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A word on gift cards
Chances are, you’ll be giving at least a couple of gift cards this holiday season. If so, the December issue of Consumer Reports has a caution on bank gift cards:
They’re more likely to expire and tack on fees than cards offered by individual retailers. Some cards depreciate in value from month to month if unused. If you give a gift card, pass along the receipt, too, in case the card is lost.
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More holiday etiquette advice
In today’s Life Guide column, Susan Kaiwi of the Etiquette School of Austin gives advice on handling some awkward situations that can come up during the holidays. Here are tips for a couple more sticky scenarios.
At your holiday party, your boss has a little too much to drink but still thinks he can drive himself home. Don’t condescend to him and don’t make a big scene that humiliates him, Kaiwi says. Instead, try to protect his dignity. Quietly survey the room and find someone you know has not been drinking and who “would embarrass him the very least when he sobers up the next morning.” Tell your boss that you’ve heard that the police are out in force cracking down on anyone who’s had even a little to drink, and so have paired everyone who’s drinking at the party with someone who isn’t. Of course, if a couple of these polite attempts fail, you’ll have to be firm and take the keys.
There’s a big income discrepancy between your family and your sister’s. How do you handle gift-giving? “The person who has the money should be gracious enough to realize that the others don’t and to initiate a conversation before the holidays,” Kaiwi says. But don’t hesitate to this even if you’re the lower-income sibling. Suggest drawing names and/or setting spending limits, but don’t make the conversation about money. Instead, emphasize lowering stress for everyone and having a simpler, more meaningful Christmas.
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Cherrywood Art Fair runs this weekend
The sixth annual Cherrywood Art Fair runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. More than 50 artists will have their work available for sale, plus there’ll also be food, live music, a silent auction, kids art activities and pictures with Santa. The free event is at Maplewood Elementary School at 38 1/2 Street and Maplewood Avenue. All proceeds from booth fees and the silent auction go to the art program at Maplewood Elementary and public art and beautification projects in East Austin through CHULA, the Cherrywood Urban Landscape and Arts League.
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Bargain ornaments
For a sparkly tree on the cheap, try this idea from Hallmark Magazine: Pick up old chandelier crystals, which are often sold by the box, from a thrift store. They’ll probably already have a wire loop on top to make hanging easy. The magazine suggests hanging the crystals on outdoor trees to create the look of icicles, but this also sounds like a good tip for your indoor Christmas tree.
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Gift cards with bonuses
Are gift cards on your wish list? According to Kiplinger.com, stores might give you extra rewards if you use them before the end of the year:
For example, a shop might add 10 percent more value to a card if it is used by Dec. 31. Other stores might guarantee another card of smaller value — say, $5 or $10 — when the consumer depletes the first one they have. Vendors will also heavily promote sales beginning the day after Christmas, and they’ll try to rush out some spring clothing and other merchandise during that period to entice people into stores.
Why the bonuses? Accounting rules are largely behind the redemption race. Stores can’t claim the revenue from the sale of a gift card until it is used. Consumers normally don’t do so until early in the following year — usually during sale periods in January and February — which effectively shifts the card sale’s impact forward. Retailers typically don’t mind waiting, but not this year. Stores are expecting tepid growth in holiday sales, with an average gain of about 3 percent. If chains can get more cards redeemed during December, then their holiday performance will look healthier and Wall Street investors will be happier.
(Via Free Money Finance)
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Cool ideas for cheap gifts
All those lists you see for inexpensive gifts this time of year are usually pretty lackluster, so it was a treat to find these ideas on the Frugal Blog at families.com. They’re creative and don’t feel chintzy. Some favorites:
— Homemade bread, muffins or rolls with the recipe included.
— A gardeners kit with gloves, a spade and seeds or a plant.
— An assortment of favorite magazines the gift recipient wouldn’t dare spend the money on but loves.
What are your best ideas for affordable gifts?
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A Hanukkah that sparkles
Looking for kids projects for Hanukkah? The December issue of Martha Stewart Living has a fun list of ideas that includes lots of glittery ways to decorate traditional items like dreidels and menorahs.
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Blue Genie Art Bazaar starts today
The seventh annual Blue Genie Art Bazaar opens today and runs through Christmas Eve.
The free event features more than 80 artists. It’s at the Monarch Events Center at Lincoln Village, 6406 N. Interstate 35, Suite 3100. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Christmas Eve.
