Black Friday shopping tips PLUS a Holiday Gift Guide

For some great holiday shopping tips, from budgeting to what to buy, you must check out Jennifer Melnick Carotas site the Gift Therapist.  What is a gift therapist?  Well, we can all use some type of therapy when it comes to gift giving as there are so many extremes, from spending more than we can afford on gifts to buying so manyy gifts that you’re not quite sure who you’re giving them all to.  Or some people become so stressed out with the gift giving process that they don’t even know where to start and there is little enjoyment found in it. This year go to the Gift Therapist site and learn what Giveology is all about. According to Jen, when asked what is her favorite sanity saver… “As an expert Giveologist, my mantra is “focus on the giving, rather than on the gift.” Forget about price-tags and obligatory spending! Give the best you can with what you’ve got and feel great about it. If you take the time to put together a meaningful gift that reflects your cherished relationship with that person, you will hit a home run every time…even if you only spent $10.”

Jen can help you with gift ideas – check out Advice and Tips, Sanity Savers, and Top 20 Gifts for 2008.  I want you to know that Strappys Decorative Bra Straps are Gift Therapist Approved and have received her approval seal.  She didn’t actually know about Strappys until she had put her top 20 together.  Had she known I have a feeling she would have had to expand her list to the Top 21 gifts as all the top 20 are really cool.  Check them out – they’re available online.

How Many Holidays are there in November?

Most of us know that Thanksgiving is the 27th of this month.   But thanks to the Gift Therapist, Jennifer Melnick Carota, (her Ultimate Holiday Calendar under Advice) I have learned of so many more.  Here is the Holiday list for November.  Note that we are IN National Fig Week right now.  If you live in Georgia, you’re probably aware of Georgia Pecan Month.  But I have to say that the Holiday I am most looking forward to this week is National Men Make Dinner Day. Mark your calendars for this Thursday.  My husband makes THE BEST Grilled Chicken.

Nov. 1-7 National Fig Week
Nov. 1-30 National Georgia Pecan Month
Nov. 1-30 National Pomegranate Month
Nov. 1-30 National Roasting Month
Nov. 1-30 Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month
Nov. 6 National Men Make Dinner Day
Nov. 3 Sandwich Day
Nov. 4 Election Day
Nov. 8 Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day
Nov. 11 Veteran’s Day
Nov. 15 National Bundt Day
Nov. 17 Homemade Bread Day
Nov. 23 Cashew Day
Nov. 23-29 National Game and Puzzle Week
Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Day
Nov. 28 National Flossing Day

I also love how National Game and Puzzle Week falls into the Thanksgiving Holiday.  So get out your old 500 piece jigsaw puzzle that you’ve been meaning to get started on and finish it during that week.  I’m going to have to convince all the boys at our house that this does not mean Playstation and XBox!