Dear Gill,

I know Halloween hasn’t even passed us yet, but every store I’ve been in lately already has their Christmas stock up. With all the financial hardships this year, I suppose this is to help people spread their holiday shopping out a little. It has really gotten me into the Christmas spirit though. I wonder if you could offer some practical gift-giving tips and ideas for useful gifts during such a financially challenging time?

Ellen,

Silverhill

Ellen, it seems like it was just after the Fourth of July when one local craft store started stocking its aisles with red and green. I’ve never minded the holidays coming early to retailers. Christmas is my favorite time of year, so why not spread it out a little? (Okay, July is a little too soon though.)

If you are financially strapped this year, rather than gifts from the store, how about celebrating the season with gifts from the heart? We’ve all gotten too caught up in the commercialization of the holiday. This year, you could offer your sister with the new baby a coupon for a night out with baby sitting on you. Or, how about a voucher for a mowed lawn from your teenage son or daughter?

If you have a little cash to spare this holiday season, look for practical gifts like gas cards for college students or for those in your life with long commutes.

This may also be a good time to teach your family the joys of giving back to their community. Rather than buying extravagant gifts for each other, opt to adopt a family or a child from an angel tree. No doubt you will hear of plenty of agencies needing assistance this year.

Here’s a tip to keep your gift-wrapping costs down. Why not recycle your newspaper into gift wrap? You can even make bows for your packages using 1/2-inch strips of newsprint and a pair of scissors to carefully curl the ribbon.

Find Gill on the Web!

Look for the link to the “Ask Gill” Message Board and Forum on www.BaldwinCountyNow.com. Register online and you can start a new topic of interest, ask a question or even respond to someone else’s question. It’s a great little interactive tool. I hope you’ll try it out soon!

To have your question answered or comment printed in “Ask Gill” send it to people@gulfcoastnewspapers.com. To post something in Gulf Coast Newspapers’ online forum, go to www.BaldwinCountyNow.com.