For a lot of different reasons you might want to give personal Christmas presents to your relatives and friends this holiday season. It might be that you have someone on your Christmas list that is hard to buy for. It might be because you want to communicate very special feeling towards somebody that is on your Christmas presents list. Or you may want to reduce your budget and plan to save money on your Christmas buyings by making things a little less materialistic for your family or friends.

Here are a few personal Christmas presents that you can create:

Customized Gingerbread people
???
You can create gingerbread men, women, and children, that you can decorate to make them look like the person or people who you are going to give it to. Put their names or initials on them. That kind of personal Christmas present is excellent when you are going to visit another family.
???
Name poems

It is not hard to make name poems and they are excellent personal Christmas presents. All you have to do is to use a person??s first or last name to create a poem. You can also decorate the poem in numerous ways such as printing it on the computer or coloring it by hand and put it it into a nice picture frame.???
???
Photographic presents

With photographs there are a good number of personal Christmas presents that you can create. You can create a photo album of your family or you can adorn a decoration item with photographs. Another idea would be to create a “special friend” photo album, which has pics of you with the recipient. You can also have a lot of fun while creating your gift by choosing to make a scrapbooking photo album.

Customized Bottle Of Wine

You can personalize a bottle of wine by making the wine label with the recipient’s name, birth date or a photo. If you familiar with a graphic editing software you can use one to help you design a professional looking one.
???
With a little creativity you can create fun and personal Christmas presents for your friends and loved ones that will be cherished for a long time.??? As you can see, there are several fun and personal Christmas presents that you can create for your friends and loved ones with a little imagination.

Poinsettias are the most popular holiday plant in the US and with so many colors and varieties available today it’s no wonder why. They bloom at just the right time to make any home even more beautiful for the holidays and modern poinsettias have been carefully bred for decades to withstand the rigors of shipping in just about any climate.

If you plan to give a poinsettia this holiday season, consider adding a personal touch by sharing a short story that tells your recipient even more about their gift. You can just use the parts you want from below and print a note or send an email as a follow-up after it arrives. It’s a small thing to do but adds a nice personal touch.

Here is an opening that works well for me: “I hope you enjoy your Poinsettia as much as I enjoyed learning about it. They have a rich history that impressed me. For example…”

Once you have an opening (or you can skip the opening) just grab whatever blurbs you want from below:

History of the Poinsettia:

Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They were considered to be treasured possessions by the Aztecs of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and came to be associated with wealth and prosperity.

Two hundred years after the Aztec empire fell; Franciscan monks found a new purpose for these prized poinsettias. Taking note of how beautiful and full the red bloom was during the winter holiday, they used poinsettias as a central part of the “Fiesta Santa Pesebre” (Nativity procession.)

How the Poinsettia got its Name and International Fame: Up until the early nineteenth century poinsettias were still exclusive to regions south of the border, and not seen in the United States. Then in 1828 Joel Poinsett, the first US Ambassador to Mexico, noticed poinsettias during a trip to Mexico and sent cuttings back home to South Carolina.

As a plant native to Mexico, early poinsettias thrived in warm climates but tended not to do as well in the northern United States. They did well enough in South Carolina and ultimately crossed the American southwest all the way back to California, not far from where they started. But being such a well-loved plant, today’s poinsettias have been carefully bred, or cultivated over generations, to thrive in many areas. Just follow some simple instructions on how to care for your poinsettia and you will have a gift that continues to give.

Poinsettia Care:

In general you should keep the following in mind…

1) Keep your poinsettia in bright, yet indirect light.

2) Avoid putting them in areas where they will experience drafts and sudden temperature changes, such as near doors or in foyers.

3) Keep the soil evenly moist but not saturated.

(Source with more info available at: http://www.strangesgardencenter.com/content.asp?CATID=7&ContentID=454)

One more thing… If you plan to have a poinsettia sent as a gift, there’s an easy way to save some money. Search online for a local florist and order directly from them. This saves you the $12.95 (+-) processing fee charged by most of the “800″ floral chain services.

