Hey It’s Jet Here.
Mom participated in only ONE Black Friday experience yesterday. She visited Pet Supermarket @ 8:45 a.m. to take advantage of their special on cat litter. There you have it. She took care of some other errands on her way home and then worked on the computer all day.
Mom read so many emails today (over 400) that she forgot to save the site the following list came from. (And you wondered why she didn’t transcribe my responses to your generous comments over the last few days!)
One of the emails asked humans to take the pledge to celebrate the holiday season a little differently offering the following alternatives: (I’m taking the liberty to express my thoughts along the way.)
GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME by creating your own gift card for a service (e.g., babysitting, carwashing, petsitting, chores, making dinner, organizing an outing). Hey Mom… you could give us gift certificates of time to visit different dog parks!
GIVE A HANDMADE GIFT like a memoir of cherished memories with that person, a book of family recipes, a collage of pictures and mementos, or a calendar filled with the birthdays and anniversaries of friends and family. Hey Mom… you could make us handmade treats!
OFFER TO TEACH A SKILL YOU POSSESS (e.g., knitting, photography, computer skills, financial planning, a foreign language, music lessons, canning tomatoes, cooking a favorite recipe). Hey Mom… you could teach us to swim in the bay!
CONSIDER LESS GIMMICKY, LESS COMMERCIAL GIFTS for children, such as arts/crafts supplies, books, a magnifying glass, or building blocks. Hey Mom… building block toys would work for us, or… we could make ripped paper art together!
- CREATE A PAPERLESS HOLIDAY LETTER on the computer and email it to friends and family. Hey Mom… you could tell us holiday stories about Mugs *OTRB*, Koko *OTRB* and Fluffy *OTRB*!
- HAVE A WHITE ELEPHANT PARTY at the office instead of a traditional gift exchange, where each person brings a wrapped secondhand item in good condition. Hey Mom… we’ll bring you used shoes (more on this Monday) and you can bring us second hand toys!
DRAW NAMES IN YOUR FAMILY FOR GIFT-GIVING (for extra fun and surprise, make it “Secret Santas”), so that you can put more time and thought into one gift instead of having to give to several people. Hey Mom… we could draw names and you can help us with the gifting process, right?
SHOP FOR USED ITEMS for all or most of your holiday gifts (e.g., local thrift store, Craigslist, Freecycle, used products on Amazon or eBay). Hey Mom… I hear garage sales sell stuffies really cheap. Who cares if they only last a few minutes?
- SHARE THE GIFT OF MUSIC by caroling, and include visits to elderly neighbors or a nursing home. Or, gather friends and family for an in-home holiday sing-a-long. Hey Mom… music helps distract us during boom/streaky lights season!
GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY by preparing care packages for the homeless, or volunteering at an organization to help those in need during the holiday season. Hey Mom… we’ll visit humans and make them happy! (here’s the link for that picture… too cute!)
- ADOPT A “LESS IS MORE” ATTITUDE toward holiday decorating. Opt for natural trimmings such as clippings from local evergreens and holly bushes. Hey Mom… I think we have this one down already!!!
SAVE PAPER by wrapping gifts in newspaper comics, junk mail, paper bags decorated with markers, old maps, phone books, or other reused paper. Hey Mom… we’re not picky with how our presents arrive!
PREPARE YOUR HOLIDAY MEALS with as many seasonal, locally grown, and/or organic foods as possible. Hey Mom… you got this one!
- REDUCE JUNK MAIL by removing your name from mailing lists of unwanted holiday catalogs. Hey Mom… you get most of your pet catalogues online now, right?
Another great holiday plan day.
Thanks to Life With Dogs, Confessions of the Plume and Two Little Cavaliers for hosting the Saturday Blog Hop.
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Those are all great things to work on! I have made a little check list in my head now 🙂
Hey Luna, Hey Penny, Jet here. Hi Miss Elizabeth.
That’s what Mom did at first before she thought we could share with our blogpals!!!
We think Miss Elizabeth’s special photography would make amazing gifts from the heart. 🙂
Those all sound like awesome ideas! I love white elephant parties, they are so much fun. I’m also down with the less gimmicky gift idea… I like things that you don’t see everyday.
Hey it’s Jet here. Hi Miss Ann.
