I love Oprah Winfrey.  But, that woman has expensive taste!  Every year she has her “Favorite Things” episode where she showcases all of her most fabulous finds from the past year.  This airs before the holidays and I have no doubt that the sales of those favorite things go way up.  Then Oprah might have one of her regular guests on, Suze Ormond to teach us all about financial responsibility.

 It got me to thinking…I like nice things as much as the next girl (more so, if you ask my husband).  And I like to give nice things to my friends and family as gifts.  However, my name is not Oprah and I don’t have a bank account the size of a planet.  So, I decided to make a little “Favorite Things” list of my very own.

1.             Home made cookies or breads, recipe included.

2.             A variation on the above—put all the dry ingredients into a jelly jar in layers, then tie with a bow and attach a recipe card with instructions on how to make whatever it is…works great with bean soups and cookies.

3.             Cashmere scarf, in neutral color, no pattern.  There’s no chance it won’t fit and stores like TJ Maxx sell them for as little as $10.  Not kidding.

4.             A book you have read and loved, that you think the recipient might like, with a personal note from you telling them what you liked about it.  I gave my female friends The Red Tent one year.

5.             A really nice umbrella.  I don’t know about you, but my umbrellas are always breaking.  I often need to replace them, and nothing brightens a rainy day better than a pretty umbrella except maybe a pretty umbrella given by a special friend or family member.

6.             A CD of songs from one or more of the following:  The year the recipient was born, the year they graduated from H.S. or College, or just songs for something specific, like working out, ambience music for dinner parties, dance music, break up music, songs to clean the house by, songs to take a bubble bath by (bottle of Mr. Bubbles optional on that last one!).

Well, that’s a start anyway.  Have any creative additions?  Please feel free to add them in comments!  Or make a list in a post of your own and link to mine (or just mention it if you are technologically challenged like me).

One gift idea that I won’t put on my list, but that I’d really love to receive is to be rated by you.  And that’s free!