Good luck and enjoy those beautiful poinsettias!

Good mothers and fathers come in many styles. Each one of us has different strengths, interests, and values that make us great parent. Don’t let yourself become discouraged or disappointed when others ‘give you advice’ that doesn’t seem to mesh with who you are. Maybe you’re not a roll around on the floor kind of parent with your child.� Maybe you’ve decided to hang back and let your little one explore. That’s great! As long as it works for you and your child, nobody should be able to convince you that your method is incorrect or wrong. Once you recognize and embrace your own personal parenting style, you can stop trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations and get on with the business of enjoying being a parent.

It’s important to keep in mind too, that these well-meaning advice givers don’t know your child as well as you.� They aren’t there with your child night and day, watching him grow, learn, explore, play, eat, and sleep.� Only you know what’s best for your child, and you know what works best in your household and for your lifestyle.� As with anything, figuring things out along the way will involve trial and error.�

So when you receive yet another unsolicited piece of advice regarding your child’s napping or nighttime sleeping habits, keep both your and your child’s personal style in mind.� You’ve done the legwork, you’ve experimented, and you’ve learned together what works and what doesn’t work.� The cues should come from your instincts regarding your child and from your child directly.� There’s no such thing as a hard-and-fast rule for sleep habits among children other than it is needed! As your child grows, his cues may change, but as long as you stay in tune with him, his sleep habits shouldn’t have to suffer as a result. And neither should yours.

Stumped this holiday season for what to give that “person with everything?” One category of gift that can be found in almost every price range is a genuine antique map or print. Presented framed or matted, or simply “as is,” an antique map or print is a gift that can be tailored for any individual on your list, and it’s a gift that will stand out for its thoughtfulness and uniqueness.

Sound expensive? Well, it can be of course, but you may be surprised to learn that antique prints of all kinds can be quite affordable, sometimes starting as low as $25. And yes, they are still the “real thing” – antique, printed works of art on paper, usually hand-colored at the time of publication, and generally more than 100 years old.

The collecting of antique maps and prints is an old pursuit, and one that has been practiced for centuries. This is one of the reasons why there is a well-established worldwide market. Most antique maps and prints on the market today began life as a page in a book – perhaps an atlas, or a book of botanical prints, or a natural history book. But don’t be put off by the fact that these prints (plates, as they are known in collecting circles) are derived from books. Antique books are very different from the books of today. The pages were printed by a less automated method, sometimes even on a hand-operated press. Illustrated pages (the prints we collect today) were printed separately from the text pages, and, if color was needed, each page was individually hand-colored. These very small print runs were then collated and bound into books, often with a beautiful leather binding. Over the centuries, books were broken apart, and the prints have been circulated ever since. In terms of origin, there is no substantive difference between a large, genuine Audubon print selling for tens of thousands of dollars and a fifty dollar antique print from a lesser known bird book.

The most compelling reason for considering an antique map or antique print as a gift is that it can truly be personalized for just about anyone on your list. First, it’s obvious that everyone is from somewhere, which means that an antique map of a hometown or country is always a fascinating gift for the recipient. For the United States, it is almost always possible to find a mid-19th century state map, and frequently, town and regional maps as well. If you are looking for an antique map from overseas, choices abound, with country and regional maps from every part of the world (or the known world, depending on the year of publication) and from all time periods.

Antique maps of the home town or “the old country” are just the beginning when it comes to personalizing a gift. Different genres of maps appeal to different people – for example, antique harbor charts or sea charts for the sailors on your list, antique geological maps for rock collectors, antique island maps for travelers, and so on. Turning to antique prints, another world opens up. Antique botanical prints – often with gorgeous hand coloring – are perfect for gardeners and plant lovers; antique exploration prints for outdoor enthusiasts, antique historical prints, antique fashion prints, antique architectural prints, antique racehorse prints, culinary prints, butterfly prints, nautical prints, sporting prints, even shimmering, illuminated manuscript pages, and much more, are all available. The list, in effect, is almost endless. It is difficult to conceive of the person who, when presented with an antique print that reflects their special interest, could fail to be gratified and made to feel a little more special.

