on the beach, travel size toiletries, travel converter, gum, flip flops, bug spray, and some small first aid things. All small and cheap things but he put the effort to think about things I would need and I thought it was very sweet and thoughtful of him!”
Thinking Inside the Box

“Last year my now husband and I were visiting his sister in Vermont, and walking thru a wood shop in Vermont where a man was selling his hand-carved items, and there was an absolutely gorgeous wooden jewelry box. All ornate compartments and scrolls… just beautiful. I saw the price tag and sighed. It was well worth the price but out of our budget. We went back home to Massachusetts and on our anniversary my husband gave me the jewelry box. I was so surprised! He had seen my expression when I looked at it, even though I never said a word. He arranged to pay for it and his sister picked it up for him, and he drove back to Vermont to get it without my knowing.”
Cheers to Love

“A crate of one of my favorite beers, which I’d told him had been discontinued. He was very proud of himself for finding it, and I had to explain that it had only been discontinued on tap. But I was still very happy with 24 bottles of it.”
Draw It Out

“We were in high school so he didn’t have much money. He commissioned an artsy classmate to illustrate a comic. I’m sure he didn’t pay her much, but she was happy to make some cash doing something she liked to do, and they sat down together and came up with a great story. It was an adventure tale about my beloved cat and I. I loved it and years later, I still have it and think fondly of him for thinking of such a creative gift!”
Where It Started

“He made me a keychain with the exact coordinates of where he proposed to me. It is stamped metal, and even though it’s a bit rough and slightly unfinished looking, it is one of my most charming treasured possessions.”
Staying Positive

“I used to battle with depression a lot. One Christmas I got a jar filled with little notes from my boyfriend at the time. All notes said things like ‘You’re beautiful’, ‘I’m so glad I met you’, ‘You’re my everything’ and things like that. It was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever gotten.”
Play on Repeat

“For my birthday, my boyfriend got each of my friends to record a video birthday message using their webcams, and edited all of them together into a compilation. This even included our friends who moved away to live in far-flung places around the world, so it way really amazing. He ended with a video clip of his own birthday wishes (we’re in a long-distance relationship). As soon as I realized what it was, I cried. It cost him nothing, but it is by far my most treasured gift.”
Best-Kept Memories

“My boyfriend kept all of our tickets and maps and receipts from our euro trip and made me a scrapbook with our pictures and all of the things we had collected along the way. I cried. Twice.”
Sweet Sipping

“He bought a plain white mug, then painted it with me. He even painted his bottom lip red and pressed it onto the cup so that whenever I have a sip of coffee, it’s like I’m giving him kisses.”
A Night of Adventure

“I’m from the St. Louis area and we don’t have The Rainforest Cafe there. It was always someplace I dreamed of going as a kid, but my parents were always like, “we’re not paying to eat overpriced chicken nuggets in the dark with animatronic animals.” Whatever. Fast-forward to when I’m an adult and dating this guy for 2+ years. We’re in Chicago for my birthday and he surprises me by taking me to the Rainforest Cafe to fulfill my childhood dream. When we sit down, he pulls out two safari hats, puts one on his head and hands the other to me. Then he pulls out a stuffed elephant shrew, which is one of my favorite animals. I’m holding the elephant shrew, still in shock, and my stoic, no-nonsense engineer boyfriend is sitting nonchalantly across from me wearing a safari hat. No idea where he found a stuffed elephant shrew. The whole thing was such a sweet, goofy gesture, especially for him. I teared up.”
Something to Cuddle

“When I was 17, my 19 year old boyfriend made me a teddy bear. It was the ugliest damn teddy in the world, but the fact that this tough silent guy made it was amazing.”

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