Dear Heloise: About 10 years ago, my daughter and son-in-law came to visit our lake home. I told my daughter to tell her brothers not to give us Christmas gifts anymore and that they should spend the money on their own families. Dad had enough T-shirts, and we had enough “bear things” around the house. So, she and her brothers decided that there would be no more gifts given to everyone in the family, and they would spend the money on their own kids.
It has been wonderful! We are a family of 15, and we get together during Christmas and have good food, play fun games, and just enjoy the time together without wondering if someone is going to like the gift you gave them.
— Pat Ferguson, Bakersfield
TRAVEL HINT
Dear Heloise: Suggesting putting shampoo, conditioner and other items in a plastic bag inside of your luggage wouldn’t get past TSA inspections in an airport! Buy such items at your destination point.
— Sandra E., via email
Sandra, this might work in some cases, but many of us get to our hotels rather late and are in no mood to go out shopping afterward. Even if we were willing to go downstairs and shop at an overpriced gift shop, it would still be easier to just pull out our own things from our suitcases. (Of course, these items must be travel-sized to make it past TSA.)
If you are in a new city without a car, you’d have to get transportation to a drug store somewhere. It’s not always easier to just buy items at your destination. Sometimes it’s too much of a hassle to do it.
— Heloise
BUY FLOWERS LOCALLY
Dear Heloise: In your recent column, you had two ideas for sending flowers. May I add that people should please use local florists, not the first place that shows up when you look online? It may be an order gatherer who says that they are local but really aren’t. They charge a large amount, then send it to a local florist who may get half of what they charged you. Enter a zip code for the area you want to send the flowers to, then keep searching until you see a map and shops listed from your town. Call them directly.
Yes, I’m a florist, and if you ask any florist, they can tell you horror stories about order gatherers who try to send flowers to people who bought them online, then send them off to a local florist for little or nothing. I’ve had people call me and say that they spent over $75, and I have to tell them that I only got $40 for the order.
— Mary Jo B., via email
THE ANNUAL LETTER
Dear Heloise: Every year, we get a New Year’s letter from my husband’s brother. We don’t get a Christmas letter because they don’t believe in celebrating Christmas. The letter is full of gossip and morbid tales, and frankly I don’t know how to tell them that we don’t want to be included on their mailing list. Any hints?
— Terry and Jake, in Vermont
Terry and Jake, when the letter comes, don’t open it. Just toss it in the garbage.
— Heloise
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