Be creative about your gift list. When choosing an antique map, hometowns and states are the most popular, but also consider college towns, honeymoon spots, favorite vacation places, and so forth. If you’re considering a print, then just think about your recipient’s favorite hobby, food, sport, avocation, or other pastime. It is guaranteed that over the centuries, other people have enjoyed the same things, and the perfect, hand-colored print will be out there.

Where to find antique maps and prints and what to look for? Without question, the internet has revolutionized this field, which for centuries was conducted in dusty old bookshops, antique stores, and by dealer catalog. Dealers abound on the internet, and search engines such as Google or Yahoo. will allow you to access hundreds of antique map and print websites. Begin by visiting a variety of dealer sites. A site such as VintageMaps.com, an internet-based antique map and print dealer since 1997, will give you a feel for the type of material available. When visiting sites, you should feel free to contact the dealer and ask questions about maps or prints that interest you. Make sure that the dealer will provide a signed statement of authenticity, and that the condition of the print is at least “very good.” A “money-back” guarantee of satisfaction is also usual practice among reputable dealers. If you are considering buying in an online auction, you need to be very careful. You can’t be sure that the seller is providing accurate information, and there is no question of returning an item if it’s not satisfactory. When it comes to buying from an online auction, it’s “buyer beware.”

If you plan to frame an antique print as a gift, the work is best done by a local framer whom you trust. Ordering your framing job over the internet is usually not a good choice – the appearance of the frame and the quality of materials are hard to judge on a screen. So leave an extra three weeks for the framing work. Finally, remember that the more specific the requirements you demand of an antique map or print, the earlier you will want to begin searching for it. Dealers are at their busiest around holiday times, so start your shopping early. Happy hunting.

One cool, Autumn evening found us around the dinner table with my oldest son eager to illustrate an experiment he learned at school earlier that day. This was where we always sit down together and shared our days’ events. If the boys had late basketball practice, we waited until they were home to eat. As they grew and became more involved in school activities, we sometimes caught up two days of frenzy and excitement, but we did get caught up. This bridged our differences as we learned tolerance and interest in each other’s walks of life.

“Pass the potatoes, please.” My youngest said.

“Mom, take the dish. Let’s change directions of passing the food tonight.” My oldest said with a smile that covered his face. He was sitting at the end of the table, not his usual place on the side seated across from me.

I noticed he wanted to be the last one to touch the bowls of food we passed around to each other all night. He placed the bowl of potatoes next to my ice-tea glass but it really wasn’t in my way. I ignored his smirk.

“We did an experiment on space in class today.” He announced after placing the green beans on the other side of my glass of iced tea.

“Did you discuss the planets and stars in the sky? That’s space up there, I believe it is outer space.” I said with glee as I noticed the breadbasket was now in front of my tea.

“No, we learned a new concept today. Hold out your hand. Try to stretch your fingers as far apart as you can get them.” We all followed his lead.

“OK.”

“That’s space, that’s the space of your hands. You can make the interval between your fingers wide, and then you can narrow it by pulling them close together.” He was feeling a bit superior by this time.

“Cool.” My youngest yelled with the same smirk on his face as his brother had at the beginning of this conversation.

We discussed in great lengths the parking spaces for our cars, the amount of room left when the cars were finally inside the garage, and how much space it took to open the car door and get out of it. He went into detail about the space between each word when we write letters and the pauses during the transmission of a telegraph message.

This was intense. I thought to myself, what a day, what a teacher, teaching a new concept of space. I knew all this. I looked around and noticed everybody was laughing. This occasion was giving them an opportunity to really enjoy a secret everyone was in on but me.

“Mom, look.”

“Where?”

“Look down.”

I studied the carpet on the floor. By this time the room was in a roar, and my face began to redden. I could feel the flush.

“Mom, look at your plate.”

When I looked, every bowl of food, the salt and pepper shaker, the breadbasket, everything on the table-even their ice tea glasses was surrounding my place sitting. It looked like the battle of the century, and I was alone facing the century.

