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For the past couple of years, my husband and I have not exchanged traditional, wrapped-and-Christmas-bowed gifts. Instead, we plan an experience.
We started our anti-Stuff celebrations because neither of us could think of a gift we truly wanted. Then we'd each be scrambling to think of something, anything, since not giving a box with a bow was unacceptable. This way, the pressure is off, and we create memories of fabulous meals and trips to vineyards, instead of piling up Stuff to fulfill a gift requirement.
I'm not against traditional gifts, especially if you know it's something the recipient will use or enjoy. But if you are at a loss for the hard-to-buy-for loved ones on your list, consider an anti-Stuff gift of consumables or experiences. Why?
Easier than picking something that comes down to personal taste, such as perfumes, sweaters, knickknacks, etc.
Word of warning: make sure the gift is something the recipient would enjoy or something in which he or she has expressed interest, not something you like or think he or she should like! That holds true with any sort of gift-giving.
Basket of consumables from the farmers' market. I've made baskets filled with locally-made items such as jam, jelly, biscotti, granola, chocolate, honey, coffee, salsa, vinegar, and olive oil.
Cooking classes. There are classes on everything from knife skills to sushi rolling to creating Tuscan feasts.
Wine and cheese pairing class. Bonus points if it's held at a gorgeous vineyard.
Zip-line tour. Send the adrenaline junkie on your list flying through the trees.
Kayaking lessons. Paddling is a great way to enjoy the local lakes and rivers.
Cave tour. Give the gift of a tour or a special event. Some caves host dinner and a concert, all underground.
Horseback riding. A day on a dude ranch is a nice way to get back to nature.
Gift certificates to the local “artsy” movie theater. They'll get to see the indie flicks without having to wait for the DVD release.
A museum membership. Members typically receive perks such as unlimited admission, invitations to previews of exhibitions, a discount at the museum's store, and invitations to special events.
Dance lessons. Just make sure you know if your recipient is a belly dancer at heart or more of the foxtrot-type.
Tickets to a performance. If it's a date-specific event, you'll need to be sneaky to make sure the recipient will be available, but tickets to concerts, plays, and other performances are memorable gifts.
Music lessons. If your brother has always wanted to channel his inner Jimi Hendrix, indulge the fantasy with a few guitar lessons.
A round of golf. If their sport costs money, buy them some time on the green, at the batting cages, or wherever the sport is enjoyed.
Tickets to a sporting event. One year I bought my husband tickets to a Dallas Cowboys football game for his birthday. I was living in an apartment complex owned by Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Tenants could purchase tickets to the game, including seats on a chartered bus to drive us the three hours to the stadium.
Lessons in their preferred activity. Find out what they like to do and where they do it. Inquire about lessons.
Art lessons. Sewing, knitting, sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, stained glass…there's no end to types of art classes.
Gardening gifts. Seeds, herbs, perennials, saplings, and bushes make great gifts for loved ones with green thumbs.
Spa services. Massages are appreciated by most people, especially if they are hunched over a computer or on their feet all day. Foot massages and pedicures are good options for those who aren't comfortable with full-body massages.
A night at a nearby bed and breakfast. Only for those who have been very good this year!
This approach isn't for everyone. I think children should get to enjoy tearing open a gift and having a few things to play with right away, rather than being told it's a gift that will be a blast…later.
But I'd venture to say there are probably a few people on your list who would prefer a thoughtful, anti-Stuff gift that reflects their interests and doesn't have to be stored, dusted, or worse, guiltily tossed in a Goodwill bin.
What do you think about anti-Stuff gifts? What types of consumable or experiential gifts are on your wish list?
J.D.'s note: For those concerned about the cost of these suggestions, be sure to check out last year's list of homemade Christmas gifts.
There are 84 reader responses to "The Anti-Stuff Holiday Gift Guide".
Great article April! We are currently trying to pay off debt and have talked about this type of Christmas this year. We want to do something special together that we will remember for a lifetime vs. something that will just fill up our closet. Thanks for the great ideas!
For parents, often the gift of time is the most precious. A day off from the kids, alone, to do whatever you want to do can be a great gift!
I would love to do this, but my family (both on my side and my SO’s side) is all about the “stuff” during the holidays. The habit to give lots of “stuff” is so ingrained in my SO (he prefers quantity to quality on top of that, like his own family) that his feelings get hurt when I tell him that I don’t want “stuff.” I try not to give too much “stuff” either, but that hasn’t always been successful because apparently everyone wants “stuff” and likes to give “stuff,” so I try to oblige and be graceful on both fronts. I hate the holidays because I’m tired of fighting the anti-stuff battle with everyone every year, so now I simply budget for it, expect to waste a bit of money, and go with the flow. These days, keeping the family peace is more important than insisting on “no stuff” since no one listens anyway. And I don’t feel guilty about tossing stuff in the Goodwill bin anymore.
Nice post! I completely agree. Unless there is something specific I know to buy, I love getting my family tickets to sporting events, concerts, or the ballet (depending on the person). I have been told that this is a good gift because it’s like telling someone you love that you want to spend another whole day with them in the future.
I’ve been trying to come up with ideas for anit-stuff gift exchanges for the adults in the extended family. We live in a fairly small town, and some involved come from 100-200 miles away to participate. I love the idea of experience gifts but find it difficult with the travel time that would be required for most. I thought maybe I’d suggest a big combined blowout for father’s day instead of Christmas including maybe a baseball game and Omaha steaks on the grill. We’ll see how the family reacts to that.
I really like this idea. My family has been decreasing material gift giving over the years and I have definitely started thinking more about experiences that I want to have rather than things I want to have. Thanks for the awesome tips! One more that might be good is charity giving – give money to a charity in the name of someone else.
Zoo memberships are great for a family (especially if you live somewhere they are open all year). My MIL gave us one last year and its been great, it even includes parking so throwing the kids in the car and going to the zoo for an hour is very doable (rather than trying to make it a whole day event and everyone getting tired and cranky!).
Last year for my parents we made a donation to buy a family in need a sheep and two chickens from World Vision. And for my brothers we gave them a monthly subscription to our own little cookie club. We don’t live nearby, so every month we mail them a dozen cookies. Speaking of which, I need to get to the post office.
These are terrific gift ideas that I can use this holiday season! I think it’s much better than buying a family member a gift he/she won’t necessarily use. I also agree with the kids still getting gifts that they can enjoy right then and there. Although, I’ve been known to give bond certificates that that can’t appreciate at the moment, but their parents appreciate. So I’ll usually buy a little gift for the kids to go along with their bond.
I wholeheartedly agree with this article. I personally would MUCH rather go somewhere and do something than get another gift that I probably will not use. My husband is ridiculously hard to buy for. He’s an electronics junkie, and I gave up on buying him anything like that a long time ago; as soon as he gets one thing a newer more updated version comes out & it’s frustrating for the gift giver. For our anniversary one year, I took us to Asheville, NC one weekend & we spent time at the Biltmore & other areas around town. That was a great time.
This year when he asked what I wanted for the holidays, I said that I’d rather us do something together because I honestly can’t think of anything.
This year we’re giving Goats, Chickens, etc to our family. Actually we’re giving them through World Vision to people who need them in honor of our family.
The best gifts are a combination of usefulness, thoughtfulness, and immediate impact.
Useful, because–like you mentioned–it won’t sit around on a shelf gathering dust. The friend will actually use it. Whether it’s a physical tool or a membership of some sort, the gift brings genuine value into their life, and they utilize it to improve whatever it is they’re doing (or would like to learn to do).
Thoughtful, because it shows you care (cue cheesy music). Seriously though, the friend gets a sense that you really know them, what they like, what they are interested in. It’s not a generic gift but something the friend cares about. Not just any food gift, but a specific country, region, or style of cooking the friend loves or wants to learn how to make.
Immediate impact, because we’re all kids, no matter what our age says. We like to tear open fun stuff, and have something to hold and look at it. Just walking up to your friend and telling them their gift starts on Monday, or to check their email to confirm lessons, doesn’t maximize the impact of the gift. But present your non-tangible (if that’s the case) gift in a visually-exciting way, and the smile is immediately formed on the face. There’s a reason some places offer to give gift cards packaged in a themed and exciting way.
Great post, and great ideas. We really try to have experiences with our kids as opposed to stuff and doing the same for adults is just as great. Thanks for some good ideas.
Our family looks on the positive side of stuff instead of banning it altogether. We make lists so that we know the recipient wants the item. Most of the items we give and receive are useful items. We will often delay purchases of things we need to replace that are not urgent so that they can be given for the holiday season.
Some examples of “stuff” we have exchanged and still love and use all the time: pizza stone, chef’s knife, winter socks, wallet, messenger bag, tupperware, expansions for much-loved and played board games, circular saw, shower curtain, and more that I can’t think about.
If we are not sure what someone likes and we would like to give them a gift, we give them homemade fudge or cookies or chocolate covered pretzels that we dip ourselves. But, with most people, if we are close enough to give them a gift, we are close enough to ASK THEM what they want as a gift.
