Gifts @ MindSay

We may or may not be in a recession, but every year things get tight in January if we're not careful in December. Here are some tips for more careful spending through the holidays.

1. Plan early. Make a list, figure out a budget and stick to it. You can save money, not necessarily just by buying cheap holiday gifts, but by taking advantage of early-bird sales and avoiding last-minute shipping premiums.

2. Bake your own. There are literally thousand of things you and your kids can bake that are often better than store-bought items, especially when it comes to baked goods and candy.

3. Make your own. FamilyFun.com has lots of kid-friendly crafts projects for holiday gifts. We especially like the House Keys holder (http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/feature/famf117gift/famf117gift2.html) It's simple ideas like these that can really make both kid-giver and recipient beam.

4. Have family make a gift list. There's nothing that wastes money faster than buying useless items you find in the check-out aisle just so you have a present on Christmas. Everyone would rather get something they really want, even if it's not a surprise, than an item they have to return, or worse, throw away a few weeks after the holiday.

5. Recycle. Wrappings and ribbons costs add up. 2008 will be the year that reusing wrapping paper doesn't look stingy, but smart and energy-conscious.

Even with cost-cutting, there's no reason to eliminate holiday giving entirely but there are simple ways to make it cheaper this year.

Dads spend their lives thinking about their families. They slog hard at work so that they can bring home the bacon. They allow their own preferences to play second fiddle to others at home. And they routinely forgo their own happiness to bring a smile on the lips of their children.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared Father's Day a holiday, to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Father's day presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate fatherhood. It's a day to reflect back on the special, if often unacknowledged, role dads play in our lives. It's a time to remember the innumerable sacrifices fathers make for us, and repay them by saying those simple words dads love to hear, "Thanks dad, I love you."

Here are some great ideas to help you celebrate Father's Day:

1. Dad doesn't have to wait for his next birthday to feel special. If there is a shirt, a watch or season tickets to a game that dad has been wanting to buy for a long time but just never had the time for, let him know you took the time to care.

2. Dads may not be sentimental around the house but they love to display their Father's Day cards at work with pride. Give your dad a Father's Day card. If you have the time, you can even make your own card, letting dad know how much you love him.

3. Spend some quality time with your dad. Make the day a special family occasion by watching a movie together or playing some of his favorite music.

4. Treat your dad to dinner at a fine restaurant. Better still, surprise him by cooking up his favorite dish at home. (If you don't cook, order out from his favorite restaurant and have a quiet intimate evening with dad.)

5. Get your dad a Father's Day Gift that is personal and which expresses the measure of your love for him. Give something you know your dad will love and use often. This way, your dad will remember you every time he uses the gift.

Above all, remember, it's not the gift, as much as the thought behind it that counts - especially, with dads. Ask any father what he wants for Father's Day, and the answer will be "Not another tie or golf club". It's easier to buy gifts for moms, considering there are so many options available for women. But when it comes to buying Father's Day gifts for dads, it's easy to run out of ideas. Here are some fathers day celebration ideas sure to please your dad.

So, my birthday went pretty well over all until the party was crashed by our house guest's early return from Nashville. Oh well, before she showed up it was glorious. Although Donna and Perry had to cancel coming because Donna was sick, and Wyatt forgot it was that day and, well, dabbled in the recreational hooha and wasn't in any state to leave the house. Not exactly surprising, but indeed a bit disappointing.
Anyway, Greg got me some rad stuff. A diamond-tip scribe for printmaking (the diamond tip is supposed to get fine lines and never dull), a 4 pack of various sketchbooks, and a bar of exfoliating oatmeal soap. Lovely. Paula got me "Paris, Je T'aime" (DVD - quite good, I might add), "Let It Die" by Feist (absolutely fabulous; absolutely addictive), a multi pack of glow-stick bracelets (quite fun), and a book on Van Gogh. Kyle got me a Barnes and Noble and a Best Buy gift card, and Laken got me two books - 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf, and 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special.
Also, Greg said that the dress I was wearing would, "make men like a biscuit in your hands." Hah, how he kills me. I love him.
If you want to see a few bday pics (alas, we failed to take one of me. Imagine that), let me know and I'll share the album link with you.

Tuesday Ariel came down and spent the night. We (she, myself, and Laken) stayed up late talking, looking at photos, books, etc. All very fun. The next day we went to JC and had japanese at Moto then over to campus where we ran into Donna and spent 4 HOURS talking. Wooow. Hopefully the 4 of us (Donna, Laken, Mama, and myself) can get together for lunch sometime next week.

Thursday we kicked Suzanna (house guest) out. The plan had been for her to live with us over the summer, free of rent and utility charges, in exchange for help around the house, contribution to food bills, and of course with the expectation that she would get a job in Gville for the summer. After one month we found ourselves with money even tighter than usual, our house guest spending her days sleeping 'til noon then lying around the house chowing down on our food while watching tv, and without a job at that. And so, because she failed to live up to her end of the bargain (and seemed to think we were her maids, cooks, providers-of-food, and taxi service--without an offer for gas money, at that!), we terminated ours. Ever since she's left we've all been able to breathe so much easier.

