Monthly Archives: November 2010

What do you do when you’ve got your eye on the perfect gift–for yourself? Do you just ask for it? drop subtle hints? keep your fingers crossed? It’s rough when you can’t just climb on Santa’s knee. CNN has asked a bunch of etiquette experts weigh in on the subject.

(CNN) — When you’re a kid, it’s easy. You write a letter to Santa. You tell your mom, dad, grandparents, friends and dog what you want for Christmas.

But as an adult, it might be considered slightly rude to march up to your spouse and say, “Hey, I’ve been really good this year… get me this.”

That said, you don’t necessarily want what your husband/brother/well-meaning great aunt is planning on getting you. (A toaster — really?)

We asked our etiquette experts if it’s OK to drop gift hints as an adult or if growing up means shutting up and just accepting what Santa brings you.

Jodi Newbern, author of ‘Regifting Revival: A Guide to Reusing Gifts Graciously’:

If making a “this is all I want” list gets ignored, I prefer the subtle “leave pictures from a catalog or magazine strategically placed throughout the house” method.

You don’t have to say a word, yet you certainly get your point across.

You could even fill out order forms, and include already stamped and addressed envelopes along with the pictures. (If you’re really keen on a specific item, you may want to also include a method of payment with your gift pick.)

If no one mentions anything to you about it, then either the message was duly noted and you’ll just have to wait and see how successful your little plan was, or they actually don’t give a hoot as to what you really want — they will get you whatever they want you to have, or what they think you really want.

Anna Getty, author of “I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas”

This is a touchy subject in my house. In the past I have asked my mom or a friend to tell my husband what’s on my wish list, but I’ll be honest — he hates that. He feels manipulated.

I’d rather let him know outright what I need or want and if he gets it, great. If not, oh well.

Sherri Athay, author of ‘Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion’:

Some givers welcome gift suggestions — with model numbers and stores, thank you.

Others want to surprise — some going so far as to cross off their potential gift list anything you’ve hinted you want or might expect.

If you’re dealing with the former, there’s no need to beat around the bush. But be considerate enough to include on your list suggestions in all price ranges.

If you’re dealing with the latter, your hints will need to be observable, rather than expressed (i.e., let the giver “overhear” your conversations with others or see you eyeing ads and commercials).

You might also share your preferences with friends or family members that you know the giver will turn to for suggestions.

Peggy Post, great-granddaughter-in-law of Emily Post:

A lot of it depends on who it is you’re dropping hints to. If it’s a spouse/mother/sister, you can make it very fun, saying something like, “In case you’re looking for ideas, I’d love a … ”

Or you can drop a hint through a third party. Say, “In case Sam is looking for ideas, I would love such and such.”

On the other hand, let’s say it’s a friend that you exchange gifts with or a co-worker — then it’s a bit tricky. You can certainly try, “I just really love/like Dan Brown’s books” or say “That new book is really good,” but I wouldn’t just narrow it down and say, “Here’s my wish list.”

Overall, people do love having ideas on what to get you, so help them out!

From our readers

ms38654: My wife is excellent at giving gift hints: She sends me an e-mail with links to the exact items. My task is to pick one or two which is the surprise part. I am totally happy with this method. There’s no guessing and no possibility of picking the wrong thing.

YodarCritch: One should not look at gift giving from a “personal profit” standpoint, but from a more human standpoint “Here is a person who got me something they thought I would like”. Thank them graciously and after a while get rid of the bad gift if you must

xetawindsong: We often aren’t explicit with each other about what we want, often we don’t have a wish list. But if I can tell he’s struggling to figure something out, I’ll give him a couple of suggestions. It’s nice when just the right gift falls in your lap, but there’s enough stress in the world already without adding to it.

Article Source.

How do you get what you want for Christmas?

Preparing your Thanksgiving dinner takes a lot of planning. It can be stressful, to say the least! How can you make your dinner successful, especially when you have a large group? By laying out a planning strategy that works, of course. Let’s look at some ideas and tips for planning your holiday meal:

10 Days Before Thanksgiving:

About 10 days prior to Thanksgiving, or at least one week, get your list together of folks who are invited and contact anyone you haven’t spoken to as yet. This will give you plenty of time to prepare for the amount of food and seating. Be sure to jot down next to your guest list names any special food needs or dishes that anyone is bringing to the meal.