It’s funny, I was just noticing a few of the usual crap-no-one-needs holiday gifts appearing in stores, and the thought process they use to market incredible junk is the same in that you have some sort of superficial classification or hobby for the recipient, and need to get them something… What can you get the “foodie” who has everything? Newly invented junk!
If you notice some newly invented affordable but marginally useful piece of junk for “the foodie” this year, try to resist.
The worst new junk has to be the stuff for “the student” and “the techie.” Stuff that is marketed mostly to fulfill a desire to get a gift for everyone– gaarrgh!
I forgot “the husband.” Junk created for Xmas gifts for the hubbie is usually good for a chuckle.
@stevesliva–Good point. As a foodie myself, the last thing I want is a specialized kitchen gadget that does one thing and gets used twice a year. Most gadgets don’t do anything that a chef’s knife can’t do. The thing to give foodies is food! Either as consumables or as an experience.
I am totally with you. We have switched from buying things for each other to spending good quality time with each other a while ago. I think this also leads to less fights within the family, which I believe is a general problem during the holidays. When you focus on each other rather than the potential disappointment in an inadequate gift, you will most likely collect good memories of the holidays.
I love gifts that do not have to be “stored” and are used up. As long as it’s not a restaurant that is so far away it becomes impractical (my uncle and his wife do this every year to us). I would also much rather spend a few days on a mini-vacation with loved ones than wrapping presents for them and opening another sweater.
Unless I have an exact idea of a “thing” someone on my list wants, they get gift cards or tickets or the like.
Great ideas to create a new paradigm for Christmas (or is it going back to an old paradigm?) Would love to have great Christmas *memories* rather than a pile of forgettable Christmas *stuff*.
A good gift for a baptism, Kiva Certifacate. Kiva Is a nonprofit lending organization where people can choose a person from a third world nation that is trying to start up a small business to lend money to. I think this is a great gift because it is somthing the parents can do right away and as the kid gets older and they can choose who to make a loan to when previous loans were repaid.
All great ideas. If you have to give gifts, make sure that it’s something that the person wants. My siblings & I, along w/our SOs, exchange names to cut down on the gifts (and money spending), and a list is a requirement. My BF suggested that we not buy gifts for each other this year. Instead, since I work for an airline & can fly for free, we’re taking a day trip to Washington DC – all it will cost is metro fare & food, since the museums are free. He’s never been to DC and it’s been 15+ years since I’ve been there, so I’m sure it will be a memorable experience.
On the other hand, experience gifts can be just as unappreciated as any other. I once gave a museum membership (in the town where they live) to my brother and his family, but that didn’t mean they used it: and I should have realized that it wasn’t a really good gift, since I do know them well enough to know that camping or gardening supplies would be things that they would really like. Similarly, I have been given gift certificates for massages and pedicures that I’ve never used; those just aren’t things I find fun or relaxing or a good experience.
Maybe if you don’t know a person well enough to buy something they like (or you’re not willing to buy what they would really appreciate!) then maybe there shouldn’t be a gift exchange.
Because my husband and I are in a better financial situation than some of our relatives, we regularly give gifts to people from whom we know won’t be giving gifts to us. And that feels just fine (we even keep on giving gifts to the younger folks even without a thank you note — up to high school age, we figure it’s their parents who should be monitoring that, and if they don’t, well, why punish the kids…).
And sometimes someone gives one of us a gift we didn’t expect — when that happens we don’t think we are suddenly required to reciprocate; grateful thanks for the thoughtfulness is enough, I think.
We definitely want to do something along the lines of this for my parents-in-law, who have moved closer and downsized. The last thing they need is more stuff, unless it is something readily “consumable”.
Ironically my husband and I have hinted quite a few times really what my husband and I would like is simply time off together, even to watch a movie (i.e. a iou “I will watch the kids one evening”) but no dice. If we get a sitter it costs 80-100 and so it is a gift that is most appreciated.
Along the same lines as babysitting for someone with kids, I sometimes give iou’s for chores I know someone hates doing, or a gift certificate where it can be done. For example, this year my siblings and I are combining gifts for my dad to get his two dogs groomed, because they shed like crazy and fight him on getting bathed and brushed. Out of the four kids, none of us are really home at times when the dogs most need grooming (when they shed heavily in the spring). Giving him a way to get them groomed elsewhere also means he won’t have two wet dogs hanging around the house the whole day!
I’ve also given friends “A day of cleaning” and let them pick out what things around the apartment they least like doing. Maybe they don’t mind vacuuming but hate cleaning the bathroom (or vice versa).
Another thought for anti-stuff – donations to a person’s favorite charity, in their name. My husband and I started this several years ago, as our parents have what they need and buy what they want. My mom LOVED it – and has passed on the practice within her circle as well.
After cleaning out 12 years of accumulated stuff in preparation for an interstate move, we vowed to truly focus on experience rather than stuff. Goodwill benefitted, but isn’t it a shame to just keep a bunch of stuff you never use or really needed in the first place?
I also like giving subscriptions: magazine, netflix, game sites, gift of the month clubs… giving something people can enjoy all year long.
My boyfriend and I keep extensive (like 4-5 pages, single-spaced) lists of things that we want as gifts. They are organized into categories – electronics, books, DVDs, movies, clothes, experiences, food, etc.
We give edited versions of these lists to friends and family we know will be buying us presents to ensure we get exactly what we want. When applicable, sizes and URLs for buying the things online are included.
i love your posts, April!
i hate storing stuff that i don’t use, but not all experiences are enjoyable either. i hate going to discos and clubs where people smoke so much but i would appreciate a good book or a building kit (robotics, electronics, models, crafts etc) anytime!
I love the idea of Zoo passes/museum passes. I have both and they are not only good for the locality issued, but because I travel quite a bit, they are good at many locations across the country for either free or discounted admissions. (I can get into Phoenix or columbus zoo for half price with my pass) I can use my Arboretum pass to get in free at the local botanical garden.
since both my kids live out of state I try to buy them things that ship or pack easily, but also give thought to what they want or what they would use.
While I really like the article, I do find it somewhat sad that it needs to be said at all. Isn’t this how people usually give gifts? It’s how my family has always given gifts. I’m confused.
Our exchanges are not solely items like tickets, but the gifts are never “stuff”, they are items that have either been requested/hinted at, or are items that the giver knows the recipient will love and use. It’s only “stuff” if it’s never loved or used.
It’s not a Christmas item, but for my mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day, I clean her ovens. She hasn’t had to do it in years. I do it as a surprise–I live in the same town and do it when she and my dad are at a movie or something, but sometime around those times of year.
These are all great ideas. However, almost all of them are extremely expensive. I very much want to give (and receive) gifts that don’t clutter up the home, but I also don’t want to be spending thousands of dollars on my gift giving.
You mentioned food baskets and movie tickets which are within most people’s budgets. How about something along the lines of a cooking lesson from you instead of a cooking school?
One thing that I have done over the past few years was to a take an $100 restaurant gift certificate that had been a gift, (seriously — it was over the top!) and have the restaurant split it in half, which meant we could give a $50 gift certificate away and still have a dinner out ourselves.
My husband’s family takes the romance out of gift giving, but makes sure that everyone gets exactly what the want/need. Like a new winter coat, power tool or beautiful wool slippers that will last for years. They send each other links for the exact item, size, & color, and that is exactly what they get. They generally keep requests under $100. I don’t love the practice, but it never feels bad to get the books/sweater/shoes you’ve been wanting.
I’ve been trying to make gifts for friends & family — I made beef stock from scratch & froze it, potted bulbs or tomato plants, and this year I want to make dog biscuits for the dog lovers.
I love the idea of giving and experience rather than gifts and I try to do that on birthdays. If I gave everyone an experience gift or gift card to a spa on Xmass my budget would be way over the top. Sometimes it is cheaper to give an actual gift that you know someone will like and won’t inflate the Xmass budget.
One that I haven’t seen mentioned yet: my DH and I usually are able to find some item that we both want and use the money we would have otherwise spent on gifts. One year it was a PVR, another year we combined it with other gift money we had received and bought an iMac, etc. Basically, items which are splurges. Plus, because it’s by agreement, we can wait until after Christmas and take advantage of Boxing Day sales, if appropriate.
This is something I can relate to. I never liked stuff. I just didn’t. Stuff just creates clutter and usually leaves no memories.
I am all about creating experiences. Memorable experiences last forever and add much more to our lives than things.
Gifting an experience is much more memorable. For example, my girlfriend took hot air ballooning for my birthday! It was awesome! I will remember it forever!
I am not saying that gifting useful and thoughtful things is a bad idea, but most people gift things that people don’t need or want.
Let’s us create experiences for our loved ones and let us declutter the world and our minds one experience at a time!
