The holiday season is here
I start feeling “the season” when the time changes back to standard time. Driving home in the dark seems to bring the “Christmas is getting closer” feeling. The lights on the runways of Jack Edwards Airport on Highway 59 even remind me of Christmas lights.
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas always seems to be the most hectic time of year for most families. We are all bombarded with advertisements for “holiday sales” and the latest and greatest technology has to offer. Children see television commercials for all the new walking, talking, squawking, rocking and rolling toys and add them to their wish list. None of this helps me get out and buy presents for family and friends any earlier. I have been known to go to a mall or the local corner drug store on Christmas Eve to get the last of the gifts on my list.
For family and friends that aren’t lucky enough to live on the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast, I like to give gifts that have a “coastal feel.” We have so many wonderful, unique gift shops in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, I can usually find the perfect gift for anyone on my list. One year, I gave my North Mississippi friends star fish ornaments painted like Santa Claus. That’s something you don’t run across every day in the Mississippi hill country.
Even traditional souvenir stores have a treasure-trove of gift possibilities for the creative shopper. One year, all the kids and young adults in the family received Orange Beach hooded sweat shirts. They all loved them and I had fun picking the best color for the dark-haired boys and fair-haired girls. Most visitors to my household come in the summer and the sweat shirts are not readily available.
One of my favorite ideas for anyone, is a gift of the beach. Brett/Robinson offers gift certificates that can be purchased in any amount and used anytime of year. It is the perfect gift for someone who has everything. It can be used during vacation time or for a quick weekend getaway. If you are lucky, they will invite you to stay, too.
Happy shopping…
post provided by Luanne Burnett