“We have invaded your personal space, and you didn’t even notice. You are either highly contented in your life or totally unaware of what goes on around you.”

“That’s what you learned in school today? What is your teacher’s name?” I must have been a bit loud for we finished

dinner in silence. But the next night, I passed the food last. It became a game, a game of a personal space invasion.

ฉ 2006 Carol Dee Meeks

How can you make your bedroom personal? The answer lies in thinking
about your habits and likes. The wall color, the lighting, the
furniture type, the over all arrangement – everything will depend upon
what you like to be surrounded with. Those who are young at heart go
for light and airy items and wall color that shows their happy nature.
Pinks, oranges, light blues and yellows dominate the bedroom of such
people. More serious souls opt for heavier furnishings and somber wall
colors in earth tones.

Thus, before beginning your bedroom decoration project, think about
what you like. The lighting of the room plays a significant part in
deciding the mood of the room. Many people like to read while sleeping
and so bedside lamps can be perfect for them. If you are not of the
bookish type, you could go for soft central lighting. Similarly, you
could keep TV and music players in your bedroom if you want some music
before sleeping. For those, who prefer to keep their bedroom free of
noise, any electronic distraction can be kept out.

Also, too many items in a bedroom can take away from the personal
space; try to limit the number of decorative pieces in this room. Let
your bedroom be airy and as spacious as possible. If you like somber
and mature surroundings, you should go for traditional bedroom
furniture made of wood. Teak, Oak or Cedar are great choices for wooden
furniture.

You can get many exquisitely carved wooden bedroom furniture with matching beds, bedside tables and dressing tables from any furniture store.
Even the closet can be made of wood to add to the formal look. Make
sure that the furniture is not too close to each other. The bed,
naturally, will be the centerpiece in any bedroom. Hence, you will have
to be particular about the type of bed you purchase.

There are different types of beds available in the market today. Water beds, iron beds, adjustable beds, platform beds
and many more can be considered while going for bed purchase. The
bedding also makes a lot of difference as different people have
different choices when it comes to the firmness of the mattress.�

The type of cupboards or closets will also have to be decided upon. A bedroom set
can be selected, if you want matching beds, bed side tables and
dressing tables. Independent dressing tables are considered important
by most fashion conscious women and men. So is you belong to that
brigade, ensure that your dressing table has enough storage space and a
good full length mirror.

You could also keep sweet smelling oils in your bedroom to help you
calm down. Keep the bedroom well ventilated and spacious to allow
positive energy to flow through the room. Bedroom is the place to relax
and unwind. So, keep it simple and comfortable. A bedroom that can
uplift your mood and keep you relaxed will serve as the perfect
attraction after a hard day’s work.

It’s something that people don’t even want to imagine, much less go through: �the pain and anguish of suffering an injury.� Yet countless individuals and families – including those residing in Florida – are forced to face these sorts of ordeals every year.� What happens to people when they lose their job and livelihood due to injuries suffered??� What happens to families who are short a provider because an accident lays them up??� Even worse – what if you find out that such an ordeal could have easily been prevented, and there is someone or a group of people at fault for this situation??� Should you and/or your loved ones ever face this sort of difficulty, it may be wise to seek the aid of Florida personal injury lawyers.� These lawyers are ready and willing to handle any case that arises and are willing to go to the mat to get the justice you need and should receive.

If you find yourself involved in a personal injury case, it’s likely because you fell victim to the reckless behavior, intentional misconduct, or negligence of a person, property owner, or company.� If you are part of a personal injury case, then the law entitles you to be able to collect monetary damages for the injury, and in most cases, for emotional distress.� Those in need of Florida personal injury lawyers can be assured that they are ready to take on your case – whether it involves a vehicular accident that could have been avoided, harm which befalls you at your place of work…or products which are deemed or have been deemed defective.� Some lawyers contend that when a product is the issue, the makers of said product should be the ones who create the product so that people can use it without harm.� If the makers know that something could go wrong, then it is their duty pull the product off the market for the welfare of the public, according to some attorneys.

