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More Creative Gift Ideas
Tweet Share on Facebook December 10, 2008 Comment (1)If you're inspired by Kate Hudson's gift-giving plans, then check out the "You Can Make This" blog, which has challenged people to send in ideas that cost less than $50. So far, suggestions include flower headbands, jewelry holders, and tricked-out mirrors.
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Faith Popcorn: 2009 Looks Gloomy
Tweet Share on Facebook December 10, 2008 Comment (19)Futurist Faith Popcorn has peered into her crystal ball and found that 2009 looks dismal. In a press release, she says it will be a year "marked by unprecedented fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. A year in which we'll see a range of consumer reactions to a nation that has seen itself moving in the wrong direction." She goes on to declare, "It's the end of the world as we know it."
Yikes. It sounds like we might as well cancel any planned joy and hunker down until 2010. But will it really be so bad?
Call me naive, but I refuse to believe such dark clouds loom. Here's why: -
A Reason to Check Your Credit Card Mail
Tweet Share on Facebook December 10, 2008 Comment (2)Rita Cheng, a financial advisor, recently received a letter from her credit card company informing her that, as soon as she renewed her credit card, her interest rate would jump from 8.99 percent to 14.99 percent. Cheng, who's been a customer since 1990, says she's never paid late and has an outstanding credit score.
When she called to opt out, the rep told her there was nothing she could do to get out of the interest rate jump. "I was thinking, 'This is crazy. Where is the justice in the system?'" Cheng says. -
How to Tip During Tough Times
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 Comment (1)Dear Alpha Consumer,
I usually tip the doormen in my building around the holidays, but this year I'm considering not tipping them, or at least tipping them less, because I am stretched for cash. Is it appropriate to scale back tips, given the economic climate?
I would argue just the opposite -- given the economic climate, it makes sense to be as generous as possible this year. If you have a job, a home, and the means to support yourself in a comfortable fashion, then you are probably fortunate enough to tip at least as well as you normally do.
After all, tipping for services, such as those provided by your doormen or newspaper delivery person, is not the same as giving a gift, which is optional. Instead, it's more similar to making a payment for services rendered. Your building's doormen worked for you all year long, and now is your chance to thank them, with money.
If you're wondering just how much to tip, these guidelines might help.
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Cat in the Hat - 10 Best Value Toys
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 CommentCat in the Hat--I Can Do That! (I Can Do That! Games), $19.99, ages 4 to 8. This multiproduct game lets kids bring Dr. Seuss to life. Kids learn to balance boats on their stomachs, jump while holding fish under their chins, and follow the other whimsical directions of the 33 activity cards.
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Scholastic - 10 Best Value Toys
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 CommentScholastic Treasury (New Video), $99.95, ages 3 to 8. Even with its relatively steep price tag, this collection of DVDs gives buyers their money’s worth with over 900 minutes of viewing time. It includes versions of 100 children’s books, including There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and Where the Wild Things Are, and features celebrities from Cyndi Lauper to John Lithgow. Parents who want their kids to be active participants in the tale can make use of the “read along” feature.
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Games To Go - 10 Best Value Toys
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 CommentGames to Go (ALEX), $29.99, ages 5 and up. This enormous board game lets kids play outsized versions of checkers, backgammon, Snakes and Ladders, tic-tac-toe, Mancala, and other well-known games. It’s waterproof, so perfect for the beach or pool, and it comes with a zippered mesh bag to hold all the pieces, including a large die.
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Bucket Blast - 10 Best Value Toys
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 CommentBucket Blast (Lolo Co.), $29.95, ages 6 and up. This game gives kids all the fun of a water balloon fight with a bit more structure. Buckets, beanbags, cones, blindfolds, and straps let kids work together while figuring out how to get the right bag in the right bucket--in some cases, while the bucket is attached to the back of another player. There are 15 different games to play, five of which involve water.
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SmartMoves - 10 Best Value Toys
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 CommentSmartMoves (Fablevision), $29.95, ages 8 and up. These puzzles--on a DVD--challenge kids to create patterns with body movements. Dubbed “calisthenics for the brain” by the company that sells it, Parents’ Choice says it’s the perfect antidote to a world filled with media that is “too loud, too fast, and too much.”
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Chocolate Fix - 10 Best Value Toys
Tweet Share on Facebook December 9, 2008 CommentChocolate Fix (ThinkFun), $16.99, ages 8 and up. In this game, chocolate isn’t just chocolate. It’s a way to practice abstract thought, reasoning, and other intellectual skills. Players follow clues from a puzzle book that challenge their logical deduction skills while they manipulate the pieces of chocolate to satisfy the puzzle--just don’t eat them. Says Parents’ Choice: “Beginner games provide a quick road to a satisfying solution, but advanced games require that special flash of insight that comes from mulling the clues over and over until a clear line of thought breaks through. Too many kids go through life without being asked to think clearly.”
