Alternatives To Gift Baskets

When searching for the perfect gift for one of your family members or even one of your friends there is usually a whole lot of pressure to buy the right thing simply because you don't want to disappoint anyone. There are times when you just don't know what to buy, and everyone has those experiences as well. Some people choose to take their time when buying gifts while others like to get it done as quickly as possible. One route that many people take when they find that buying gifts is too difficult is to purchase gift baskets for their friends and families. Gift baskets can be good gifts for multiple reasons; one of them being that the recipient will receive a whole plethora of smaller gifts instead of one. 

However, some people may consider gift baskets to be some of the most impersonal gifts they could ever get (even less so than cash!) just because it shows that the person who's buying it doesn't really know him or her at all. Of course, this doesn't go for gift baskets that have a theme running through them, like sports memorabilia and the like. But simply because gift baskets can be seen as impersonal means that if you aren't sure what to get for your close friends or family then maybe it's time to finally ask them what they've always wanted. Until you know that piece of information, though, here are some ideas to check out that can be used as alternatives to gift baskets:

Board Games

Unless you know the person really well and know that he or she doesn't like the thought of board games, buying a board game usually always is something that plenty of people enjoy. Whether it's buying a relatively older game with a new twist, such as a new version of Monopoly, or buying one of the latest games on the market that is also fun, such as Mad Gab, there are plenty of choices in retail stores that you'll have to make. Nevertheless, though, hopefully you can see how board games can be used as alternative gifts to gift baskets!

Gift Cards

Even though gift cards are essentially a trade of cash, buying gift cards for your friends and family can be a unique thing to do. Of course this requires knowing exactly where the recipient likes to shop, but these are the perfect alternative to a gift basket. Instead of putting your money into one large basket that may contain a bunch of things that your friends and family dislike, placing all of the money that you'd be spending on the individual on a store gift card is a great idea! Of course, you may just want to include a little bit more money on the gift card than you would have actually spent, but buying a gift cards is a great present for someone whom you don't know what to buy.

Of course, there are plenty of other perfect gifts that are great ideas and alternatives to gift baskets. Oftentimes gift baskets come in big, bulky packages anyway so buying something that is less cumbersome is a good idea!

Senoir Discounts

Tis the season for the giving of gifts, and I like many of you am on a budget, so I take advantage of any discounts I can get, and I use or try to use senior discounts. I remember a few decades back, and I was going in to get my driver's licence renewed and I was asked by the clerk what my hair color was and I said brown with a touch of grey. She laughed and put down grey. I was 36 at the time. 

I soon realised that with my grey hair, I was being offered senior discounts for various activities I went on, shopping, movies, etc. I was amused, and then a bit upset and then I gradually came to realise that I should and could take advantage of these while they last.

If I am not offered a senior discount, I now ask if the store has one and usually, they do. However, the time of the senior discount is fast coming to an end. There are just too many of us Boomers, Sonic or otherwise out there. 

A few years ago, there were not as many seniors and giving a discount was seen as a way of giving back to the few who survived to an older age. But with the Boomers reaching the senior discount age, stores and other facilities, that offer discounts are rethinking their position and many authors such as Ann Brenoff, writing at Huffington Post earlier this year, stated

”Seniors aren’t the poorest among us anymore. The national poverty rate, according to the 2014 Census, is 14.8 percent. For seniors 65 and older, it’s just 8.7 percent, while for children under 18 it was 21.1 percent. Maybe it’s children we should be offering discounts to?

As more of us age, you will start to see the off season for holiday resorts become shorter, Boomers who have retired can travel when we want and are no longer restricted to peak season. One of the joys of being a Boomer who is at the head of the curve is that I and my friends can and do take advantage of discounts offered and off seasons where prices are cheaper and there are fewer fellow tourists around. But my fear is that these perks of retirement will no longer be around for the younger boomers and the younger generations.

Raising grandchildren some resources and tips

Information for grandparents bringing up grandchildren, sometimes money is not what the adult children need, sometimes it is more of your time.

'When the children arrive': A resource book for kinship carers. Mirabel Foundation 
www.mirabelfoundation.com/pubs.html  A comprehensive guide covering all the issues, but particularly legal (Australian law not USA or Canadian law) and financial issues and offering contact information as well as information on the range of issues.

