To Give or Not to Give

Written by Guest Blogger Barb Beacham

Today I welcome first time guest blogger, Barb Beacham. Barb lives in the Sierra Foothills and works as an accountant for an El Dorado winery. She writes when she is not working, tooling around her garden, or whipping up something wonderful in the kitchen!




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Do you find yourself inundated with catalogs wanting to sell you stuff they think is a "must have" for Christmas? Even though I have yet to order anything, year after year, I find my mailbox stuffed with a multitude of catalogs which represent a complete waste of paper, postage, and printing costs. Here are some of the pickings that really resonated with me. Be prepared. These may end up in YOUR Christmas stocking.




The winners of this year's list of what I don't want, and what I don't want to give are:

The sign with a little girl's photo, in black and white with a red rose that reads "my face hurts, from pretending to like you." Enough said. Price…$69 plus tax and shipping.

For women only: How about a case to carry tampons in? With a photo of a good looking guy on it that reads, "If there is a God, please let this guy be my ob/gyn." At $23, this could be the deal of the decade. For the manufacturer.

How about a sign that reads, "Well, today was a total waste of makeup!" I know my girlfriends are dying for me to give this to them. I can buy this item for the low cost of $13 plus $6 in shipping. Note that this does not include sales tax and the cost of losing a good friend.

What do you think when someone gives you bath soap or scented oils for the holidays? Do you think I smell bad? For a measly $28 plus tax and shipping, you can give someone a 3 bar pack of lavender soap that will soothe and soften the wrinkles of the skin. For a mere $30 the soap can be personalized. Which means it will last a lifetime, because who wants to watch their name go down the drain?

The Christmas Pickle. This was a tradition in Germany where parents would hide a pickle in the Christmas tree. You too can follow this lovely custom at a mere $9.00. Plus shipping and tax. Hmmm…that must be one heck of a pickle!

The Knife Handler. Who wouldn't want a 15″ figure of a person that you can "stab" out your aggressions when replacing the knives in the body of the figure! This comes with a variety of sharp instruments and is yours for only $99 plus shipping. It does not include attorney's fees and court costs but it might be the perfect gift for the mystery author in your life.

I would love to see what other "cool" items I might have missed. Or you might have received! Leave a comment by midnight, December 19th, and you will be entered in the drawing to win a $10 Amazon gift card.