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Latkes for Hanukkah
Hanukkah begins today at sundown, and one of the traditional foods of the celebration is latkes, or potato pancakes. Try these local sources:
— The H-E-B at 7025 Village Center Drive has a kosher store.
— Manny Hattan’s New York Deli, 9503 Research Blvd.
— Katz’s Deli and Bar, 618 W. Sixth St.
Know of more? Leave a comment to fill us in.
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Holiday mailing deadline: military mail to Iraq, Afghanistan
Today is the last day to send military mail destined for Iraq or Afghanistan to have it arrive by Christmas. For more mailing info, visit the U.S. Postal Service Web site.
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Be an angel
Barton Creek Square is hosting the Salvation Army Angel Tree, which features holiday wishes from underprivileged children to Santa Claus. Shoppers can select a wish list from the tree, buy the items and take them back to the Angel Tree by Dec. 17. Gifts don’t have to be wrapped.
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Buying a video camera
If you’re planning to buy a video camera to capture holiday memories, here are some tops from Ashley Chiles of Ladyflash Productions. We interviewed her for today’s Life Guide column.
— The brands she recommends are Canon, Sony and Panasonic. “An at-home user can get a really great camera for $300-$400.”
— The main thing to consider in choosing what camera to buy is how much you’ll be shooting in low light. The less expensive the camera, the less ability it has to shoot in low light.
— More expensive video cameras will also have a better mike.
— A camera that has a “film look” feature can give your videos a richer look. Imagine an hourlong TV drama vs. a ’70s sitcom.
— Be upfront with the salesperson about features you will and won’t use. If you’d rather have something simple and basic, say so.
— Check out consumer Web sites and read customer reviews for recommendations.
— B&H and Precision Camera & Video should also be able offer good advice.
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Shop for green gifts today
If you’re looking to make your shopping list more eco-friendly, the Sustainable Shopper’s Ball is hosting “Have a Green, Green Christmas” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road.
Besides local vendors, the event will feature food and music.
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Write a non-annoying holiday newsletter
Hallmark Magazine has some tips on makng your holiday letter one that recipients will be happy to receive:
— Keep it brief and easy to read. Don’t go overboard in how much you write or in how many type styles, colors and embellishments you use.
— Definitely share news about your kids’ accomplishments, but add a dash of humor to tone down the boasting.
— Keep the tone positive. Don’t dwell on your allergies or how work is driving you crazy.
— Add a brief handwritten note to each recipient.
For more ideas, see the magazine’s December-January issue.
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Holiday feng shui
Stephanie McWilliams, host of HGTV’s “Fun Shui” has some decorating ideas based on feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of space arrangement. Her show airs at 8:30 p.m. Fridays.
— If you’re feeling agitated during the holidays, try rethinking your decorating scheme. All the holiday “fire” — bright lights, red decorations, fireplaces — can be too much for some people. If that’s the case, McWilliams recommends bringing a “water” element into your decoration. Think blue lights, a mirror over the fireplace, cut glass arrangements, glassy or reflective balls on the tree.
— Adding natural elements to your decorating can also be calming. Besides a live tree, McWilliams suggests pine cones, holly, fresh fruit bowls and arrangements, strung popcorn and cranberries, paper loop links or origami.
— If the holidays cause you to reflect on painful times in your past, buying some new decorations can help you start looking forward, McWilliams says.
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Warning: Debit card scam
Take a sec right now and check up on your recent debit card transactions: Notice any little purchases you don’t remember making? Figure they’re just items you forgot about in your holiday spending? Maybe not.
The Red Tape Chronicles blog on msnbc.com reports on problems with a company called Digismarket.com, which purports to sell e-books. According to the blog, there’s been a rash of bogus charges from Digismarket being talked about on the Internet.
I started researching this because it happened to me earlier this week. I called my bank’s 800 number to check on my balance and what recent transactions had cleared and discovered that there was a $2.95 charge from Digismarket on my account. I knew I’d never visited this site and immediately reported the problem.
The bogus transactions all seem to be for small amounts, the kind you might easily overlook. As one commenter on this blog post put it: “I just have to wonder how many people have fallen victim to this scam and have not noticed it on their statements.”
