Gift Giving Advice- free e-Book by MagicKitchen.com

Gift-giving is at the heart of our online business, MagicKitchen.com.. People always need fresh and innovative ideas, and that’s what we’re giving you here. From Christmas to anniversaries to graduation gifts, this guide aims to show you ideas for gifts, party planning and etiquette advice. We will give you some interesting tidbits of food lore, some unique gift ideas, and some serious advice as well as a few jokes. Keep an eye out for more eBooks on the way. We’re planning a book with a meal planner, another with fresh ideas, one with nutrition information, and some special eBooks on senior meal plans, advice for people on special diets, and ideas for helping seniors in need across the nation. Greg Miller, CEO Michelle Tayler, President Melody Scott, Editor

Contents Anniversaries

Baby Shower

Birthdays

Christmas

College Student

Congratulations

Corporate

Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day

Get Well

Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day

Housewarming

New Parents

Retirement

Seniors

Sympathy

In Closing

Anniversaries This chapter is for men, because obviously, women know what to do and where to shop for an anniversary. (Don’t we, Ladies?) Gentlemen, here’s what you need to know. Women love chocolate and diamonds, in no particular order. Likely you will want to pay more for gifts as the years go by and your marriage and finances both become richer.

Next, Madeleines dipped in chocolate. Madeleines are elegant little French cakes with distinctive shell shapes. Rich and buttery, soft Try a romantic getaway to a bed and breakfast, with lightly crisped edges. These little deor if you can afford it, fly her away to Paris for lights are dipped into rich dark chocolate. a week. However, if you don’t have time and money for that, chocolate is still most women’s ultimate gift choice. MagicKitchen.com happens to have a chocolate bundle that will fit the bill. Allow me to rhapsodize. First you get our Chocolate Ganache cake. Moist chocolate cake with layers of Ganache. Ganache, in case you don’t know, is a French term for a smooth, creamy and rich mixture of chocolate and fresh cream.

Our family size chocolate cake is incredibly moist chocolate fudge cake, filled and iced with a delicate sour cream chocolate frosting. Gourmet Cookie Selection: Three chewy cookies. Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, Snickerdoodles and Dr. Midnight Cookies make a sweet trilogy. Indulge in chocolate-y goodness! Double-fudge Brownies-Made with Guittard Chocolate, this dense and decadent no-nut double fudge brownie is laced with chocolate chips.

Baby Shower The new mom and dad don’t know it yet, but they are going to be exhausted all too soon. They will want as much time as possible to spend with their new baby, and they won’t have time to make nutritious meals for themselves. Save them from themselves by purchasing a MagicKitchen.com Food Bundle. You can all chip in, and delivery can be at the new mom’s whim. We supply a nice card outlining the meals, which you can print off and sign. Then the new parents will have a freezer full of delicious, healthy meals that call for very little clean-up, and they can spend time oo-ing and ah-ing. As it should be.

• Hang a clothesline across the room and hang diapers on it. Write one letter on each diaper to make the whole line read “Baby Shower” or “Mary’s Shower”. Here are a few Baby Shower decorating ideas: • Put a color coordinated clothes basket at each end of the clothes line. The gifts can • First pick a color scheme. Here is a great go into the clothes baskets and will be easy site for that: to pack up and take home. http://www.colorcombos.com/comboli• It’s fun to serve drinks (alcoholic or otherbrary.html wise) in baby bottles. • Next pick plates, napkins, cutlery, balloons, • Easy invitations using your computer: Mitablecloths to match the color scheme. crosoft word has lots of images you can use (insert>clipart). Print the pages and handprint the information, or use a fun font like Comic Sans MS or Monotype Corsiva.

Birthdays Want some unique birthday present ideas? Here are 10. 1. A donation to Graham’s Foundation will help the parents of a micro-preemie baby. Make a donation in the name of a friend! 2. Give lessons in something the person has expressed an interest in -like flying lessons! (Or just an introductory flying lesson). 3. Dedicate a Tree - Dedicating a tree is an unusual and eco friendly gift that will last for years to come. Check it out at www.plantatreeusa.com. You get to give a nice certificate. 4. Adopt a Dolphin - Ocean Conservation Society provides an adoption certificate, along with a booklet. 5. Give a gift of delicious frozen meals from MagicKitchen.com. Save 10% off orders $50 and over. Use promo code EBOOK.