Glad you found the ideas creative and helpful… Mom likes things that you don’t see everyday, too. 🙂
Sounds like a great pledge! Those are some great ideas there. I gave my daughter a book that I wrote all our family recipes in last year for Christmas. This year I have made her an afghan and everyone slippers! 🙂
Hey Fred, Hey Gloria, Jet here. Hi Miss Janet.
Mom asked me to share how special the family recipe book idea is. When my Nana had her horrible accident 25 years ago, the family lost 2 special recipes that we thought her aunt (nana’s sister) had copies of. Wowee wow wow, Miss Janet, you knit too? 🙂 Mom’s a bit slow, so she’s a scarf lady!
LIKE! Your momma is right on, Jet.
Hey Scooby, Jet here. Hi Miss Crystal.
Thanks a bunch. Hey, you might enjoy my black friday post from last year… https://heyitsjethere.wordpress.com/?s=black+friday&submit=Search
Wonderful ideas, Jet. And that canine ecard website is fantastic!
Hey it’s Jet here. Hi Miss Ellen.
Thanks so much, glad you liked the ideas. 🙂 If you share your blog with us, we’ll go visit!!!
Your mom is very brave venturing out on Black Friday! My mom would not go to any store! I think you are in FL and I don’t think they have Aldi stores but if you ever have one, their cat litter is as good as Tidy Cat and cheaper. Mom switched over a year ago. Both she and the cats are happy! Good gift suggestions. I bake doggie Christmas cookies for our neighborhood dogs 🙂 Have a great day! Emma
Hey Emma, Jet here. Hi Katie.
Mom follows the litter on sale generally… Nope, never heard of Aldi…
Your baking is pawesome Emma, your neighborhood pals are super lucky to receive such generous gifts. 🙂
All great suggestions. Thanks for sharing them.
Hey it’s Jet here. Hi Miss Nanny.
So glad you liked them. Mom says it helps keep her grounded!
Those are some GREAT tips!! Mom is definitely going to do some of these. We like the Menorah you have up there…we have the same one but with KITTIES on it! 🙂
Hey Dakota, Hey Cody, Jet here. Hi Miss Caren.
We thought so too! We liked the photo… Mom began collecting menorahs a while back and then stopped. She really loves the wobbly one her Aunt Harriet gave her from Israel when she was a teen. 🙂 We would love to see yours!
I love your post so much that I am going to reblog it (I almost never do that). Enjoy your holiday season.
Hey Sophie, Jet here.
Are you sure it’s not my birthday??? You’ve given me a lovely present (reblogging)! Happy big girl birthday. 🙂
Enjoy the season as well. 🙂
Mommy says everyone should get presents on my birthday. Thanks
Hey Sofie, Jet here.
Like that idea… like it very much… sending extra Jetty kisses for your unselfish birthday thoughts. 🙂
Reblogged this on dogdaz and commented:
Jet is one smart puppy. What great holiday ideas.
Hey Sophie, Jet here.
Thanks for the reblog and the compliments. 🙂
Hi Jet…My mom didn’t do any Black Friday shopping either, except fur getting us a discount ticket to Barkworld. Today we are going to our favorite store, The Doggie Bag, that is participating in our local Shop Small Saturday. There’s a pledge here too…”This Christmas I pledge to Shop Small, Shop Local, Eat Local & Enjoy Local, and support the local businesses that support me & my community.” We’ve taken this pledge.
Hey Gizmo, Jet here Hi Miss JG.
Oh, Gizmo, that pledge is right up our alley. We love Small Biz Saturday… one thing though, Mom fell asleep and missed it! 😦
Such great ideas! My personal favorite gift to give is a homemade recipe book. I love to cook and love to share. I hope you enjoy your treats, Jet! They look tasty 🙂
Hey Junie, Jet here. Hi Miss Laura.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the ideas. Oh Miss Laura, you’re barking up the right blog! You may enjoy Mom’s Kitchen Counselor newsletter. She sends it 2x/month and it’s FREE! You can sign up in the white box at http://www.thekitchencounselor.com. We’re her faithful Kitchen K9s. 🙂
That sounds wonderful!!! Thanks!!!!
Hey June, Hey Cooper, Hey Buddy, Jet here. Hi Miss Laura.
Most welcome.
