Five Great Gift Ideas The Grandkids Are Certain To Love

Being a grandparent is great. You get to enjoy spoiling the grandkids to your heart's content and then they get to go home with their parents and give you a break. Whether you're gearing up for a first birthday party or heading home for the holidays, it's always a blast to pick out presents for your grandchildren. Check out these five great gift ideas that will have your favorite little boy or girl grinning from ear to ear.

Educational Toys

From interactive books to miniature laptops, kids these days are itching to get their hands on the latest educational toys. Young girls will enjoy a pink, sparkly laptop that focuses on math and spelling while your grandson will get hours of fun out of a talking train that teaches him the alphabet while he plays.

Ride on Cars

If you're looking for something that will really make your grandchild's eyes light up, consider getting them a ride-on car. These realistic-looking vehicles are battery powered and allow the driver to zoom around at speeds of up to 5 mph. You can even get a custom paint job in your kiddo's favorite color! They can drive it around the backyard for hours upon end.

Quality Time with Grandma and Grandpa

Money isn't everything, and when it comes to making your grandchild's day brighter, sometimes what they want most is to have fun with those they love. Plan out a day at the local zoo or amusement park and let your grandchild go wild. If you're looking for a simpler activity, younger children will have the time of their lives at a playground while older kids might prefer to see that blockbuster movie that just came out. Either way, bonding time is a present for both you and the little ones.

Personalized Puzzles

Toddlers love putting things together, and a personalized puzzle that spells out their own name is sure to be a hit. With these gifts, there's no need for hectic shopping trips at crowded city malls; you can have a personalized puzzle made online and shipped right to your door. Adults like things personalized, too, and you can quickly and conveniently order almost anything you can imagine with any words or image you can think of. For example, you can order personal checks featuring your favorite sports team at www.checks-superstore.com.

Dolls and Trains

Some toys never go out of style. Though they certainly have a different look than they did 50 years ago, dolls are still a huge favorite with little girls and trains are still the preferred toy of thousands of little boys. Check with mom and dad to see if the kiddos are hoping to get a specific one, and if not, just search the toy aisle for the cutest doll or silliest train you can find!

From miniature laptops to talking dolls, there's no shortage of possible gifts for your grandchildren. With a little planning and a lot of love, you're sure to find a toy that will have your favorite little one jumping for joy.

5 Luxury Products that Make Affordable Gifts for the Holidays

Purchasing luxury products as holiday gifts will get you a lot of praise and thanks. Luxury gifts don't have to be expensive; they can still exhibit the signs of luxury without breaking the bank. Here are five luxury products that are affordable, useful and perfect gifts for the holiday season.

For The Person Who Loves To Cook: A Himalayan Salt Slab

Salt slabs are a perfect gift for foodies. These salt slabs are crafted from solid bricks of Himalayan salt, which is full of magnesium, iron, potassium and other nutrients that your body needs. When you cook using one of these slabs, the salt and nutrients are leeched into your vegetables or meats. It's the perfect component for cooking and baking. It's a luxury product, but you can score a nice one for under 50 dollars.

For The Person Who Shaves Often: Shaving Equipment

Quality shaving gear is important. Without proper shaving pieces, your face and body can suffer from micro tears and cuts caused by cheap razors and shaving creams. Luxury shaving accessories aren't cheap, but they are an investment. The Art Of Shaving makes these products more affordable than you would think. By making an investment in quality shaving equipment, you can avoid the constant expense that is associated with replacing disposable razors and other cheap products. These quality items can also help to prevent serious skin problems.

For The Tech Geek: iPad Folio

A luxurious and designer iPad folio is the perfect gift for the tech geek in your life. A nice case for their iPad or other tablet brand can be the ideal gift you can give to your loved ones or friends for the holidays. Designer companies often come out with cases around the holidays, which makes it so that you can purchase the latest designs and styles when you truly need them. This means that you can get your techie something that is useful, but that also keeps them current with the latest fashions and looks.

For The Old-Fashioned Writer: A Moleskin And Fountain Pen

A Moleskin and fountain pen are all the traditional writer needs. These perfect gifts are luxurious, beautiful and ideal for the person who loves to write. This gift is not one that will be forgotten any time soon, and it is sure to be well loved and used for a long time to come. Both of these things will also help to preserve the work of the writer, making sure that generations will be able to read the text that they wrote.

For The Fashionista: A Silk Scarf

A luxurious and silk-blend scarf is a perfect holiday gift that will not only keep the recipient warm during the winter, but it will also keep them looking fashionable. Silk is a luxury, and it's one of those gifts that simply cannot be turned down. It's perfect for the holidays, and it's a worthwhile investment. To avoid returns, choose a solid color like black or navy, since both of these colors will be able to match with the style of just about anyone.

Stressing about Paying for Christmas Presents? 4 Quick Fixes for Financing Christmas

Christmas presents may bring joy on Christmas morning, but buying them can also cause a huge financial headache for those who go into the holiday season unprepared. This Christmas, instead of waiting until the last minute to figure out how you will afford all the gifts you need to buy, try one of these four quick strategies for financing your Christmas spending. 

Set Aside a Little Money from Every Paycheck

If you set aside a small amount from every paycheck, when you are ready to do your Christmas shopping, you will already have the money you need set aside. To figure out how much money you need to save each week, figure out how much money you want to spend and divide by the number of weeks you have left until your shopping needs to be done. 

Earn Some Extra Cash

If your finances are so tight that there is no extra to be put aside, another option is earning extra cash for Christmas. You can do this by picking up extra shifts at work, selling unwanted belongings you have lying around your house or donating plasma. You can sell homemade crafts or offer tutoring lessons. You are only limited by your creativity and motivation. 

Get a Small Loan

Christmas gifts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If, despite your best planning, you find yourself in the last few days before Christmas with more gifts to buy and not enough money to cover them, you may consider getting a small, short-term loan to cover your last minute Christmas shopping. A payday loan from places like Power Finance in Dallas may be just what you need to fund the best Christmas your family has ever had. 

Agree to Spend Less

If the reason that you are short on Christmas funds is because your family always spends extravagantly, make a pact with each other that this year you will limit spending to a more reasonable amount. You may want to place a limit on the number of presents you will buy or the amount you will spend on each person. You may agree to do a white elephant or secret Santa gift exchange instead of buying gifts for everyone.

The best way to fund your Christmas is to prepare in advance. Whether you choose to set money aside, earn extra cash, spend less or take out a short term loan, make your family’s Christmas the best one yet by making sure you have the funds to pay for it.