MagicKitchen.com is proud to partner Graham’s Foundation. Graham’s Foundation provides care packages designed for the needs of parents of micro-preemie babies, and we provide gift certificates to go into those packages. 8. Make a favorite photo into art. There are many companies that will take a digital photo and transfer it onto canvas in oil paints. 9. Be eco-friendly and give a gift of recycled glasssware, like Sea Stone Wine Glasses. 10. Adopt a classroom. Adopt-A-Classroom increases opportunity for student success by empowering teachers with community partners and funds to purchase resources for the classroom.

6 Give a hot air balloon ride!

Christmas Here are 5 Food traditions you probably haven’t seen and likely won’t miss at your Christmas table: 1. In Finland: They enjoy reindeer, lutefisk (Made from dried whitefish and lye, and reportedly stinky and glutinous), pickled herring salad and a Christmas ham with mustard.

We enjoy a more American traditional meal, and MagicKitchen.com offers a full roasted turkey breast, moist and flavorful, along with apple-sage stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, grean beans, and pumpkin pie (or your choice of Dutch-apple, Raspberry-Rhubarb, or Pecan).

2. In the Czech Republic: Traditionally the meal is eaten on Christmas Eve and consists of fish soup, salads, eggs and carp. The number of people at the table must be even or the one without a partner is supposed to be dead by next Christmas. Christmas-sy! 3. In Greenland: The Christmas feast may include Little Auks, (these are seabirds that are a bit like Penguins), wrapped in sealskin and buried for months until decomposed. Mmmmm. 4. In Jamaica: The traditional Christmas dinner is rice, gungo peas, chicken, ox tail and curried goat. I’m not sure what gungo peas are, but I’m sure my more traditional relatives would balk at this menu. Ok, I looked up gungo peas. They’re pigeon peas. That clears it up.

Usually sometime in October our chefs put together a family-sized meal with a bucket of gravy and familys-sized portions of the sides, just in time for the holiday season. Keep an eye out for that and also for promotional deals allowing you to save big $$$!

5. And finally, In Italy: Only go if you’re really hungry. Christmas lunch can run to seven course including antipasto, a small portion of pasta, roast meat, two salads, two sweet puddings followed by cheese, fruit, brandy and chocolates. Wow.

College Student I know, this isn’t an occasion. However, when your young ones leave the nest and head to college, you worry about them and want to make sure they have everything they need to succeed. Here are 10 Gift Ideas for your student. 1. Homemade cookies or cakes. Be careful to pack them right, using shredded newspaper or bubble wrap to keep them from crumbling into dust. 2. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! Pack up hot chocolate mixes, chocolate chip cookies, their favorite chocolate bars, chocolate dipped pretzels, and chocolate covered nuts and fruit. (Need I mention the MagicKitchen.com Chocolate bundle?) 3. MagicKitchen.com’s “Fight the Freshman 15” low fat meal bundle is a great idea for students who are apt to eat more fast food in their first year away from home. With meals like Portabella/Shittake Mushroom Ravioli, they never need to know it’s lowfat and healthy. 4. Care package basket - It can be the simple things that break a budget. Fill a basket with shampoo, nice soaps, batteries, phone cards, gift cards along with pictures of siblings or a favorite pet.

6. MagicKitchen.com’s Home away from Home Bundle features 8 meals that can be heated in the microwave, including Rib Eye Steak with Scalloped Potatoes and Seasoned Baby Back Ribs alongside Rice with Mixed Vegetables. 7. Tea or Coffee package - if your college student likes their tea or coffee, sending a selection of gourmet drinks will really lift their spirits, ad help them get through those late-night study sessions. 8. Powdered drinks - Two oft-requested food items, these are inexpensive to ship and you can be quite creative with them. Koolaid favorites from their childhoods, or Crystal Light individual packets 9. Send some computer gadgets you know they’ll use, like a 16GB USB drive, or a new iPod or cell phone. It’s probaby best to check with your son or daughter first, as gadgets can be pretty persoanalized, and they will definitely know what they want. 10. Condiments Package - Condiments can be pretty expensive on a student’s budget, and they can dress up plain food so well! If you usually make home-made relishes, your student will be thrilled to receive some in the mail. Here again bubble wrap is your friend.

