Gifts That Won’t Break the Bank
Friday, November 24th, 2006Today is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. For the gifts below, you don’t have to fight the crowds or wear the print off your credit cards. All you need is a little time and imagination and you’ll have great gifts to give.
- Do you have a dog friend who is not computer savvy? Offer to give her a tour of the most useful dog sites and introduce her to the online dog community. Set up bookmarks for her to find the sites later.
- Show her how to join and participate in a dog discussion group (try Yahoo Groups DogZone)
- Show her how to browse dog photos of her favorite breed or activity on Flickr, and then upload her own photos.
- Give her great resource sites to refer to, both local and national.
- Help her find sites that appeal to her interests (such as breed, dog sport, or canine cause sites).
- Make IOU coupons for your favorite dog person for things such as:
- dog walks
- grooming & nail clippings
- baths
- play dates
- pet sitting
- a digital photo session
- helping your friend set up her equipment at a dog show or event.
- a dog-themed movie night (pick up a couple of dollar DVD rentals and bring the popcorn)
- Make your favorite dog-lover a calendar with dog events for the coming year. Include dog shows, pet fairs, televised dog events, her dog’s birthday or anniversary, etc. To find the events, check with your local shelters, city hall, training facilities, dog clubs, dog shops, and the AKC.
- Knit or sew a cushiony dog mat or rug.
- Braid a strong tug toy out of strips of old blue jeans.
- Mix up some dog biscuits for a special dog. There are lots of recipes online. Package them in inexpensive clear treat bags or decorative tins.
- Buy a small table-top tree and tie bone-shaped biscuits to the branches with ribbon.
- Make some unique refrigerator magnets by hot gluing a magnet to the back of a dog biscuit that has been coated with water-based polyurethane. (Keep these magnets out of the dog’s reach!)
