The MomSpeak

Thanks to a bunch of sick kids and way too many work deadlines to count, I’m still holiday shopping for a few friends and their kids. And while I generally do everything online, I’ve hit the point where shipping something will now cost me my first born child. Not to fret, however, because sometimes the simplest gift, like a book, can be the best.

That being said, a wrapped up book or one stuffed in a gift bag can sometimes look a little chinsy. So along with giving some of my favorite books, all of which I can grab at my local bookseller, I’m adding a little something extra that’s inspired by the words themselves to make it personal and a bit more special.

For the little one

Kit Allen’s adorable “Long John’s” board book is a fave in our house. Pair it with a fun pajama set from Old Navy.

For the princess obsessed preschooler

We always get a hearty chuckle after readinng Robert Munsch’s “Paper Bag Princess.” Pair it with a tiara and a wand.

So a few weeks ago I read the lovely Asha’s entry about free alternatives to traditional gift wrap. And I loved it. So much that I even bookmarked it, for future wrapping reference.

I was especially charmed with the idea of recycling my preschooler’s art projects, although I was annoyed to find that a good 80% of MY preschooler’s art projects involved non-wrapping friendly materials. (Seriously, preschool, enough with the popsicle sticks.) But I managed to find enough to wrap the grandparents’ gifts at least, and if there’s anyone else who will be especially charmed by a few crayon marks and glitter glue on a piece of construction paper, it’s the grandparents.

(Speaking of toddler masterpieces, next week’s edition of How Not To Do Things will cover my recent attempt at creating a clever little crafty “art museum” display in our kitchen.)

(SPOILER ALERT: Disastrous. I am Martha Stewart’s worst nightmare.)

But this morning, with 15 minute to spare before a preschool classmate’s birthday party, I realized I needed to wrap a present. And…well, if you could use another reason to eschew wrapping paper in favor of Asha’s ideas (and the many additional tips from the comment section), LOOK NO FURTHER THAN MEEE.

With the economy tanking like it is, it’s no wonder that shoppers everywhere are tightening their purse strings and slashing their holiday budgets. But that doesn’t mean you can’t spread some Christmas cheer all around.  Here are some ways you can stretch your budget and still give unique, thoughtful presents to the people you care about most:

1) Know before you go.  Start your gift-giving season my making a list and checking it twice.  If you know exactly who you’re getting presents for and how much you want to spend, you’re less likely to succumb to panic buys or impulse buys. 

2) To clamp down on overspending, consider getting together with family members and setting some limits on the kinds of gifts you buy for each other:

* Set a dollar limit — $10, $20 
* Set a category limit — For example, declare 2008 to be the Year of the Book or the Great Cookie Exchange.
* Set an age limit — Give presents only to family members under 18.  
* Set a person limit — Take a cue from your office Secret Santa; each family member draws just 1 gift recipient from out of a hat.

Who knows, you could start a new family gift-giving tradition that saves you (and your entire family) some money every year.