Christmas Wrapped

My mom used to say that an evening bag need only be large enough for a hundred dollar bill and a lipstick. By now, you’ve secured your little black dress, but you may still need a place to stash your mad money.

Consider these clutches. With one fun exception, they’re under $20 a bag, which makes it far more likely that you’ll have enough cash leftover to fund your evening. Excellent.

Happy New Year, Sweets! You look smashing.

Angie and Lola Clutch with Zippers

$34.99

Target Velvet Large Bow Clutch

$15

Moss Sup Co Black Port Hole Frame

$17

Merona Split Box Clutch

$13

Xhilaration Patent Hinge Clutch Black

$10

Leather Checkbook Clutch

$14

Target Cinched Clutch

$17

We’re down to crunch time now, right? All of a sudden, the holidays are staring us dead in the face, and no matter the amount of planning and prep we’ve done there’s bound to be a few last-minute gifts that pop up out of nowhere. The solution is simple: a gift card. With the post-holiday sales, the value of the card will go even farther, and you allow the recipient to get exactly what they want. 

And if you’re worried that a gift card isn’t personal enough, have no fear. There are plenty of ways to add a personal touch to any gift card. Check out what Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching did to add her special touch to this Target gift card:

While some people may see the current economy as a limit to their holiday shopping, I see it as a challenge to find the perfect gift.  It would be wonderful if there was such a thing as the perfect gift, but then again there are kids who are more excited about the box the toy came in.  So instead of just another list of toys, I’m giving you the list of my favorite types of gifts to fit every kind of kid (or parent).  

Use Your Imagination – Imaginations are a terrible thing to waste, especially for young minds.  From dress up to play kitchens and baby dolls to magic wands, toys that allow kids to live in a world of their own creation.   The best part is that you can find toys of all price ranges and for all interests.  Some of my personal favorites are small sized kitchen utensils, capes (for super heroes or princesses), and hats.  

No Batteries Required – Not only will you save on the cost of battery replacement, but you may also save some of your sanity.  Puzzles, blocks, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys and Lego’s are some of my favorites.  They all foster imagination, promote fine motor skills and a number of important preschooler skills.  They are also all fun to play with for both kids and parents.  

Favorite Things – Every toddler has an obsession of the day.  My daughter has an Elmo obsession, and a thing for cows, monkeys and fish.  Finding something special that relates to what they love most is a great way to find the perfect gift.  Even better if it relates in an unexpected way like a toy banana to go with the monkey or a trip to see their favorite thing in person.  

The Theme – Most parent wants to get their kids everything they desire.  Sometimes though you need a little help.  The theme gift is a fun way to get a big effect without doing it all yourself.  I will admit that I stole this idea from my sister-in-law.  My niece got a wonderful toy kitchen from her parents and the rest of us filled it with all of the supplies.  From dishes to pots and pans and in my case a couple of aprons, we helped make it the full package.  I liked the idea so much we’re doing the same thing this year.  

The best gifts are always the ones that are given with love.  No matter how much they cost, or where they come from.  Having been a kid during the last recession, I can safely say that I never noticed that money was tight.  I was just happy that someone thought of me and for the time I had with the people who loved me.  

Amelia McClain is the City Editor of Being Savvy Minneapolis and writes about life as a full time working parent of a toddler at her blogAmelia Sprout.

I know this makes me the WASPiest person alive, but I like to keep a stash of inexpensive host gifts on hand. They’re more memorable than yet another bottle of wine, and I hate choosing a wine when I know my hosts are particular about what they drink. Host gifts are also convenient when we’re going to something earlier in the day, like a brunch.

I prefer things that will look good with a simple bow, so I don’t have to worry about wrapping while I’m frantically throwing my outfit together. I often buy food — favorites include Stonehouse Lisbon Lemon Olive Oil, Poco Dolce chocolate tiles, lavender salt, or Mighty Leaf teas, but I also like to have a few more shelf-stable items on hand.

Aqua Scoop Ice Cream Scoop

$12

Pop by a convenience store on your way over, and pick up a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Then tie a big bow around the scoop and the ice cream in the car. Voila!

Perfect-Cube Ice Trays

$15

My friend Melissa told me about these trays, and now I’m telling everyone I know. They make perfectly square cubes that are so easy to pop out of the trays, even once the tequila kicks in.

Soy Candle

$7

If you’re living your life well, you can never have enough candles. Classic, useful, and these are even on sale. The trifecta!

