Does "no gifts" really mean .... "no gifts"?

The other day I was wrapping some gifts and my husband stops by me and says "... we're not giving gifts, are we?......right?..."

I replied "uh... oh...no of course not."

But I know I'll be really disapointed if there's nothing under the tree for me on Christmas morning. Why did I agree to this???!! My husband is really good at keeping agreements like this :)

On the other hand I'll always get him stuff no matter what. Afterall Christmas is the time for giving.

So - Honey, if you are reading this I'm just going to give you some ideas here. Because "no gifts", really means I'd love a surprise. Here are some ideas for a winning surprise..ok?

Casual top

Bag

Hand cream

Mixmaster

Tickets to Wicked

Sun hat

Casual necklace

Kitten heels

Notice how I have linked all of them to on-line stores. That way you know where to find them :) 143 x

Blog issues

I am having blog issues. Namely:

-my header - I uploaded a cute picture of a giraffe, but it seems to be getting cropped such that only its bum is showing. I really hope that I have not caused offence to anyone! Why has my header suddenly shrunk?

-uploading photos - I type and then upload - it totally messes up the spacing. I then spend ages trying to fix it all up, and then I accidently delete pictures, so the cycle begins again. Is there any way to upoad without the spacing issues?

-fonts - why is there such a limited range of fonts?

-bullet points - I can't seem to effectively use them without the whole post becoming a bullet point.

-Shrinking paragraph syndrome - if I past a quote from another source, and then use the blockquote feature it makes the writing minute (as in 0.5pt) then I can't bring it back. Why?

While I'm here I'll air a few blogger grievances -

1. The compose window is too small - If you upload a picture as large, I have to scroll up and down to see it.

2. Copy, paste doesnt always work - it depends on your source.

3. You can't indent sections of text.

4. You cannot copy posts from one blog to another.

Does anyone have any tips??

I guess you get what you pay for :)

You go Ann Romney!

We have been watching this race unfold from afar. While I don't fully understand the US political system (my education consists of 7 seasons of The West Wing), I can't believe how long the campaigning lasts for. We just elected a new Prime Minister in AU - there was 8 intense weeks of campaigning, the election and then back to work. The energy of these US hopefuls is amazing.

I just saw this positive article in the New York times about Ann Romney, wife of candidate Mitt Romney. She comes across as one classy dane.

The perfect hostess gift

We have been entertaining ALOT over the past month. House guests, dinner guests, Christmas parties... its all been very fun. On Saturday night we had a formal Christmas dinner with 12 friends. I loved it - I volunteered to do it, but I was soooooo unbelievably exhausted by 11pm. The guests had just left, and we were cleaning up. I rested for a moment and fell asleep on the sofa. My husband coaxed me to walk to bed so my neck wouldn't get stiff. I awoke the next morning to this- clean, polished dishes all lined up on the table. I love that he took the care to wash our good china and silverware by hand as I do.

We are heading home on Saturday for Christmas with family. Its much warmer where we are going - I'm looking forward to their white sandy beaches, long conversations with family members, tennis and bike riding. I love that for the next two weeks we will be entertained by others :)

I was always taught that you should never arrive at a dinner empty handed. This has lead me to contemplate "what is the perfect hostess gift?".

I think that the perfect gift is consumable, thoughtful, simple, classy and inexpensive.

Kate Spade in Manners, says "Wine is a customary hostess gift, however flowers are always a crowd pleaser and safe token. Arriving with them is always thoughtful, but better still send the flowers early in the day of the gathering."

So wine for the non-drinkers? On more then one occasion we have had guests bring wine to dinner at our house. Its always a little awkward - they have been thoughtful, however in a country where drinking is so mainstream, it is a bizarre concept to others that we don't drink - not ever, not even at Christmas.

Flowers? They are always a winner with me. Ensure that they are fresh and dressed with a ribbon. I recently received flowers that the giver admitted were being re gifted. Clearly they were a couple of days old.... I felt a little insulted, and would have preferred she hadn't admitted that. After all the dinner I cooked was not a few days old.

Cakes? Be careful. There is nothing worse then an oversupply of desert. Its such a burden (on the hips!) of the host. Phone ahead and warn the host so she can manage the desert.

Candles? Simple, scented candles in neutral colours are always a winner.

Some other thoughtful gift ideas: fresh cherries, a bottle of quality olive oil or balsamic, hand cream; gourmet jams or conserves, a nice t-towel rolled and tied with a ribbon, homemade lemonade, quality chocolates, gourmet salt flakes, note pads, lemons secured in an inexpensive t-towel, homemade soaps.

According to Emily Post, a contribution to the meal (by way of desert or salad) constitutes a hostess gift, so unless you desire, there should be no need for an additional hostess gift.

In the absence of a gift, card or meal contribution -a complimentary and grateful heart expressed is priceless.

I have arrived

Sheer need drove me to purchase one of these puppies. Carving a 10kg ham no longer requires the stamina of a pump class.

Why are we tipping?

In my country tipping is voluntary. Not expected, but appreciated. Those in the hospitality industry are protected by award wages, such that a waitress would expect to be paid in the vicinity of $15-20 / hour. I appreciate that in countries such as the United States, employees are not as well protected and tips are a vital source of income.

As a customer, it's a great system. My steak is $20, I pay $20. No more, no less. Travellers often gawk at the price of eating out here, but they forget that there is no service charge on top.

Back in my student days I waitressed at a beachside restaurant. I was paid $12 / hour. The pay was enough to fill my petrol tank, however there was always the sweetener of tips from unsuspecting tourists. Summer time was prime tip time. American and German tourists would flock to the beach and on balmy nights they would tip in force. It always felt like strange getting this money - but it was great.

Another job I had wasn't so ethical. They kept a jar at the counter, and to my disgust the owners used to keep the tips for themselves!! I used to quietly whisper to people "no need to tip" with a kind smile as they paid their bill.

Our foreign visitors seem to have left their mark though. Tipping is becoming mainstream. They now even print the credit card receipt with a space TIP $_____. I think its a bit cheeky, so I always cross it out and just sign my name. The only times I tip is if the waitress was especially nice to us. My husband on the other hand is far more generous than I and leaves tips almost everywhere he goes. It makes me roll my eyes. And I know that I am not alone. I often see husbands stuff the invoice folders with cash, only to see their wives plucking some out as they leave the resurant.

Christmas Cards

I've had this big dark cloud looming...Christmas Cards. Tonight I finally sat down and just started getting them out the door. I'll feel so much better when they're gone.

To newsletter or not? I canned the newsletter this year. I had one drafted (it would be our first), however the events of the last few weeks have robbed us of our major news piece, so its just a plain photo in a card. I know... I'm a party pooper. Hopefully next year we'll be more newsworthy. After all everyone just wants to check out how chubby we are now!

I do however think that there should be some rules regarding newsletters. I'm sure we all get those LONG letters that go on for pages and pages that we just skim over and check out the photos. I'm just plain embarrassed for the subjects. I have noticed some great newsletters over the years... I learn from them.

So here's my top ten rules ..noting that I'm a hypocrite because I'm not sending a letter :)

1. No longer then 1 page, or double sided if you have 4+ kids;

2. Include the names and ages of children;

3. Nobody is interested in wordy descriptions - bullet points are fine;

4. Be positive. Complaining about delinquent children is bad form;

5. Be modest - there is a fine line between sharing news and showing off;

6. Use colour - B&W photocopies show you don't care;

7. Include at least 1 photo of everyone -including yourself ;

8. Stick to your own news - don't tell news for your extended family;

9. Get them out at least 2 weeks before Christmas;

10. At least sign it by hand - otherwise it just comes over as a mass mail out.

Be back soon...

Sorry for the silence.

We've had a bit of drama at home, been settling on a new house, my husband has been away on business almost every week .... so combine that with Christmas etc. blogging seems to have been neglected.

I'll be back as soon as I'm above water :)