A few years ago, when we had a late-night family emergency, I needed someone to watch my son. FAST. PRONTO. And possibly late into the night. Immediately, without thinking, my fingers dialed my sweet neighbor. She hopped out of bed and was here almost before the conversation was over. (everything turned out fine…PS…in case you were concerned)

I realized, that night, the importance of having “go to” people in your life. Like, my Mom is my “go to” person on 90% of all life’s questions. I have a “go to” person for a really good belly laugh. Or a “go to” person for a boost of my confidence. Sometimes just one person is the “go to” and sometimes it’s a combination of people.

There’s a security in knowing that there’s a solid, “go to” person waiting in the wings. It’s invaluable. I hope to be the kind of person that someone could “go to”. (besides being the “go to” person for complaining. ‘Cause I don’t really relish that title.)

My mom, the “go to” person of just about EVERYTHING, also taught me the value of a “go to” gift. Something that you either keep on hand, or can easily purchase. She was always there with a pick-me up when I felt down. And I sort of stole one of her “go to” gifts….as my own.

“Go to” gifts at my house were usually treats. I love treats. And I have a few favorites. My Mom always knew which to pick. And how I liked them.

• Swedish Fish with a well aged crust.
• Red Vines that are so soft they fall apart on contact.
• Meringues that are chewy in the center.
• Circus Peanuts that are 2 days old.
• Starbursts…only the original flavor

Really, that list could be 10,000 miles long……hence the reason why weight will be my life’s constant battle. Sugar and I are best friends, and enemies at the exact same time! We’re frenamies.

Her other “go to” feel better present was jammie pants. When I mis-carried, or when I was sick, or when I had surgery, or when I was in pre-term labor….(is there a theme here? Geez I get crazy illnesses a lot) anyway, she was there with a new pair of jammie pants.

Jammie pants are an AMAZING “go to” gift.
They say:

• I’m sorry you’re sad/hurt
• I hope you feel better soon
• I’m thinking about you
• I figured you’ll probably be hanging out in PJ’s anyway.
• Might as well look cute, and have some brand new ones to put on.

I think they’re pretty much aces for anytime. Even just a random Thursday.

So recently, when I needed a gift for a friend, what do I do? Head to my “go to” gift. No thinking. Just quickly buying.

You can certainly throw them in a cute bag and be off. But I really love this idea for packaging…..

Get your pants and fold them up into thirds. (as narrow as you can get) Then, starting at the top roll them into a tight little ball. Hold tight. They won’t like being like this.

Have some packing tape handy and tape right around the middle. This will keep them in shape. (and won’t hurt the pants at all)

Next get a cute small box to put them in. I’m IN LOVE with these Chinese Take-out boxes. I think they’re so AMAZING. (perhaps it’s because they usually come with some amazing dining choices in them)

I got these beauties at Hobby Lobby. Very affordable. Anyway, just as easy as a bag, but totally unexpected. (can you believe that a pair of pants fits in there? SOOOOO CUTE!!)

They look great with a label on the front, top, or hanging from the handle.

Want a couple flower tips? (I’m no expert…but here’s what I’ve learned)

• I heard a Martha Stewart florist talking about how to make your arrangements look good. He said don’t buy the mixed bouquets from the store.

(I’m sure he didn’t mean “grocery store” but let’s be honest, that’s where we get them. I’m sorry guy.) I got these at Costco. They were beautiful, smelled heavenly, and were VERY affordable.

• What he did suggest is buying flowers that are all ONE variety. It looks 10,000 times better if you’re not really good at arranging them. (which I’m not)

• You take off ALL the extras. No leaves, no filler. Just stems and flowers.
• Cut them all to the exact same length.
• I put a rubber band around them to help me arrange them a little height wise.
• Put in a vase that just barely fits them all. And have them sit just above the top.
• Suddenly….it looks like you bought it that way! YAY!!

Hope that helps. I think it makes a WORLD of difference.

So go out, figure out who your “go to” people are. And maybe, give them a “go to” gift, just to say thanks for being there for me!

(PS…room re-do complete! Average 3 hours sleep per night, for 5 nights. I kind of want to puke.

Birthday party is tomorrow. So no rest for the weary. Hopefully I will be able to show it all to you in the next few weeks. After I die.)

Linked to:

My husband and I were having a conversation with some friends the other night, about whether we were the kind of people that knew when to “wrap it up.” You know, whether you know when to wind down a phone call, or if you know when to stop talking and just listen. Or whether you overstay your welcome at a friend’s house.

Of course both boys thought they were awesome at “wrapping it up.” When in fact, they’re not. So I guess maybe there’s no way to really know.

The people who are actually good at it…..probably would say they are. But the oblivious people who talk on for hours when your dinner is burning….they probably think they’re good at it to. ‘Cause by nature, they’re oblivious.

I was gonna ask which kind you are. But I guess it’s pointless to ask, since you’ll just think “yes” whether it’s true or not.

So let’s bypass that kind of “wrapping it up”, and talk about a more fun kind. ACTUALLY wrapping things up. You know….for gifts? It’s one of my favorite things to do. I spend way too much time on it.

But here’s something to think about….

My husband comes from a family that gives you a gift in the bag they bought it in. That’s just how they roll. And for a long time I never felt like he ever gave me any presents. But he thought that he gave me lots of presents. Come to find out, when he came home from Target with a $5 copy of Steel Magnolias…
I thought it was a “hey, here you go”.
He thought it was a “I got you this nice present.”
Hard for me to tell the difference.
So just consider that putting an extra few minutes into wrapping something nicely, might just show that you REALLY care. That you were thinking of the person, not just realizing that you need a gift and buying it in the checkstand on your way out.

Remember when I promised that I’d show you how to wrap up the blankies that we made last week? Well, here you go. Here’s an EASY way to wrap up your gift. It looks cute, and shows that you took extra time.

Start by folding up your blanket into a square. (or rectangle) Take EXTRA time to make sure it’s as perfect as you can possibly get it.

Fold 2 of the corners under, and flip one over so that your inside is peeking out. I usually like to put the plain color on the outside and reveal the pattern. But that depends on which material I use for this next part….

Take a leftover strip of material from your blanket. You usually have one piece or the other that’s a couple inches bigger. Just make sure you keep your scraps. Sew two strips together if you need to.

Use the strip as a ribbon to wrap around your blanket. Just leave the edges all raw. It makes it look cuter, and they’ll just throw it away anyway. Tie it in a knot. (I like that better than bows. But you can do a bow if you want) And cut the ends to make them look pretty.

Then I usually throw together a simple tag with either “baby” or the new baby’s initial. I also really love to hang it with a really big safety pin. I just think that’s a nice touch.

And there you go. An easy, home-made gift….that’s wrapped up cute. You can put it in a bag or something if you want. But I don’t, usually. I think this is plenty.

It’s like knowing when to “wrap it up”. Sometimes you gotta practice “less is better.” I am the queen of over-doing things. You gotta edit yourself. And make it simple.

So I’ll edit myself right now.

And “wrap it up!”

****post note: don’t forget our Facebook Fan Page for Less Cake {more frosting} get a little message when we have new posts. Send a message. Or just annoy your friends with how many things you “like”.****