Blogmas Day Five!
Today I was watching Louise’s (from Sprinkle of Glitter) latest Vlogmas vlog, in which she talked about giving back, and how the holiday season is the perfect time. With my last couple of posts being about gift ideas for loved ones, her thoughts got me thinking about the importance of giving back as well. I’m not saying that it’s horrible to only give presents to those we love, if that’s all you can afford to do, then that’s perfectly okay! But if you happen to be fortunate enough to have the time or money to help out, then by all means go ahead. I actually went into a store today, and the fire department was standing outside doing a toy and canned food drive. My family usually donates a couple of cans of food, but this year I really want to do more and try to help a lot more people. With it being the holiday season, giving back is all the more important to help other people have the warm fuzzies associated with Christmas and other holidays. So many people aren’t fortunate enough to even have a warm place to be at night, let alone receive presents on Christmas morning. Don’t get me wrong, giving back is extremely important all year long, but this time of year really helps people realize that there are others who are in desperate need of help from people who can afford to lend a hand.
Being at college has also opened my eyes to the horrible realities some people face; homelessness, going without food for a couple of days, becoming unemployed, or worse. It’s easy to forget how some people live in the world when you aren’t surrounded by it everyday. Living is very, very hard in some parts of the world – sometimes it can only be called surviving. This time of year is the time for you to be grateful of what you have and not what you don’t have. What I mean is, don’t be grateful that your life isn’t like the lives of the less fortune, rather be happy with the things that you do have, and try and help others out when you can. I heard a wonderful talk about this, and how the speaker hated it when people were grateful for the wrong things – that they have a home that unlike homeless people, or that their health isn’t like that of the ill. Try and always be thankful for the things in your life as they are. Life becomes so much easier when you are able to be thankful for everything you have, and even for the little things in life. And on that same point, trying to help out in little ways, but often, can add up to a lot over time! An act of any kind of kindness goes a long way.
Giving back and helping out has always been something that I’ve been passionate about, so it’s something I could drone on and on about! I just think the world would be a much better place if more people tried to help out, even in the smallest of ways. I know that I could definitely try and help and give back more myself! This is just the perfect time of year to try and help out a little bit more than you usually would, because it helps spread holiday cheer 🙂 This time of year is definitely my favorite for that reason, and all of the warm fuzzy feelings of being with those you love, and being able to give them a gift that shows just how much you care for them. I hope all of you have a great holiday season this year!
What are some of the ways you give back?
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a great day! 🙂
Blogmas Day Four!
As a continuation of my post yesterday (Gift Ideas For Family), today I’ll be sharing with you guys some gift ideas I have for friends!
For Your Best Friend
Okay, so while these bracelets might be a little bit cheesy, I actually think they’re really cute and simple!
(One says “best friends” and the other says “till the end.” Find them here!)
I think they’re a very classy version of those silly matching bracelets you would get as a kid for your you and your best friends to wear everywhere. These are a great present, too, if you and your best friend go to different schools that are farther away.
For Your Jewelry-Loving Friends
I don’t know if it’s just my friends who love watches, but they’re always a solid go-to for my friends who love jewelry!
These drop necklaces have also gotten really popular, and I think they can really add a lot to a simple outfit, so this would also be a great gift, too!
For Your Beauty-Loving Friends
Sephora has great gift sets for not a lot of money (both of these are around $20!), so those are great options for friends who are really into beauty items.
For Your Book-Loving Friends
Honestly, as an avid reader, I would love to receive my friend’s favorite books as gifts. I think that’s a really cool thing to give someone, because it allows you both to get to know each other more, and for the other person to read a great book!
You can also never go wrong with a journal!
Well, these are the gift ideas I have for friends, and hopefully it helped! It’s definitely helped me to actually sit down and think about what I would get for my friends, because I still need to go shopping…
What are some gifts you usually get your friends?
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙂
Blogmas Day Three, for me! 🙂
If you’re anything like me, you probably haven’t started shopping for Christmas presents yet… However, I have actually started thinking about gift ideas for family members, so I decided to compile a list for you guys!
For Mom
I think I will be getting a little spa package for my mom, as she overworks herself and never leaves time to pamper herself, and instead spoils everyone else. I know my mom will really appreciate it, and it will give her some much needed down time!
If you want to make a DIY gift for your mom (my mom absolutely loves handmade things), you could crochet her a scarf – I did this last year, and my mom really loved receiving something I had worked a while on – or make her a tray like this one:
It’s a picture frame made into a little serving tray, and I think it’s so cute! My mom would love something like this, especially with pictures, and it doesn’t look too difficult to make!
For Dad
I don’t know if it’s just my dad, but he loves getting sweaters from my mom and I (mostly because he never buys clothes for himself, and doesn’t have a clue when it comes to fashion), so usually I get him one a lot like this:
I think sweaters are a really good present to get dad’s since a lot of them don’t do their own shopping, and it reassures you that they won’t be wearing that shirt they got back in the 80’s everyday.
For a more DIY gift, I would suggest making them a Sharpie mug, or painting one at a place where they put it in the oven for you and it looks really nice after (is this just an American thing?). I have done both in the past for my dad since he’s an avid coffee drinker, and dad’s appreciate handmade things, too!
For Brother
My brother loves watches for some reason (even though he didn’t learn how to read an analog clock until he was about twelve years old), and he most likely needs a new one, so I’m probably going to get him one similar to this:
He’s pretty rough and tumble, so I like to get him watches that will last for a while, and are resistant to scratches. I think I’m also going to get him footie pajamas this year as well, because he loves being comfy and thinks they are hilarious!
For Sister
I don’t actually have a sister, but I have a neighbor who is like a sister to me, and I love getting her pretty necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or any other jewelry because she loves accessories!
Both of these are really pretty and classic, which I’m sure your sister would love for Christmas! A cute frame with a picture of the two of you is always a good option as well, or a DIY painted canvas with one of her favorite quotes!
Writing this post has made me even more anxious to get Christmas shopping done for a least my family, so that’s probably what I will be doing this weekend!
What gifts are you getting for your family?
Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙂
I’ve had the same purse since seventh grade (we’re going on six years here!) because it’s convenient and goes with most anything, however it is starting to show its age, and it is a very casual bag that probably wouldn’t be the best to bring to things like job interviews. Now that I’m in college, and am technically an adult (what?!), I figured it would be a good idea to get a new bag that is a little more “grown-up” looking!
I was looking at some sales over Black Friday to see if I could get a good deal anywhere, and Ted Baker was having a really good sale on bags, so I decided to order one! I worked this past summer, and will be getting another job soon, so I had some money saved up that I was willing to spend a little bit of.
As soon as I got the package in the mail, I pulled out my camera and took pictures as I unpacked it. You could say I was just a little bit excited.
My first look at it in person! It’s called the Petra, and is considered a small tote bag.
Here’s a better picture of it out of the box – I am in love! I thought it would be a bit bigger in person, but I actually really like the size because it’ll keep me from hoarding around things I don’t need in my purse!
A closer look at the bow!
I’m really glad that I ordered this, and relieved that it finally made it to my house! I ordered it on Black Friday (November 28th), and it just now made it here today! It was definitely worth the wait, though. I’m not sure if I’ll just be using this bag for special occasions, or to places where I know I won’t have to set it down anywhere, or if I’ll use it for everyday purposes. We shall see!
What kind of bags do you like?
Thank you so much for reading (and happy Blogmas Day 2!), and I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙂