Online Christmas Shopping..........

Well, it is almost officially here CHRISTMAS and I haven't got much of my shopping done yet. I am strongly considering doing most of it online as I have done in the past. If you have the time and a fast internet connection it could save lots of time & money in the long run (especially considering the high cost of gasoline this year). Most online retailers have some kind of discounts or free shipping at this time of year.


Some of My favorite things for Christmas/gifts are:
(1) Handmade/homemade themed gift baskets - examples - movie night(DVD's, snacks all packaged in a nice popcorn container or popper) - (homemade candies/brownies/sweets in an antique glass dish or pottery piece) - this can also be a great economical gift to a family.
(2) Gift Certificates for some kind of experience - example for a guy tickets to see his favorite team or to a concert that sort of thing - for a lady it may be a gift card for a massage, manicure or just to a favorite restaurant
(3) A Collection of CD's or a gift card to I-tunes or an online music downloading site for the person who uses their IPOD or MP3 a lot I am sure this would be a welcome gift.
(4) Books - depending on the person & his or her interests I love to give books on hobbies/travel sites/popular fiction or biographies/ cookbooks etc...
(5) Framed family photos - I have a ton of photos from family events stored on my computer - I plan to get some of them framed in unique/interesting frames and give them as small gifts (who doesn't love to get pictures of their kids?)
(6) Gift Cards to department stores - For the person who has everything I prefer to get them a gift card to his/her favorite dept store so at least he/she can find something that they really want or need.
(7) Accessories: What women can ever have enough handbags/jewelry (costume of course) - If I know her taste well enough this is usually a good bet.

And I can usually always find something online at one of the sites below that will work for great gifts.


Some online shopping tips:
Always check online for coupon codes before you place your order - you can get some great discounts this way and a few of the sites to check for coupons include : www.couponcabin.com; or www.couponheaven.com to name a few.

Some of my favorite sites/deals so far this season:

***Disney Shopping.com - Take 25% off purchase 11/27-Dec 2nd with offer code "HOLIDAY25"
***Coldwatercreek.com - Be sure to check the online outlet(great clothes, accessories) and great deals - also they have $30 off your purchase of $100 or more with offer code "WLH4033" at checkout(www.coldwatercreek.com)
***Target - spend $50 on toys and get free shipping 11/27-12/1 (www.target.com)
***Sears - free shipping on mailable orders now - 12/18(www.sears.com)
***JC Penney - has a great online outlet site plus you can almost always find coupons for your purchases here. www.jcpenney.com
***Amazon.com - Great for Books, DVD, CD or a multitude of gift purchases and they usually have some kind of discount or free shipping deals. - www.amazon.com

Fall & Falling Leaves..............

My favorite time of year is here - actually it is almost over. Leaf season is one of the most beautiful times of year here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Every time I look out the window at this time of year it makes me think of a picture. It is as if God has taken a paintbrush and created a beautiful painting or a multitude of them according to where you look outside. It is amazing to say the least but now when I look down at the ground it reminds me that the season is slowly coming to an end. The ground is covered in front of my house so much so that the lawn is bearly visible. I will soon be raking away - oh well I probably need the exercise I am sure. Life here is quiet at this time of year most of the Florida inhabitants(vacationers) have left for the winter and being that the leaf season is almost over the traffic is almost back to normal. The air is crisp and cool. I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and I have barely given Christmas shopping a thought yet. Maybe I can post some photos soon (before all of the leaves had come off of the trees). I live very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and it is a beautiful location that I wish everyone had the opportunity to visit at least once. Anyway, I look forward to hopefully meeting some new friends from this blog and sharing some of the wonderful things about the part of the country where I live.