One of the best ways to come up with a thoughtful gift is to find a solution to someone’s problem.
All you have to do is listen closely. Do they complain that something is difficult? Takes too long? Too expensive? Doesn’t work right?
All of these statements are clues to a problem, annoyance or hassle in their life. If you can come up with a solution, you’ve found yourself a thoughtful gift!
Let me give you a simple example.
The gift of warmth comes in all kinds of presents. Coats, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, insulated underwear, wool socks, electric blankets and on and on.
Gift of Warmth a towel warmer.
How about a unique kind of warmth? A towel warmer.
I instantly thought of my niece when I saw the towel warmer from Brookstone. She is 23 years old and is 100% disabled. Whitney is unable to walk without the help of her mother, Nancy. My niece is also legally blind, has diminished hearing, and communicates only through her actions and touch.
Nancy has taught me that instead of focusing on what she cannot do to find things that she can enjoy.
She definitely possesses her sense of touch and what better way when you get out of the shower but to have a warm towel wrapped around you. Ahhhh… the immediate gift of warmth! Continue Reading
I love magic! Who doesn’t? With a wave of the hand – out pops a snack!
When I saw the SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser that makes healthy munching easy-peasy, I knew it would be the right gift for my husband’s sister and her
spouse for Christmas.
They always try to eat healthy and this fun gadget creates a smart way to have portion control. The SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser features three settings: Small Handful, Large Handful or Bowlful. Once set, the same perfect portion is dispensed every time.
It looks like magic because with a simple wave of the hand, out pours your tasty snack treat. Continue Reading
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I have to give credit where credit is due. This gift idea came from my husband Kevin. It’s an awesome gift that men will love!
Buy a selection of beers that are made in different countries from around the world. Stick them in a tub, basket or bucket, then use whole-in-shell peanuts as an edible filling.
If you buy a dozen beers, you can create a tag that says, “Around the World in 12 Beers” to go along with the gift.
Here are the beers from around the world (imported beers) that are commonly found:
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Two years after my husband and I bought our first home did we finally think to purchase an important safety device for our home. This item only had the potential to save our lives or prevent our house from burning down…
Click to enlarge
Everyone knows the importance of keeping a fire extinguisher in the home, especially in the kitchen, but for some reason the majority of us still forget to go out and buy the darn thing. That is why a fire extinguisher makes such a great and unique wedding or housewarming gift!
It’s something important that people NEED but never think to buy for themselves. And because of that, people really appreciate receiving this memorable gift.
My boss Holley took off work on her birthday on this exact day last year – May 20, 2013. It’s a birthday she’ll never forget because it was the same day a deadly tornado ripped through her hometown of Moore, Oklahoma, wiping out entire neighborhoods and claiming 24 victims.
The Moore 2013 tornado destroyed Amy and Adam’s home. Luckily, they were not hurt.
Holley took cover in her Moore home when it happened, but luckily her house and her life were spared.
Many people she knew were not so lucky with their home, like her friends Amy and Adam. After living in their house for less than a year, the tornado caused one wall and part of their roof to cave into the rest of their home.
Our friends Vernon and Katie hosted a Housewarming/Super Bowl Party. Like me, Katie loves to cook and entertain and the invitation said she was providing all of the food for the party and everyone just needed to BYOB. I wanted to give them a housewarming gift that was food related, maybe even something they could use at the party.
I remembered I had come across a blog that showed how to make your own reusable DIY buffet food table signs. I was going to make them for my next get-together but hadn’t gotten around to it just yet.
I realized they would make the perfect housewarming gift! Think about it – whenever you have a bunch of food spread out on a table, it’s inevitable people are going to ask questions about what’s what.
“What’s in this bowl?
“Is this salsa hot or mild?
“What’s this dip called?”
“What type of cheese it this?”
So by setting out buffet food table signs, you’re telling people up front what’s what and eliminating having to answer a bunch of questions over and over. Plus, if they’re cute signs you’re just adding to your table decor!
My father-in-law Greg began brewing homemade beer a few years ago – and man! – has our family enjoyed the benefits! While he’s brewed all sorts of kits, types and flavors, my favorite is still the batch of peach ale he specially made for my wedding rehearsal dinner.
Last year, my husband Kevin started brewing beer with his father. It gave them a fun way to spend father-son quality time together. They have fun making it together. They have fun drinking it together.
They also enjoy brewing different types of beer and sharing the fruits of their labor with friends and family. Each batch yields about 50 bottles so there is plenty to share!
Starting www.SunburstGifts.org from scratch has been such an exciting and rewarding project. It’s like I’ve given birth to a second child without the nine month wait and the whole alien-taking-over-my-body thing.
I definitely get even less sleep now because I stay up writing blog posts but I’m having a blast watching our subscribership grow each day!
Joining me on this incredible journey is my blogging partner Queen Darlene (Darlene Drew). We seriously go together like chips and salsa (my favorite snack btw!).
We have so much fun sharing our passion of giving thoughtful gifts with the world that working with her on our blog is not “work” at all. I wanted to celebrate our new blog and partnership by surprising her with a – you guessed it! – thoughtful gift.
My boss Holley and I are kindred spirits in that we both looove to cook. We like to tell each other about the new recipes we’ve tried and if any are rock stars we share them. Well, what do most recipes start with?
Extra virgin olive oil. So I thought I’d get her some premium olive oil this year for Christmas, along with some aged balsamic vinegar and a State-Shaped Cutting Board
I visited a store that specializes in premium extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars and man was my mind buh-lown! They had their oils and vinegars infused with all sorts of fantastic flavors – chipotle, jalapeno, lavender, espresso, chocolate and on and on. They even had butter infused olive oil. Perfect for drizzling over popcorn. Mmmmm.
It gets better. The store allows you to sample all of their flavors, and they even provide the bread. I was like a kid in a candy store!
