Christmas Gifts of Talents

Everyone always has that one person on their Christmas list who they just can't figure out what to give. That simple, common difficulty combined with this year's economic situation can make Christmas shopping extra stressful. However, this year, consider giving those people a different kind of Christmas gift-one that is more of a burden on your time schedule than on your pocketbook. This is a great way to truly get down to the joy of giving during this holiday season, reminding both you and your gift recipients that material possessions aren't really the answer to Christmas happiness. This Christmas, offer up your time and talents to those whom you love. Here is a list of ways to do this, but go ahead and think of some on your own; you'll be surprised at how much you can offer your friends and family.

1) Tutoring: Although no one really likes spending extra time outside of school on schoolwork, sometimes those few extra hours are well worth the investment. Offer up your math skills to a younger sibling or friend who is struggling with Algebra. For the friend who never mastered the complexities of English grammar, offer up a whole year of proof reading his papers. Your friends and family will be pleased with their improved grades, and you'll be offering them a service that they can really use.

2) Cooking Lessons: This is a great gift from parents to their children. Since most people will someday fly free from their parents' house, it is important that they know how to fix a meal of more than just top ramen and sandwich meat. Offer to show your child how to cook their favorite meal, how to season meat, how to prepare vegetables, and how to determine just the right amount of spices for their favorite apple pie. It'll be a great learning experience for your children, and it will give you the opportunity to spend quality time with them over the holidays.

3) Teach a craft: Many mothers know how to knit, crochet, or cross stitch but never pass on those skills to their posterity. Go ahead and spend an hour or so enlightening your children or friends in the wonderful world of knitting, showing them how to make basic and easy scarves for themselves. Again, you'll get the benefit of spending quality time with them, and they'll get the benefit of acquiring a new skill.

4) Fishing: Go ahead and actually take your children or friends on that fishing trip that you've been promising them all year. Show them how to properly rig up their lines, how to cast their lines, and how to lip a fish once they've caught one. Be sure to bring a camera to capture all of the fun moments of the trip. Even if you don't actually end up catching your dinner, you will at least have had a fun memory together.

5) Photography: If you are a "photo buff" yourself, your friends and family have probably been impressed with your work over the years. Offer to teach them some of your special skills this Christmas season, even if it's as simple as showing them how to use macro settings, how to "see" a scene from a more unique perspective, or simply how to keep their photograph in focus.