It might be my computer, but that link didn’t work 😦
Hey June, Hey Cooper, Hey Buddy, Jet here. Hi Miss Laura.
Sorry we’re getting to this so late… it was probably Mom, she often has tech issues. 😦 Sorry.
Great ideas Jet! Jen mostly buys stuff for us for Christmas. She gave her mom a gift certificate for a massage. It helped a local business and was something her mom would enjoy!
Hey Rumpy, Jet here. Hi Miss Jen.
Oh, massages are pawesome… Mom massages Little Miss Zen and I almost nightly before bed. She loves massages too, however I haven’t learned that yet at Scooby Doo Academy! Great idea.
Glad you found the list helpful. 🙂
That sure is a lot to do, I had better get busy!
Hey Brian, Jet here.
I have faith in you Dude, you have lots of energy. 🙂
Holy cow, 400 mails?!
Hey Hiro, Hey Suki, Jet here. Hi Miss Dianda.
Oh yes, often she receives 600/day… lots of junky stuff, but many she reads for her Kitchen Counselor newsletter. 🙂
Hey Jet, Your Mom has some great Holiday ideas! I especially liked the one about using maps and comics to wrap gifts with!!
Hey Y-bo, Jet here. Hi Miss Loy.
Mom can’t take credit, she found this list online. She likes those ideas, too. Many years ago, she ordered stationary (when humans used that stuff) made of maps headed for garbage mountain. 🙂
What a great post! Sounds like your mom got some really great deals 🙂
Hey Sherlock, Hey Ash, Hey Traveler, Jet here.
Mom asked me to share a big thank you. 🙂 Yup, she lucked out. 🙂
Hey Jet,
This list is awesome buddy!!
My Mum often does the calendar one for family, using photos from visits we’ve had with each other and that way they get to see some of the photos each month 🙂
Last year they also did the Secret Santa when both Mum and Dad’s family were here for Christmas – you had to re-gift something you already had and it was like a lucky dip, but you could swap gifts around when it was your turn to pick – it was SO much fun, lots of people got things they thought were cool and it didn’t cost anyone anything! 🙂
I hope you’re having a fun day,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Hey Snoopy, Jetty here. Hi Miss Annette.
Wowee wow wow!! What great ideas… we especially like the Secret Santa round-about. 🙂
Good speaking with your Mum last night… she and I had lots to catch up on! BOL!
Mom is brave going to those stores. She is lucky she didn’t get trampled
Benny & Lily
Hey Benny, Hey Lily, Jet here.
Since she hit our store so early, there was only 1 other person there! 🙂 Everyone else was getting thingies for humans!!!
well, Mom and Dad have a head start on so much of this list…about 20 years ago…they looked at each other over their individual PILES of gifts to each other….and said “WHAT??”…and ever since then…Dad and Mom don’t ever buy gifts for each other for anything…nor do they give gifts, nor accept them, for holidays. Instead, they celebrate especially at our December holiday time, by donating the amount of money their income would allow them to spend on gifts that year…they donate usually to animal rescue, and wildlife protection, and also to battered women and abused children 501 3c organizations. Mostly, they chose small ones, sometime big ones like Calif Marine Mammal Center and Heifer Foundation. Otherwise, they chose small, localized organizations where their dollars really make a difference. Then, they only ask that the recipient organization send holiday cards to a list of about 20 family, friends to tell them that a donation has been given in their name and the organization can send along information about what they do.
Mom and Dad asked all family members to spend on themselves OR please donate. Don’t know what they do, but Dad and Mom have way less “gifts” sent to them that they have to dust off!!
Hey Savvy, Big Guy Here. Hi Miss Linda.
We knew you would think like that! Mom always took one of Rachel’s Hannukah nights and donated a garden to SEVA’s Native American project to combat diabetes and another Hannukah night she took the money she would spend on Rach and spend it on a girl the same age in our local area. She donated to my human Grandpa’s favorite charity and she and Mr. Fred barely bought gifts for each other, unless they needed something. Like the idea of smaller charities who really need the $$
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What wonderful ideas.
Hey Fenris, Hey Socks, Hey Scylla, Jet here. Hi Miss Alasandra.
Glad you think so, too. 🙂
Very good blog post. I absolutely appreciate this site.
Continue the good work!