Low Budget Christmas Gifts - Get All the Ideas Here

Inexpensive Christmas gifts are a must this season. Everyone is on a little tighter budget these days, but that doesn't mean your friends and family need to know their gifts are cheaper. You can still surprise them with something they won't forget, and you can do it at a fraction of the cost it normally takes. The secret is, to get them something unique.

Say, you have an uncle who is a die hard Steelers fan. When he unwraps the Steelers Salt and Pepper Shaker Set you got him he won't know how much it costs to start with, will like it so much because it's unique, and won't care how much it was anyway because he knows you picked it out from your heart. "Uncle Steelers Fan" will know because it is so unique, you really thought about what he would like, and didn't just buy a tie. Guess what the best part is...you got all of that for only $19.00. How can you beat that? There are salt and pepper shaker sets for most NFL, NCAA, and MLB Teams available. Check them out.

Another idea for low budget Christmas gift is sports team flags. They are very reasonably priced, and you get the same effect as above, for your thoughtfulness. Doesn't Christmas have a bigger meaning than just expensive gifts anyway? You can give your friends and family something a little smaller than usual for their gift, and spend the rest of the holidays doing whats important to you. Baking cookies, and pies. Having an afternoon football game in the back yard, Eating dinners and lunch together, etc... These sports flags cost from as little as 9.95 for an adorable Garden / Window Flag with their favorite team's logo.

These sports team items are great Christmas gifts for men. Gifts for son- in-laws, dads, husbands, coworkers are always the most difficult to find. Everyone has a favorite team, these type gifts make your shopping A LOT easier. And they are all available online, delivered right to your door.

Gifts for Women are usually a little easier, I mean give a lady flowers and your a hero.. Right? Even though they are more easy to shop for, don't settle for a cheap - universal - regular gift. Show her that you care. Moms always love things for their kitchen, or home. So if they are a sports fan, you can always pick out a cute little Team logo Coffee Cups & Mugs, Logo Key Holder, or Soup Thermos with Team logo

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Fountains for Your Garden

There are many ideas to use for your garden fountain. You could use garden fountains as the basis for your theme in your garden. There are many fountains that resemble animals, flowers and plants. Then there are also fountains of statues of people and religious themes like the famous angels. Once you decide on the theme you intend to use in your garden, you can create a beautiful and interesting themed garden by adding the right fountain and the necessary accessories to create the affect of the theme.

If it is a religious garden theme that you want to follow, you can sprinkle religious accessories in the garden. These accessories can include garden flags, welcome signs, statues or wind chimes; in fact, anything that you can think of to make your garden a special sight to the beholder. You can make the garden more interesting by maintaining uniformity in the color and types of materials used. If you like copper, you could use all copper ornaments, and of course, a copper garden fountain. The copper fountain will be the highlight of the garden!

You can create a floral themed garden using a floral garden fountain. For this, you will of course need colorful, garden accessories. You could place some floral ornaments along flower beds, pathways and fences to improve the look of the garden. Once this is done with, you could add some statues and fountains that are made either of stone or fiberglass. Fountains having floral patterns on them give the finishing touch to the floral garden of yours.

If you are an animal lover, you could consider creating an animal themed garden. Animal themed gardens are great ideas for a garden as animals naturally blend with nature. Copper animal ornaments are an interesting choice for an animal themed garden as these ornaments change to a lovely green finish over the passage of time. So whatever the animal you choose as ornaments, the green finish it develops over time makes the ornaments look realistic. If it is birds that fascinate you, you could add garden flags, wind chimes having bird designs and signs in the garden. And along with this, you just have to add a lovely garden fountain with birds engraved on it and a sweet, beautiful bird bath to give the final touch to the bird theme garden.

Whatever is the theme that you decide on, it is better to first find out if you have sufficient space to hold a fountain. If you have limited space, it is better to opt for a wall fountain as they take less space, and appear to be hanging from the wall. Or you could perhaps consider a decorative and colorful table top fountain to be used as a centerpiece for your patio tables. Of course, the regular garden fountain is the one that will attract the maximum attention to it. So if you have the space, and the budget, this is the better choice

Six Tips For Long Lasting Summer Nail Polish

Six Tips For Long Lasting Summer OPI Nail Polish

Warm weather is here, and that means most of us will be wearing nail polish more often to show off our hands and feet. The barer summer clothes and sandals mean your feet and hands will be center stage, so putting a few extra minutes into proper nail care is must for the prettiest looks. Whether you are applying nail polish to your hands or toes, the basic principles to make your manicure or pedicure last are the same.

1. Prepare your nails properly before polishing. Nail polish won’t adhere well to nails that are dirty or oily. Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any lotions, dirt or oils, and then brush each nail with a bit of nail polish remover. This will remove all oils from the nail itself and prepare it for accepting polish.

2. Lightly buff your nails and file off any rough edges. Polish will be more prone to peeling and flaking if the nails are rough around the edges or have ridges in them. Filing and buffing gives a smoother surface so that polish won’t flake.

3. Choose the right polish. Did you know that nail polish expires? Most brands will only last about a year before they become thicker and start to clump. Polish that’s too thick will go on thicker and won’t dry well, leading to more chance of smearing or smudging. Most nail polish formulas are similar and will last almost a week, but fast drying formulas are an exception. The extra ingredients that allow fast drying polishes to set so quickly also makes them peel more quickly, so try to avoid fast-dry formulas unless you absolutely have to use them. The extra few minutes spent drying a standard nail polish will be well worth it if your manicure lasts days longer.

4. Care for your polish properly. Summer weather is especially tough on nail polish – the high temperatures can cause polish to separate and the color to change. To keep your nail polish in top condition, refrigerate it in the summer. You should also clean the polish bottle carefully after each use by wiping the outside edge of the bottle with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover to keep the bottle from sticking shut. Finally, be sure that you gently blend the nail polish before applying by rolling the bottle between your hands. Shaking a bottle of polish will create air bubbles in the polish that can cause bumps and clumps when you apply it – guaranteed to shorten the life span of your manicure or pedicure.

5. Use a base coat and top coat. It takes a bit more time to do a complete manicure rather than just throwing on some polish, but its well worth the effort. After your nails are clean, be sure to apply a base coat; this product prepares the nail for polish and gives nail polish something to cling to so that it lasts longer. Follow this with two thin coats of polish in the desired color, and then finish off with a quality top coat. When you apply the top coat, be sure to run the brush horizontally across the tip of the nail with a bit of it going under the edge of the nail. This will help prevent peeling and seals the manicure properly.

6. Don’t rush things. Be sure to let your nails dry five to ten minutes between each coat. If the coat below isn’t completely dry before you add the next one, your nails won’t dry properly for quite a while, leading to chips and smudges. If you are in a rush or simply impatient, plunge your nails into ice water for a few seconds between coats – this will quickly dry and seal the polish.

Enjoy your beautifully painted, long lasting nails! Remember not to open soda cans or pick at envelopes with your freshly painted nails. Using your nails as tools won’t help you keep your nail polish fresh at all!

Shop for OPI Nail Polish at www.enailsupply.com

How to Design a Garden Flag

Flowers are not the only way to bring color and design into the garden Flags are a clever way to decorate a garden for any occasion.

Signal the arrival of each season with a beautiful flag or show support for your country or your alma mater with patriotic and college flags.

Animal flags are very popular as well; display a flag with a picture of wildlife or your favorite breed.

Whether you hang them from a flagpole, attach then to the mailbox or attach a bracket to the wall to display your flags, show your garden flags with pride. Garden flags also make great gifts for everyone!

Step1
Look at garden flags to get an idea of different designs that are out there. You may find them at garden stores, big box stores or even at kiosks at the mall. Several are sold online by various retailers, such as Amazon and eWind Designs.
Step2
Start drawing a design on paper. The design should be as complicated as your abilities allow. Since you will be appliquéing the design to the flag, you might want to consider a more simple design for your first attempt.
Step3
Choose the colors for your design, then head on down to your local fabric store. A garden flag, since it will be outside, should be made of a weather-resistant fabric like polyester. Ask a person at the fabric store for some ideas. Be aware that over time, the colors will inevitably fade in the sun.
Step4
Make a pattern for your garden flag by cutting out the various pieces of your design. You'll have what looks like smooth puzzle pieces. Make sure to add a ½ seam allowance to every puzzle piece.
Step5
Cut out the puzzle pieces and press them with your iron so that the seam allowance is tucked under. This will lengthen the life of the appliquéd pieces by keeping the fabric edges from fraying.
Step6
Prepare your flag by finishing the edges. Fold them over and sew them in place. Decide where you wish to have your flag pole inserted into the flag, and create an opening for it by folding the fabric over and sewing it in place. Leave a little sleeve in which the flag pole can be inserted. Finishing the edges is important for it lengthens the life of your garden flag by keeping the edges of the fabric from fraying.
Step7
Start laying the various puzzle pieces on your flag and pinning them in place. Sew them to the flag either by hand or with your machine.
Step8
Hang your garden flag in a prominent place in your garden.

Garden Flags

Any flag that is used to add color to or to decorate your yard can be considered a garden flag. A garden flag is a great way to express yourself and can be used to celebrate holidays, seasons or anything meaningful to you.

A patriotic flag can also be flown in the garden. During World War II many Americans grew their own produce so the vegetables grown by the farmers could be sent to the troops overseas. Many people who did this flew the American flag to show they were chipping in to help the war effort. If you decide to fly a national flag in your garden be sure to learn the proper etiquette of flying the flag first.

Early in the growing season, most gardens can be pretty dull, so flags can be flown to add some color and incentive. An example of this would be a flag with a red tomato on it to show what the green ones growing in the yard will look like when ripe. The colors of flags are also used to attract birds to a flower garden or to shoo unwanted animals from a seed garden. Bird flags such as cardinal flags or hummingbird flags are popular in flower gardens.

You can also design your own custom garden flag by choosing what you would like for an emblem or make your own garden flag by painting or drawing on a piece of fabric. Let your imagination run wild. The flags colors will add to the beauty of the garden and show people you have made an effort to spice it up a little.

Remember your garden flag is for outdoor use, so it will need to be a durable and waterproof flag. Some people change their flags as the seasons change to symbolize the changing weather and climate. A Christmas flag or winter themed flag is a good idea to fly in your garden as it may be snow covered, for months, in areas with harsher climates.

Garden flags are also common in communities that rely on tourism to drive their economies and they can be regularly seen in public gardens in cities or hanging from lamp posts in small towns. Flags are cheaper than hanging baskets in the long run.

Decorative flag

Decorative flag is a piece of woven cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used symbolically for signalling or identification. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.

The first flags were used to assist military coordination on battlefields and flags have evolved into a general tool for rudimentary signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is similarly challenging (such as the maritime environment where semaphore is used). National flags are potent patriotic symbols with varied wide-ranging interpretations, often including strong military associations due to their original and ongoing military uses. Flags are used in messaging, advertising, or for other decorative purposes, though at this less formal end the distinction between a flag and a simple cloth banner is blurred. The study of flags is known as vexillology, from the Latin vexillum meaning flag or banner.

Decorative house flags

When the weather is dull, and the yard is drab, a house flag not only breaks up the humdrum appearance, it can be a promise of better things to come. Late winter is brightened with beautiful pastel designs for Easter. Early Spring bursts onto the scene with bunches of daffodils, and baskets of blooming tulips. Summer is greeted by kittens gamboling through a painted garden, or by puppies tripping over each other. And don’t forget winter! When all else is white, a flag sporting seasonal messages or characters such as snowmen, can signal that you’re still celebrating, despite the cold.

The selection of patterns and themes in house flags is virtually endless. You can purchase flags to be hung for weeks or months at a time, such as those which go with a season, or you can salute a special birthday, graduate, wedding, or new arrival. There are a wide variety of decorative pictures and images within each category as well, with literally hundreds of colorful flags for Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and the Fourth of July.

The majority of decorative house flags are made out of nylon, and depending on the size (22”x 43” is average), may be fixed with grommets, or tabs for hanging on a pole. Some special commemorative flags, like those for the Confederacy, first States, or the original Elizabeth Ross American flag, are hand made from cotton, with each section sewn individually, and some portions, embroidered. These tend to be not as durable as the nylon, and should be hung only for the most special occasions, and for brief periods.

Care instructions for your house flag, should be included when you purchase it. As a rule of thumb, washing flags by hand in mild detergent, then rolling in a towel and drying flat, is preferable to machine washing, even if the manufacturer says it is safe. Depending on how your flag’s design was created, e.g. screening, hand-painting, deep dyeing, you may want to consider how long you will leave it hanging at a time, or whether it would be better to put the bracket and pole in a location that doesn’t receive full, constant sun.

Don’t live in a house? Not a problem. Decorative house flags come in special “mini” sizes with appropriate brackets and poles that are suitable for hanging on condos, or the patio of an apartment.

Not only are colorful house flags a delightful addition to your own home, they make great gifts, for friends, family and new neighbors!