Vellum Lampshades Set of 3

$13

Speaking of candles, these little vellum lampshades turn any wine glass into an insta-votive.

Danesco Porcelain Salt Pig with Spoon

$14

Salt pigs are so useful, and almost no one has them in The States. You keep them next to your stove, so you can throw in a pinch of salt or two while you’re cooking. This one comes with a spoon, which I’d probably chuck. If you don’t have a salt pig, order one for yourself too, you’ll use it constantly.

Pretty good for the price of a bottle of wine, no? Order a few to keep in your closet, and you’ll be surprised how often they come in handy. You, my dear, are crazy thoughtful.

I am having the pronounced urge these days to detox from all things electronic, battery-operated, or otherwise backlit. And that goes for my holiday shopping list too.

No doubt Nate would be thrilled with anything with the letters PS and the number 3 in front of it, and my daughters go nutty for demonic dolls imbedded with voice chips that activate when you’re least expecting it. But still, I think there’s something to be said for the good old-fashioned fun found in a classic board game.

I think fondly of the game night we had in my family as a kid, long before there was such a thing as Game Night. We all convened around the big glass coffee table, set up the board, and played until it was well past bedtime while the hot chocolate flowed. As I recall, we never once complained that we were missing some TV show or that our Atari was calling; we were having way too much fun. Unless of course we were playing Monopoly, in which case my dad and my brother always ganged up on me and bankrupted me within like four seconds, then refused to loan me a single white, crinkly dollar bill so that I could stay in the game. Tears ensued.

This is like three years ago, by the way. Monopoly in my house is not pretty.

I’m hoping the friends and family on my list is feeling the same sort of unplugged nostalgia because some of their gifts are going to reflect it this year. Here are a few that I’ve got my eye on:

*If you don’t have a good game of Scrabble (with all tiles still intact) you can’t even begin to call yourself a game-player. Scrabble just came out with a
Deluxe 60th Edition Game although I really am getting all excited and twitchy about the Premier Wood Edition. I’m loving the prospect of sitting down to play an actual game with an actual person, and not some stranger on Facebook who’s claiming to take a phone call while checking his cheating dictionary.

*There is no better $5 gift for a child than Candyland, with Chutes and Ladders a close second. $5! Really! Kids as little as two will enjoy moving their pieces around on the board and playing with the cards, even if they’re too young to really understand the rules. Did I mention $5?

*Okay so Operation doesn’t entirely live up to the no-batteries requirement, but I still love the low-tech fabulosity and the $10 price tag. Kids will love it provided they don’t lose all the pieces under the couch and try feeding the adam’s apple to the dog.

*If your kids are already tic tac toe masters,
Connect 4 is the next logical step. It’s also awesome in that you get to say “Pretty sneaky, sis” every time you release all the checkers, and no one under 30 will have any idea what you’re talking about. That’s okay – just keep doing it. It will be our little secret.

*I didn’t actually discover dominos until I met the inlaws, who were serious domino junkies. Now, I count myself among them. A really nice set packaged in a beautiful burled wooden box makes an original family gift or hostess gift, and will last a whole lot longer than the fruit basket. Similarly, a beautiful backgammon set feels somehow indulgent. Especially when it’s only a backgammon set, and not some multi-game deelio that flips over to become a checkerboard.

*Do you know how hard it is to find just regular old Monopoly? You have to weed through shelves of Bass Fishing Monopoly, Elvis Monopoly, Fantasy Baseball Special Edition Monopoly, Disney Villains Monopoly, the Olsen Twins Goes Shopping on Upper Bleecker Street Monopoly…you only think I’m exaggerating. Traditionalists (like me) will appreciate the time that you take to track down the classic. The new library edition of Monopoly hasn’t changed a bit from your own youth, except that it’s packaged in a more bookshelf-friendly box. To be honest, it’s about time that someone figured out how completely annoying it is trying to fit those old board games on your regular bookshelves.

*Finally, I have to give a shout-out to Risk, which is not only the best ever rainy day killer, it’s also the reason I know how to find Afghanistan on a map. Be warned: It’s definitely not for sore losers. When your opponent is on the verge of world domination, it’s way too easy to slap your hand down on the board and say, “oops!” as all the teeny little armies go flying everywhere. Not that I’d know of such things.

So what am I missing? What are your favorite classic games that I should be adding to my list? And were there any games that made you cry as a kid (or a sensitive adult) or is that just me?