I love the idea of experiences instead of stuff, but please make sure that the person is actually going to be able to enjoy the experience. Years ago, my MIL gave me a certificate to a very expensive spa, that I could use to get a massage or facial, but I never used it. First, it was hard for me to schedule an appointment, because I couldn’t find anybody to watch my children. So, if you’re giving theater or movie tickets to parents, maybe an additional gift could be a babysitting night so the parents can actually go and enjoy the movie.
Also, when I looked up the prices for the spa, it turned out that all the prices were above that amount on the certificate, so I would have ended up having to pay extra to get any of their services. I’m sorry to say that the certificate went unused, because I hate to waste money, but it just didn’t work into my lifestyle.
I thought this post could use more pictures, so I just added a bunch. If I’d thought about it, I would have worked with April to find photos for all of the ideas. I think they’re great!
I agree. Last year we were struggling to figure out what my father-in-law would like for a christmas. What can you give someone who can practically buy anything he wants, anytime he wants.
Then I remembered introducing him to a vocal trio called the Puppini Sisters, and my wife just found out that they were going to be in town early the following year (2009). We bought him 4 tickets so he can bring his wife and two other friends.
What a bonus, because the “two other friends” ended up to be me and my wife because the couple they invited could not come.
Seeing my in-laws having a blast was priceless.
This year I will be giving the gift of a chartered fishing trip… I paid for the charter, and am giving it to my husband, my brother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my father….. it worked out to be the right price for a half-day trip….they can all go together and have the gift of a day spent together on a great boat on Lake Michigan!
These are great tips. Unfortunately, my family doesn’t go anywhere or do anything, so I’m stuck buying ‘stuff.’ I tell my parents to get my husband and I gift certs or something, because our tastes are so different, but they are of the ‘I need to buy things to buy things and have things for you under the tree’ mentality and it has been very hard for me to break out of that mentality as a grownup. I still love buying lots of *things* but only when I know it will have meaning or use for the recipient. We’ll see how this year goes!
Experiences are where it’s at. If I had a foodie friend, instead of putting together a basket I would get a gift card to the local gourmet/chef’s supply emporium and suggest we could go together. Most of us in my city have only a few chances a year to find an afternoon to spend together … sometimes it’s hard just to find an afternoon to spend with DH! Recently we went to a chef’s supply store, had brunch in their cafe, then spent a very entertaining hour browsing and shopping. Not only did we find a couple of tools we’d been looking for (like an oyster knife), we found some gourmet food items that let us carry that experience over.
For the rest of the family we can exchange anything homemade or recycled (thrift store, etc.) or nothing at all….usually there are beeswax candles, wine (winemakers in the family), food, plants, etc.
But this year I am thinking about getting California State Park passes for everyone since we all like to hike and the state needs the funds so they don’t close the parks!
This is a wonderful post full of great ideas for all types of people.
Re theater tickets: we gave each of our daughter’s a night out at a Broadway show (alone with Mom — a treat in itself) and presented it with a wrapped CD of the show music. We have gotten an unbelievable amount of mileage from those tickets — which, granted, were expensive.
By the way — we bought a $20 program at the show as a souvenir, and that was also a great investment. I can’t even count the times they have taken those out and read them and sang to them and talked about the show and showed them to friends and brought them to school.
I’d like to warm people against the alcohol “of the month” clubs. I got my husband a year of the microbrew of the month, and it was a logistical nightmare. In the summer the beer was skunked, in winter it was frozen. There was an “adult signature required” sticker on the box in plain sight, and still Fed Ex would dump it on the porch with no warning. One box went missing, and we’re pretty sure the neighbor kids stole it. We decided it wasn’t worth the legal risk, and will never do it again.
This reminds me of a funny story that happened to us….years ago we had signed up for a quarterly wine club, adult signature required for delivery, yadda yadda.
I love the idea but I am also with the poster (#35) that mentioned the majority of these gifts are very expensive especially when you’re talking about extended family.
So, I’ll take the somewhat opposing view and side with stuff. See, I think “stuff” has a bad name and that’s not fair. Everyone enjoys stuff if you take the time to buy OR MAKE things you know they will appreciate and use.
This does require time and planning though and most people just don’t care about that sort of thing. Really, it shouldn’t be Anti-Stuff it should be Anti-Meaningless/Useless.
Some people mentioned the “romance of gift-giving” and I appreciate that. For instance, I maintain a wish list on Amazon but, and I stress this every time I reluctantly admit I have one to my friends and family, it’s a guide to things I like not the end-all of what exactly to get me. I put a lot of effort into the things I buy my friends and family and always get great feedback on them.
My family started a tradition of a yankee swap for the adults (and the kids still get gifts). We set a price each year $50, and get one gift that most people would enjoy (or we can get a gift for a specific person but they don’t necessarily get to keep it). So we wrap the present and put it in the middle of the room, and draw numbers. Who ever gets number one pick a present from the pile and opens it. From the next person has five minutes to decide if they want to steal the present already opened or pick another present from the pile. This goes on until the last person in the group picks. When someone takes your gift, you get the option to take from someone else or go back to the gift pile. Its a lot of fun, and saves everyone some $$ if there is a large family.
@Kristy (26) – I wholeheartedly agree with your grad student suggestions. Both my partner and I are grad students and we would love something as easy as a coffee gift certificate – whether from a national chain or a local one (all our family lives 2000+ miles from us). Some people might think this was a boring or unthoughful gift, but since we try not to spend too much money on coffee out, but still love to go and do work at coffee shops, it would be perfect. Same with bookstore gift certs – whether for an academic book or something fun – even though this isn’t really an experience gift, though we both do love wandering a bookstore for a while, esp. with the luxury of having a bit of money to spend at the end.
Also, this isn’t exactly an experience gift either, but it kind of is by default of distance – last year my brother and SIL made a calendar featuring photos of their adorable bulldog. My SIL dressed him up in all sorts of seasonal outfits and then created the calendar with those photos – we love it and have it in our kitchen. Since they’re so far away, its fun to have a bit of them with us all year long.
I’m *totally* drinking the Kool-Aid on this concept! My brother and I are trying to slowly change our family’s mindset on physical gift giving.
Last year, we did a gag-gift “white elephant” exchange. Nobody receives anything of material value, but everyone enjoys hours of laughter and great memories of spending time with each other.
One exception to the rule: I have started a tradition of giving calendars with my own photography on it. For me, it allows me to share my joy and passion of photography with others. It’s useful, hand-made, and relatively cheap (~$15/calendar). FedEx Office and Shutterfly are two places that have done a wonderful job on these calendars.
Agree with Stephanie (#52) and Kristy (#26) – coffee is always the perfect gift for a student. A study basket is even better!
What a great post! Some of my extended family members are simply doing a gift card exchange (with $15 gift cards) this year because it’s so hard to buy for people. Then people can go out and get what they want.
And I often do a lot of homemade gifts. They’re useful and inexpensive. Last year our budget was very tight for Christmas, so I made some homemade hot chocolate mix (tons of recipes online) and packed it into nice, decorated mason jars for our friends. It was a hit!
One warning to those considering buying a gift for gardeners: I am a gardener, and sometimes I receive plants as gifts and don’t have a good spot to put them in my yard. If you have an idea of what plants the recipient could actually use, that would help.
I seem to be the odd one out on this, but if someone gave to a charity in my name, I would probably never speak to that person again. I am extremely particular what I support and none of my family knows who they are. Now, if giftgivers know someone is ok with that type of gift, it is a different story. Just don’t assume that a donation will please someone.
uh, ok wolfgirl, i guess you’re really particular. Unless it was a charity to drown kittens (or something equally horrible) i don’t think i’d be so angry at a person for donating in my name, even if you don’t support that charity they at least tried to do a good thing.
I have given both dinner gift certificates (with included babysitting) and massage/spa treatment gift certificates, both went over very well.
As for myself, last year I told everyone that I wanted to take cooking classes, and said that if they didn’t know what to get me, money to go toward the classes would be great. All my siblings and my mother-in-law gave toward the cause, and I don’t think that any of them were affronted that I asked for money. I made sure to gush about the cooking classes in my thank you note, so that they understood that I really appreciated the gift.
I’ve been doing this for years already, even when my children were small.
I’ve given gift cards to local movie theaters for families of employees, with gift cards for soda and popcorn.
I’ve taken my parents out to dinners and shows.
This year, husband and I will see a Broadway show (we live in metro NYC) instead of getting tangible gifts.
But if this is about financial sense, why spend money on something that’s gone in an instant, an hour or a day?
Thanks for the great ideas. My mind is spinning with ideas of how to make this year’s Christmas much more “experience” oriented!
I love these ideas! Both the combination of a fun event or activity in lieu of a gift as well as the “no clutter” idea!!
My favorite family Christmas tradition is Bingo where there’s very little money spent up front, loads of laughs, every single person can participate, and we’re all enjoying time together. Nothing can beat it!