So if you are in need of Florida personal injury lawyers to handle a case, you have many to choose from.� Boone & Davis is an option that many seek out in the state; another possibility is the law firm of Steinger, Iscoe & Greene, able to work with small injuries or catastrophic ones.� Then, there is the law practice of Chanfrau & Chanfrau, a family business serving Central Florida.� Whatever your injury situation, there is an attorney in the Sunshine State who can help.

For people who deal with the aftermath of injuries, the ordeal doesn’t just involve losing a job, or being unable to work.� It’s about the pain that someone suffers while trying to do everyday tasks.� It’s about the stress and frustration suffered by the injured.� And, it’s the burden of added responsibility and concern put on family members trying to keep things together during a difficult time.�� Anyone who has to endure this sort of problem should not have to face it without help, and without getting any sort of restitution.� �Take a look at Florida personal injury lawyers, and see what they can offer you in the way of peace of mind, and the comfort of improving your situation.

Every day it seems that the news is more and more filled with people who have become victims of attacks. Because of this, it is increasingly common for private citizens to seek out methods of personal protection. If you are seeking an effective way to defend yourself against an attacker, one option available to you is a taser. �The name “taser” is an acronym that stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”. This tool is commonly discussed in concurrence with stun guns, which offer protection through a similar method using electrical current.

Taser guns have been used by law enforcement officers as a safer alternative to brute force for many years. Private citizens can provide themselves with the same protection by purchasing taser guns for personal protection. �Taser guns send a force of electrical shock through the assailant’s body rendering them incapable of movement. This effect is achieved because the pulsating electrodes disrupt communication between the muscles and the brain. Tasers are non-lethal protection tools that will not kill or maim the assailant. They are also safe for the user and for any bystanders.�

��Unlike stun guns that require the victim to be close to the assailant to apply the tool directly to the body, tasers can be employed from several feet away. The actual distance depends on the model, but a common expanse is twenty-five feet. The gun taser shoots small electrodes at the assailant, thereby connecting them and the gun through metal wires. In the past the taser could only have the desired effect if the electrodes embedded in the skin. Modern taser guns now require only contact and can deliver the charge through protective clothing.

�Tasers are an excellent option for self protection because they are safe, effective, and easy to use. Any citizen, regardless of strength or ability can operate the tool and defend themselves. Since the taser does not require close contact, a citizen can stop a potential attack before the assailant even approaches them. After the electrodes are in contact with the assailant, every pull of the trigger delivers a 50,000 volt charge for five seconds. The effect of one trigger pull is generally enough to keep a full grown male confined to the ground while you run to safety.

�Whether you are in the market for a taser, or are simply gathering information for a future purpose it is important that you seek out reputable merchants. A great place to look is at http://bljsselfdefense.com/index.php?target=categories&category_id=2� This company offers a wide variety of items, including tasers, and provides consumers with education on self defense. In addition to the online resources, BLJ’s Enterprises supplies its customers with personal attention to help ensure that they receive the self defense tool that is right for them.

�RESOURCE BOX:

Create Your Own Personal Christmas Traditions

The Christmas holidays are steeped in familiar, old traditions. Decorating our homes, trimming the tree, exchanging gifts, hanging mistletoe and many other traditions are staples of the season. And while these old traditions can create warm memories, you may be missing out on something special. This Christmas season, take some time to consider creating your own special family tradition. Perhaps a glimpse into my own family’s unique tradition will inspire you to discover one as well.

My Family’s Personal Christmas Tradition

Many years ago, my mother became addicted to garage-saleing. She would wake up bright and early every Friday and Saturday morning (year-round), retrieve the newspaper from the driveway, and circle all of the garage sales near her neighborhood that were listed in the classified section. Then, with a group of 2-3 lifelong friends, she would begin her quest for that perfect ‘gift’ that someone else was discarding. She rarely paid more than 50 cents for an item. The gifts were usually slighlty worn, even a little broken. (In fact, many times a perfect item would end up broken by the time she got it home. She was a little clumsy). But by the end of each shopping trip, she would arrive home with 10-20 items, that she would proudly display to my father. He, of course, would usually groan, because he always knew that she would be asking him to mend the broken pieces, or re-paint an old item. Needless to say, by the end of a year, my mother had managed to accumulate hundreds of ‘special gifts’, but had spent very little money doing so.

