http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry080223-101045 Folks around here are ready to get out and get to the regular outdoor activities without having to bundle up. Although with all the reports we've been getting that fuel prices are on the rise and will probably top out at or above $4.00 this summer few of us are willing to do much traveling this year. But there will be plenty to do around locally. The river should be good, and there seems to be alot planned for activities from Leadville to Salida.
This is when it's hard to be inside working. Especially for those of us who are outdoors type people anyway. Well, I guess that we can do what we can and try to be in the sun as much as possible when its out.
So how is it that the song says? "I'm gonna soak up the sun!" You should too!
Have a great week and live large!]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry080216-120210

The Triple “C’s”

As a general rule of thumb to staging or un-decorating, is to remember the three “C’s”. These are not the only three, but they are the most important.

1. Curb appeal: Selling starts at the curb. It will be the first impression as the buyers drive up, make it a good one
2. Clean: Your property and home should be clean, clean, clean! Use a lot of elbow grease here and scrub from top to bottom, inside and out!
3. Comfortable: You want your home to feel just that, “homey”. From colors to clutter keep it simple and neutral!


Closing the Deal

There is so much that you can do before you even list your property with an agent to make it more appealing to buyers. If you do any of this before an agent comes to you’re your home, it will also make your sales shoots more appealing.
Take the time to go through your home and assess every detail. Use a notebook to journal all your ideas, and strategies, repairs that need to be done, and what you have done.
I would even suggest hiring a home stager to come in and help you wherever you need. They are a great resource for fresh ideas and since they usually work in or around the real estate market, they know what is helping homes to sell at the time. You can find a stager through your local phone book, real estate office, or chamber of commerce. They have different packages available for you from doing 110% of the work themselves, to letting you purchase a package of ideas and doing the work yourself.

Just remember that when you decide to take on this project it’s not for you, but for the new buyers! And you never know, you may clean everything out, repaint, and love it so much, you keep your own home!



What you do keep it simple and clean, it will do a lot for a tired home in need of some one new to love it!

So, good luck and happy selling!



If you would like to have any portion or the whole article, please call Sheila at RE/MAX MVP at 719-395-9063
]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry080208-140745


Minor Updates –

Ok, so this is where things may get a little tricky. You have a 1970’s something home, with appliances to match. Your agent has looked things over and told you that your home would sell better if you were to remodel your kitchen but you have a teeny tiny budget to do it on. So, skip Lowes or Home Depot, don’t max out your credit card to try to sell a home that may take time. Hit the classified in your local newspaper, or even E-bay or craigslist.org! These are very good resources to find decent appliances at reasonable prices. As a matter of fact you may even be able to sell those out dated ones you have at the same place. Believe it or not, some people are looking for the retro or antique stuff to redo their kitchens in. So try it.
The same thing goes for furniture, window décor, flooring or even paint. Check out the Home Depot and Lowes for paint that has been brought back because it was mixed wrong. If you have a smaller area that needs flooring you can also try asking if they have extra they may have brought back from an installation job, ask, they’ll show it to you. You may even try a flooring store for this as well, or they may even have what they tore out of the old home that may be perfectly good. Some people just want to change colors, not because they have to and the carpets they took out are just fine.



Some larger towns even have stores that specialize in used appliances, furniture, & construction materials for remodeling or building that may have exactly what you’re looking for. These places are great because they usually are run by someone with a cause like Habitat for the Humanities, Salvation Army, or Homes for Vets. This way you get to sell your home with up dated appliances, and you will also be helping others who need homes. Check out your local phone book, or call around to find these fine stores.

You don’t always have to think new, just think replace. There are great resources to find just about anything you need. Don’t forget about yard sales, consignment shops, and even second hand stores. A lot of elbow grease and maybe a little touch up paint may be all you need to sparkle up a gently used appliance. You do need to make sure that anything you buy is going to work properly. If it can’t be tested out where you are buying it, see if you can get a guarantee on it. Make sure you get it in writing too. An honest company won’t have a problem with this, and may even come with one without asking, just be sure before paying for your appliance. If the clerk doesn’t know, talk to a manager, and don’t buy anything until you know for a fact and get it writing!



One thing you need to look at is going to be the structure of your home. Start outside, look under the eaves, are there boards coming undone from the roof or house? Do they need painted? Look inside your gutters, you need to make sure that they are all cleaned out. No leaves, ice, or dirt and debris. Make sure they are properly attached to the home as well; no one wants to see a gutter flapping in the wind! Now look at your windows, check out the frames, and glass, are there cracks, or peeling, do they shut properly and lock? Do the same check with all your doors. These will be the same as the windows. Make sure that the top and bottom of the doors close against the frames and that the weather stripping is nice with no tears or holes. Be sure to check that the doors close tight against the frame and you have no air leaks.
Now you need to get up on top of the house and check out the roof, if you’re afraid of heights do not attempt this, get someone who is knowledgeable to cover this area for you. Do you see any shingles coming off? Roofing tar that is missing form around the air conditioner or vents, nails or screws coming out?
If you have a crawl space or a basement you’ll need to check out the floor from underneath. Make sure that no joists that are broken, damaged, or missing.

The structure of your house is the most important area that you need to go over. While you may be knowledgeable in checking this area out, it is my suggestion that you have a licensed professional home inspector come in to do this. Not only will this probably be done before a sale anyway, but you will know before hand what will need to be fixed. If its major, the buyers will most likely ask you to have the repairs done, if its minor maybe you can just do it yourself and add value to your home.



Minor suggestions –

Use this staging time as a good time to go through and get rid of all that stuff you really don’t need. Have a garage sale, consign it, donate to the local shelter, or just give away what you really don’t need. Use the money for that vacation you’re going to want when the house is sold.
Keep prying eyes away from the “personal” side of your life. Remember, just because no one wants to see the personal side of your life lying around, doesn’t mean they won’t snoop to see it. Most people have no problem with looking through your medicine cabinet, or the drawers of your dressers, even if they know those don’t come with the house. So you need to make sure that anything you keep around the house is going to be ok for strangers or children to see.

Next week: Triple “C” Overview and closing the deal.


If you would like to have any portion or the whole article, please call Sheila at RE/MAX MVP at 719-395-9063

]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry080126-123721
Oh boy, where do I start here? I am combining basements and garages because there is so much that can be wrong here, and generally they consist of the same problems.
Too much stuff, being used as a storage area, being used as a bedroom that can’t be, mold, dirt, no or poor windows for light and the list can go on.
So, you ask, what is the best way to clean this up in a hurry so that it looks good? Well, to start with, you are going to hit these areas just the same as you did the rest of the house! Store and clean!! Take everything out that you don’t use on a regular basis, in this case just about everything in here is gong to storage. Now break out the wet-dry vacuum and get to cleaning. Once everything is scrubbed down you can reassess what you are using these rooms for.



For the garage, put your vehicles in there where they belong. If they don’t fit size wise, then just leave it cleaned out and totally open. Let the buyers envision their own vehicles in there, this also allows them to be able to do some measuring if they need to without having to trip over your things to do it.
If it’s a finished basement that you aren’t already using, then maybe you can store some of that extra furniture from upstairs down here to liven things up a little. If you are using it then clean it up just like you did your living room. If you are using it as a kids play room, or a game room for adults, then you need to tidy up put things away, box the extra stuff up and put it into storage. You may want to go back and re-read part 2 & maybe 3 if you are using any of the area as a bedroom.
If the basement is un-finished, then you need to just scrub it down thoroughly and get rid of all the cobwebs and grime. Anything that is in boxes, or being stored down here, defiantly get it out of here and into storage.



If there is any mold what so ever, make sure you call a home damage company to find out what your best recourse will be to getting rid of it. It is extremely important that you get rid of any existing mold before trying to sell your property.

Spend money where it counts
If you have any money you are able to spend, the wisest place to put it is going to be in new flooring, painting, or in minor updates.

Flooring -



If you have pets, kids, or live outside a lot you probably need to replace the flooring somewhere in your house. Getting rid of dirt tracks or worn paths from the living room to the kitchen helps to wake a room up.
You may even need to rethink the color of your current flooring. Going with a more neutral color or maybe even a marbled style can be the cleanest and sometimes the least expensive.
Carpet comes in almost every color, pattern, and texture you can imagine. You will want to select a color that unites general decorative elements and creates a common atmosphere. Ever-popular beige carpet can make a room look spacious. Look for a coordinating color in common furniture and draperies.