My wife and I needlessly exchanged gifts at Christmas virtually for no other reason than to say we exchanged gifts. The gifts we gave were hardly necessities, probably some of them weren’t even wanted.
We finally came to our senses and realized we could spend all the money in the world on each other and it wouldn’t bring us closer to one another.
Since then, we give each other the gift of time. There is nothing more precious in either one of our lives, so each Christams, we plan dates throughout the year that come hell or high water, we will spend those dates together.
My husband and I haven’t exchanged Christmas gifts in over 5 years. But, we do have a Christmas budget; and use the money that we would have spent on each other to make a very nice donation to our favorite charitable organizations. We still get the joy of giving, plus we know that our gift is needed and appreciated.
Excellent post, and wonderful comments! My siblings and I have a fun tradition. Each of us picks a charity, and the others make a donation to it in our honor. I love it!! My husband and I also give gifts to a child or two from our local giving tree.
Like Cara, I have in-laws who are all about the stuff. They seem to take it personally if I say I don’t want any THINGS. In the interest of family harmony, I’ve decided to drop it.
I’m not good with Christmas gifts because in my family, Christmas was “Ki’s Day”, just like there is Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. In other words, parents would give something to their kids, and that’s it (and the kids would give something on Mother’s and Father’s Day).
Since I don’t have children, giving Christmas gift just feels completely weird to me.
Now that I’m married, I let my husband do most of the giving because it still feels awkward and unnatural to me.
Of course, it feels just as weird receiving gifts from people who aren’t my parents (I don’t even receive gifts from my parents anymore since I’m not a kid anymore).
And I have to say I’m not the type to like giving something because it’s the proper time to. When I see something a friend or family would enjoy, I get it for them right away. It could be December, I’m still not going to wait until Christmas to give it to them.
Anyway, I realise my personal experience is different from most. And I do think the gifts you mentionned really are great ieas that people would enjoy more than gifts that were bought because “you gotta buy something”.
I do agree with what someone else said though, that most of these are kinda expensive, and might not be in everyone’s budget (especially if you need to get one for everyone you know).
Great article, some useful alternative ideas.
BTW where did you get the picture of the cat? it’s a spitting image of my moggy, Milo!
For well over a year my husband (I really dislike the term ‘DH’) and kids, along with my sister and her family, have been wanting to take my Mom to a dinner and a Broadway show (she went through treatment for colon cancer). So last year, she wasn’t up to it due to the chemo.
Several other times we tried to get together (sis lives 1 and 1/2 hours north of us and mom lives 1 and 1/2 hours south of us), but since my sister has 2 young kids under 5 (my youngest is 9), she always has a sitter problem; to make matters worse, someone always gets sick at the worst time (flu at Christmas, New Year’s, what have you). My sister’s husband travels a lot and my husband works shift work, so their schedules are often conflicting!
There are also so many other obligations during the holidays like work parties, school concerts, piano recitals, fundraising events, church events and planning, decorating, shopping, cleaning, baking; it’s way too much for one person to have to do in a month or so (our husbands tend to do the bare minimun all year long!).
So many good intentions that never pan out is what frustrates me–not to mention the hundreds of dollars to have to spend for that ‘experience’. This year we decided that we would only give the kids gifts, no adult gifts…we’re old enough to buy for ourselves and are satisfied with just spending a holiday together at last!!!!
Sorry for typo above….’minimum’! Comment editor won’t work for some reason on my computer.
@Ian–That’s my cat, Mia, in the photo. She likes to “help” with gift wrapping.
The best give I ever gave involved box and bows … and nothing else.
My mother was always putting things “someplace special” and then forgetting where the special place was. One year I was desparate for a gift and out of ideas. The lightbulb went off. I wrapped the biggest box I could find, in the fanciest manner I could manage, and labeled it “Someplace Special.” She used it for 15 years before it finally disintegrated. I don’t usually get that lucky with ideas, though.
My family has a tradition of sometimes giving money. The recipient is to use the gift for something special – no paying the electric bill – and then telling the giver all about the special thing. One year my special thing was a 3 day group lecture-and-tour of a historic battlefield. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy it, I now understand US history better.
Great post April! I have been on the receiving side of this idea many times and I can tell you that it means a lot more to me and I usually get a lot more out of it.
Adopted Zoo Animal — I was a llama mama!
Wine Club Membership — This one was awesome!
Safari Trip for 2 at Safari West — Perhaps my favorite!
An idea that is always nice and from the heart is making a donation to an organization that is meaningful to that person on their behalf. One year for Christmas I adopted animals for all of my friends through the World Wildlife Fund and another year we purchased animals through Heifer International and gave that to all of our long distance family members.
Perhaps the best experience I ever gave was surprising my mother with a trip to Disneyland. She was 57 the first time she ever stepped foot in a Disney park, and even though it rained on us most of the time, we had a blast and she had the biggest smile on her face the whole day!
A lot of the above options are extremely expensive! We tend to get consumables for family, and our kids since those gifts are sure to get used.
We do like to teach our kids about giving, so we chose to start a new tradition where everyone buys a gift for each member of the immediate family. This year they are saving their allowances to purchase gifts. It’s wonderful to see them choose something so thoughtfully for each other.
I like to give a receive consumables like food, craft items for the kids, etc. or memberships since we can use those again and again.
We also shop for a child or family in need each year.
The gift I really want? To be debt-free, but I think it may take until next Christmas to get there.
This year all the adults in the family are receiving brandied pears and amarreto pears, canned this summer. Previous experience tells me they will be appreciated. Two days out of the summer for canning and I’m done with most of my list.
I have been scanning old photos (you know, before digital camaras?). I also have very old family photos. When I am done scanning, I am planning on making (or having made) photo albums for the rest of my family. Before digital, pictures weren’t shared quite as much. They will enjoy having pictures of when we were kids, or their own children, or of their great grandparents.
As someone who just graduated from college, I have to agree with the coffee, consumables gifts for students.
Gardeners appreciate gift certificates too! We don’t always have a use for plants, seeds, etc. If your buying tools make sure they are good quality and not something they already have,or they will turn into “stuff.” We used to buy my grandmother GCs to her favorite nursery. They were her favorite gifts! Every year she turned them into flowers for her garden. At past 80 she had all the stuff she needed, but had to watch her budget. It helped her to afford what she still loved.
I am most definitely anti-stuff, because I hate clutter.
The experience and memory is worth a lot more than STUFF to me..
The charity donation idea …I swear some people use it passive-aggressively. My old coworker loved to tell about how her in-laws made a donation in her name to a conservative Christian organization, when they knew perfectly well she was an atheist.
I once gave my (now ex-) husband a balloon ride. That was a hoot! Later I gave him a ride in a glider, which he also seemed to enjoy.
When asked what he wanted for Christmas, he would invariably say “money.” Grr! So, one Christmas I took my paycheck to the bank, had it cashed out in one-dollar bills, packed it into a box, and wrapped it as his present.
That was the last time he asked for money. Then he started asking for real estate.
This is an excellent post! I plan on sharing it with all of the people who absolutely insist on buying gifts for me, as I do not enjoy seeing them struggling to buy the ‘perfect gift’ when the holiday seasons roll around (especially since my birthday is within two weeks of the holidays). Anti-stuff gifts are definitely the best, as an experience with all its memories attached can be treasured for a lifetime as opposed to Stuff, which could be lost, broken, or used up.
I really like this idea. Being a big fan of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu I’d love to have a private lesson with one of the local black belts in my area.
While I love the ideas of giving gifts of experiences like tickets to the zoo, theater, etc. what do you do if you live so far away from these things that they aren’t practical? I live in a smaller town where these sort of attractions just aren’t available anywhere close. I also have three stepdaughters (19,20 and 27) that are all about things and “stuff” and would most likely not really appreciate gift certificates or food gifts. My husband and I have about decided just to give them cash, but once you put some cash in a box and stick it under the tree it just feels really impersonal.
My girlfriend and I recently did a glass blowing workshop. It was awesome.
This is another string to the bow. It won’t suit everyone, but it’ll suit others better than the usual alternatives.
I can’t afford to buy for a lot of people at once, so I make a point of not giving christmas gifts to many people. They will get enough stuff at christmas to drown in, without my contribution. I do place importance on birthdays, especially the ones near christmas, which get submerged.
However, I take my nieces to the pantomime every year. They’re talking about it for weeks, sometimes months afterwards, and it’s the kind of treat their harassed parents don’t have freedom to give them. Nothing I could afford to buy would make that big an impression on them.
Sometimes it goes wrong, though: I once bought entrance tickets (wedding present) to an attraction I knew the recipients would really enjoy. Weeks after the tickets expired, I got a polite thank you for the tickets to the recycling centre. It could have been worse: they could have mistaken it for a sewage farm.


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On this date in 1999 Paul Byrd of the Phillies plunks Braves catcher Eddie Perez precipitating a bench clearing brawl between the already unfriendly ball clubs. As the battle rages on, the two instigators are discovered praying with each other when the pitcher’s prayer for forgiveness is overheard by the angry batter.