A few days before Christmas, it would then be my job to help her wrap all of these gifts. She generally bought as many Christmas bags as she could find (at garage sales of course), so the task was made somewhat simpler. All I had to do was throw the gift into the bag, and mark it with a recipient’s name. How did I know who was to receive which gift? Well, Mom kept a running list throughout the year which identified which item was reserved for which member of the family. Of course, she often mis-labeled things, so the male members of our family occasionally received nice lingerie, while the female members would receive a new hunting cap!

But really, this was the point of the whole tradition. Our family has a wonderful sense of humor. Opening up 100′s of crazy, ridiculous gifts each year was so much more fun than opening up one or two ‘real’ gifts. The standard question when one of us would open a gift would be, “Ummm…what is this???”. There were many times when we never could figure out what the gift was supposed to be.

A favorite thing to do was to trade gifts. If I received an ugly, strange gift, I would barter with someone else for one of their strange gifts. The entire process of opening semi-broken, often useless, but almost always funny gifts, and then trading them back and forth, is a tradition that made our family close as we shared our laughter with one another. (And believe it or not, occasionally the gifts were actually useful and just what we needed!)

Mom has passed on now, but the memories of those wonderful garage sale Christmas’s will always be our most treasured memories.

Create a unique Christmas tradition in your family, and the memories will last a lifetime.

�

Having trouble finding a personal injury lawyer in Houston, Texas?� There is help for you if you have suffered personal injury.� Contact a firm of Houston personal injury lawyers to help you build a case against someone who has caused you personal injury.� There is no need for you to suffer the consequences of having high medical bills, losing wages due to the personal injuries suffered from someone else’s negligent actions.� Whether this injury was the fault of a negligent company or a person you should be able to seek compensation.� Also you should be advised as to whether or not you are eligible for special damages or punitive damages as well.�

Special damages refer to your medical bills, loss of wages, and all types of damages which are related to your injuries and recovery.� Punitive damages are those which are awarded to the victim to serve as a reminder to the responsible party so that he will think the next time before he acts in an irresponsible manner.�

This case will be very complicated and you will need the help of Houston personal injury lawyers.� The lawyer’s office of Hartley Hampton, P.C. will set you up a consultation meeting without any costa at all.� They do handle personal injury cases.

Hartley Hampton is board certified as a personal injury lawyer in Houston, Texas.� He was chosen by his peers to be included into the Best Lawyers in America.� This law firm fairly determines who is to be held responsible for the personal injury and will file suit against them.� They work along with experts to see who caused the negligent actions to occur which resulted in the personal injury.� They will work with you and explain to you how the law will benefit you.� They will inform you of what legal avenues are available for you to pursue.� You can then decide whether or not you want to hire them to continue onto a court case or end it there.

Hartley Hampton, head of the law firm, has a very impressive background.� He is president of the Texas Lawyers Association.� He boasts a large amount of accomplishments.

You can read his biography to find out more which is located on the internet.� He is certainly qualified to handle your personal injury case.� The law firm services are available through out the South Texas area such as Huntsville, Galveston, Alvin, La Porte, Beaumont, and Bellaire, and there are more places also.� Check to see if they serve your area.

You can contact the law firm of Hatley Hampton, P.C. at Five Huston Center – 1401 Mckinney, Suite 1800 – Houston , Texas 77010 or at (713) – 574-8660 – (866) – 635-0811-E-MAIL US.

In order for your case to be determined as far as a settlement is concerned, you will have to have a medical examination first to determine the extent of your injuries.� Your doctor’s evaluation plays a large role in this determination.�

There are other considerations to be made in evaluating the value of your case.� There are other reasons which make it highly detrimental to hire a Houston personal injury lawyer to inform you every step of the way through your case.