I was sent this email about tipping for services in France at Christmastime… Traditionally, we tip the mailman: he or she brings everyone a calendar which includes a lot of information about the post office, and also about all the towns in the "département" (i.e. county).  There are 95 different types of material given since there...

It’s so nice to give homemade gifts! This year I decided to make homemade vanilla extract to give to my friends and family.  It’s easy!  Here’s the recipe… Recipe for Homemade Vanilla Ingredients: 2 to 2 1/2 Vanilla Beans (I used organic vanilla beans) 1/2 cup Vodka (or Brandy) 1. Slice the vanilla bean pods down the side leaving about...

The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by O. Henry in the early 1900’s.  The story is at heart of what the holiday season and gift giving should be about… a selfless act to make another person happy… it’s not about the money you spend that’s important… it’s the sentiment behind the...

Monique, who’s from France, went to a wedding party in China when she visited friends there last year.  Here’s what she wrote about the party and about weddings in China in general… Marriage formalities consist of filling out some forms and bringing them to some office, then you go back to get them back some days...

Valentine’s Day for Kids in the US In the US, kids celebrate Valentine’s Day in grade school.  They give Valentines to each other.  These are little cards, often flat.  Often they will attach a little piece of candy to each Valentine to give to their classmates. Nowadays, children are asked to give a Valentine to...

A lot of people are still having a tough time financially.  Even if you’re not, who can’t use ways to spend less money for Christmas, but still give nice, fun gifts?   One great idea is to trade in old electronic games and equipment to GameStop for credit towards new toys.  You won’t get the...

Sometimes it’s hard to come up with gift ideas.  If the person you’re shopping for loves to cook, here are some simple suggestions.  These are items I love to have in my kitchen.  You can give them for the holidays, for a housewarming, a wedding shower or even a birthday.  There’s a range of items...

  A handprint turkey towel is a lovely gift for kids to make for Thanksgiving.  As a Mom, I love anything my kids give me with their handprints on it.  Handprint crafts are really special to the adults who receive them. To do this project you’ll need: -A white kitchen towel -Brown, yellow...

Furoshiki is a way of using cloth to wrap presents or to make a bag to carry things in.  The Furoshiki is generally a square piece of cloth used to wrap things up and carry them.  (I believe the word Furoshiki refers to both the square cloth and the style of wrapping things.) Furoshiki goes...

Recently, Ayako Egawa wrote to me from Japan about how Japanese people give money as gifts for special occasions. Gift money is put in a fancy envelope. A colorful cord is tied around it and finished off with a special knot (much like bows and ribbons put on gifts in the US). ...

Here’s an easy Father’s Day gift for a kid to make. 1) Get a nice thick piece of paper that can handle paint. Write the following text on it: Top 5 Reasons (At the top of the page) Why You’re the Best Dad (At the bottom of the page) 2) Have child make a hand-print in paint...

A while ago, we asked about gift giving traditions around the world. Nicola Holdsworth wrote to us from the UK telling us about British holiday and gift-giving traditions. Here’s what she wrote… We give horseshoes for marriage, oranges form part of the Christingle celebration, usually with candles and ribbon. 21st birthdays are sometimes...

I’ve been asked… “about gift customs around the world like the one of the temari balls in Japan. Which gifts do people around the world traditionally give for special events such as marriages, births, etc.?” FYI Temari balls are fancy balls with colorful, intricate patterns on them. They originally come from China, but are also...

I asked my children to tell me what they’d consider to be their favorite video games. In case there are people out there still looking for last minute gift ideas, below are some recommendations. I recommend going to Game Stop to buy video games since they’re small stores that you can find anywhere. If...

Furreal Friends is the big thing this year. They’re robotic pets that act like real animals. They feel like stuffed animals – though sometimes, they’re hard underneath. There’s a horse that kids can “ride” on. Actually, it’s the head that moves – making real-looking movements – and you can “feed” it....

I think a digital photo frame is a great gift idea that you could give to many different people – for many different holidays and celebrations. However, I’ve been looking into the possibility of buying one, as a gift, and I’ve come to the conclusion that, if you’re the type of person who cares about image...