Our Scripture lesson today is a very familiar passage. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount teaches his disciples how to pray. This prayer is one of the most dangerous prayers in the Bible. Jesus teaches us to pray by asking for forgiveness as we forgive others. Paul Byrd was genuine in asking for forgiveness. As a strong believer he knew what he must do and peace was made then and there. What a mighty witness for the Lord to see two Christian players praying with each other in the middle of a bench clearing brawl.
1. Why is it hard sometimes to forgive?
2. Do we want God to forgive us when we do wrong?
3. How good are we at forgiving others who wrong us? Watch out for the answer.
If we want God to forgive us when we pray, we had better be sure to forgive others first!
/ I have often thought the same thing about that preyar. Although I have never like recited preyars like that, it doesn't teach children to pray, it teaches them a ritual that can very quickly lose it's meaning.

industry_corpus2: Others


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Philippians 1:3-5 VOICE - Whenever you cross my mind, I thank my God for you and for the gift of knowing you. 4 My spirit is lightened with joy whenever I pray for you (and I do constantly) 5 because you have partnered with me to spread the gospel since the first day I preached to you.
In circumstances that have been difficult and filled with despair, to moments of celebration and hope, you have been a source of strength and support. You have demonstrated not only your love for the ministry and the history of this great Work, but you have also given of your time, energy, and resources to bless my family and I. Truly, you have gone above and beyond the notion of a Church Member to that of a Family of Faith. You are a blessing to my life and I am deeply grateful.


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The Governing Body has been considering carefully the school’s future plans in a fast changing and increasingly challenging educational landscape. Our priority is to enable the school to continue to provide an excellent education for our children while protecting the school’s role at the heart of our community and retaining the school’s unique qualities and strengths.
For some time our school has been part of the Rushcliffe Learning Alliance (RLA), a collaborative network of 33 local schools. We will continue to be part of the RLA but can see huge benefits from working more closely with a smaller group of partner schools, all from within the RLA.
Over the last year we have therefore been working closely with other Governing Bodies to explore how partnership could provide even greater advantages for our schools. As part of this, we have also considered the current Government policy that all schools become academies.
The Governing Body believes the best way forward is to establish a local multi-academy trust and for our school to convert to an academy. The proposed Nottinghamshire Learning Together Trust would have seven founding member schools, listed alphabetically below.
· securing cost and resource efficiencies through joint commissioning of services.
Our school shall continue to play an important part in the local community. We will remain active members of the Rushcliffe Learning Alliance and will continue to work closely with the Local Authority.
We are now consulting with parents, carers, staff, pupils and the community. The consultation period will run between Tuesday, March 29th and Friday, May 6th 2016. The Governing Body will then consider a report on the academy consultation before making a final decision on whether to proceed with the proposal. If the Governing Body agrees to proceed, the plan is for the Trust to be established and for the schools to convert on August 1st 2016.
We would like to invite parents and carers to attend one of the joint consultation meetings detailed below. You will be welcome to attend any meeting, regardless of which school your child attends. At all meetings, there will be a brief presentation and then Governors and Headteachers will be available to answer any questions you might have.
We are aware that the consultation meeting time at KPNS may be difficult for working parents to attend as we were unable to schedule meetings at every school location at convenient times. However, as stated above, we expect parents to attend the meeting at the most convenient location and on the most convenient date for them, regardless of which school their child attends. The Chair of governors of both KPNS and Crossdale will be attending the meeting at Tollerton Primary school to address questions about their respective schools.
This proposal does not affect our 2 year collaboration agreement with Crossdale Primary School. Governors will continue to monitor the impact of the collaboration arrangement as previously planned.
All parents will have received a Frequently Asked Questions document (FAQs Link) and a feedback form. If you have any feedback on the proposal that you would like to share with the Governing Body, then please complete the survey form and return to the school by Friday, May 6th 2016. Alternatively, contact Mr Demetriou (Chair of Governors) through the school office or parent governors who will be happy to discuss it further.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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I applied the day this 50k offer was announced, received card, etc.. and this weekend received a letter from Citi stating some changes to my account fees. Basically they automatically recognized I was Citigold and changed my AF to $350. I suspect this occurred after I linked the Prestige card/account to my normal Citi account which includes the Citigold.
If you have Citi Gold checking and haven’t had your annual fee reduced, it’s worth calling Citi to see if they will rectify this for you. Personally I think the online offer is the better option now as an extra 10,000 points for $12,000 in spend isn’t particularly interesting.
The exception of course is if you plan on putting the majority of this spend in any of the Citi Prestige bonus categories – in which case the in branch offer might make sense (although dealing with in branch offers is a rather slow and painful process).
P.S, some people have also reported receiving targeted offers for 100,000 ThankYou points on the Prestige, so it might be worth holding out for a higher bonus – especially now that the Citi ThankYou Premier is at 50,000 points.
Update: People are reporting having their AF reduced even if they applied for CitiGold checking after the Prestige card.
Also worth noting that there appears to be a significant lag after the closure or downgrading of a Citigold account until Citi stops recognizing a customer as Citigold. My girlfriend downgraded her Citigold to a basic checking account in December 2014 and applied for the Prestige in January 2015 — she unexpectedly received the reduced $350 annual fee. I completely canceled my Citigold account, also in December 2014, and as of this writing in April 2015 we both receive the “thank you for being a Citigold customer” greeting when calling Citi for any reason. I suspect I’d still receive the reduced $350 fee today if I applied for the Prestige — I don’t have plans to but will report back if that changes.
Yeah I think it gets added to your account and never removed, didn’t want to highlight that too much in case Citi decided to fix it.
I currently have Citibank Basic Banking Checking account. I have been using that account for almost 10 years and signed up when they didn’t have sign up bonus at that time. Can I just apply/open the CitiGold account or have to close that basic checking account first to be eligible for the sign up bonus of CitiGold?
You have to close it first, not available to existing clients. There might be a wait period as well, but read the individual posts and they’ll give you the information you need.
Thanks! so close the basic checking account and wait a while, then apply for Citi Gold checking account. How long is the wait time that you suggest?
As long as you haven’t received a bonus within the last two years there shouldn’t be any wait time, but I’ve never done it before so can’t be sure.
I also got the same mail. I thought it was a result of me calling Citi on the annual fee and extra 10k bonus. Glad to see it’s automatic.
Can you get the annual fee reduced from 450 to 350 and get an extra 10k bonus if you signed up with the 50k/450 AF offer?
You can get the AF reduced, but I don’t think you can get the extra 10k points. You might be able to, try calling or probably better bet is to go into a branch and explain your circumstances.
as a recap, it might be worth adding the new bonus on the TYP Preferred no-AF card as well, I believe it’s 25k now.
almost PC’d my Exec to it today before realizing there was a bonus attached to it now. I’ll get around to applying for it later on in the year after I’m thru with the Prestige & Premier.
Current bonus is 20k points, has been as high as 30k so not really a deal. I think the preferred always has a bonus??
On Friday I applied and was approved for Citi Prestige card online ($450 annual fee). I wonder if I was to open a Citigold checking account now would my annual fee be reduced?
Try giving them a call to expedite the process.
I called the Prestige line this afternoon to try to lower the fee (mentioning that I am a Citigold checking customer). The analyst told me that my AF can be lowered, but I have to go to a branch and have analyst there call a specific line in order to have my AF lowered from 450 to 350. I plan to do that next weekend.
I figure the $100 I save will offset the ~$90 eaten by the Citigold checking account while I wait for the 40k TY points to post!
I will also see if 10k points can be added to my sign up bonus (when I visit the branch)… but I’m not holding my breath on that one.
That’s strange that they force you to go in branch, I wonder if you can call the branch and ask them to do it all over the phone?
It looks like the monthly fee is waived for the 1st 2 months on a Citigold checking account.
Does it make sense opening one to get the reduced annual fee and then closing before the monthly fee starts to hit?
By the way, I had a Citigold account which I closed last month. I see others have received the reduced fee even though their account was closed, but mine is no longer is showing in my Citi online banking account for some reason which make me cautious about relying on this.
To be honest, I had no real plans to apply for the Citi Prestige, but I just received the 100,000 targeted offer by mail which changes my outlook on this card now.
After doing the research and reading this article (and others) several times I successfully went the branch route to get the $350 fee with NO CITIGOLD ACCOUNT. Work liked a charm and no hassles when I told them I didn’t have a Citigold account. Thanks for saving me $100 bucks a year off the fee not to mention the point inflation gained from my existing Preferred Card TYP balance. If spent correctly it’s roughly a 240,000 point gain for me. ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU!
Glad it helped you, Bobert.
Quick correction – in the two offers you list up at the top. You say 30k TYP + 30k TYP when you spend 12k TYP … pretty sure you mean 30k TYP when you spend $12k (dollars not points).
