I have a love/hate relationship with my Christmas list. While I absolutely love shopping for THE perfect gift, my list never seems to stop growing!  Sometimes we want to give gifts to family, friends, co-workers, coaches, teachers, neighbors, hairdressers, mail carriers, sanitation workers, and even your pets, but you don't have time or budget to extend your gift list beyond immediate family and a few close friends, right?

So what's a gift guru like you to do?

• Unleash Your Creativity: There's a lot to be said for homemade gifts. Christmas goodies on holiday plates are not only inexpensive, they're easy to manage along with the rest of your holiday baking. My son is making holiday cards and my daughter and her friends are making bracelets for each other this year.  
• Think Decorative: Ornaments are an inexpensive gift that can be used year after year after year. And it's so easy to find a perfect ornament to suit that special someone.
• Be realistic: It's no secret that times can be tough - especially around the holidays. You might have to curb your list a little bit, but you can still let those special people know they aren't forgotten. A steaming cup of cocoa or soup and a chat at the curb with your mail carrier or sanitation worker is an inexpensive way to make a difference - in their day and their holiday season. 

Before you let your list take over your happy holiday, check it twice. Maybe you can come up with some more ideas to get your list, your schedule, and your budget under control this year.

Your "Check It Twice" Gift Guru,
Linda

We probably all know about International Women's Day, right? But did you know that tomorrow is International Men’s Day? I think it's a great idea. It gives us a chance to think about and honor all the good men in our lives.

International Men's Day is fairly new. It started in 1999 in  Trinidad and Tobago. While the main purpose was to focus on male health, the holiday has grown to include aspects like demonstrating how men are positive role models, and improving gender relations and equality.

International Men's Day is celebrated in over 60 countries. Join the celebration by honoring the contributions men and boys make to their families and friends, their homes and workplaces, and their countries:

• Find a celebration near you. IMD celebrations range from cookouts to sporting events and everything in between. 
• Pick out something he'll like and surprise him by leaving it in his man cave. (Chances are he won't even know it's IMD!)
• Take them out to dinner, or better yet, cook up a feast fit for a king!

Your "What A Man!" Gift Guru,
Linda

Ever stayed in your pajamas all day long? It's perfectly fine until you get a delivery at your door. Or a neighbor drops by. Then all of a sudden you feel guilty, right? You feel like a "slob", a "slouch", or a "slacker", right? Well, I'm about to help you banish those feelings and learn to embrace your PJs even in the face of disapproving faces with three reasons why staying in your pajamas all day is a GOOD thing:

1. Comfort. Pajamas are comfy. That's why we sleep in them. But there's no law that says that once you leave your bed, you have to leave the comfort of your PJs. In fact, whether you're doing housework, answering emails, working on a craft project or just puttering around, you'll be more efficient if you're comfortable.
2. Environmentally Friendly. The fewer clothes you wear, the fewer you have to wash or dry clean. That means you use less water, less electricity and less soap. Besides saving money at home, you'll also save at the dry cleaners. A fine reason to leave your street clothes in the closet until you're ready to go out.
3. Style. Some of my cutest outfits are pajamas. I have soft floral flannels and lively plaids. Leopard prints and leprechauns. I even have a set of camo footie pajamas. I think I have about a dozen pet-themed sets. And I'm not the only one who thinks they're stylish. Designers are even making pajama-inspired street clothes (and charging a small fortune for them).

Now you don't have to feel guilty when the doorbell rings and you're still in your jammies. And if that neighbor or delivery person gives you a sideways look, tell them to talk to me. I'll set them straight.

Your "Perfect Pajamas" Gift Guru,
Linda

Have you ever wondered what your dog dreams about? What's going on in their dreams that makes them twitch, spasm, make running motions with their legs and even make noises?

My little fur baby once even barked herself awake! Then she looked like she was confused about how she got from wherever she was in her dream to her favorite spot on my couch. It was one of the funniest things I've seen her do, but it did make me wonder what she was dreaming.

Now, it seems, science has found the answer. Harvard psychologist Dr. Deirdre Barrett says that dogs dream about their owners. As the logic goes, humans, canines and other mammals have similar sleep cycles – a phase of deep slumber followed by Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep.

Dr. Barrett told People magazine, “Humans dream about the same things they’re interested in by day, though more visually and less logically. There’s no reason to think animals are any different. Since dogs are generally extremely attached to their human owners, it’s likely your dog is dreaming of your face, your smell and of pleasing or annoying you.”

It makes sense to me since I dream about my dogs, too. And every now and then, I even jerk myself awake just like my little pup. But (I hope!) I don't bark when I do it.

Your "Dreaming of Doggies" Gift Guru,
Linda