5. Healthy snack foods - send granola bars, low-fat microwave popcorn, lowfat pretzels, trail mix, beef jerky, dried fruit, and those 100 calories packs of snack foods.

Congratulations A congratulations party can be for many reasons. A raise, a promotion. a soccer win, an engagement, a scholastic achievement, or to welcome a new baby! A fun thing to do at a Congratulations Party is to play some games. Here are some fun ideas . 1. Bag Game : It’s important that the only person who understands the rules is the person in charge. Ask everyone to put a paper bag on their head. Rules are that they can’t peek or make a sound. Next, ask everyone to take something off that they don’t need. Most people will take off an item of clothing or jewelry. They won’t think of the bag. One by one, game players will figure out the game, and remove the bag. As they do, quickly shush them! Stop the game when people start getting embarrassed or too many things are being taken off! 2. Egg Game: Put 5 eggs on a table, tell people one of them is raw and the rest are hard-boiled. They must crush them against their heads and the person who gets the raw egg gets a prize. (in fact, all the eggs are hard-boiled, but the player who takes the last egg and crushes it, thinking that it’s raw, gets the prize for being bravest,)

1. What was the weather like on the day you got married? 2. What day of the week was it? 3. What did your husband wear that day? 4. When is the birthday of your mother-inlaw? 5. What is your husband’s favorite dish? 6. What is the name of your husband’s boss? 7. How long does it take your husband to get to work? 8. What clothes does your husband like to wear most? 9. Who is your husband’s favorite singer? 10. When did your husband give you flowers last? Then ask the husbands to come into the room and ask them the same questions. Collate the answers of the wives with their husbands’ answers. The team with the most right wins a prize. And of course there is always Charades and Pictionary!

Ideas for prizes: • Coffee mugs with funny saying • Plantable seeds • A package of MagicKitchen.com rugulach or gourmet cookies • Tea bags • Candles • Napkin holders 3. For Married Couples: Ask 3-4 married • Key chains couples to take part in this game. Ask the men • Fridge magnets to leave the room for a while. During this time • Wine Stoppers give the ladies each a card with these questions • Picture Frames on it and ask them to write down the answers. • Wine Glasses or martini glasses Then ask them to read them aloud one by one. 9

Corporate Whether you’re a salesperson or company thanking your best customers or a manager congratulating your employees, a corporate gift needs to be well thought out. Christmas Food Gifts Are Always A Hit, and MagicKitchen.com’s Comfort Food Bundle is often given. However, you must be careful- the person you’re giving a gift to may have special dietary needs. Talk to people first, and if they do have special needs, call MagicKitchen.com at 877-516-2442. The knowledgeable staff will help you select an appropriate gift. Consider your employees’ religion, ethnicity, health, personal ethics, cultural background, and likes and dislikes. You don’t want to give the same thing to everyone- that makes people think you didn’t put any thought into it. Here are 10 tips on what to avoid and what to do when giving a corporate gift:

5. Include your logo on the wrapping, not the gift itself. A pretty candy dish may not become as attractive if one side is emblazoned with your logo. Do ensure that your logo is on display, but don’t emboss the gift itself. 6. If possible, hand deliver your gifts. It may take time, but it will make each one of your recipients feel truly special. 7. Keep a detailed list of gifts you’ve given before. You don’t want to duplicate, unless the recipient raved about the gift and it was consumable. 8. Clothing (especially lingerie), perfume or cologne, flowers and handmade items are not appropriate. 9. Include a gift receipt so the recipient can easily exchange the item if necessary. You can place it in a pretty envelope that just says, “receipt in case you need to exchange the gift”. Then they can open it if they wish to. 10. Plan ahead! August is not to soon to start thinking about your Christmas gift list and making notes. MagicKitchen.com Osso Buco and FireRosasted Vegetables en Croûte, part of the Comfort Food Bundle.

1. Avoid alcohol unless you know the recipient on a close personal basis. 2. If the gift is for an individual, try to tailor the gift to the individual’s hobbies or interests. 3. Do make sure that the gift is very nicely wrapped and comes with a hand-written note. 4. Over the year, create a file on people you may want to give a gift to. Take note of their interests and hobbies. If a gift shows that you took time and interest, it will mean 10

Father’s Day

Dear Dad,

If your father is anything like my father, my friend’s fathers and any father I’ve ever met, he enjoys a good joke. Here are a few clean ones to try out on him.

$chool i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply can’t think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.

A farmer was milking his cow. He was just starting to get a good rhythm going when a bug flew into the barn and started circling his head. Suddenly, the bug flew into the cow’s ear. The farmer didn’t think much about it, until the bug squirted out into his bucket. It went in one ear and out the udder.

Love, Your $on ------------The Reply: -------------Dear Son,

A father was at the beach with his children when his four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand. “Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked. “He died and went to Heaven,” the dad replied.

I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh. Love, Dad

If you’re looking for a unique and thoughtful Father’s Day gift. look no further than The boy thought a moment and then said, “Did MagicKitchen’com’s Meat Lover’s Bundle. God throw him back down?” It heats up easily, the meals are delicious, and Dad will love being able to make dinner for the family. A three-year-old boy went with his father to see a litter of kittens. On returning home, he breathlessly informed his mother that there were 2 boy kitties and 2 girl kitties. “How do you know?” his mother asked. “Daddy picked them up and looked underneath,” he replied, “I think it’s printed on the bottom.” Braised Beef Top Blade in Beer & Wine Sauce 11

Get Well When you’re ill, nutrition comes first, and most people who are ill don’t want to eat, much less cook. That’s one of the reasons sick people stay sick! Eating balanced healthy meals will help you get better.

2. Simmer until the chicken is very well done. Let cool. 3. Take the chicken out and take the meat off the bones. Skin it. Cut it into small pieces and return it to the soup pot. Throw away the skin and bones. With that in mind, food is a wonderful get well 4. Cool the soup in the fridge overnight. The gift. next day, take it out and take off the layer of fat on the top. Reheat it and add any An elegant solution is to send some frozen vegetables you like, such as frozen MagicKitchen.com meals like the “Thinking peas and corn. of You Package” or the “Comfort Food Bun5 When everything’s hot, pour it into bowls dle”. This last one really is full of the kind of and add as much rice or noodles as you comfort meals that people will actually want like. to eat when they’re feeling under the weather. Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Leg with Apple Serves 6-10, and will keep a sick person in Almond Stuffing, Vegetable Barley Beef Soup, chicken soup heaven for a few days. ReOsso Buco, Mashed Potatoes. Yum. member to keep the noodles separate and put them into the bowl just before serving. Alternatively, you might want to take over this If they stick together, you can run hot water easy chicken soup. It isn’t quite “homemade”, over them before placing in the bowl. but has a homemade flavor. This will be ready the second day. Other Considerations Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients: One whole chicken, cut up 1 large onion, diced 3 large carrots, diced 4 tsp of chicken bouillon powder or 4 stock cubes water 1 lb. Noodles cooked in chicken stock. 1. Put everything except rice or noodles into one pot, just cover it with water, bring to a simmer and put a lid on it.

If the person has just had surgery or been in the hospital for some reason, there are some things to take into consideration. Find out if the person has dietary limitations. If not, the ideas put forth so far would be fine. If they do, how about a basket of something that interests them to help pass the time? Things like jigsaw puzzles, sports magazines, gardening publications, or books by their favorite author will be welcomed. How about Scratch-&-win tickets, or bring in piles of photos that aren’t in albums yet and a few photo albums? 12

Mother’s Day No Mother’s Day article would be complete without a “Top Ten Things a Mom Would Never Say” list, so here goes.

That’s it! A delicious and hearty breakfast that mom will love. If you want to, put the plate on a tray along with a bud vase with a rose in it, and take it up to Mom.

