Articles written by Pat Merewether in Celebrations & Holidays

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About me - Pat Merewether

Thank you for visiting my Helium page. My passion for writing started when I was in high school and won a nationally run essay contest for my school. The writing came through in letter writing (Back when people still wrote letters). Shortly after my husband

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Celebrations & Holidays > Gift Advice Gift ideas for the elderly: 3 of 43
Gifts for the elderly? Well, I guess to everyone age forty and younger that's me. I'm sixty-one. So, I'm fairly certain that group will probably give me tennis balls to keep my walker sliding or maybe one of those emergency button thingys to wear around my neck so I can get help if I fall and I can't get up. Not!Seniors are p... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Archives Christmas 2007: Gift ideas for dad under $10: 1 of 9
Men are hard enough to shop for and keeping the price below ten dollars nearly sounds impossible, but it's not. Here are some ideas that have worked well in our family.1. A box of good chocolates. It may be small, but if he's a chocolate lover like my son-in-law, a small box of hand picked chocolates from a good gourmet or ca... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Archives Christmas 2007: Gift ideas for children from $10 to $25: 1 of 8
After years of buying and making gifts for children, I've collected quite a list. Many of the kids I bought for are now in high school and still have and use today and they didn't cost a lot.Young Children:If you sew, you can save a lot and create an heirloom. I made a Paddington Bear for my nephew who now has kids of his own... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Christmas 2008: How to recycle your Christmas tree: 2 of 15
There are a number of ways to recycle a Christmas tree. There are practical ways and fun ways, and many ideas in between. You can make it into a bird feeder, chop it up and cure it for campfire wood or have it chipped for garden mulch. Christmas trees also make a great perennial protector or even a practical joke!BIRD FEEDER ... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Archives Christmas 2007: Gift ideas for children under $10: 2 of 14
Finding a gift that a child will enjoy for ten dollars or less sounds nearly impossible in today's hi-tech world, but it can be done.Here are a list of items that have been a hit with the many kids on our list.1. Books on a subject they're interested in. It's a bit late now, but I've found many books, DVD's and CD's on Amazon... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Archives Christmas 2008: How to save money on Christmas wrapping paper: 6 of 31
We all know the best time to purchase gift wrap is the day after Christmas, but most of us are in no mood to go back to the trenches and fight for it. This is the best way to save money on Christmas wrapping paper, and often you can find it on sale for a week after Christmas, so no need to panic. Of course I'm not picky about... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas How to play Yankee swap (white elephant gift exchange): 3 of 15
The traditional White Elephant is traditionally an American or "Yankee" game. Here is the basic game, however, I've played several variations which I'll explain later.Each person brings a rather useless or odd item, wrapped with the white side of the gift wrap facing outward. Perhaps this is where the name came from. The play... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Cheap and funny Yankee swap gift ideas: 2 of 8
The Yankee swap is a lot of fun and I've gotten a couple of useful items from them, but more important, I had a lot of run for the bathroom' laughs at them as well. I've also attended a regifter' swap and a services swap, which I'll explain later.All of the swaps I've been to were made up of all women, so they get pretty craz... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) Fun Fourth of July activities for kids: 9 of 34
Several Fourth of July projects for the kids in our family have been great hits. The most popular was the Treasure Hunt - which can be done pretty much anytime weather permits, but it's a great addition to a family Fourth party. My grandfather used to create a treasure map of his garden for me and I loved it. The treasure was... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Valentine's Day Overcoming shyness on Valentine's Day: 4 of 14
Most people are in a slightly lighter mood on Valentine's day and this offers the perfect opportunity to overcome your shyness and take a chance on love, or just friendship, which is a good start. Shyness is not a character flaw, it's part of who you are, but if taken to the extreme it can hamper your quality of life and lead... More..