Choose a carpet with a similar hue. Warm colors can warm up a room, while cool greens and blues have a calming effect. Lighter colors make the room seem larger and brighter; darker colors can provide depth and coziness. There are also the more practical considerations while selecting. New stain and soil resistant technology makes today's lighter color carpet much easier to clean, allowing more decorating options. Medium and darker colors, tweeds, and textures will help disguise common soil in your home's high traffic areas. This is good if you know that your buyers market is going to be outdoors people or parents with kids or animals.
Take a look at the kitchen and bathroom flooring as well. Hard flooring can have stains or show wear patterns, too. There are as many choices in hard flooring as there is in carpeting. You may want to go with a nice wood or even a Pergo floor, or maybe tile, linoleum, or even a poured stained cement or stone flooring. No matter what your budget, you will have plenty of flooring to choose from.
You can pick up a wide variety of flooring from just about anywhere now. If you are going to do it yourself, you can go to Home Depot or Lowes, there are also flooring stores and distributors that you can purchase product from that you can install it yourself, too, and they all offer measuring and or installation services as well.
Just remember that when choosing flooring, it’s not for you, its for the new owners. So don’t pick just what you like, pick a good universal flooring that will look good with anything and will give the buyers a chance to be imaginative with their own furnishings.




Paint and wallpaper–
Ok, here’s another big one. Although rest assured, painting is a less difficult decision than the flooring! First off you need to decide if you need to paint at all. You will need to look at a couple different aspects here.
Let’s use the living room as the example here. Start by looking at the walls. Now that you’ve taken down all the extra photos and pictures, I’m sure you have nail holes from hanging them. But take a few steps back and take a closer look at the overall view. How bad is the aging on the paint? Can you see everywhere that there was something on or near the wall? Now get close up and take a look. How does it look, old, dry, cracking?
What color is it, blue, or pink, maybe it’s green? Think of your walls just like the flooring, it’s got to go with anything. While your baby blue walls may be beautiful with your blue and tan furnishings, it will look awful with the buyer’s brown and peach couches, and the brown Oriental rug they got on vacation. While each prospective buyer is going to have different furniture, your walls should be able to go with all of them, within reason. Keep it simple, keep it reasonable, and keep it neutral, beige, off white, eggshell, Navajo white, bone, just to name a few. You must stay away from anything with pigment, even a barely there color such as blush, nudes, pales, or transparent colors. This goes for textures too. You don’t need to add faux or dimensional paints, it’s expensive and too time consuming, and that is really a personal choice.
This goes for wallpaper as well. If you need to change wallpaper, use the same technique as with the paint. Stay neutral, and simple. Stay away from patterns, big flowers or themes. For the best results, peel away the old wallpaper, sand down the walls, and paint.
As I have mentioned before, DO NOT paint over wallpaper, it will not work properly.


Next week: Spending money where it counts, minor renovations, con’t.

If you would like a print out of the whole series, please call Sheila at RE/MAX MVP in Buena Vista, Colorado at 719-395-9063
]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry080119-120701
Let’s move back to the bedrooms & start in the master bedroom. This is your domain, we know. You have made this room a special place for you. Again, just like the rest of the house though, no one wants to know what your bedroom specialties are. Lets go through and un-personalize it. Get rid of all the family pictures, the clutter of papers, books, CD’s, and what-not’s from the bedside tables, and on the floor by the bed. Stick them in a box for now; they’ll be safe, just put away. If you have an entertainment console, clean it up. Organize whatever must stay, store everything you possibly can.



Now, step back and take a look. What else is “you” in there? What about the bedspread? Just because you like hunting doesn’t mean that your Mossy Oak camo comforter is going to bring appeal to the room. It may match the three tone green walls and carpet, but it’s going to be distracting from the real room. If it reversible to a solid color on the bottom, turn it over, or if its not, go get another one, something that is going to be pleasing to most eyes. Try beige, bone, tan, sage, navy, or any one of the neutral colors that go with any wall color.
Now, take a look at your bedside tables. Take everything off of them, except a clock, and a lamp. Keep them simple and clutter free. If there is a shelf underneath, you may stack a couple average novel type books down there or even a simple vase with dried flowers.
Do not keep “bedroom” books or magazines under here! If there are drawers, you may even want to empty them, keep prying eyes away from the “personal” side of your life.
If you have guest bedrooms you may want to try the “motel” approach, matching, simple, aesthetic, and utilitarian.
If you have children, these rooms are going to need some special attention. The kids need to be able to have their space, but they will also need to realize that these rooms need to be showable, even if they are neat freaks and keep their rooms spit shine tidy. Sit down with them and go over the room, step by step, item by item, and store everything that possibly can be, its ok to compromise in here some. Start with the walls; take down all the rock posters, pictures, ribbons, trophies, stuffed animals, toys, and whatever else you can see cluttering the room. To make things easier, keep school books, computer and printer, a small toy box that can have special toys, and music or game stations. Everything else can be packed up and stored.