I want to make sure I’m following optimal strategy here. If someone doesn’t have a TY card or a CitiGold account, sounds like the best move (if you want both) is to sign up for the Prestige first … wait for it to come … and then (before 6/30) sign up for the CitiGold account … and then ask them to refund you $100 of the $450 AF?
I wonder how far is too far to push funding the CitiGold with a credit card. Looks like BofA cards are working fine. But probably still a good idea to lower the cash advance limit to well below the amount you’re going to fund the account with. I assume the funding via credit card would get completely denied if it were being processed as a cash advance and the amount was above your cash advance limit.
Finally, sounds like $50k in a IRA account with Citi can be used to avoid the CitiGold fees? Does that IRA need to be opened before the CitiGold account?
Can we buy airline gift card (read SW) to trigger the $250 credit for this card?

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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270. So, whether as a religious teacher assisting a number of families in conducting religious functions periodically or on special occasions when required or as part of a King's household, he is known as a Purohit, another name by which a Guru is known. As I said, such a name evolves from his ability to forewarn his students about the likely pitfalls on the way ahead, in a pleasantly acceptable manner and guide them through. 'Fore-telling what is good for us in the future' is the literal meaning of the word Purohit to which you can add the clause, 'in an acceptably pleasant manner'! Nowadays we do not attend a Guru Kulam or go to a Purohita for Vidya Abhyasam. The only Purohit we know of is the Vãdyãr who comes to our homes for assisting us in conduct of religious functions. He is known as the 'paNNi vaikkira Vãdyãr' – 'பண்ணி வைக்கிற வாத்யார்' in Tamil, meaning the one who gets it done.
271. In the olden times, in the Guru Kulam in which we stayed for 12 or more years, there was a Guru on whom, the lives of the students was centred on. Then when you came back to worldly life, there was the Purohit playing an important role in conduct of ceremonies, functions, celebrations, obsequies, and memorials giving us information, days in advance and being there to assist us in conducting the functions with Mantras and directions as to how to go about it and in which order. He will come days in advance and tell us as to when Varalakshmi Vratam, ÃvaNi Ãvittam (on which day every year we replace the old PooNool with new ones) or any such important event is due and timing within which the function is to be conducted. He is the one who enables to let at least those functions to be conducted formally as guided and managed by a Guru. In the name as 'Puro-hita', since he comes days ahead and forewarns of the schedule of events, I know that the 'puro' part of the condition is fulfilled and do not know about the 'hitam'! I hear now-a-days the Purohita-s are proving to be more 'pro' or professional in accommodating to every whims and fancies of his clientele in cutting down the 'Karmas', strictness in discipline and leeway in timing and thereby proving his 'hitam' part quite suitably. But the Purohit-s of the past were not only good in telling you what is good for you and your family, but also had the power of influence to make you do so! So the Purohita takes care of an important area of duty of a Guru, as the Guru for the entire family of the house-holder!
272. We know that the Guru has a responsibility to transfer all his knowledge to the disciple and we also know that he does transfer all his knowledge equally even when, the number of students are many! But it is not to mean that the entire show is that of Guru only while the Sishya can afford to simply be the 'Johnny come lately'! Each disciple is in a different level of maturity, sincerity and comprehension because of the family background and his own individual, intrinsic advancement over many a lifetimes! More than anything else, the student's level of Vinaya is going to be an important factor. When factors such as intelligence, mental attitude and acumen, of the student are all relevant; Guru's power to kindle, motivate and Anugraha Shakti are critical from his side and from the side of the disciple his discipline and intensity of surrender can be the critical issue. As the words clearly indicate, to be a disciple also means that he has to be a disciplined person. Other things being equal, the degree of intensity of surrender of the student will be the deciding factor, in the net effect on the student.
(Please note that I am quoting it from transliteration in Tamil of which I am not very certain about the correctness of the spelling. See if you can locate the original sloka by Bhavabhuti. In the meanwhile, as we are concerned more with the meaning of the sloka, let me continue.) There is an intelligent student who has the necessary humility and readiness to absorb fresh knowledge and the maturity of mind. Such a student is being taught by the teacher along with another student who is a dullard and also not very disciplined. The inputs from the side of the Guru, is the same for both. This is the meaning of the first line of the sloka.
275. While saying that she is not able to match up to their abilities, the poet is high-lighting the abilities of Lava and Kusha and so causing her to talk like that; without bringing the factor about the Guru Vãlmeeki's role, emphasising the disciple's role mainly in learning. The next line is saying that though what the Guru does is equally the same for all the students the effect on the students who are smart on the up-take and the students who are Jada meaning so inert, is so remarkably contrasting. The poet calls it the 'bheda bhalam'. The student with 'prãgna' fully absorbs the teaching and elevates himself while, the other remains ignorant. To explain this, the poet is giving an example in the fourth line.
276. To make the point clearly understood the poets make use of 'upamã' – 'उपमा' that is called 'uvamai' – 'உவமை' in Tamil. In this 'Alankãra' there are two parts as 'upamãnam' – 'उपमानं', the example quoted, and upameyam' – 'उपमेयं', that is the thing with which the comparison is being made. The fourth line is, 'prabhavati suchir bimba-grãhe maNir-na mrtãm cha-ya:'. What does it mean? There is a thing. It has a shape, figure and a form and that is called the 'bimbam' in Sanskrit. Fine surfaces reflect that 'bimbam'. Finer the surface better is the reflection. Clean surface of a mirror reflects the form truly. Before man made mirrors came into being it was the 'Suddha Sphatika', naturally occurring surface of a crystal that could so truly reflect. In Saraswathi dhyãna sloka it says, 'dorbhiryuktã sphatika maNi mayeem akshamãlãm dadhãnã'. It is that Sphatika MaNi being referred in the fourth line as 'suchir maNi' with the phrase 'bimba-grãhe' inserted with poetic licence. Please note that in poetry, the words and phrases do not have to be in the same order in which they may occur in prose.
277. That phrase 'bimba-grãhe' means, 'the capacity to receive and reflect'. It is in this respect that mediums differ. One medium is 'suchir-maNi' and the other is 'mrtãm-cha-ya:', a lump of clay, which neither receives nor reflects! Starting point is the same bimbam or the teaching by the Guru. Some students absorb fully and reflect also fully while some student neither receive nor reflect. (There is yet another extreme lot which so totally absorb that they also do not reflect, like the 'black-holes' of the Universe; about which we are not talking here!) The Upamãnam for a good student is 'Suddha Sphatika MaNi' and the Upamãnam for a dullard is the 'mrutam-chaya:' – a lump of clay. Anyhow here, we are not discussing the power of the Guru to project, as Ãtreyi is only comparing herself as a student with Lava and Kusha. Though the maturity and personal effort of the student are important, the role played by the Guru remains the primary force to cause his teachings to instil in the brain, mind and anta: karaNam of the student and he will also accompany the student till the destination is reached.
278. In fact there is a Tamil adage which says, 'sudar viLakke ãyinum thoondu kole tevai' – 'சுடர் விளக்கே ஆயினும் தூண்டுகோல் தேவை', meaning that, 'Even a sparkling light needs a prodder at times!' A lump of clay will not reflect the sun's rays and also not show his image despite the brilliance of sunlight. But a crystal will reflect the image, light and the image of the Sun! However, let us say that there is a mud wall outside the window of our room in darkness. It is day time and the Sun is shining. The Sunlight falling on the mud wall does get reflected and enlightens the room. That is the power of the Sun / Guru's Anugraha that our dark room also gets some reflected light. The reflecting surface may be opaque and not smooth, but do reflect some diffused light, don't they? That is the power of the Sun / Guru.
279. The Sun instils his form, figure and light in to the medium. If the surface does not let it enter inside, at least the Sun causes its light to spread on the surface. Like that, if the Guru is bright with the effulgence of Gnãna, he causes the student however much he may be clay-headed, by spoon-feeding if need be, become at least capable of spreading some of that knowledge if not absorb. By doing so he ensures that there is a lighting effect in the environment. Of course, if he is an excellent student, he receives, absorbs, reflects and further spreads the light of knowledge for the world to benefit! Thus the jobs of the Guru and Sishya are mutual and reciprocal by which, the world stands to benefit.


text: Although these are used motor caravans, the Day’s Motorhomes team ensures that each of its vehicles are well-cared for and regularly maintained to the highest standards. We are able to provide custom financing on competitively priced vehicles to ensure that we are able to cater for all of your needs. Not only this but we are committed to making the purchase and ownership of a motorome a pleasurable experience, and our friendly sales team have a wealth of knowledge to help you make the right choice.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text:
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industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text: Tranquil Resort is located at Kolagapara, Wayanad.The Resort offers six varieties of accommodation for its guests. They’re the, Tree Villa, Tree House, Luxury Suite, Deluxe room and Garden Rooms. They provides modern facilities like LCD TV, Swimming Pool, Common dining room, Ayurvedic Massage, Complimentary Breakfast, Laundry Service. The resort encircled by coffee, pepper, areca nut and fruit plantations, our resort can cover you into believing you’ve got been transported into the colonial era. Tranquil is award winning and an extremely acclaimed.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


text:
and we hope you are enjoying the interviews!