Now that you have your guest list you can figure out the size of the turkey. You’ll want about one to one and a half pounds of turkey for each person; more if you want leftover turkey. You may want to buy a fresh turkey, so check with your market now for availability. Or, you may want a frozen turkey, a smoked turkey, or even a deep fried turkey. Now is the time to make that decision.

Deciding upon your final menu should be completed at least a week before the big day. Consider the number of people you will be entertaining and if you have children on your guest list, try to plan a couple of special dishes or treats especially for them.

Week of Thanksgiving:

The week of Thanksgiving is the time to stock up on necessary items from the grocery store. You can make certain items in advance such as bread or rolls, and freeze them until Thanksgiving morning. Also make sure you have supplies such a napkins, cups, etc.

The Countdown To Thanksgiving Day:

Two or three days before Thanksgiving is the time to get some items prepared so they are ready and waiting for you on Thanksgiving day.

Foods that can be prepared in advance are things like cranberry relish. You can also clean and dice the vegetables you need for your stuffing, like onions and celery. If you are preparing a vegetable tray for an appetizer, wash and trim those vegetables as well. Store everything in tightly sealed plastic zip lock bags or containers. Some side dishes may be prepared the night before Thanksgiving. Some folks prepare their stuffing and store it overnight so it is ready to go in the morning. It’s also time to make your pies and cakes. If you have frozen rolls or side dishes that need to thaw, get them out the night before.

Make sure you have everything on your shopping list in your kitchen at least 2-3 days before Thanksgiving morning.

Get out your games, decorations, and special serving pieces for Thanksgiving. If you have kids, be sure to involve them in the game planning at the very least. If they are old enough, be sure they are included in decorating the house and table. Now is the time to get out your special table linens and wash and iron them if necessary.

Thawing your frozen turkey correctly is very important. Three days before Thanksgiving morning should be sufficient when you thaw your turkey in the refrigerator. Be sure to following the thawing instructions on the bird itself.

Thanksgiving Morning Is Here:

Thanksgiving morning is here. You have prepared as many dishes as you could ahead of time. Start arranging the cooking time for those dishes, beginning with the turkey. Stuff your bird, place it in your roasting pan, and figure out the timing using a cooking table found on the packaging. Prepare the side dishes and desserts that you were not able to prepare ahead of time – peel potatoes, cut sweet potatoes, etc.

Now, set the table, sit back, and relax for a few minutes before the guests arrive. Congratulations! You have successfully planned and carried out your Thanksgiving dinner! Less stress and more time to enjoy your Thanksgiving celebration.

Article Source here

Hannah HandStand here again! In case you don’t know what we do here at HandStands, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves. The first thing you should know about HandStands is that we smell really good. The company that is. Hopefully we employees do too, but that’s another story. As soon as you walk in the door – or maybe even just past the door – you realize that this ain’t no normal place to work, since we’re one of the largest manufacturers of auto air fresheners in the world. I’m telling you, air fresheners are everywhere, and the result is downright amazing.

But we’re more than just a pretty face or a sweet smelling office – every day you’re bound to find someone throwing knives (to test how durable they are), trying on incredible multi-use scarves, jumping on ottomans (also to see how durable they are), testing out electronic earbuds, or super-beautiful cd/dvd cases that look like leather-bound books. In other words, it’s an amazing place where life never gets dull.

With that said, I’d like to extend an invitation to join us as we explore ideas to make life a little simpler and a little brighter. Some of the ideas come from us, and some from other ingenious idea-makers.

Like this one: Mount a long magnet along the back of your medicine cabinet to hold tweezers, little scissors, clippers, and other small metal objects.

Brilliant, isn’t it? And yet simple. Kind of like us at HandStands. If I do say so myself.

Do you consider yourself a fashionista?
“Fashionista – A term used to define a woman with a penchant for shopping and a natural flair for combining both current and vintage fashionable trends.”

We are looking for you! The E-Commerce division is considering a new fashion accessory and is looking for focus group participants for this Thursday in one of two sessions. Sorry guys this is strictly for women. We will be giving a $25 Target gift card to all participants.

When: Thursday , November 11th, 2010
Where: HandStands Corporate Office in Bluffdale
Who: Women of all ages and background.
If you know someone (friends, family and neighbors) who would be willing to spend about 60-90 minutes with us, please forward this to them and ask them to complete the screening survey.

Screening survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YVQFLQ2