Today I went to the doctor after developing a dry cough and discolored mucus in addition to my preexisting allergies. Apparently what I suffer from is allergic rhinitis (Hay fever). In addition to this, I have developed a touch of bronchitis. So, a shot of steroid in the hip, a dose of 4-day prescription z-pack, and a dose of Clarinex (same as Claritin) later and my nose is still retarded but my eyes are no longer begging me to claw them out. So, there are some minor improvements. Anyway, Dr. whats-his-name informed me that the best approach to hay fever is Claritin once and day along with a daily snort of Nasonex (something he also gave me a sample of). I'm a bit apprehensive about the Nasonex...just because things of that sort have been found addictive. So, I may try to forgo it if I can stand to. But anyway, hopefully the Claritin will prove to be a better medication than Benedryl, which caused me to sleep more than I was awake.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we've a new girl at work. Well, two new ones, actually...though one has been there slightly longer. The latter is Kayla, a bleach-blond highschooler with as much intelligence as a handful of dust. Her work ethic leaves something to desire as well. The only reason she still has a job after days of work-less work is because she's related to the manager. Gotta love Subway politics, eh? Anyway, the second (newer) girl is Ashley, a dark-framed glasses wearing, impressively intelligent-for-her-age highschooler who, after 2 days, proves to have a pleasing work ethic and a personality, to boot. Also, she bears a slight resemblance to Ingrid Michaelson, though her hair is not redish and her eyes are blue, not brown.

Anyway, I'll leave you for the night with some lyrics off of the Let It Die album (something you really ought to check out if [1] you've not yet done so, [2] you like good lyrics, and/or [3] songs with a 1970'esque beat are in any way appealing to your musical tastes):


P.S. There's something rather attractive about John Steed of the 1961 – 1969 show, The Avengers. Yes, I realize he (at the time) would have been more than twice my age and he's not what most would consider "hot," but he's got an excellent persona on the show...and that bowler hat and english accent come close to giving the "lesser" Wilson a run for his money.

By Jamie Findlater

Special to American Forces Press Service

 

May 16, 2008 - Showing appreciation for the men and women that risk their lives to defend the United States is essential, and yet rumors and fears about ethical restrictions that limit the amount of gift giving is a concern for many philanthropic organizations. Lee Bradley, director of the Department of Defense Ethics, Standards and Conduct Office came on ASYLive BlogTalkRadio yesterday to clarify some of these concerns.

 

"I recognize that a whole lot of people believe that gift rules are very restrictive, ... but federal employees really live by the creed of 'public service is a public trust.' We are governed not only by our joint ethics regulations that exist in DoD, but we are also governed by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Standards and Conduct," Bradley explained.

 

Bradley went on to say that many of these restrictions are actually not as prohibitive as some individuals might think. In fact, exceptions are made in many circumstances, particularly for wounded servicemembers. The basic gift rules in DoD are that government employees may not accept gifts over $20 from 'prohibited sources,' which are DoD contractors or outside entities seeking to do business with DoD or the government, or if it appears that the gift is being given because of an individual's official capacity.

 

"We don't want there to be an appearance that the gift is being given to curry favor with the federal government employee in order to get a leg up on the competition for certain government contracts," Bradley explained.

 

"If for instance, a corporation wanted to give a beautiful Waterford statue of the capital to the commanding general of Fort McNair, we would conclude that that gift was being given because of his official capacity," Bradley said, addressing the part of the law about individuals' official capacity.

 

However, if a gift is given to a group of individuals and not targeted to individuals specifically because of their official position, this law does not apply.

 

"If for instance, a wealthy philanthropist wants to invite all Navy personnel in the San Diego area to a San Diego Padres baseball game, the Department of Ethics will then determine if [the philanthropist] is a prohibited source: Doing business with DoD? Is he attempting to get contracts with DoD? If it passes the first test and the answer is no, we then make sure that a high-ranking official is not singled out and given the ticket because of his official position. Instead, this philanthropist is giving these tickets to all Navy personnel in the area. Under these circumstances it is perfectly acceptable for the Navy personnel to accept the tickets."

 

These laws are further modified when it comes to wounded soldiers. "About two years ago, as a result of the public's interest in supporting the war effort, Congress passed a provision in the DoD Appropriations Act that gives the Department of Defense more latitude in this area," Bradley said.

 

He explained that if a "servicemember incurs a combat-related disability, or illness or injury in a combat operation or zone while on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, he or she can accept an unsolicited gift." This rule also applies to family members as long as it does not violate another statute, such as the bribery statute.

 

The only restriction with this law is that if the gift received is valued at an excess of $335 dollars or an excess of $1,000 dollars in multiple gifts from the same source over a year, then an ethics official from the department must review the gift and make a written determination. This does not mean that it is unlikely that the servicemember will be able to keep the gift however, Bradley explained. "I have seen a gift of a home valued at $250,000 that had to be reviewed, and the servicemember met all qualifications and still received the home."

 

Bradley went on to discuss restrictions placed on public officials when attending events. "When it comes to DoD officials attending events, the organization cannot use your official title to draw people into the event, but it doesn't mean that you can't participate in these events," Bradley explained.

 

In addition, when attending an event, an official must be careful to not express favoritism for a specific non-federal entity thus giving it "preferred status." A general cannot say, 'The Red Cross is the nation's premier disaster-response organization.' They must instead say, "The Red Cross is one of the nation's premier disaster-response organizations. It is really just a ban on giving one organization preferred status over another."

 

Bradley stressed that it is incredibly important that federal employees keep up to date on this information. She encouraged anyone with questions to visit the DoD Standards of Conduct Office Web site for the latest updates.