Be polite about gifts, even those ugly socks

Expressing gratitude is important, sure. But not wrinkling your nose when you open a hideous pair of brightly patterned, itchy socks on Christmas morning is important, too. We want our children to be grateful, but they also need to know how to be polite.So we asked Daniel Post Senning, a spokesman for the Emily Post Institute, how to coach little ones to not show disappointment when they open a present they don't like and what is acceptable these days in terms of acknowledging gifts.

"The situations and circumstances of our lives change, and the ways that we express, show or share [gratitude] may change, but a good high-quality thank-you is still a fundamental part of etiquette," Senning said.Senning says parents need to teach children how to receive every gift — even the ugly socks — with the same spirit and thought that it was given.

"Let them know that's part of the expectations," Senning said. "You can always say thank you for something, for thinking of you, or the thought behind the gift. Prepare them for the possibility ahead of time and be clear with the expectations."A warm, spoken thank-you is perfectly acceptable on its own, Senning said, but a written thank-you note is always a nice added touch. If your child is not able to thank someone personally, she should send a handwritten thank-you note (with help, depending on her age).

Native Instruments Holiday Giveaway

Native Instruments today launched their annual holiday giveaway with two special gifts as a thank you to all registered users. Until December 31, both gifts are available for download from the Native Instruments website. For producers, DRIVER is a filter distortion effect designed for subtle to drastic sound manipulation, while five new Remix Sets for TRAKTOR's Remix Decks will be released as a free bundle for Native Instruments' DJ community. Here's what they have to say about each...

DRIVER is a creative filter distortion effect for adding dynamic motion and texture to source material, designed by the creator of MASSIVE. The filter section delivers a wide range of effects, from extremely smooth to completely saturated. DRIVER offers low pass and notch filters, plus a distortion unit and versatile modulation sources. Special Thank You Gifts with A Special Thought.The diversity and quality of the resulting sound are consistently inspiring, and let producers segue smoothly from a warm, high-quality filter effect to all-out sonic mayhem.

An envelope follower and audio modulation allow users to animate or transform the original signal, taking the sound beyond what the filter and distortion sections do alone. DRIVER can also be triggered via sidechain for dynamic effects that move with the music and integrates seamlessly with MASCHINE.The five TRAKTOR Remix Sets in Native Instruments' holiday giveaway provide users with diverse sounds ready for immediate use in TRAKTOR's Remix Decks.

Special Thank You Gifts with A Special Thought

Bestowing thank you gifts is one attitude that is practiced in pretty much every society. Expressing appreciation and acknowledging our open recognition to others are universally accepted rules that societies encourage. No matter whether a thank you gift is for your loving husband, wife, dear significant other, your child's teacher, a co-worker, venerable parents, particular friend, or a thoughtful neighbor, letting them know how they have positively affected your life, it will always be appreciated.

With so many opportunities to send a straightforward thank you gift, it's a shame folks often make this gesture for only the indisputable particular functions. The intelligent principle: "It is often the little things that can make such a big difference in our lives," genuinely applies to the giving of a canny thank you gift.Corporate thank you gifts with a unique message to an associate, to a long time trusty employee, or to a new or long time client brings accord, and communicates your gratefulness with the absolute dignity. It may seem like a small sign, yet have favourable long-lasting results.

All of us wantto discover the perfect thank you gift, but at times, specialized support is vital. The best web based gift shops make the procedure standard, with useful online picks and acquiring. Any in depth internet shop needs to supply an substantial choice of gifting solutions ranging from the straightforward and joyful such as bouquet of colorful Mylar balloons with a "thank you" theme that are hand delivered, to flowers, plants, and hand-crafted spa sets, to extravagant wine and sweet and savory treat-filled baskets.

Thank you for the most meaningful gift

This is a thank-you note for persons unknown but suspected. Maybe, it is also an idea for others. Last year, 12 days before Christmas, I found a gift at my back door. Thinking it was cookies, I opened it right up. It was a manger. Puzzled, I put it aside.Next morning, lo and behold, there was a lamb. Next, a donkey. Now getting the message, I started each day looking for the next arrival. The baby Jesus arrived Christmas morning. This Nativity is the most beautiful and meaningful gift I have ever received.