1. Chocolate? Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly! 2. Don’t take a sweater- it’s beautiful out! 3. Just leave all the lights on ... it makes the house look cheerful. 4. I don’t have a Kleenex with me. Just use your sleeve. 5. Your face is dirty, but don’t worry, it will wait until we get home. 6. Don’t clean your room so often. It makes the rest of the house look bad. 7. Turn up that music! 8. If your little brother’s bugging you, just smack him! 9. Don’t worry about your underwear. What are the odds? 10. Could you just run these scissors over to the neighbors for me? Mother’s Day to me has always meant breakfast in bed. Here is a breakfast that Mom will love, and it’s so easy to make! Take a MagicKitchen.com Vegetable Omelet out of the freezer the night before and let thaw in the fridge. On Mother’s Day morning, follow the easy instructions to heat it up. Place on a nice plate. Take cornbread blueberry toaster cakes from MagicKitchen.com out of the freezer and pop into the toaster while the omelet is heating. Wipe the plate free of any moisture that the omelet might have put there, and put the toaster cakes next to the omelet. 13

Housewarming The new family has moved in, they’ve unpacked, and the invitations have gone out to come and see their place! Exciting! Housewarming parties can be a wonderful time, and you want to bring a good and appropriate gift. You haven’t seen the place yet, so unless you know these people VERY well, chances are you can’t match their decorating scheme. Prepared meals are welcome, appropriate, and cost-effective. MagicKitchen.com’s new home gift meal bundles are a great choice. Here are some other ideas: 1. A bottle of good wine (doesn’t need to be expensive, there are some affordable options on this website: http://grapesensehwh.blogspot.com/2011/03/some-greataffordable-wine-choices.html), some fruit, crackers and cheese. You can lay it all out in a nice basket. 2. A gift certificate to Sam’s Club or Costco will let them stock up on what they need. 3. A nice vase if you know their color scheme. 4. Gourmet Coffee or Tea. Depending on whether the people are coffee-or-tea people, a gift basket of gourmet coffee or tea is always welcome. 5. Two delicious words. Homemade cookies. 6. Gourmet chocolate and a bottle of good scotch whiskey. Sounds weird, but a small glass of a good whiskey like Chivas, served with really good chocolates, is a taste sensation. How do I know? Well, that’s another story. 7. BluRay player- Check first, but not everyone has these yet, and it’s a nice thing to play dvds and cds on while they are unpacking.

One important factor is whether the partythrowers are younger or more mature. If they are in their thirties and up, chances are they have most of the appliances they need. But if they are in their early-to-mid twenties and especially if this is their first home, here are some ideas they might enjoy. 1. Breadmaker - when people get a breadmaker, it quickly becomes one of their favorite appliances. There’s something so comforting about waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread. 2. Throw Blanket - this is one of those simple items that soon become a necessity. 3. Power tools. They will be needing the, and probably don’t have them. 4. A gift certificate to a Bed Bath and Beyond or Williams Sonoma (or other bath or kitchen supply store) Here’s a great story about a gift that wasn’t quite what the home-owner wanted: The absolute weirdest gift I ever got was a giant ceramic chicken bowl. Standing almost two feet tall, it was too big to be a centerpiece. It was marked as food grade paint, but the bowl was too narrow to be used as a serving dish and too big to be used as a personal dish. There was a hole so it could have been hung on the wall, but it was kind of oval. So it didn’t hang flush. It rocked. And did I mention It was shaped like a giant chicken? It came from someone I love and respect who was so pleased when I opened it. So I could never quite bring myself to ask what it was intended for. I still have it, packed away. Somewhere.” -- Shellie 14

New Parents The days after coming home from the hospital are hectic for parents. They’ve got a lot on their minds and are adjusting to the newborn’s schedule, so they lose time for other activities such as eating regular meals.

Give them the best gift of all; time to enjoy their new family, with no dishes to do! Our food gifts are the ideal way to say congratulations to the new parents.

Other Ideas include: • Give them the gift of time- offer to vacuum and clean up while the baby is awake, so that when the baby goes down for a nap, so can the mother and father. • Rocking chair or glider - soothing to both child and parent • Baby backpack - this gets them all out of the house, even if just for short walks.

• Baby sling- another idea for keeping mom’s hands free. • Baby monitor -check to see if they have one yet, first. • Laundry service-either offer it personally or pay for one. • Personal gift certificates for free babysitting so the parents can have a night out.

