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A few years ago I received my favorite neighbor gift. My neighbor was an older school teacher that was busy all the time.
She came to the door with a very large bottle of the seasoning ‘thyme’ (I have seen some that Lg. at the $1 store)
The night of the delivery there was a knock at the door ~ there stood my friend ‘THYME’ in hand ~ not wrapped ~ with a note attached that read “SORRY …RAN OUT OF THYME ..HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS”
It has been years since that incident but every ‘thyme’ I think of it I laugh to myself.
-Submitted by Liz Maher
The most creative neighbor gift I have ever received was a box of Whoppers decorated like a reindeer. There was a fluffy tail attached and a small hole cut out just under the tail where a Whopper could drop out with a poem similar to this:
We were awakened when we heard Santa call,
“Dash away, dash away, dash away all!”
But soon we discovered out on the front lawn,
Santa and his reindeer were gone.
With our little shovels, we started to scoop,
all of the droppings…..YUCK, reindeer poop!
So, then we generously filled you up a sack,
Have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your snack.
-Submitted by Ashlee Burst
1)Attached to a roll of Christmas paper towels:
“May the “absorbing” spirit of Christmas “blot” out your troubles, “soak” up your sorrows, “wipe” away your difficulties, and may the New Year “saturate” you with blessings all the year through.
2)Attached to a large candy bar:
A day or two ago we thought we’d make a treat for all our special friends, a Christmas treat to eat. Our intentions were top notch, but our schedules wouldn’t budge. Hence, Here’s this year’s edition of homemade Christmas fudge!
3)Attached to Christmas print dish cloths or dish towels:
Thank God for dirty dishes
They have a tale to tell,
While others may go hungry,
We’ve eaten very well.
With home, health, and happiness
I shouldn’t want to fuss.
By the stack of evidence,
God’s been very good to us.
-Submitted by Naunie Hyde
In my neighborhood, instead of giving out neighbor gifts, we get
together and have a party with a donation box. We donate whatever
amount we would have spent on neighbor gifts, and we then pick a
charity to give it to. It takes a huge load off my shoulders, and we
help someone in need in the process!
-Submitted by Kristy Oliver
I have a tradition for nearly 30 years now of sending handmade ornaments in with my Christmas cards. I do my best to find an idea and work on it during the fall so they will be ready to go at least 2 weeks before Christmas. This year I am thrilled as they are ALL complete – envelopes are addressed – just need to sign the cards and plan to get in the mail by Friday so they will be in everyone’s homes in time to put on the tree!
Friends & family have gotten so used to receiving that I get complaints if they DON’T get them. It also causes a lot of friends to call as they are decorating their tree, thinking of me as they decorate their tree!
-Submitted by Sue Kelsey
In our neighborhood we now donate to a charity each year in lieu of making neighbor gifts. I was making around fifty neighbor gifts each year and it was really getting out of hand. So, a few of us talked about helping others by spending the money we would have usually spent on neighbor gifts and donating it to those in need. This has been the most rewarding and stress free task of the season.
-Submitted by Cristy Kilpack
We received a new cookie sheet with fresh cookies and a pot holder. It was yummy and useful!
-Submitted by Traci Shepard
The cutest was one of those mini hand brooms and tray that my neighbor had wrapped yummy cookies up in with a cute poem about how crazy the holiday was and that the cookies had fallen on the floor and they just scooped them up for us! It was adorable!
-Submitted by Laurie Bischoff
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