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 myself, try to get it done as quickly as possible. I have, when buying for a person who has everything, bought a gift basket. Gift baskets can be good gifts for multiple reasons, the best one, I think, is that your loved one gets a whole bunch 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. Gift baskets can be seen as impersonal but they can be made personal. For example, if you know a person likes sports, for example, you could by a sports memorabilia gift basket or other theme based basket.  But if you don't want to buy a gift basket, 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 you are buying an older game such as Monopoly or buying one of the latest games on the market there are plenty of options in local stores or online. If you don't want to buy a gift basket then you board games can be used as one alternative to gift baskets!

Gift Cards

Another alternative is a cash card. Buying a cash or gift cards for your friends and family can be a unique thing to do if you know where the recipient likes to shop. These are a 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 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. 

Finally, gift baskets can be big, and bulky so buying something that is less cumbersome is a good idea!

If You’re Feeling Stressed, Volunteer

At times, it can seem as if you’re on a constant treadmill at work.  There are deadlines to meet, people to consult, relationships to cultivate.  You may feel as if you’re under consistent stress, but you don’t know how to manage it effectively.  You could always quit your job, but your next position might be just as stressful.

Stress can take a tremendous toll on both body and spirit.  It can leave you feeling fatigued, making it hard for you to concentrate.  You may be more susceptible to illness as a result of your stress, resulting in increased absenteeism from work.  You may be more prone to getting into accidents, and you may feel as if you’re on edge much of the time.

There are a number of strategies you can employ to deal with stress.  But perhaps one of the most rewarding is to engage in volunteer work.  There is something so comforting about donating your time to helping someone else.  The mere act can elevate your spirits, helping you to better cope with the stressors in your life.  You are giving a tremendous gift—the gift of your time and talent.  And you find your reward in the smiles on the faces of the people (or animals) you’ve assisted.

If you’re considering volunteering, you don’t want the search for volunteer opportunities to be stressful.  Therefore, you’ll want to make the process as simple as possible.  A good resource can be your local newspaper.  Often, the Sunday paper lists organizations that are looking for volunteers.  The newspaper usually provides complete contact information so you won’t have to hunt around for a phone number.

Deciding on which organization to volunteer for can be a challenge.  There are so many causes worthy of our attention.  For instance, there are groups that assist people in times of disaster groups that lobby for research to find cures for debilitating diseases…homeless shelters…soup kitchens…and pet shelters.  You might also consider volunteering at a school, where teaching assistants and mentors are always appreciated.

In order to decide where to put your talents to use, you might ask yourself some questions.  For instance, how much time can you realistically devote to volunteer work?  Are you limited to doing your volunteering in the evenings or on weekends?  How much of your own money can you spend in connection with your volunteer work?  What causes are the most important to you?  The answers to these questions could help you to choose the volunteer opportunity that’s right for you.

Next, you’ll want to tour the volunteer facility.  You want to get a sense of whether you will enjoy the work.  If you find that the other volunteers are difficult to work with, it could simply produce more stress in your life.  Usually, an initial tour will help to give you a good idea of what it would be like to actually volunteer at the facility.  Also, be sure to find out if the organization offers training to its volunteers.  This could be quite important, especially if you have only a nodding acquaintance with the work of the organization.

Volunteering does require commitment, and you might be wondering if that commitment will add additional stress to your life.  Actually, the opposite will probably be true.  If you find yourself being energized by your volunteer work, you’ll be able to put your problems in better perspective.  Knowing the difficulties that other people face can make your troubles seem quite negligible in comparison.  However, you will want to make sure that you don’t overcommit.  Devote only a limited amount of time to your volunteer work, and resist the urge to do more.  Otherwise, you could find yourself exhausted by the end of the week and unable to perform well on your job. 

Volunteering can be one of the great joys of life.  It is a privilege to serve other people, to make a difference in another person’s life.  Through your volunteer work, you’ll be able to meet people you might otherwise not have the opportunity to encounter.  You can forge friendships which can last a lifetime.  You’ll be contributing greatly to your neighborhood and your society, and your little corner of the world should be brighter because of it.           

Eat a variety of veggies for a healthier you

The new food guidelines recommend that we eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day.  When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.  For one thing, the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables.  In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient-rich, foods in the supermarket.  With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you consider how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day.  When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available.  Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every colour of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to choose a variety of different colours.  This is for more than purely artistic reasons.  Different colour fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colours will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

New recipes can also provide you with the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before.  For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes?  How about spinach or kale?  Trying new things is a great way to find new favourites while getting the best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement.  Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.  That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills.  While these micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.  These elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills.  Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive, especially when purchased in season and grown locally.  In the long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping those vitamin pills every day.

So, don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.   It may seem like a lot, but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

The Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is an art that has been around since the dawn of the age of man. Here are some benefits that meditation brings to many and my hope is that you might be inspired to learn more about this practice. 

Those who meditate is at peace. If you compare the mind to the flow of a river, the mind of one who meditates is like the easy, leisurely flow of the Ganges. A person who does not meditate may have a mind which is in turmoil, like Niagara Falls. If your mind is at peace, so you are at peace.

Meditation opens up the channels of communication between all levels of your being.  When you are in touch with all aspects of your mind, then you will be in a position to hear what you need to hear.

This link gives rise to the flow of intuition and wisdom. Meditation can strip away the layers of false identity that mask your true self from shining through. Once you eliminate the false egos and stop catering to their demands on you can joy and happiness as you become at ease with life, existence and yourself. All serious meditators know how much their brain function has been enhanced by meditation.

Empirical studies on meditation are supporting this idea. Meditation may increase your awareness and may increase your intelligence.

Take your time and practice meditation today so that you can start feeling better real soon. This is going to be a life-changing experience for you if you can make the most out of it and really start being a much more positive person. Good luck and enjoy your meditation practices each day.

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