What is a good gift?

Chan is having a contest, and I decided to put up a post with my thoughts. (Not that winning the contest itself is important to me, I just like the idea of making life easier for someone else.) I am going to skip the shelter part, not that I won't give a bed to a shelter soon ('cause I have one in the garage that Oribel never uses, so was planning on taking over to the rescue place we got her from), but because the deadline is tonight! So I am just going to go with the “meaningful little gift” part.

Let’s define simple, little gift. It should be less than $30 (WAY less is even better!), and it should be something your average Knight or Page could find in town or without too much trouble online. No knitting/yarn related ideas please, because most dudes just won’t bother, and we’re good at picking knitting goodies out for each other.

One of my absolute favorite things to drink (after my two cups of coffee for the day) is Republic of Tea's Earl Greyer, both caffeinated and decaf (black only, no green greyer). I go through a tin of fifty tea bags of the regular in about three weeks, and the same amount of decaf in about four or five weeks. So when I have my act together (not often) I order the refill option ahead so that I have them and don't end up with a bunch of tea canisters. When I don't have my act together, I go to World Market and pick up a tin, or settle for a different brand at the grocery (but RoT Greyer is my favorite). Not that I am opposed to going to World Market, it is a great store and all, but I just end up with more tins to figure out what to do with. (I don't think the animal shelter needs empty tea tins.) So, tea bags would be a good present..... Speaking of World Market, all of us manage to find stocking stuffers for each other there. Awesome store, I feel sorry for my mom because she doesn't have one in her town (and anyone else who is missing out). Music is always good, of course that sort of means knowing what I like. For the most part, I think my family knows what I like, but then there would be the problem of remembering what I have.... Well, if they live in my house, they can look, or pick out something totally new. They are good about that too! I could say the same goes for books, but they do know all about libraries (I am not sure there is any way to come even close to adding up the number of hours/days/weeks/months my children have spent in libraries. Just suffice it to say we have more than gotten our tax dollars worth every year.) Otherwise, having given it some thought, I have been able to come up with just a couple of other things. A meal or several that I don't have to cook; clean dishes (or several) that I don't have to wash; hanging out together, playing Liverpool/Royal Rummy; listening and laughing to the radio together; enjoying a movie together; in general, time enjoying each other's company.

Most of all though, I think that it is really great to get a card from someone, saying that a donation has been made in my name, either to the giver's local food pantry or to mine; or a donation of time to the same. Seriously, we are blessed with not only what we need, but what we want. We are able to not have to worry about shelter for ourselves, or our pets, not everyone is so lucky. I am really happy when others are cared for in my “honor.” We really don't need anything else.