Each week, we have been highlighting three of the children on the tour.
We hope you are loving these fun interviews as much as we are!
1) How has your life changed from His Little Feet?
what it means to love others.
2) What are you most excited about in the new year?
I am looking forward to swimming while in California!
that I am no longer a slave from the things that can bind me.
Things like fear and the unknown.
I am no longer a slave to the things that can hold me back.
2) What is Kenya like?
Kenya is a beautiful country with beautiful trees and mountains.
The people are very loving!
3) What has been your most memorable moment here so far?
1) What food do you like here in America?
2) What do you like to do while on the tour bus?
I enjoy looking at maps and coloring.
3) What has surprised you about America?
The way they celebrate Christmas has been surprising and fun!

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


text:
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Financial Accountant to join a progressive not for profit organisation based in Liverpool on an interim basis for six months.
Working as part of a successful team you will support the organisation through year end and other related projects.
This is fantastic opportunity to deliver on an interim role in an organisation with a great company culture.
If you believe you have the necessary skills and experience for the Financial Accountant role, please apply now, or contact Abigail Day at Sellick Partnership.
Candidates without the relevant experience will not be contacted.


text:
* Volunteer hours can be completed through service learning projects completed for course requirements as well as through volunteer experiences with community organizations. The Office of Volunteer Programs at the University is a good source for ideas on how to get involved.
Degree requirements include completion of 120 earned credit hours.
Complete information on all degree requirements for our undergraduate program is listed on the UIUC Programs of Study website, found by clicking the button below.


text:
• Sensitive and accurate. Detection range 0.02 mM (0.19 mg/dL) to 2 mM (19.2 mg/dL) sulfate in 96-well plate assay.
• Simple and high-throughput. The procedure involves addition of a single working reagent and incubation for 5 min.
INORGANIC SULFATE is one of the most abundant anions in mammalian plasma. Sulfate plays important physiological roles in activating and detoxifying xenobiotics, steroids, neurotransmitters, and bile acids. Sulfate is needed for the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans, cerebroside sulfate, and heparin sulfate. Undersulfation of cartilage proteoglycans has been associated with human inherited osteochon-drodysplasia disorders. In mammals, sulfate homeostasis is regulated by the kidney. The majority of filtered sulfate is absorbed in the proximal tubules, and only 5–20% of the filtered load is excreted into the urine. Simple, direct and automation-ready procedures for quantitative determination of inorganic sulfate find wide applications in research and drug discovery. BioAssay Systems’ sulfate assay kit is designed to measure sulfate concentration in biological fluids such as serum and urine. The improved method utilizes the quantitative formation of insoluble barium sulfate in polyethylene glycol. The turbidity measured between 540 and 610nm is proportional to sulfate level in the sample.
Applications For quantitative determination of sulfate ion and evaluation of drug effects on sulfate metabolism.
References Assay: Sulfate in Fish Sulfate content of polysaccharides from ray skin (Raja radula) (Pubmed).
2. Ben Mansour, M et al (2009). Characterization of a novel dermatan sulfate with high antithrombin activity from ray skin (Raja radula). Thromb Res 123(6):887-94. Assay: Sulfate in Fish Ray skin tissue (Raja radula) (Pubmed).
3. Majdoub, H et al (2009). Anticoagulant activity of a sulfated polysaccharide from the green alga Arthrospira platensis. Biochim Biophys Acta 1790(10):1377-81. Assay: Sulfate in Bacteria culture medium (Pubmed).
4. Wang, ZM et al (2011). Structural characterisation and immunomodulatory property of an acidic polysaccharide from mycelial culture of Cordyceps sinensis fungus Cs-HK1. Food Chemistry 125(2):637-43. Assay: Sulfate in Fungi Sulfate content of exopolysaccharides from ascomycete fungus Cordyceps sinensis (Pubmed).
5. Ben Mansour, M et al (2010). Highly sulfated dermatan sulfate from the skin of the ray Raja montagui: anticoagulant activity and mechanism of action. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 156(3):206-15. Assay: Sulfate in Fish Ray tissue (Raja radula) (Pubmed).
1. Ben Mansour, M et al (2009). Polysaccharides from the skin of the ray Raja radula. Partial characterization and anticoagulant activity. Thromb Res 123(4):671-8. Assay: Sulfate in Fish Sulfate content of polysaccharides from ray skin (Raja radula) (Pubmed).

industry_corpus2: Biopharmaceuticals


text:
The Associate of Applied Science in Pharmacy Technology program provides students with the technical knowledge and practical skills required of a technician in either community or hospital pharmacy settings. This program offers a comprehensive curriculum of didactic as well as hands-on training in prescription filling, inventory packaging, patient profiling, sterile products preparation, and pharmacy calculations.
Northwest Vista College is accredited for pharmacy technician training by the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP). All ASHP accredited programs have requirements of a student screening and selection process and an external learning experience (Internship/Practicum) of at least 120 hours.
In accordance with ASHP accreditation requirements, students must apply for entrance into the program. Interested students may enroll in PHRA 1301- Introduction to Pharmacy and HITT 1305- Medical Terminology prior to submitting an application. Completed applications must be submitted by October 15th and April 15th for entry in the subsequent semester. Please contact the Pharmacy Technology Program Coordinator or http://alamo.edu/main.aspx?id=10723 for the application, student handbook, course descriptions, and admission requirements.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


text:
A Third-Generation Californian, Chris Hillman was born in Los Angeles, California on December 4, 1944. Hillman spent his early years on his family’s small ranch home in then rural North San Diego County. Growing up in the 1950s, Hillman listened to rock and roll on the radio, but it was not until 1959 when his older sister, Susan, came home from college that he was introduced to Folk and Country music and then decided to learn how to play guitar.
Seeing that his interest in music was a serious one, Hillman’s mother encouraged her son and bought him a $10 dollar guitar in Tijuana, Mexico, promising him, that if he stuck with it for a year she would help him get a better guitar. He also started listening to Bluegrass, and after hearing acts like Flatt and Scruggs and Bill Monroe, Hillman fell in love with the mandolin. Learning that a young bluegrass group, The Kentucky Colonels, were based out of Los Angeles, a very determined 15 year-old Hillman convinced his family to let him go and see the group. Not only did Hillman meet and listen to the Colonels, but the group’s mandolinist, Scott Hambly, who was temporarily filling in for original member Roland White, offered Hillman lessons. Hillman then convinced his family to let him take the train by himself up to Berkeley, where Hambly lived, and took mandolin lessons from him.
As he progressed on mandolin, he met and played with the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, based out of San Diego, and was soon asked to be a member of their band.
The Barkers, which lasted two years, earned a well-deserved legendary reputation thanks to the skills and talents of its members. The Squirrel Barker lineup included such notable musicians as Kenny Wertz, Bernie Leadon, Larry Murray, Ed Douglas and the late Gary Carr. The Barkers recorded one album, Bluegrass Favorites, now a sought-after collector’s item. The album was recorded in four hours and the 17 year-old Hillman together with the rest of the band was paid $10 dollars each.
When the Barkers called it quits at the end of 1963, Hillman’s reputation, coupled with connections with other Bluegrass musicians, paid off as he was invited to join the Golden State Boys then regarded as one of the premier Bluegrass bands in Southern California. Featuring future Country music star Vern Gosdin, his brother Rex, and Don Parmley, the Golden State Boys soon made one album under their new name, The Hillmen, named after Chris even though he wasn’t the leader of the group and only sang one lead vocal on a cover of Bob Dylan’s “When The Ship Comes In”. The Golden State Boys were featured performers on the weekly television show, “Cal’s Corral”, a live Country music show on L.A.’s channel 13. They also worked in numerous hillbilly bars in the Los Angeles County area. After approximately 8 months the group folded. Considering taking a break from music and enrolling in college, he almost began studying at UCLA if not for yet another opportunity presenting itself.
In February of 1964, shortly after the Beatles had appeared on the music scene, a friend, Jim Dickson, who had previously worked with The Hillmen, invited Hillman down to World Pacific Studios to hear three guys with acoustic guitars singing Beatles songs. Those three guys were Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, and David Crosby. With drummer Michael Clarke, Hillman was recruited to play electric bass, and combined they formed the Byrds.
Having access to World Pacific Studios through Jim Dickson’s involvement, the Byrds rehearsed every night and refined their sound. Knowing Bob Dylan, Dickson heard a new song he had written and asked Dylan if the Byrds could record it. The song, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, was released as a single in the Spring of 1965 and became a number one song in Europe and America. Their first album, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, took a combination of Dylan songs and their own compositions and made Rock and Roll History as America’s answer to the Beatles.
