Don't judge too quickly

This is a reminder that we should not judge anyone without having a knowledge of all of the facts. I laughed out loud when I first watched these. However, they do have a very serious message, and it is not about getting your mortgage.

There is a Canadian show called "Just for Laughs" which is on TV and on YouTube and it relies on the fact that we when we don't have all of the information to pull off a large number of practical jokes on people. When we don't have all of the information we imagine or see things not as they are but as we think they are, which leads to some funny situations. Of course, it is only funny because we in the audience are in on the joke, the person who is being judged or to whom it is happening does not see the humour.

We all love a sense of humour and a good practical joke, but only when we are in on it, not the subject of the joke. At the time, if a practical joke is played on us, we may be upset, but as time goes on we begin to see the humour in what has happened. 

When I was working a small group of us played many practical jokes on other teachers, and some of them reacted well, but others became angry because they felt we had made fun of them. This was not true, but we soon learned who had a sense of humour and who did not. Have you ever played a practical joke on someone, if so how did they react?

What we have in common

Have you ever wondered what we have in common with others? I think that if we knew how much we have in common with every single person now living in time and space,  in terms of our deepest hopes and dreams, fears and worries, you'd wonder why some of us fear other people.

For ourselves, many of us dreams and the hope of being safe, within our own home. Now your definition of what a safe and welcoming home may be different than mine, but we both hope for this. 

We hope we can stay or become fit, and vibrantly alive. We also may want to be beautiful, rich, and healthy. 

We all have a deep need to have friends and a supportive and caring family where we feel loved and cherished. 

We also hope that our friends, colleagues and family hold us in some respect. I believe all of us when we see the joy and smile on a toddlers face, are filled with joy ourselves.

What are your deepest hopes and dreams for yourself, for your children? As parents and grandparents, we have the desire to protect our offspring and to create opportunities for them to be successful.  At the very core, of what we hope is that they have a safe, secure and successful, life.

What other dreams and hopes do you have for yourself or your family?

I suggest that as we begin to understand that my dreams and your dreams at their core are not that different, we should think of every single person as a friend or a person who is about to be a friend, just as I do.

Guidelines for successful personalized gift giving

First and foremost, always be sure to choose a suitable base product. It doesn't matter how good your personalization is if the underlying product is something the person doesn't need or want it will not do the job!

Secondly, once you have identified a suitable product, be sure to personalize it with the appropriate designs, designs that are meaningful to the intended recipient.

Get these two things right and your family and friends will soon give you the reputation of being a great gift giver!

Some of the more popular customizable gifts ideas that you may want to consider include:

For the home and office

Bar mats, blankets, bookmarks, calendars, clocks, coasters, door mats, letter openers, memo pads, mouse pads, mugs, ornaments, photo cubes, pillowcases, placemats, porcelain plates, rubber stamps, shower curtains and towels.

Personal accessories

Belt buckles, camera cases, cosmetics bags, flip flops, lighters, hip flasks, key rings, luggage tags, money clips, photo bags, umbrellas, wallets, watches and jewelry.

Other popular customizable gifts include badges, canvas prints, clothing, tablet computer cases, golf accessories, magnets, mobile phone cases, photo books, playing cards, posters and stickers.

While I have mentioned quite a few customizable gifts ideas here, remember, there are thousands of others out there, so you should always be able to find exactly what you are looking for.

To conclude

When you identify the exact gift you are looking for, all you have to do is make your own design using your own photos, logos, designs and text, place your design on your product of choice, and low and behold, you will have the perfect gift for just about anyone, regardless of age, gender or the occasion.

Out of the mouths of babes.

Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers in my family and extended family in Australia. Gifts don't need to be big and expensive, sometimes the simplest and most inexpensive gift can have great meaning, both to the giver and the receiver.

Father's Day in Australia is at a different time of year than here in North America. My daughter and my grandson sent me a great gift for last Father's day. Here is what happened. my grandson picked out an Mt. Buller Bunny Keychain that is the same as the one he has, except it is a different color. My daughter said to him, " What will Grandpa do with that?" He replied, "Cuddle it and think of me." 
So even if it is the least practical Father Day gift, it stems from his love for me and his understanding of why the gift was important and how it could be used. I have used it every day to cuddle it and think of my grandson.