Think Free

This is a proud day for me: it’s still November and I’ve managed to finish all my holiday shopping. Not only have I finished, but I’m actually pretty pleased with the gifts I found this year. My favorite is the Brett/Robinson gift certificate I bought for my parents—I can’t wait to see their reaction.

Gift-buying is bitter sweet for me. I enjoy it, but it always leaves me a little light in the pockets—a common problem among many shoppers. Fortunately, if you’re visiting the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area this time of year, there are plenty of activities to enjoy that cost little or even no money: walking the beach (still very doable this time of year), hiking and biking nature trails, driving along Alabama’s Coastal Connection, and even just enjoying the view from your condo balcony.

Plenty of ideas are listed on OrangeBeachToday.com under “Explore Our Coast.” Check out the calendar of events too for a variety of events taking place this fall and winter.

Thinking of 2011 Already

So the biggest shopping day of the year is this Friday. Hundreds (thousands?) of shoppers will line up at the doors of their favorite stores before they’re even open in hopes of grabbing some hot items for some great prices. Ordinarily, I avoid any shopping on this day at all costs—I tolerate Cyber Monday and its online deals much better.

But weekend passes to next year’s Hangout Music Festival will already be on sale on Black Friday—for only $50. You can get them at The Hangout starting at 8 a.m., as well as at Private Gallery locations in Orange Beach, Foley, and the Eastern Shore.

And here’s another bonus: starting Thanksgiving Day, you can get 15% off a vacation with Brett/Robinson for any time between December 1st, 2010 through December 31st, 2011. The deal ends at midnight on Friday, November 26th.

Not trying to rush through the holidays, but I’m really starting to look forward to next year!

The Holidays Are Here!

I am not afraid to admit that I love a good holiday activity—and I am so stoked about the “Santa Vs. the Snowman” movie at IMAX! This isn’t your typical Santa story—this is Santa and the Snowman going head to head on a snow-filled battlefield. And you’re watching it on the IMAX screen. It’s a whole new level of awesomeness.

This is just one of several holiday events going on in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area. Several Christmas tree lighting events will be taking place, and Santa will be paying a visit to Tanger and other festivities. You can check out all the holiday happenings at Brett/Robinson’s OrangeBeachToday website.

Gift Certificate

Not to sound like a kid, but I know exactly what I want for Christmas this year: a Brett/Robinson gift certificate. These gift certificates are good toward accommodations at a Brett/Robinson rental property. They don’t apply to golf (which of course was my first thought), but that’s okay—the money saved using a gift certificate could go toward a round or two of golf (or more, depending on how generous the giver is).

As nice as it would be to receive one, giving one would be just as sweet. It’s an excellent gift idea—you can use any amount, any time of year. My parents are due for a nice vacation, and I think a gift certificate might be just the thing to get them to finally plan one. Who knows, maybe they’ll be grateful enough to let me tag along. The three of us would make an excellent trio out on the golf course. I hear the greens of the Gulf calling my name!

Toy Drive

‘Tis the season for giving, right? I tend to get bogged down with thoughts of gift buying and giving. It isn’t that I mind gift giving—when I get it right and manage to give someone something he actually wants and/or needs, it feels really nice. Then there are those times when I just don’t know what to get for certain people. I end up getting them a gift just for the sake of giving a gift, and they do the same for me. And it always leaves me wondering: what’s the purpose?

Then along comes a toy drive to put me back into the spirit of purposeful giving, such as the toy drive being facilitated by Phy-sique Fitness in Gulf Shores. All you have to do is bring new, unwrapped toys to the facility, and you’ll have made a significant impact on the quality of a child’s holiday season. That’s the kind of giving that feels good.