The Gift Detective » Marnie Winston-Macauley

The 10: 2010 Day-to-Day Calendar

The Gift Detective — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:01:40 +0000

It’s getting closer and closer to the New Year! If you didn’t manage to get your gift shopping done in time for the holidays, you can easily let someone know you are thinking of them by getting them a calendar!

Click to Purchase! $13.49

A calendar like the one pictured above is great for those who don’t even use calendars generally, because it is part calendar, part zany fact book, as each page is filled with interesting trivia, in top ten list form, for your recipient to enjoy. In fact, this is a very versatile gift because calendars are both useful and “one size fits most” gifts. This particular calendar, by Marnie Winston-Macauley, will “fit” a wide variety of people because, even if you don’t quite know what your recipient’s tastes are, many people love interesting facts! (Please note: “One size fits most gifts” are NOT the most appropriate sole gift for a big occasion for someone you are really close to – but they make a nice additional gift to a more personal gift or as a New Year’s gift all wrapped up and sitting in their spot at the breakfast table! Just an example – feel free to get creative!)

Want to add a personal touch to this gift? Read through the calendar until you find a page (or several) that really reminds you about the recipient and leave a sticky note for them to find on that page. Use the sticky note to tell them why you’ve chosen that page. In your card, you could mention that you have marked one (or more) of the pages specially for them. It will give them something to look forward to as they enjoy your gift!

Send this gift out with a “Happy New Year!” card and you won’t seem like someone who failed to get gifts out on time but someone who is not only thoughtful but is on the ball too!

Happy gifting!

A Little Joy, A Little Oy – 2010 Calendar

The Gift Detective — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:01:12 +0000

Both Hanukkah and the New Year are nearly here and a perfect gift to celebrate one or both is the 2010 calendar – A Little Joy, A Little Oy. ($12.59)

A Little Joy, A Little Oy

This is an award winning desk calendar by Marnie Winston-Macauley that is both humorous and heartwarming and can make a great gift for the right person.

Clues that this gift will be appreciated:

your recipient is Jewish
you have been to their home or office and have seen a calendar on their desk, near their phone, etc.
they have a sense of humor

But wait! Is your recipient disorganized and usually shuns calendars? Well, this desk calendar is more than just a way to track the passage of time…this day-to-day calendar has stories, historical facts and Jewish trivia to treat and entertain your loved one…every day of the year! A daily reminder of your care and love. What could be better?

Happy gifting!

Mother’s Day: PART I of Making a Book an Extraordinary Gift on Any Budget

The Gift Detective — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:12:55 +0000

By M. Gauvin – matthewgauvin.com

This is a two part blog wherein I will discuss specific books that would make nice Mother’s Day gifts and ideas on how to make any book or publication into a really thoughtful and personalized present. Part II will be posted tomorrow so please check back!

Part I
Wonderful Mother’s Day Book Ideas

Dear Mom Thank You For Everything ($10) is is a great little book for the family that thrives on humor! This Mother’s Day gift is simple and sweet with equal parts humor and heart. There are fantastic animal photos so this is also a great gift for the mom who loves animals and a good dose of cute overload.

Yiddishe Mamas: The Truth About the Jewish Mother ($10) is a book that analyzes the stereotype of a Jewish mother and takes a serious look at both famous and unknown Jewish mother’s in history, ranging from biblical times to present day. This book begs to be given to any Jewish mother for Mother’s Day but it’s poignancy also makes it a wonderful gift for a Jewish daughter without her mother this Mother’s Day. It is said to evoke memories of childhood that remind one of specific times with their own mother. Don’t forget, although the subject matter is Jewish mothers, this is a celebration of motherhood and any mother interested in history, stories of humor, interviews and heartwarming tales may indeed enjoy the book because love and motherhood are universal, no matter the religion.

Another book about the history of Jewish mothers, You Never Call! You Never Write!: A History of the Jewish Mother is by a different author, Joyce Antler, but in a similar vein as the book by Marnie Winston-Macauley. You Never Call! You Never Write! is both humorous and historical. Joyce Antler provides portrayals of real Jewish mothers as well as looking at how Jewish mothers were often portrayed in books, television and movies.

This book ($19) is a really great book for adult children (even grandchildren) to give as a gift to their mother which will spark a conversation with them that takes you on a journey into your mother’s past to find out about who she is, her history, her family, what made her the way she it…questions we sometimes don’t ask until it is too late. P.J. Cloud actually wrote Someday, I’ll Ask You and presented it to her own mother! This is the type of gift that will become a family heirloom and is a gift to your mother to show how much you care and are interested in her but, by the time she is done reflecting and answering the questions, will turn into a gift for the both of you, and perhaps even the whole family.

By the same author as Dear Mom Thank You For Everything, Bradley Trevor Greive offers wit and warmth all rolled into one. Sweet and funny animal photos make this little book a nice addition to any Mother’s Day gift. This is also great choice for the family who isn’t huge on gift giving but still wants to recognize how important mom is without making a big fuss. The Incredible Truth about Mothers ($10) is another winner by Greive.

This book is great for a mother on her special day or the person who is a non-traditional mother – whether it is someone who is part of your family of choice instead of a biological connection or even the mother of the furry variety! Heart of a Mother ($12) is a nice choice to recognize the woman in your life who is a mother in her own right, yet doesn’t get to celebrate as traditionally as the rest of them as well as just a great gift for any mother who loves to read. This is a collection of stories, quotations and poems with chapters on Mother’s Day, Pregnancy, Adoptions and Foster Children, Mothers of Military and more…

These books offer a good start and you can search for more Mother’s Day books here.

Happy gifting and, please, come back for Part II of this series!