Bathrooms –
Most people think that this is going to be a pretty easy job. But take a look at your bathroom. How many old bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body soap, or old soap bars do you have lying around? What about designer soaps, fancy towels, candles, and magazines for reading in the “office”? Get rid of them all! Clean the cleaners and old make-up out from under the sinks and from the drawers, organize the linen closet.



In the master bathroom keep a few towels and only the major necessities. You may need to wash towels more often or go to the grocery for shampoo when you run out, but it will keep your bathrooms uncluttered and cleaner. Be sure to keep a good shine on the faucets, and the mirrors. Use a good lime away for the scum build up. Now scrub, scrub, scrub. A clean bathroom is very appealing. You may want to pick up all of the décor rugs and only throw one in the middle of the room. This will draw the eye away from the problem spots and bring it to the whole room at once.
In the guest bathroom, if you have one, only keep one bath towel, 2 hand towels, and two washcloths hanging on the towel bars. Any more than that is unnecessary. Clean off the counters of knick-knacks and clean just like you did the master bath.

If you have old or busy wallpaper,



as some older homes are prone to having, you may want to consider removing this and repainting. Whatever you do, no matter if you’ve done it before, or know of someone who has, please DO NOT paint over the top the wallpaper. It doesn’t work right, honest. I have seen it done and it eventually ends up bleeding through, especially with old wallpaper. I don’t suggest wallpapering over old paper either as sometimes the adhesives can cause a chemical reaction with each other and start pealing your new wallpaper away from the wall, or even blister it and you end up having to start all over again. So, just start from the beginning right.

Next week -
Basements, garages, and spending your money were it will do the most

If you would like a print out of the whole series, please call Sheila at RE/MAX MVP in Buena Vista, Colorado at 719-395-9063
]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry080112-131816

Start at the front door -
If you have a foyer it will be easier to clear everything out and have only the bear minimum. If you don’t then make it as inviting as you can. Get rid of all the coats, boots, and clutter by the door that can be put away or stored. Utilize a coat closet if you have one.
Get rid of the stack of magazines and newspapers by the couch, all of the knick-knacks lying around on the end tables and on the walls. Make sure you clean off the plant leaves, silk or real. Spend any money you can here to put out fresh flowers or plants. Put the mail and the laundry away. People know you live there but you don’t need to leave stuff lying around to remind them.
Do some re-arranging. Move things around. If you have and are using a fireplace or heating stove, make that your focal point instead of the TV. Change the pillows on the couch. Hang some pictures if you don’t have any, or take some down if you have too many. If you have your walls “papered” with the family photos, take the majority down and put up just one or two landscape scenes. This would be a good idea all over the house, not just in the front room.
If you are an avid reader and you have a ton of books on a book shelf or stacked around the house. Store a bunch of them. You don’t need to store them all, that just leaves empty space on the shelves to fill. Instead empty it about a ¼ of the way. Lay some of the books on their sides to “bookend” other books against the edge. Now, take a few of the family knick-knacks that you just can’t bear to store, and fill in a few of the empty spaces. Make sure to keep some sort of theme if you can or at least keep them size appropriate, and few.
Clean up that entertainment center! If you can’t hide it behind closed doors, then clean it up. Store away most of the movies, and tidy up the cords if they show. Zip ties from the local hardware store are great for those unsightly cords. Clean up any glass, polish the wood, and wipe down any metal. Use Endust Static Spray to clean off the TV and any other electronics that show. If you or your family is going to be around when the house is being shown, make sure that the TV and any radios are off.