There’s also been talk about an Equifax link, although nothing is proven. According to the MSNBC blog:
Many victims have something else in common: They say the cards that were charged for e-books also were recently used to pay for Equifax credit report-related products, such as a credit score or credit monitoring. Some of the consumers complained to Equifax. A company spokesperson has told consumers it is investigating.
The reports don’t necessarily mean Equifax was hacked, and some victims say they never purchased anything at Equifax.com.
Equifax spokesman David Rubinger told MSNBC.com that the firm’s security experts have researched the incident and have concluded that “there is no connection to Equifax.” The firm’s internal security monitoring software shows no signs of any data thefts, he said.
Similar problems have been reported with other alleged e-book sites, including MyLiberia.com.
If you find a charge from Digismarket or a similar company on your account, report it to your bank immediately and get a new card number. Weirdly, some blog posters have had success getting refunds from Digismarket itself, but I wouldn’t want to deal with whoever these folks are myself (my bank refunded the money on its own). Keep track of your transactions, especially during the holiday season, when plenty of other scams abound.
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TV Writers’ Strike Emergency Kit: ‘The Office’
NBC Universal Photo: Paul Drinkwater
Writers and production company bigwigs are meeting again this week in an attempt to save America from reality TV overload, but in the meantime, everyone’s favorite awkward dramedy of life in the office has run out of new episodes. Before you do something rash like hit a co-worker with your car, we’ve compiled a list of activities to help fill the void of Thursday evenings without Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam and the gang.
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Teaching kids about giving
If there’s an avid pre-teen reader in your house, you may already know about the Beacon Street Girls series. Author Addie Swartz created the series to provide positive role models for her own daughter.
The books even cover helping others. Two of the titles, “Bad News/Good News” and “Letters from the Heart,” involve one of the characters creating a community service project: making blankets for homeless children. On the Web site for the books, you can find how-tos on making the blankets and read comments from readers talking about their own community service projects.
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The right toys for the right age
What toys are right for the kids on your list? Mary Muscari, a parenting expert and an associate professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University in New York, has ideas for all ages. Here are some highlights. Find the complete list here.
— 6 months and younger: Music boxes, crib mobiles, squeeze toys, rattles.
— 6 to 12 months: Activity toys such as nesting dolls and push toys.
— 1 to 3: Messy toys like finger paints and soap bubbles, plus active toys like rocking horses.
— 3 to 5: Try riding toys, punching bags, wagons, roller skates, pre-school gym sets and sleds. Dress-up clothes and kits, toy farms and schools, puppets.
— 6 to 12: A certificate for dance or karate lessons, or gifts that will introduce them to cooking, sewing, woodwork or gardening.
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Shopping for Hanukkah
Hanukkah begins the evening of Dec. 4. Need to do some shopping beforehand? Austin has two Judaica shops.
Congregation Agudas Achim Sisterhood runs a shop at the synagogue at 7300 Hart Lane. The shop’s manager is Juanita Silberstein and its phone number is 735-8450. If there is no answer, contact the synagogue office.
Hours are 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday- Friday.
Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood runs the other shop at 3901 Shoal Creek Blvd. Its hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Sundays. Del Garcia is manager. E-mail giftshop@bethisrael.org or call 970-6423.
Online, check out the Web site of The Jewish Museum in New York. Offerings include modern designs and reproductions of the museum’s historic menorahs.
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A moment here, a moment there, and cards are done
Who has a huge block of time to work on holiday cards? Instead, keep a few with you all the time and fill them out when you can grab a few minutes of downtime, such as when you’re waiting to pick up the kids after school or stuck in the doctor’s waiting room. Find more ideas at American Greetings.
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I also was hit for 4.95 by these scum bags.I called them and was informed that I had ordered a book on “How to drive a automobile” Yeah right.I was told that “they” would credit my account within 5-7 working days. I also notified
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these theives should be jailed!I would love to meet the dirt bag responsible for stealing my 4.95 so i could practice my Dim Mak.They take your $ without your consent.they are the worst scum of the earth.!!!!
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Coffee is actually an INCREDIBLY closely monitored commodity when it comes to international trade. I think there are probably two reasons why you can’t send it. First, you have to get approval to ship coffee to a non-domestic location (even for a
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The first annual Keep Austin Bizarre holiday show starts next Friday, December 14, and runs through Sunday December 23rd from 11am to 11pm at the Palmer Auditorium. A great lineup of local craftspeople and artisans, and also hot bands! Check it out….
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