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5 Fabulous Gifts for Readers + a GIVEAWAY!

December 4, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner 21 Comments

If you have insatiable readers on your gift list, this post is for you (or them). I rounded up five things I believe to be clever and fun that will in some small way enhance your (their) love of reading. Here’s how the math works: 5 Fabulous Gifts for Readers + 1 Giveaway = a Merry Early Christmas!???

5 Fabulous Gifts for Readers

so what are these
5 Fabulous Gifts for Readers?

Tada.

Sprout Bookmarks

For the reader who loves to garden, there is no cuter bookmark anywhere. Am I right? These Sprout bookmarks prove the old adage good things come in small packages. LOVE. I’m in love with a bookmark that looks like a soybean sprout. A package of 6 is less than $8.00 at Barnes & Noble. If I could, I’d give every single person a sprout bookmark, and I’d go to sleep tonight convinced the world is a better place.

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Creative Christmas Giving with Walmart Gift Cards!

December 2, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner 7 Comments

This post is sponsored by InComm for Walmart as part of the #SaveMoneyGiveBetter2017 Campaign. All opinions are my own. 

Walmart gift cards for creative giving!

Hey friends! I’m that person who doesn’t start thinking about Christmas until the calendar flips to December. And yay, it has! Now I’m all in. Yesterday, I started decorating my house. Yesterday, I picked up a few Walmart gift cards for those on my Christmas list.

Tis the Season, for Walmart gift cards!

Remember when the children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads?

I do.

But now in our family, there are no babies, no sugarplums, no nestling, not really. My kids are adults in their twenties with lives and careers and new homes and serious goals. My sister’s kids (twins) are seniors in high school with visions of graduation on the very fast approaching horizon.

It’s like I settled down for a long winter’s nap and woke up two decades later.

And then in a twinkling, they grow up in a flash. Take it from me. It’s true.

It goes by fast!

During the past few years when I ask, “What does everyone want for Christmas?” the answer is the same.

Gift cards.

There was a time I thought giving gift cards was boring and dull. What’s the point of exchanging gifts if I give you a Starbucks card, and you give me a Starbucks card? But there is a point. A huge point.

Giving is important and impactful. It’s about the love we put into it. Giving brings about happiness. We open our hands and hearts and spread a little joy and glitter and tinsel in this world that so needs it.

And here’s the thing. Walmart gift cards can be fun for both the giver and receiver. And the truth is, a gift card is way easier than putting together a Barbie house during the wee hours of Christmas Eve or scouring the interwebs for a rare and sold-out Lego set.

Would I go back and relive one of those Barbie – Lego Christmases? Absolutely. But a stress-free adult Christmas is pretty sweet, too.

How to Make a Gift Card Personal

So how to make a gift card personal?

  • Match the card to the recipient. Obvious right? Walmart has a variety of gift cards to choose from, so you can be as specific as you like.  For the movie lover: Fandango, Netflix, Regal. For the foodie: Olive Garden, Chilis, Outback. For the person who needs a break: a Spa card, Starbucks, Hotels.com. For the gamer: Google Play, Xbox, iTunes. And on and on. For my niece and nephew, I chose Vanilla Mastercards which can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted. Senior year is busy busy BUSY. (And expensive.) They can use their Vanilla Mastercards for new clothes, choir trip souvenirs, dorm room things. Whatever.
  • Treat the gift card like the special gift it is. In other words, present the card in a fun box or gift bag rather than handing it over in a plain envelope. Make it festive! I seriously love to wrap gifts, so adding ribbon and gift tags is a big part of holiday magic for me.
  • Tie it to a theme. Whatever card you choose, include other goodies and trinkets that fit the theme of your card and personality of your recipient. A movie card? Add Milk Duds and Sweet Tarts. A spa card? Add a fizzy bath bomb or lavender lotion. Although I chose a rather non-specific card for my niece and nephew, I made it personal by adding a few Arkansas Razorback items to the gift: a hog koozie, peel & stick tattoos, and a Razorback ornament. Full disclosure: the twins have applied to several colleges, been accepted to Arkansas, but have not committed. As their favorite aunt, I’m doing my part to guide them in the right direction. #WooPigSooie

Walmart Gift Cards - personalize your gift!

I love the way my gifts turned out. The boxes were less than $2.00 and can be reused. How cute are these Razorback ornaments? Your local Walmart is a great source for fan goodies, no matter which team you support.

personalize gift cards!

So Many Gift Card Choices

The next time you’re at Walmart, stop and visit the gift card kiosk. You can’t miss it. During the holidays, it’s topped with a big red bow visible from anywhere in the store. The available varieties of gift cards is incredible. There’s definitely something for everyone on your list—teachers, your postman, the barista who creates the perfect art on your skinny pumpkin latte. Your favorite blogger, haha, just kidding.

Tis the Season for Giftcards!

I’d love to hear how you make gift cards part of your holiday gift-giving. And which gift card do you want Santa to bring you? When I see him, I’ll put in a word.

there's a gift card inside!

Happy creative Christmas giving!

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]#AD How to make gift cards personal and creative! @InComm #SaveMoneyGiveBetter2017[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians

Dear Santa – My Christmas Wish List

December 23, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner 19 Comments

dear santa - my christmas list

I’ve been thinking about my Christmas wish list. A list with a bit less. A list with a bit more.

Moving from Dallas to Fayetteville put me in touch (literally) with every single item we have collected through the years. Every juice glass and dinner plate I carefully packed in wrapping paper. Every dirty garden tool—many duplicates because you can’t have too many garden tools. Every book—those memorized and those waiting to be read—every candle stub and picture frame. Every Dallas Mavericks t-shirt. Every.Single.Thing.

So.

This year’s list is different. I’m still too close to the move to get excited about anything new, other than the fence going up in my backyard. Plus, I need nothing.

I want less.

Less hustle and bustle.

Less stress over selecting the perfect gifts.

Less glitter and glitz and jingle all the way.

Less casseroles on the Christmas buffet.

Less.Less.Less.

Yet I wish for more.

More peace and quiet and relief for those struggling to survive each day. More time with family and friends and people who make me laugh until my sides hurt. More flickering candlelight and fireside chats. More silent nights spent wrapped in a good book, warmed by faithful dogs curled at my feet.

On a cold December morning, I want to walk through the woods and enjoy the raw, silver beauty of winter.

I want to watch for Santa’s sleigh among stars that went dark long ago.

This Christmas, I want to hear heaven and nature sing.

Let Heaven and Nature Sing

morgueFile

 

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]This Christmas, I want to hear heaven and nature sing. #Less #More[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Pentatonix – White Winter Hymnal

 

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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