I found a recipe for vodka marinated pineapples. Yummmm. More interesting than a bottle of wine for hostess gifts for the holidays.

I think it is fun to get homemade mixes for things like spiced tea, cookies, etc. in pretty jars.  My friends and I have done ornament exchanges for past couple of years.  We set the dollar amount low and make it a challenge to find something fun for not much money.  I enjoy pulling them out each year and putting them on my tree.

I love to make jewelry so I like to go to the bead store and load up on all different cool and interesting beads and let my creative juices flow. The jewelry is always appreciate and is one of a kind!

The past few years, I've ordered gifts from a site called Global Girlfriend: www.globalgirlfriend.com - jewelry, soup mixes, lip balm ... Everything is handmade by women in countries (and communities) in need.  Each product has a story about the women who produce it, and how their craft creates new opportunities for them.  For example, this year (among a few other things) I ordered a pair of hammered silver earrings that are "crafted in Nepal at an educational and vocational training institute that provides impoverished women with craft skills ... enabling them to make a living wage."  

I also love giving what they call Gifts that Give More, where you can, for example, "Send Two Girls to School in Afghanistan" for $20, or provide "Clean Childbirth Kits for Third World Mothers" for $15.  When you think about how far your money can go to help others around the world, it's a fantastic gift to give.

For the past 3 years I've been making a spread of holiday cookies and giving them as gifts. I make 3-4 cookies and one fudge. My friends and co-workers are always happy to receive the sweet treats. Here is my favorite recipe for Sugar Cookies

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