It was also the most fun. It has stayed on display all year and gives me joy every time I look at it. So, thank you,Poinsettia a perfect gift , to my gift-givers. I love you all.I'm a US Service member from Fairchild AFB deployed overseas to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The other day I received a package from Mr Mark's class at Garfield Elementary School. I was quite surprised to learn I had a package since I had not given out a mailing address to anyone.

When I opened the package and saw the picture, letters and cards from the class it nearly brought me to tears. Being away from home during the holiday season is very difficult (especially with two small children at home), but the kindness showed to me by this class was both heartwarming and humbling. You'll never know how much it means to receive a gift like this from complete strangers when you're thousands of miles away from home, but it makes being away from home just a little bit easier.

Poinsettia a perfect gift

I'll tell you the secret for a gift that fits everyone: the poinsettia. It says "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hanukkah," "Thanks for your business," "Thank you for hosting." It does not require wrapping paper, a trip to the mall, a gift receipt or ordering online.A blooming poinsettia is the quickest way to decorate a home for the holidays – with class and without electricity, nails in the wall or needles on the floor.Early December is when you should purchase a poinsettia plant.

The selection is best and you have all month to enjoy the world's most-loved holiday houseplant.Here's a guide to buying and keeping one alive.Why you should want a poinsettia plant: A living plant is your best defense against the plastic commercialism and fake sentimentality of Christmas.Gift plants such as poinsettias have no calories, are one-size-fits-all, can help clean indoor air of pollutants and you won't have to store it away or cart it to the thrift store when the season is over. (I just add my poinsettia to the compost pile each spring – a great way to recycle the potting soil.)

Where to use poinsettias:Christmas Card Messages for online cards, March a line of potted poinsettias up a stairway (indoors only, they hate the cold); line up a few poinsettias on the mantel; display a single plant in a silver bowl on a dining room table; arrange a dozen poinsettias on risers to create a living tree form; or place a tiny poinsettia in the guest bathroom, on the kitchen counter, in an office cubicle or beside the bed on a night stand.

Christmas Card Messages for online cards

Along with the incredible progress of technology, in this era we are able to access internet, which is the greatest boon of 21st century. Nowadays, sending Christmas wishes via marvelously tailored e-cards is much in vogue among people. There are a variety of Christmas card messages available in the marketplaces. If you think that you want something new and unconventional then why not try the epistolary cards. These are personal letters which are sent during Yule to the person, those are addressed to. Nowadays, though you can take the help of online emailing of sending these letters.

Today, internet has changed the way of life and it has made our life simpler than before. Therefore, we all prefer taking the help of this cutting edge service to communicate with our loved ones, faster than ever. Within a wink of eye, we can reach to our known persons, via social media sites, email, and chat services. Perhaps they are thousand miles away from us, still these smarter communication services makes us feel that we are just sitting together, talking hand in hand.

Here lies the incredible contribution of the online Christmas card messages.Christmas is the time for celebration. Why not enjoy it to the fullest? Send wonderful e-cards during this festive season to your friends, family and relatives that contain great celebration messages.Those who like to celebrate the festivity of Yuletide in a religious way can go for these religious X-Mas cards. These are decorated with sacred pictures of Jesus, Mother Mary, angels, and so on.

Some gifts fall into the love-it-later category, like Uggs

Have you ever said "thank you" through clenched teeth? The gift in that nicely wrapped box was so not what you wanted: comfy clothes instead of designer duds, or a kitchen gadget instead of a shiny piece of jewelry.Sometimes, though, the best gifts are the ones you use, and, frankly, most of us probably wear hoodies more than haute couture.

With a closet full of beautiful boots and gravity-defying heels, flat-foot, furry Uggs weren't at the top of celebrity stylist-designer Rachel Zoe's shopping list. They were OK for other people -- she might even have suggested them -- but she didn't see them fitting into her closet until someone gave her a pair.Even small gifts can say thank you.

"Once you put them on, you can't go back," Zoe says. "In my house, it's now the family at-home shoe. I wear them all the time. My son has 10 pairs, and my husband has 10 pairs."Christine Frietchen, a shopping expert who is advising TJ Maxx and Marshall's this year on their gift-giving programs, says a gift is something you wouldn't get for yourself. And the best way to know you've given a successful gift, she says, is if the receiver becomes an evangelist for it.