Grandfamilies: A resource guide for Western Australian grandparents raising grandchildren 
https://www.dlgc.wa.gov.au/Publications/Documents/GrandfamiliesGuide.pdf
An example of an excellent state resource and guide book.

Grandparents raising grandchildren: A compilation by About Seniors at Your Life Choices 
www.yourlifechoices.com.au/Grandparenting.html 
A concise guide to finding help with all the relevant issues, with contact information for support organisations and sources of legal and financial advice.

Grandparents caring for grandchildren: Grandparent advisers 
www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/grandparent-advisers  Centrelink advises grandparents on the various financial supports that grandparents in different circumstances are entitled to. This is the major source of financial information and support for grandparents. The Centrelink website provides information on what is available, but a face-to-face interview is necessary to assess eligibility. There is also a list of the grandparent organisations in each state, with contact details.

Grandparents who spend regular time with their grandchildren

Below are some tips for service providers to assist grandparent who spend regular time with their grandchildren:

Make a list of community resources where grandparents and grandchildren can go in your local area and make it available to grandparents with whom you come in contact. 

Encourage your local council to print a brochure of resources and contact points for grandparents, as these differ from area to area.

The best source of company and support for grandparents who are providing regular care for preschoolers is playgroups, where grandparents and their grandchild can attend and meet grandparents and parents while the children play together. 

There are some 'grandparent only' playgroups, or grandparents support services can start one with the help of their state playgroup association. 

www.playgroupaustralia.com.au  Set up a grandparent support group for grandparents to get together. Depending on the need grandparents can meet regularly, occasionally, connect with each other by telephone and make their own decisions about what they want to do.

Children's story time at the local library - ring your local library for times.

Occasional care in community centres, neighbourhood houses, leisure centres, and some churches.

List and map the location of the local children's playgrounds as grandparents may be caring for grandchildren in the grandchild's home and not know where the best playgrounds are located. Note also where there are playgrounds which cater for children with disabilities.

Grandparenting education: Grandparents often want to know more about the way in which their grandchildren are being brought up and about discipline and child development as they feel that they are out of date. 

List sources of parenting information in your state or local area and find out if they run any grandparent groups. Groups for parents are not suitable for grandparents as their interests may conflict and grandparents can sound critical. 

Grandparents are usually particularly interested in issues of discipline (behaviour management) and child development. South Australia has a number of Parent Easy Guides on line which grandparents may find useful including No.12 Grandparenting (www.parenting.sa.gov.au/pegs).

More Food Bank information

The information below is for my hometown, but I suspect that every area has events that will be held to support the Food Bank. Do a google search and check out the events in your area, you will have some fun and help your neighbours.

Check out the fun community events in December that are also a great way to donate to the SHARE Food Bank.  

We are excited to let you know about all the fun events happening that are giving back to SHARE this Holiday Season through collecting donations of food for the SHARE FOOD BANK.

Some of the usual events are back this year with a bunch of new ones being added to the list weekly!

Drop by our food drive, pop into Moody Ales for a fun Christmas concert and don't miss the CP Holiday Train! 

December 1st - December 30th | Port Coquitlam Christmas House 1642 Greenmount Avenue, Port Coquitlam

December 2nd - December 24th | Coquitlam Centre Gift Wrap and HolidayTree 
Get your presents wrapped for a donation to SHARE!

December 4th  | SHARE Joy Holiday Food Drive 
Save on Foods Austin Stn., Coquitlam | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM 

December 4th | Klahanie Christmas Fair | Canoe Club, Klahanie Drive, Port Moody | 11am-2pm 

December 11th | Jingle Your Bells at Moody Ales, A Festive Concert! 
2601 Murray Street, Port Moody | 7pm-9pm 

December 16th  | Teddy Bear Toss | Poirier Rec Centre, Port Moody 
Puck drops at 7:00 PM 

December 17th | CP Holiday Train
Port Moody at 4:20 PM and Port Coquitlam at 5:45 PM

December 17th |  Wrestling For Hunger
Elks Lodge Port Coquitlam | Doors open at 7:00 PM 
  
Make sure to keep in touch through our Facebook page   for updates on the events and photos post events!  Our mailing address is:

SHARE Family & Community Services 
#200-25 King Edward St.
Coquitlam, Bc V3K 4S8 
Canada