We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s the thought that counts,” and this is especially true when giving a gift to a family member. Simple gifts let them know that you care and are thinking of them without breaking the piggy bank. With a little creativeness you can give your loved one a gift that shows how much you love them and value your relationship for under $10.

The key to giving inexpensive gifts is to make sure they are something that the person you are giving the gift to will really cherish and appreciate. To give a really great inexpensive gift you have to think beyond the generic gifts of perfumed soaps and lotions for women and ties and socks for men. In giving inexpensive gifts try to personalize the gift to reflect the personality or hobbies of the recipient of the gift.

One inexpensive gift idea for a person who enjoys cooking is a specialty cookbook such as a dessert or ethnic cookbook. Interesting cook books can often be found in the discount section of book stores for less than $10. For an additional twist try making one of the dishes in the cookbook yourself and serving it when you present the gift to your loved one. Your loved one will appreciate the gesture and enjoy sharing the dish with you and will remember that moment fondly when using the cookbook.

For a sentimental soul, give a gift of personal photos arranged in a photo album in a unique way. Photo albums can be found for just a few dollars in convenience stores and you can use existing photos to fill the pages. The key to this gift is to present the photos in an original way. Try creating a photo album with a theme such as one that documents a relationship from courtship to the current stage or one that highlights the trips you have taken together.

The runner in your life will appreciate an inexpensive stopwatch or pedometer. While these gadgets can get pricey you can still find models that perform the basic functions for under $10. This gift lets then know that you are thinking of them and that you understand their hobby. They will appreciate your interest in their activities. You can even include a note letting them know you would love to join them for a run one day.

Another inexpensive gift idea is a basket filled with homemade cookies, breads or other goodies. If you know that your sweetheart or college age child has a sweet tooth, invest a few hours of your time to bake up some tasty treats for your loved ones just to let them know you are thinking of them. They will not only enjoy the treat you have prepared but will also appreciate the effort that went into the gift. If the person you are baking the goodies for is on a special diet, be sure to incorporate their dietary needs into your recipe.

A homemade coupon book is always a welcomed gift and can certainly be made for under $10. Create coupons on your computer or by hand for services that you know your loved one will enjoy and include a small gift to go with the theme of the coupon book. For example the man in a relationship where the couple has children could give the woman a bottle of nail polish along with coupons offering his services as a babysitter while she goes out for a manicure with a friend. She will appreciate that you are sending her out to be pampered while you get a chance to enjoy some time with the kids. In giving this gift try to think of something your partner will appreciate but won’t splurge on for themselves.

Search the discount DVD bins for ones that are less than $10. Believe it or not, they are available and you just might find one that would make a great gift for someone you love. Inexpensive DVDs are often less mainstream and you could use that originality to try something new. If your partner is always trying to get you to go dancing but you keep refusing, you might find an instructional video on flamenco dancing or square dancing.

Flowers don’t have to cost a fortune. You may spend hundreds on red roses for Valentine’s Day but for everyday occasions or for no reason at all, you could stop by your local supermarket and pick up a bouquet of colorful wild flowers from their floral department. Ditch the cellophane wrapper that the flowers come in and arrange them in a vase yourself or tie them with a pretty ribbon. Pre-arranged bouquets such as these are often available for under$10.

A CD filled with songs that your loved one enjoys or that have special meaning for you makes a wonderful and inexpensive gift. For under $10 you could easily use your computer to assemble a CD of meaningful songs. You could even create a CD cover that conveys the message you want to send with the CD.

Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy a trip to a local National Park to hike, observe wildlife and enjoy the outdoors so surprise your family with a day trip to the park. Entry fees for many National Parks are under $10 and you and your loved ones will have the opportunity to spend quality time together. Pack a picnic lunch and spend the day enjoying nature and your family’s company.

If your loved one enjoys working out, a jump rope is a gift that you can give them for less than $10. This inexpensive gift will not only remind them of their childhood but also demonstrate that you understand them and realize that fitness is important in their life. An even better idea is to buy one for yourself as well and challenge your loved one to a friendly competition.

Gift giving doesn’t have to be expensive and doesn’t have to be for a specific occasion. Surprise your family with well thought out gifts that reflect their interests. With a little creativity you can give your loved one a gift that shows how well you know them and they are in your thoughts every day and you don’t have to spend more than $10 to do so.

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A Christmas Gift to Yourself:  Best places to travel during the holidays.

Thinking about taking your family on a Christmas vacation? Although it has long been tradition to wait at home for Santa to arrive, a number of American families spend Christmas away from home each year. Christmas vacations are becoming more and more popular and you will likely find that there is a wide variety of fun holiday vacations available to you.

What better place to visit during the holiday season than the North Pole – North Pole, New York that is. Located in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, North Pole is one of the most magical places to visit during your Christmas vacation. Perfect for kids and kids at heart, North Pole is open for five weekends prior to Christmas during November and December. Visitors are offered Christmas vacation packages that include meals, lodging, and admission to Santa’s workshop. Santa’s Village features shops where you can find the perfect souvenir from your Christmas vacation. There is often live music to keep the crowds entertained and you and your family can enjoy watching glassblowers, puppet shows and other holiday entertainment.