Leave the food in the refrigerator –
It has always been suggested that you bake cookies or have some hot coffee brewing when your buyers come to look at the house. But, those aren’t always pleasant smells to some people. Instead, seek out bad smells and deodorize it right. Use fragrance free deodorizing candles from a health store, or try throwing a load of towels in the dryer with a couple dryer sheets. Some people are allergic to artificial and sometimes to real scents. The last thing you want to do is make your buyers ill while they are looking at your home!
Make sure that you clean off those kitchen counters, too. Organize those cupboards by only keeping a few pots and pans that you will need. Put everything in its right place. If you have a pot drawer, take out the tools and the junk and put the pots in it. Go ahead and use the dish rack for the dishes. If you have some electronic utensils’ for the kitchen, put them behind cupboard doors. Organize your refrigerator, too, even if it doesn’t go with the sale of the house.
Move the stove away from the wall and clean the sides of the counters and stove! No one likes to see that old food stuck in the cracks left from cooking spills. And don’t forget the vent hood!
Use some floor polish if you have wood or linoleum flooring. Sweep and mop often.

Next weeks topics -
Bedrooms and Bathrooms

If you would like a print out of the whole series, please call Sheila at RE/MAX MVP in Buena Vista, Colorado at 719-395-9063
]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry080105-135535

You want to sell your home? Of course you do. You’re going to listed it with a realtor, now what? Now you need to make sure that it’s attractive to someone else. Making your house a place that will entice someone else to see what you did when you fist bought it, something to let the next owner see its potential.
So where do you start? Maybe you think your home needs a lot of work, or maybe it just needs some small adjustments here and there. Whether you need a professional to come in and help you un-decorate your house or not, take a look at this series and see if maybe there’s something you can do to start.
Remember that your realtor is going to be taking pictures, so you need to have all of this done before they get there for the pictures. Keep everything the same during the duration of the sale, so that you can get the same impression every time someone comes to look at your property.

Make a good first impression –
First make sure that the outside of your home is clean and uncluttered. The outside of the home is very important. This is what attracts the buyers to make them want to see the rest of the house.
Be sure to that the grass is mowed, & the toys are put away. If it is winter time clean the snow is off the drive and the walkway is clear of ice and debris.

Clean and sound makes a good first impression to the buyers. Do any touch ups that need to be done, such as repairs to any fences, or the outside structure of the house. Even raking the gravel on the driveway, or washing the concrete in front of your garage. Replace the outside light bulbs, and clean out the cobwebs and dead flies from under the eaves and out of the light fixtures.
If you can, buy some nice outdoor planters, one for each side of the door and fill them with beautiful fresh blooming flowers. If you have a porch, make it inviting. Add a couple nice chairs, with a small table draped in a clean simple one color cloth.


The professionals recommend that you have your realtor put the lockbox on the front door so that when they show it, they take them right to the front of the house. This is where the buyers will spend the most time. Once the agent has them inside they usually have 15 seconds to make or break the sale of the home. This is the “inside” first impression area. Make sure that the foyer or entryway is fresh and clean, and the flooring looks great. Don’t decorate here. Keep it simple, a small table with a small lamp and a vase of fresh flowers is all you need.

Now that you’ve got-em inside –
Just because you like all of Aunt Ida's traveling spoons hanging in the living room, or Cousin Jo-Jo's independent rock and roll group posters hanging in the guest room, doesn't mean that the potential buyer is going to. They want to see what it will look like if they were living in it. You of course can’t let them put there belongings in it, but you can give them a general impression. Remember, it’s not about you and your stuff and your taste.

A good thorough cleaning is the best place to start. From the top to the bottom get in the groove. Get the duster and vacuum out and use some good old fashioned elbow grease!


Once all the cleaning is done, then, un-decorate your home. Get a storage unit if you need to store extra belongings such as part of that huge sofa set, or the family knick-knacks. Think clean, un-cluttered, classic, and match your furnishing size to the room size. Over sized furniture takes away from the home, and it’s hard to visualize different furnishings in their stead. If you have any furnishings that are chipped, torn, broken, or have any other unsightly marks on them, store it! Make sure you keep just what you will need to live with until your home sells, but that won’t be in the way of the sale. If there are just two of you, then you could probably get away with a loveseat and a chair or recliner. Take the leaves out of the dinning table and make it the smallest size you can. Box up seasonal clothes to thin out the closets so they can be seen.