The history of the Byrds, has been well documented over the years, but Hillman’s ever expanding contributions as a singer and songwriter is much less known. For the first two albums, Hillman stayed in the background with drummer Michael Clarke, providing a strong backbeat to the three-part harmonies of McGuinn, Clark and Crosby.
With the departure of Gene Clark following the recording of the album 5-D, McGuinn began to increasingly rely on his dependable bass player and Hillman began to develop as a singer and songwriter. The result was several Hillman compositions on the next album, Younger Than Yesterday. The single “So You Want to Be A Rock and Roll Star” penned with Roger McGuinn, and with guest Hugh Masekela sitting in on trumpet and another single, “Have You Seen Her Face” with David Crosby’s beautiful harmony and Roger McGuinn’s striking six string guitar solo was the launching of Hillman’s songwriting career.
The song “Time Between” saw Hillman bring in his old Bluegrass friend Clarence White to play lead guitar. White also helped out on another Hillman composition, “The Girl with No Name”. These songs paved the way for the Byrds next adventure – exploring Country music.
With the departure of Crosby and Michael Clarke the Byrds were down to just two original members, Hillman and McGuinn. The band recruited Hillman’s cousin, Kevin Kelley, to replace Michael Clarke but were still in need of another musician to round out the Byrds line-up. Hillman, upon meeting a young Gram Parsons in a Beverly Hills bank one day invited him to a Byrds rehearsal where he was quickly hired, rounding out the Byrds’ new line up. Together with Hillman, Parsons helped change the Byrds’ musical direction into more of a country sound, certainly not a stretch for Hillman and McGuinn who started their careers in folk and country music.
Sweetheart of the Rodeo their highly acclaimed Nashville release set a new course for the Byrds. The album’s influence can be heard today in the music of Country artists like Brad Paisley, Emmy-Lou Harris, Marty Stuart, Jim Lauderdale and Dwight Yoakum.
A Dylan tune, “You Ain’t Going Nowhere”, along with material from newcomer Parsons, Woody Guthrie, Merle Haggard and others, plus the array of great California country musicians – Jay Dee Maness, Clarence White, Earl P. Ball, and Nashville vets like Lloyd Green, John Hartford and Junior Huskey brought the Byrds back full throttle with a sound that mixed pure country with folk music.
When Parsons left the band shortly thereafter, Hillman brought in his good friend Clarence White to replace him, but the old magic of the Byrds was gone for him. Hillman exited the Byrds in September 1968 to join Parsons, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, and Chris Ethridge in what soon became known as the Flying Burrito Brothers.
With first release, The Gilded Palace of Sin, The Burritos created an environment for “Outlaw Country” and for much of the success experienced by artists such as The Eagles, Poco, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt band. The Rolling Stones were even briefly influenced by the Burritos, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards composing “Wild Horses” in honor of their friends, the Flying Burrito Brothers.
One song off that seminal first album – “Sin City” – not only aptly described Los Angeles at the end of the 1960s but was later included in the Smithsonian Institute’s “History of Country Music” collection.
The Flying Burrito Brothers achieving only minor success at the beginning found their true place in history in later years as they took on cult status and world-wide acceptance which still continues today.
Many of the early Hillman/Parsons songs have been covered by major artists in both country and rock and roll. Hillman and Parsons spent most of that first year writing songs and touring the country, by the second year and second album Parsons was beginning to lose interest in the band and left the group to explore other avenues. With Parsons’ departure Hillman rebuilt the band with Bernie Leadon, Rick Roberts and Al Perkins and captured the “live essence” of the Burritos with the album Last of the Red Hot Burritos, which was the last but quite possibly the best of the Flying Burrito Brothers’ recordings.
Near the end of his tenure with the Burritos, Hillman was performing with the band in Washington, D.C. Rick Roberts told Hillman about a young lady performing in a nearby Folk Club. That “girl” was Emmy-Lou Harris. Hillman was so impressed with her that he recommended her to Gram Parsons and musical history was made.
A phone call from old friend Stephen Stills set Hillman on a new musical journey. With Stills he formed the eclectic band Manassas.
Working with Stills opened up new musical adventures and produced two great albums, Manassas and Down the Road. The band toured around the world and Stills and Hillman wrote some memorable songs together.
The first Manassas album accomplished what the Byrds had considered doing before Sweetheart of the Rodeo, combining major elements of most forms of American contemporary music and fusing them together. There were bits and pieces of Rock, Country, Bluegrass, Salsa, and Blues blended together on the two albums the group created. Stills and Hillman also co-wrote a great song that is still part of Hillman’s set list to this day – “It Doesn’t Matter”.
Manassas broke up by the fall of 1973. By this time too, Hillman faced two major tragedies in his personal life, the deaths of his close friends Clarence White and Gram Parsons.
These two events occurring within a year took a toll on Hillman but he continued on with new projects. From Manassas, and a short-lived original Byrds reunion, Hillman, John David Souther and Richie Furay formed the band, Souther Hillman Furay, signing with Asylum records and releasing two albums in 1974-1975.
The band was a brief exercise in futility with great musicians and songs but never fused together in a believable form. They went their separate ways in 1976 remaining close friends to this day.
Hillman then went back into the studio and released two solo albums, Slippin Away and Clear Sailing, for Asylum Records. Hillman toured for a year and a half with his own band, and then after a 1977 British tour he reunited with Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark, forming the trio, McGuinn, Clark, and Hillman. They released three albums on Capital Records, with two top ten singles. By the beginning of the 1980s, Hillman returned to his roots in Bluegrass and Country music. He recorded two critically acclaimed acoustic and electric flavored recordings, and in doing so was reunited with his longtime Folk and Bluegrass collaborator, Herb Pedersen.
Hillman also found a songwriting partner and good friend in Steve Hill. The stage was set for the next evolution in the career of Chris Hillman – the incomparable Desert Rose Band.
The genesis of the Desert Rose Band began when both Hillman and Pedersen were asked by fellow Country Rock aficionado and Manassas fan, Dan Fogelberg, to record with him in the studio and accompany him on his High Country Snows tour in 1985. Hillman and Pedersen enlisted Bill Bryson to play bass and multi-instrumentalist John Jorgenson on guitar for the Dan Fogelberg tour. Comfortable as an acoustic band, it wasn’t until John Jorgenson who saw the potential for expanding into a full electric country band talked Hillman and Pedersen into bringing on board Steel Guitarist Jay Dee Maness a veteran of “The Sweetheart Sessions”, and former Rick Nelson drummer Steve Duncan.
Hesitant at first, Hillman quickly came to realize that this band, “The Desert Rose Band”, would be the best of them all.
Strong vocals, fine harmonies, and excellent instrumentation were what made the Desert Rose Band so special. Their live performances were always met with the utmost professionalism and integrity.
In 1991, while in The Desert Rose Band, Hillman’s landmark band, The Byrds, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to one of the most influential bands of the 20th Century. By the beginning of 1994, saddened by the passing of his close friends and band members, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke, and wishing to spend more time with his family and watching his children grow, Hillman decided to call it a day for the Desert Rose Band. The original band members remain very close friends and occasionally get together for shows.
Since 1995 Hillman has kept busy having recorded seven albums. In Bakersfield Bound (1995, Sugar Hill) Hillman and Pedersen revisited their classic California roots. They then teamed up with their old Bluegrass friends Larry and Tony Rice to record three albums on Rounder Records, Out of the Woodwork (1997), Rice, Rice, Hillman and Pedersen (1999), Running Wild (2001). Sadly, Larry Rice has since passed on. Hillman also released a solo recording Like A Hurricane (1998, Sugar Hill). In 2002, Hillman and Pedersen again revisited California Country in the wonderful Way Out West (Back Porch), an album that had the flavor of old California music halls. In 2004, Hillman was honored by his peers as the recipient of the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2005, Hillman also received recognition from the Mojo Honours List as the recipient of the Roots Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award presented to his first band, The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, by the city of San Diego. Hillman’s next project, a solo recording entitled The Other Side (Sovereign Artists), included new Hillman-Hill compositions along with new recordings of “Eight Miles High”, “It Doesn’t Matter”, and two Desert Rose Band songs “Missing You” and “True Love”. In 2007 he was a featured soloist singing “What Does She See” on the Ian Tyson tribute album, The Gift. Hillman and Pedersen’s latest album, At Edward’s Barn, a live concert recording, is on the Rounder record label.
Hillman continues to record quality music, performing occasionally with Pedersen, Bryson and others. He is also active in his community, involved in his church, and a strong supporter of artists’ recording rights and traditional family values. Hillman has lectured at the Library of Congress, The Grammy Museum, U.C.L.A., Point Loma Nazarene University, and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
He is also deeply involved in passing on his (musical) gifts to others, teaching and encouraging new players and singers.
“I’m as happy and fulfilled as I’ve ever been. I am truly blessed to have such a great family and friends to share my life with. This is the best of times”.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment