Union Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

Holiday Gif t Guide 2022 Holiday Gif t Guide 2022 ft

Fun holiday gift ideas that get children excited to learn

Shopping for children this holiday season and looking for gifts that offer some educational value? The good news is that you don’t need to sacrifice fun! Here are five awesome gift ideas that will get school-age children excited about learning outside the classroom.

1. With the Magic Adventures Microscope, young biologists can explore tiny worlds full of huge discoveries, zooming in on flowers, animals, food, minerals and more using eight double-sided smart slides that activate amazing BBC videos and images. Inquiring minds can discover answers to curious questions such as: How do leaves changes colors? What do plant cells look like? What is sand made of anyway? They can also make their own discoveries by finding things around the house and getting a closer look using the reusable slides or large sample tray. With up to 200-times magnification on this real microscope, children will be amazed by what they see. A capture-and-save feature allows for documenting findings, and included games and quizzes add to the fun and let children put their knowledge to the test.

2. Reading enthusiasts will love a subscription to a book-of-the-month club offering selections for their reading level and interests. This is not only a great way to promote a lifelong love of literature, it can help a young reader build their home library.

3. Fledgling explorers can travel the world and see everything in it with the

Magic Adventures Globe from LeapFrog. Using the stylus, children can tap on the interactive learning globe and experience new places, languages, cultures, animals, geography, habitats and more through high-quality BBC videos. Featuring an integrated video screen, animations and live-action videos fully immerse children

in the curriculum to provide a better understanding of the world through more than five hours of videos. They can also play interactive games to explore the globe, challenge a friend and solve mysteries. With its focus on curriculum-based content and important foundational skills, LeapFrog toys offer experiences that make learning fun.

4. Encourage children to become informed citizens of the world with a subscription to a news magazine designed just for them, such as “The Week Junior.” This is an excellent way to build vocabulary, while engaging children on a wide range of subjects — from culture and arts to science and government — in a way that’s appropriate for their age.

5. Foster a love of fine arts by gifting children an all-in-one sketching, painting and coloring set complete with everything they need to unleash their inner Monet. Pencils, markers, acrylic and watercolor paints, along with brushes, paper pads and canvas boards, will give artists of all ages the foundational tools they need to try their hand in various mediums.

— StatePoint

Affordable holiday gift ideas with a personalized touch

Are you struggling to find thoughtful gifts for everyone as you make your holiday shopping list? Well, it’s time to get personal! By giving a personalized gift, the recipient will feel special knowing it was created and picked just for them. Here are a few customized gift ideas that they’re sure to love that won’t break the bank.

1. Make their holidays magical with video greetings. Perfect for spreading holiday cheer, SmashUps from American Greetings are highly personalized, smileinducing, shareable videos. There are options for everyone, like a message from Santa that calls the recipient out by name and location, or a customized winter greeting delivered by a talking penguin. SmashUps can check the box for holiday greetings, or you can include a digital gift card to fulfill your gift-giving needs.

With a subscription, you’ll unlock access to all of American Greetings’ digital offerings, meaning you can send unlimited SmashUps year-round. Subscriptions are $6.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

2. Photo finish. Photos are a simple and affordable way to personalize gifts. Start by choosing your favorite pic with

the recipient and then determine how you’d like to deliver it. Whether it’s in a unique frame, or printed on a personal item, such as a mug, blanket, keychain, phone cover or even an ornament for their tree, the recipient will know how much they mean to you each time they view it.

3. Initial thoughts. While not everyone wants to be in pictures, adding personalization to a gift item by using your recipient’s name, initials or monogram, can be a great alternative. And with a wealth of online sites, from boutique stores such as Marley Lilly to major retailers such as

Amazon offering this service, you’ll have endless options — at various price points — to meet your shopping needs.

4. Eat, drink and be merry. They often say the way to the heart is through the stomach. So, whether it’s a foodie friend or a family member who has it all, making their favorite meal, treat, drink or dessert can be the ultimate thoughtful gift. Plus, it can provide you quality time together as you deliver the delicious treats to their home or host them at yours — that is, if they’ll share!

5. Write a message by hand. In an age where everything is digital, seeing a loved one’s handwriting — whether it’s scribbled by a child or printed by a grandparent — can be a special memento and unique way to customize a gift. Gift ideas could be handwritten messages and affirmations; a recipe book of your family favorites; or your handwriting could be inscribed onto a gift item such as a keychain, picture frame or necklace.

Just remember, it’s the thought that counts. And luckily many personalized gifts don’t have to be costly to be remembered.

— StatePoint

Holiday Gif t Guide 2022 Holiday Gif t Guide 2022 ft

What will our holiday shopping look like this year?

If it feels like the holiday season is getting longer and more reliant on technology every year, you’re not imagining it.

According to the Sensormatic Solutions 2022 U.S. Holiday Consumer Sentiment Survey, 52 percent of respondents already started or plan to start their holiday shopping before November, and pre–Labor Day holiday shopping more than doubled during 2021. That said, the top busiest shopping days in the United States are all expected between Black Friday and the day after Christmas.

Whether shoppers are making a list and checking it twice as early in the season as possible or waiting until the last minute, they are also likely to be thinking about all the ways to shop, including integrating digital options with a traditional brick-and-mortar experience, both of which offer key consumer benefits.

“The past couple years have fundamentally changed the way we celebrate the holidays, starting with how we shop,” said Kim Melvin, global leader of marketing at Sensormatic Solutions. “This year, shoppers are using the very same tools they once turned to for health and safety reasons to make the experience more convenient and affordable.”

Sixty-four percent of respondents cited convenience as their top reason for using buy-online-pickup-in-store, aka BOPIS, or curbside pickup this holiday season, while 37 percent are leveraging these options to access onlineexclusive deals. Shoppers are also blurring the lines

between the digital and physical shopping experiences, using their phones while in stores to read product reviews, access coupons, check on product availability and conduct other research — 27 percent use their phones to supplement their shopping experience every time they shop in-store and an additional 31 percent do so most of the time they shop in-store.

“While the majority of shoppers feel very comfortable making their holiday purchases in-store this year, factors

like price, product availability and convenience are at the top of everyone’s minds,” said Melvin. “A combination of traditional brick-and-mortar visits and alternative shopping methods, such as BOPIS and curbside pickup, are helping consumers take these factors into consideration as they complete their holiday wish lists.”

As part of its mission to solve complex retail challenges, Sensormatic Solutions is providing its top strategies to improve your holiday shopping experience:

• If staying within your seasonal budget is a priority for you or you harbor supply chain concerns, consider leveraging shopping holidays such as Black Friday. Doing so can help ensure product availability, and thanks to holiday promotions, help you secure reasonable pricing on needed items.

• One of the most frustrating aspects of holiday shopping is not finding what you need on store shelves. Using alternative shopping methods such as BOPIS and curbside pickup can offer greater convenience and help ensure that when you visit a store, you won’t leave empty-handed.

For more holiday shopping tips and insights, visit sensormatic.com.

Though this holiday season may resemble the last few years in many ways, shoppers’ motivations for going digital have changed. Having a game plan can help you score great deals and find what you need.

— StatePoint

Photo Courtesy of DavidPrado/stock.adobe

entertaining a breeze

’Tis the season for gatherings galore. Whether you’re an all-star entertainer or a first-time host, having the right tools will set you up for success — meaning you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with loved ones. Here are a few must-haves to add to your holiday shopping list:

Classy and creative cocktails Create memorable cocktails or mocktails that everyone will be talking about with uniquely shaped craft ice. Tovolo offers a variety of craft ice molds to fit every occasion — from spheres and sports balls to novelty and holiday ornament shapes. The easy-to-use, durable, stackable molds are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. Plus, the slow-melting shapes keep drinks cool for longer. So, drop them in for fun and festive drinks at your next gathering.

Pops in a pinch

Popsicles aren’t just for summertime. In fact, they’re a great option for a holiday crowd since you can prep them well in advance, and they make for a light dessert after a night of feasting. With Tovolo Stackable Pop Molds, simply puree some fruit — strawberries, kiwis, etc.; pour the mixture into the molds; stack them in the freezer; and, voila, you’ve got a delightful treat that basically made itself. Better yet, guests can add the fruity pops to a glass of champagne or cocktail of choice to add flavor and keep drinks cool.

Table-worthy tools

When hosting a dinner party, dishes will inevitably pile up in the sink. One way to cut down on dirty dishes is to use a set of kitchen utensils that is both stylish and

attractive, so you can go from the stovetop to the dining table without needing to dirty any additional tools. Another tip is to make the meal family style, which allows your guests to choose what they want and reduces the need to portion out individual servings, ultimately giving you more time to enjoy the party.

Spatulas that make you smile

From cookie batters to mashed potatoes, everyone needs a quality spatula to whip up their favorite holiday dishes. And now you can add both fun and function to your feast with Spatulart Spatulas featuring double-sided holiday designs and puns. With a nylon core, these high-quality spatulas provide strength for the heaviest mixing jobs and silicone edges that remain flexible for easy scraping. Plus, their FSC-certified wood handle makes them an environmentally-conscious way to add a touch of whimsy to the kitchen roster.

Functional and fashionable bowls

Despite the name, mixing bowls can be one of the most versatile kitchen tools, used for mixing, prep, storage and, if you choose a stylish design like stainless steel, even serving! Why dirty multiple dishes when you can opt for one-bowl recipes? When it comes to entertaining, it’s best to work smarter, not harder.

Having the right tools makes all the difference when you’re preparing to be the host with the most. Be sure to equip yourself right for a season of easy and festive holiday prep, and don’t forget that when it comes to hosting, versatility is the name of the game.

It’s the most wonderful — and stressful — time of the year

Are you excited about the holiday season or are you dreading it? While this time of year can be filled with cheer and joy, it can also be incredibly overwhelming. In fact, two in three Americans are stressed about this holiday season.

What exactly are they stressing about? Their budgets, according to the latest Consumer Spend Report from Affirm.

Affirm’s survey found that nine in 10 Americans plan to shop for the holidays this year, yet one in three will do so without saving money beforehand. Read on for some other surprising results.

Buying gifts is stretching wallets — and patience

Budgeting and buying gifts for friends and family are at the very top of Americans’ lists of concerns this holiday season. So, it’s no surprise that Americans reported to be nearly just as stressed out about Black Friday and Cyber Monday — 38 percent — as they are for Thanksgiving — 43 percent.

Money isn’t the only pain point when it comes to holiday shopping. Stressed gift shoppers pointed to waiting in long lines — 68 percent — and getting stuck in traf-

fic or crowded transit — 54 percent — as the things they dread the most.

“While the burden of gifting, budgeting, long lines and holiday traffic may take away some of your holiday cheer, Affirm can help bring it back. A valuable budgeting tool, paying with Affirm is one smart choice you can make this holiday season to stay in control of your finances,” said Ashmi Pancholi, Affirm’s trends expert.

Americans are dodging their holiday obligations

Whether it’s attending the mandatory office gift swap or a crowded road trip to Grandma’s, it’s no secret that holiday obli-

gations can be anything but jolly. The result? One in five Americans admitted to getting out of their unwanted holiday plans.

Of the guilty ones, 36 percent have lied about their availability, 24 percent have faked an illness and 22 percent ghosted without any excuse. Nearly one in 10 have gone so far as to intentionally miss a flight.

Some people are even willing to spend money to get out of their holiday obligations; 70 percent of men would spend more than $50 to avoid unwanted to-do’s, like the obligatory holiday party or awkward family dinner, compared to 51 percent of women.

Gen Z and Millennials are especially stressed, but they are focused on the future

Seventy-five percent of Gen Zers are stressed about the holidays, compared to 67 percent of Boomers and 65 percent of Millennials. But, many are especially focused on improving their financial health: Almost half of Gen Z — 42 percent — and more than a quarter of Millennials — 28 percent — say saving money is their No. 1 New Year’s resolution.

Unlike most credit cards and other pay-over-time options, Affirm shows you exactly what you’ll pay upfront, never increases that amount, and never charges any late or hidden fees. Using its payover-time option allows you to buy all the holiday gifts on your list without draining your savings or building unhealthy debt.

To learn more, visit affirm.com. While you’re there, check out the gift guides, which can help you find and finance the perfect gifts for all your loved ones.

Results are based on a survey of 1,007 respondents conducted by Suzy on behalf of Affirm on Nov. 2, 2022.

— Brandpoint

As you make your way to holiday gatherings this season, be sure to show your hosts gratitude for opening their homes to you.

There are many thoughtful ways to thank a holiday host, but the best gestures are those that include personalized touches to leave an impression on the recipient. For example, don’t just bring a bottle of wine with you to the party. Share on the label why you selected that particular variety for your host. Sending thanks the

holiday host

next day? Go above and beyond a regular message with something unforgettable, like a video greeting from SmashUps by American Greetings, which features celebrities and fun characters, and can be personalized.

While gifts for hosts don’t need to be grand gestures, showing your appreciation for holiday hospitality is a great way to leave an impression and score an invitation to next year’s party.

— StatePoint

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Holiday Gif t Guide 2022 Holiday Gif t Guide 2022 Gift Guide 2022

Tips for gifting the perfect drinks for any occasion

The art of gift-giving is a process that’s admittedly a bit more difficult than meets the eye. If you’re someone who struggles to find a perfect present that says, “I think you’re great,” take solace in the fact that you’re not alone. A recent survey from Drizly, a beverage alcohol e-commerce shop, found that 39 percent of people say the hardest person to buy a gift for is their significant other.

This holiday season, finding that irreplaceable, unreturnable, never-miss gift is easier than downing a Yuletide fruitcake.

According to Drizly, 84 percent of respondents said they enjoy receiving alcohol as a gift. Whether you’re buying a holiday gift for a family member, celebrating a special occasion or looking to send something thoughtful to a long-distance friend, a bottle of wine, Champagne, whiskey or other drink can be easy to send and easy to pick out, with the right tools, of course.

Here are a couple of ways to up your gifting game this holiday season:

Order a last-minute gift

It’s easy to lose track of all the gifts you need to buy during the holiday season.

Forgot someone on your list and aren’t sure what to get? Don’t sweat it. Drizly’s guided gift shopping helps you find the perfect bottle based on your friend or family member’s tastes and interests. Just answer a few quick questions about their booze preference and voila: the perfect gift bottle. Best of all, you can get it deliv-

ered on-demand, so your gift arrives on time for the holidays, even if you’ve missed shipping deadlines from other stores. Just don’t let ’em know you left it till the last minute.

Bring the perfect bottle to a holiday party

You don’t want to be the person who

shows up to the holiday party emptyhanded. If you need help finding the perfect bottle to bring to the next get-together and keep the holidays spirited, check out Drizly’s gifting hub. With one of the widest selections of barrel-aged bourbons, local craft beers, fancy bubbly bottles and every type of drink in between, you’ll be sure to make that invite list next year.

Send a thoughtful gift that goes the distance

The holidays and other celebrations are a great time to delight friends and family with a gift that lets them know you’re thinking of them. Whether it’s a bottle of buttery chardonnay or a smallbatch reposado tequila, choose the delivery date on Drizly for a cross-country present delivered to their doorstep in 2-5 days or schedule delivery from a local store in their area up to two weeks in advance. To make it even more special, you can even customize your order with an ecard to wish them well from afar.

No matter how you celebrate this holiday season, the gift of drinks helps your recipients savor life’s moments.

— Brandpoint

Create the perfect charcuterie board for your party

Are you hosting a holiday party and looking for a simple way to impress your guests?

The Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop is sharing steps for building an eye-catching and mouth-watering charcuterie board that will add color, flavor and variety to your holiday table.

1. Grab a platter or surface to display your charcuterie. Anything will work, even a simple cutting board. Just be sure to choose a size that you can fill completely.

2. Use dishes or ramekins of mismatched sizes, shapes and colors to hold dressings, toppings and sauces. This will keep your board clean and add fun visual details to the display.

3. Include two to four cheeses of contrasting flavors and textures to please all palates, and to complement other elements of the board. The varieties you select should represent these basic categories: hard cheese, such as Chardonnay Bellavitano; soft cheese, such as brie; and blue cheese, such as French Roquefort.

4. While a traditional charcuterie board typically sticks with cured meats, the holiday season is the perfect occasion

for adding depth and richness to your feast with grilled meats, such as filet, sliced into strips. Those from Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop are lean, flavorful, and melt in your mouth, making them a natural choice for a hearty holiday spread. Whether you are firing up the grill or preparing on a cooktop, allow any cooked meats to rest well before

adding them to your board.

5. No charcuterie board is complete without some crunch. Add two to three options, such as pita crackers, crusty breads or toasted baguettes that will stand up to the weight of your meats and cheeses.

6. Now, add some brightness and sweetness to your board. Fresh fruits such as blueberries, strawberries and green

grapes, and preserves such as peach pepper jam, will add contrast to rich, salty meats and cheeses. Don’t forget seasonal sweets and treats like soft peppermints, peanut brittle, chocolate dipped pretzels and candied nuts.

7. You’ll want your charcuterie board to look as if it’s overflowing. So, as you’re building it out, start with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats first, followed by smaller items like crackers, fresh produce and sweets. Fill in any holes with sprigs of aromatic rosemary for trimming, along with additional portions of the smaller items. The various elements of the board should pair well together, so it’s OK if they touch.

For additional hosting tips, or to shop for seasonal gifts and your holiday spread, visit trbutchershop.com. For 15 percent off your order, use the promo code PARTY15.

To wow your guests and their tastebuds, take your charcuterie board to the next level with seasonal treats, grilled meats and a cornucopia of sweet and savory flavors.

— StatePoint

It’s true at any age: The more do-ityourself skills we can develop, the better control we’ll have when it comes to maintaining our homes, vehicles and the other material assets that help us lead productive and enjoyable lives.

That’s why it’s so important to keep teaching our children such practical skills as they grow into adulthood. As children learn how to handle their own tasks surrounding home maintenance, small engine repair, auto mechanics and other elements of day-to-day life, they develop confidence in their own abilities and hone the problem-solving skills that will help them succeed.

Further, when you take an active role in imparting such valuable “garage logic,” you can create bonding experiences that strengthen intergenerational relationships.

“Sharing a mutual goal, combining strengths, helping each other and negotiating decisions together can foster a sense of teamwork and bring people closer,” advised Kristen Mosier on bobvila.com. “And, of course, admiring a finished project is sweeter when shared.”

This holiday season, you may wish to invest in your child’s future by giving them the gift of practical DIY knowledge. Here are suggestions for making that happen.

Explore their areas of interest. Be proactive by talking to your child ahead of time about the skills he or she would most like to learn. Your teenager may wish to seize independence by learning how to repair her own car, while your greenthumbed youngster may be most enthusiastic about mastering the mechanics of your yard and garden equipment.

Share your area of expertise. If you’re skilled in a certain category, you might feel especially proud and happy to pass that specific knowledge on to the next generation. Tell your child the story of how you acquired your own abilities, and explain why you’re excited to be sharing them with the next generation.

Establish good cleanliness and

safety habits. Teach children to prioritize a safe work environment by insisting on protective gear such as safety glasses, earphones, masks and gloves. Make sure everyone involved in the project participates in keeping floors, counters, tools and other elements cleared off, hazardfree and well-organized.

Make tools part of your gift. When the majority of your lesson is finished, consider passing the tools you’ve used on to your child — or, buy them their own new set they can continue using once they leave your household. With its huge span of machinery, tools and equipment, Northern Tool + Equipment is a great place to walk the aisles and explore tools to help your child fill up their tool belt.

“We’re in the business of providing the essential tools and gear that people need to handle any tough job that comes their way, whether they’re pros or DIYers,” said Suresh Krishna, president and CEO of Northern Tool. “The gift of high-quality

tools is one that can keep on giving for years to come, and can help instill pride in working with one’s hands at an early age.”

Create maximum fun. Make sure to create positive memories by making your experiences enjoyable for everyone involved. That means anticipating mistakes, remaining patient, explaining how errors can be corrected and making sure your child knows they’re not expected to know everything right away. Ideally, you’ll both look back on your experience with fondness, not confusion or regret.

Celebrate your achievements. Once your child has mastered a skill,

praise them for having the patience and attentiveness to see it through. Remind them of how the knowledge they’ve learned can serve them well in the future, and celebrate their new achievement as a family however and whenever that’s appropriate.

This holiday season, helping your child learn a new and practical skill could be a wonderful alternative to a more traditional gift. Consider a present of your time and expertise that could make your child more knowledgeable, confident and self-sufficient as they face life’s everyday challenges.

— Brandpoint

Gift ideas that save energy and do a world of good

When checking your holiday list, you’re searching for gifts that inspire joy and delight, and electronic items often fit that description. But what if that gift also happens to have a positive impact on your loved one’s life and the world at large? With all that has happened in the last couple of years, many of us have a greater appreciation for the things that protect the health of the planet for everyone.

Whether you’re shopping for a shiny new appliance or gadgets to make someone’s life easier, here’s how your gift can do a world of good: Look for products that have earned the ENERGY STAR label. These are independently certified to use less energy than standard products, which not only saves money on energy costs, but also makes a difference for the climate.

To inspire you, here are a few holiday shopping list ideas:

Cool savings on the hottest electronic devices: Did you know the average household owns 24 consumer electronics products? The more you invest in items designed to save energy, the more the savings will rack up. That has become even more important these days as families continue to use multiple electronics for work and school. For catching up on favorite shows, tablets use four times less energy than streaming to a laptop and 15 times less than a desktop computer. An energy-efficient sound bar offers a sleek solution to achieving that rich stereo effect, but uses 70-percent less energy than a conventional model. A smarter solution to save heating costs: Families are

still spending more time at home and energy bills have skyrocketed. Smart thermostats take the guesswork out of maximizing energy efficiency, and choosing an ENERGY STAR–certified smart thermostat means savings you can trust. Plus, they make great gifts. Were everyone to make the switch, we’d save 56 trillion BTUs of energy and $740 million a year, offsetting 13 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Appliances with noticeable cost savings: Even when the purchase price is nice, don’t overlook this hidden cost

of owning appliances: the cost of operating the product. So, if you’re eyeing a new washer/dryer set as the perfect holiday gift, make sure it’s energy efficient. You’ll feel good helping your loved one realize more than 20 percent savings on their electric bill while using one-third less water compared to the standard models.

A bright idea for stocking stuffers: Here’s a small gift that can light up their lives and save some serious bucks. Just one energy-efficient, LED light bulb can save more than $50 in electricity costs over its lifetime. If each American home replaced just a single bulb with one that earned the ENERGY STAR certification, we’d prevent more than 7 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

A charger to go with that new electric car: And if big gifts are part of your holiday plan, remember to check out electric vehicles and an ENERGY STAR–certified charger. EVs are the future of driving and you — or your loved one — can save an average of $800 to $1,000 a year on fuel and an average of $4,600 on maintenance over the lifetime of the vehicle. An ENERGY STAR–certified charger completes the gift and uses 40-percent less energy in standby mode than the standard. Be sure to check for federal tax credits and utility rebates to sweeten the deal.

Still looking for a great gift that is both innovative and energy efficient? Check out energystar.gov/holiday for everything you need to help your loved ones save money and protect the climate all year long.

— Brandpoint