If New York state seems a little far from the real North Pole, try getting a little closer to the real thing by visiting North Pole, Alaska on your Christmas vacation. The Alaskan vacation package also includes a visit to Santa’s house in the North Pole. Also offered is an optional dog sled ride through Santa’s village in the North Pole. Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience as you race through the magical North Pole on an authentic Alaskan dog sled. Like the vacation package in North Pole, New York, the Alaskan North Pole offers one or two night stays during weekends. The Alaskan North Pole Christmas vacation includes hotel accommodations in nearby Fairbanks and at the Chena Hot Springs Resort. There is also lodging available at the Santaland RV Park. The Santa House also offers a large store where guests to the North Pole can find every type of souvenir from ‘I Believe in Santa’ hats to ‘Santa Claus Crossing’ signs and refrigerator magnets. Whether you are two or ninety-two the magic of Christmas in North Pole, Alaska will have you believing in Saint Nick.

If you are traveling before or during the Christmas season, then consider Hershey, Pennsylvania as your vacation destination. The home of Hershey’s candy, Hershey Park becomes home to Christmas Candyland, where over one million Christmas lights are put on display. In addition to the lights, the staff at Hershey Park constructs a number of animated displays that are sure to delight both you are your children. Christmas Candyland is undoubtedly one of the most exciting Christmas time getaways for kids young and old. In addition to Christmas Candyland guests can enjoy the rest of the Park. Hershey Park is a popular destination for travelers year round, as it offers a wide variety of both entertainment and great candy. Christmas Candyland typically runs for a month prior to Christmas.

If your family has never taken a Disney vacation, Christmastime may be the perfect time to do it. In addition to enjoying the Walt Disney World parade which is televised each year from Disney World in Orlando, Florida, your kids will also enjoy seeing all their favorite Disney characters decked out in their Santa hats and Christmas outfits. There are also a number of special Christmas time shows put on in the parks including Mickey Mouse’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and Belle’s Enchanted Christmas Storytelling. These Christmas activities can be great for young children. Giant Christmas trees are erected throughout the parks and lit up with thousands of Christmas lights, bringing the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the already magical Disney World. The weeks around the Christmas season are also times where lodging rates at Disney World resorts are typically lower than the peak season rates. By traveling during the Christmas season you are likely to get tons of fun at a reduced price. The weather in central Florida during the Christmas season is typically in the mid-70s, a great change of pace if you are used to cold, wintry Christmas seasons. Santa’s sleigh may have some trouble landing without snow but the magic of the Christmas season is alive and well at Disney World.

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CHARLES ASHMORE’S TRAIL

The family of Christian Ashmore consisted of his wife, his mother, two grown daughters, and a son of sixteen years. They lived in Troy, New York, were well-to-do, respectable persons, and had many friends, some of whom, reading these lines, will doubtless learn for the first time the extraordinary fate of the young man. From Troy the Ashmores moved in 1871 or 1872 to Richmond, Indiana, and a year or two later to the vicinity of Quincy, Illinois, where Mr. Ashmore bought a farm and lived on it. At some little distance from the farmhouse was a spring with a constant flow of clear, cold water, whence the family derived its supply for domestic use at all seasons.

On the evening of the 9th of November in 1878, at about nine o’clock, young Charles Ashmore left the family circle about the hearth, took a tin bucket and started toward the spring. As he did not return, the family became uneasy, and going to the door by which he had left the house, his father called without receiving an answer. He then lighted a lantern and with the eldest daughter, Martha, who insisted on accompanying him, went in search. A light snow had fallen, obliterating the path, but making the young man’s trail conspicuous; each footprint was plainly defined. After going a little more than half-way - perhaps seventy-five yards - the father, who was in advance, halted, and elevating his lantern stood peering intently into the darkness ahead.

“What is the matter, father?” the girl asked.

This was the matter: the trail of the young man had abruptly ended, and all beyond was smooth, unbroken snow. The last footprints were as conspicuous as any in the line; the very nail-marks were distinctly visible. Mr. Ashmore looked upward, shading his eyes with his hat held between them and the lantern. The stars were shining; there was not a cloud in the sky; he was denied the explanation which had suggested itself, doubtful as it would have been - a new snowfall with a limit so plainly defined. Taking a wide circuit round the ultimate tracks, so as to leave them undisturbed for further examination, the man proceeded to the spring, the girl following, weak and terrified. Neither had spoken a word of what both had observed. The spring was covered with ice, hours old.

Returning to the house they noted the appearance of the snow on both sides of the trail its entire length. No tracks led away from it.

The morning light showed nothing more. Smooth, spotless, unbroken, the shallow snow lay everywhere.

Four days later the grief-stricken mother herself went to the spring for water. She came back and related that in passing the spot where the footprints had ended she had heard the voice of her son and had been eagerly calling to him, wandering about the place, as she had fancied the voice to be now in one direction, now in another, until she was exhausted with fatigue and emotion.

Questioned as to what the voice had said, she was unable to tell, yet averred that the words were perfectly distinct. In a moment the entire family was at the place, but nothing was heard, and the voice was believed to be an hallucination caused by the mother’s great anxiety and her disordered nerves. But for months afterward, at irregular intervals of a few days, the voice was heard by the several members of the family, and by others. All declared it unmistakably the voice of Charles Ashmore; all agreed that it seemed to come from a great distance, faintly, yet with entire distinctness of articulation; yet none could determine its direction, nor repeat its words. The intervals of silence grew longer and longer, the voice fainter and farther, and by midsummer it was heard no more.

If anybody knows the fate of Charles Ashmore it is probably his mother. She is dead.

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