Our first gift idea comes from The New Castle Weekly, in New Castle, Delaware, published on December 11th, 2002. They shared a couple of different gift ideas, but the one that stood out the most to me was these chocolate and cappuccino jars. They are a dry mix that can be used to make either hot chocolate or cappuccinos, depending on what the individual receiving the gift would prefer. They provided the ingredients and instructions to assemble, and each batch made about 3 cups of dry mix. Simply make the mixture, package it into a cute jar, and give it to the coffee drinker or cocoa enthusiast in your life! This is a super easy gift that almost everyone would enjoy and is more personal than just regular hot cocoa packaged mixes.
Our first gift idea comes from The New Castle Weekly, in New Castle, Delaware, published on December 11th, 2002. They shared a couple of different gift ideas, but the one that stood out the most to me was these chocolate and cappuccino jars. They are a dry mix that can be used to make either hot chocolate or cappuccinos, depending on what the individual receiving the gift would prefer. They provided the ingredients and instructions to assemble, and each batch made about 3 cups of dry mix. Simply make the mixture, package it into a cute jar, and give it to the coffee drinker or cocoa enthusiast in your life! This is a super easy gift that almost everyone would enjoy and is more personal than just regular hot cocoa packaged mixes.
Looking for a way to get your kids involved in the gift-making process? You’re in luck, because The Abbeville Meridional in Abbeville, Louisiana published a segment titled “Decorations Youngsters Can Make” on December 19th, 1977 (I know, pushing the dates a bit again, but it seems that people were scrambling with gift ideas closer to Christmas). The ideas they provide are to make ornaments out of styrofoam or satin balls, make tree decorations from cardboard and magazine cutouts, and dip balloons in sugar icing to make tree baubles. These are all easy crafts to safely do with kids of all ages and would be perfect for family members to receive from their little ones. These crafts will quickly become fond memories each holiday season!
You may be asking yourself, what gift should I give to the men in my life? Well fear no more, because I found a gift guide from 1924 that is perfect for the important men in your life. This gift idea comes from The Paintsville Herald in Paintsville, Kentucky, published on December 11th, 1924. The ad began with the phrase “Men like gifts that grab them”, and proceeded to explain why women should shop at men’s stores for the best holiday gifts. They emphasized that by shopping in a men’s store, you would have an easier time finding something he would like. Suggested gifts were shirts, neckwear, belt novelties (such as the buckle, belt, and a beltogram), gloves, sweaters, hats, and handkerchiefs. If you are looking for a gift for a fancy man, they also suggest you give them a handsome bathrobe or fancy hose. These gift ideas are generic enough to apply to a variety of people but can be personally selected to match their clothing preferences.
Our last idea is one that gave me a small laugh, despite being a completely normal gift. This idea comes from The Vinton Eagle in Vinton, Iowa, published on December 15th, 1914. The ad, published by S. A. Ullom says “Possibly no other article is so acceptable as a Christmas gift, as a handsome bottle of really good perfume, or toilet water.” In this context, I can only assume toilet water is another word for perfume, like how modernly we sometimes refer to perfume as Eau de Toilette, which in French translates to toilet water. While I know that they aren’t saying to give someone a bottle of actual toilet water, I can’t help but read it that way. Perfume is a classic gift idea and is perfect for the special women in your life. But if you have someone you don’t necessarily like, who’s to say what toilet water actually means…
I hope these gift ideas were helpful, or at the very least as interesting to read as they were for me to find. Join me again next week to discover more of history’s hidden gems and timeless tales!
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