Next weeks topics:
The front rooms and the kitchen

If you would like a print out of the whole series, please call Sheila at RE/MAX MVP in Buena Vista, Colorado at 719-395-9063
]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry071226-092451

You Should Know
To Get Your Home
SOLD FAST
And for
TOP DOLLAR!!

Because your home may well be your largest asset, selling it is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in your life.

To better understand the home selling process, a guide has been prepared from current industry insider reports. Through these 27 tips you will discover how to protect and capitalize on your most important investment, reduce stress, be in control of your situation, and make the most profit possible.
Call the Buena Vista Tip Line at
1-800-867-1910
Ext. 1023]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry071212-145631 Today the roads are clearing up and traffic is resuming to its normal flow. The temps have been steady around the low 30's and dipping down into the low teens or single digits.
Is everyone ready for Christmas? We are quickly gaining on it with only 13 more days left! I thankfully have all of my shopping done. I am cursed with the ability to get done quickly if not through out the year. No last minute stuff for me. Of course I do all of my shopping online or local. I hate the malls, and I don't see the point in giving my hard earned money to a corporation. Plus, people in the malls are just there to spend money and they really don't care about the Christmas Season.
Well, good luck to everyone who still has shopping to do. Be careful out there, both on the roads and in the stores.]]> http://newremaxsite.web.aplus.net/pblog/index.php?entry=entry071203-124134 Do you remember what it was like to be excited about Christmas? The butterflies in your stomach, guessing what you were getting, or the frustration of what to get someone?
Well, why aren’t you still feeling that way? Does the thought of spending money keep it away, or the thought of gaining those extra few pounds from all the sweets, and food? What about making time for the events, and parties? All this along with the daily grind of work, and home, and family?
So why do we stress over all this? What’s the need? Things were simpler when we were kids, you only bought for those who were close, and they LOVED what we got them, even though we didn’t spend a lot. It truly was the thought that counted! So why did we get so greedy now that we’ve gotten older. Why don’t we just make up our minds to be happy with what we give or get? Spend time in enjoying the thought and the spirit that is what truly makes Christmas what it is?
Even in the receiving end, we get disappointed in what we get from someone else.
Our spouses give us that blender we casually mentioned we wished we had when the friends were over and we were trying to make milkshakes, but now that it’s under the tree, it’s not what we want? “He didn’t put any thought into buying that!” You say? But wait, he did didn’t he, he remembered that from clear back in the Summer time, and now its under the tree with your name on it!
You bought him that drill bit set he said he wished he had so that he could finish his project easier, but that’s a next summer job now, so does he still need it? Of course! You remembered what he said months ago, even though you don’t get it, he does!
The family doesn’t understand why you bought them a box of 51 card games? Well, maybe they should sit down and play them, maybe they would understand, it’s not the games that are the present, but the time spent with each other that is the lasting gift!
Do you have to spend a lot to make it special? “NO!” Do you have to buy a gift for each person? “NO!” Do you need to be extravagant or flashy? “NO!” Do you need to get the same? “NO!”
You do need lots of love and understanding, and just to be happy you can spend time with the ones you love, and cherish each other while you can.
Think of the time and thought it took to figure out what they thought you would have fun with or enjoy! Why did they think of that? Ask them! Let it bring you to a new understanding of each other. What does it say about what they think you are like, or like, or want? You mean you don’t remember mentioning you wanted that, but THEY do? I say “WOW!” What do you say?

Great gifts to give to your loved ones and friends:
1. A “Throw-in-the-oven-dinner” with directions, make in a throw-a-way pan
2. A map to your house with a gift certificate for a bottle of wine or bakery good
3. A game
4. Make some “Service” coupons. (I will do dishes one night you choose; You have control of the remote control all night!)
5. Photo collage of your family, vacation, or the birthday party they threw for you
6. Burn a CD of their favorite music
7. Tickets to a movie just for two
8. A certificate to take the kids for the weekend
9. A Christmas ornament celebrating a special event that happened that year
10. A candle with a note that says, “Every time you light this, remember me, and know that I have thought of you ten times more. Just make sure you light it a lot!”

Remember it doesn’t have to be big or expensive, or even bought, to be special to the one you’re giving it to, or even to yourself!
Enjoy the ones your with and remember the true meaning of Christmas, is about them, not you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
]]>