It’s critical for them to eat well at this time, for their health and the health of the new one. Our meals come in convenient containers that are oven or microwave-reheatable. All they need to do is reheat, then put their plates in the dishwasher. 15

Retirement

Throwing a retirement party is a very popular thing to do. The person has put his or her whole life into working hard to support their families, and now is looking forward to a welldeserved retirement, and you want to tell them how happy you are for them.

For easy food, make some salads and let MagicKitchen.com take care of the rest. Order some family-sized items like Beef Short Rib Roast, Seared pork tenderloin for 4, Classic Meatloaf, Roasted Turkey breast, or Chicken Pot Pie.

Many 65 to 70-year-olds are still very active and fit, and are looking forward to a life of involvement in the community and of spending whole days enjoying their favorite pastimes. Building a party around that pastime is a wonderful idea for a theme. Here’s an example for someone who is passionate about golf and can’t wait to start spending time at the links. • Encourage everyone to come in golf apparel and carry putters. • Set up a putting green (search Google for “putting carpet”). • Put up green and white streamers. • You can buy mylar balloons in golf ball shapes. Or get white balloons and tie them with green ribbon. • Put up signs around the house that contain golf quotes like, “It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place this world is when one is playing golf. ~Robert Lynd and, “I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game: it’s called an eraser.” ~Arnold Palmer • Put up posters of famous golfers. • For favors, You can hand out golf balls and golf tees, or there are companies that make golf-ball corkscrews, glasses, coasters and more. Search Google for “golf decor.”

Seniors Here’s an example from a customer: We purchased a week’s worth of meals for my uncle who lives in Michigan. He’s VERY health conscious at 84 years young. He’s a loy• Sweet Dreams Dessert Bundle from al Healthy Choice eater - every night. He was MagicKitchen.com - desserts and nothing skeptical and hesitant at first when he received but, grandma will love it! • Send a pasta package. Pasta is an easy and his Magic Kitchen order. Once he pulled the quick but nutritious meal. Find some gour- first one out of the freezer, he checked out the nutrition label - it passed his scrupulous exmet pasta sauce and some good dry pasta. Package it in a pretty pasta bowl with some amination, he popped it in the microwave, and LOVED it! He raved about each meal he had raffia. • Treats. Other food gift ideas for the elderly that week. Every night when we called to him, it was the first thing he talked about. You’ve can center on treats they can enjoy but won’t or can’t spend money on. Depending just acquired your most difficult to win over on the senior’s likes and any special dietary fan! restrictions, a gift basket could include Fla- ~ Jane P vored coffees, teas or cocoas, Regular or sugar-free candies, Dried or candied fruit, Almond or cashew butter, smoked oysters and fancy crackers. • Ethnic Food. Send them a favorite ethnic food. I know seniors who love bottled Kimchi, believe it or not! If they are in a smaller town and like to cook, send them ingredients that are hard to get, like cardamom pods, rice paper wrappers, rice noodles, Whether you cook the meals yourself and Thai curry paste, good Parmesan cheese, deliver them, or have us do it for you, there’s hard sausages, dried wild mushrooms. no doubt that easy meals are the single most I learned through the experience of helping my appreciated seniors gift. own parents that seniors lose the need for big meals, and often lose any appetite they had, making it a nuisance to cook. Here are some ideas for food gifts for your favorite Senior:

Our experience at MagicKitchen.com has been that they will respond to well-cooked dishes in portion-controlled quantities(no leftovers to worry about).

Sympathy Be willing to do difficult things with your One of the hardest things in life is knowing how to help a friend get through a time of loss friend. They may need someone to sit with them in court, or help with the funeral. There and mourning. may be some hard times ahead and facing them alone can be terrifying. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. Help your friend take it one day at Dealing with grief cannot be avoided. Help a time, and don’t try to rush them through it. your friend get through it and your true friendOften your greatest help is just being there. ship and companionship, your kindness and patience can help them get our lives back If you can’t be there in person, talk to your together, and will be remembered always. friend on the phone. There are a lot of phone packages now, which will allow you to talk for Gifts of food are often welcome. A hours if need be, without breaking the bank. MagicKitchen.com gift will stay in the freezer Call your phone service provider. until the grieving person feels up to eating. It’s an appropriate gift and will still be there after Make the effort to call, to come by, to help the casseroles are eaten. your friend out six months and even a year down the road. Crowds may be difficult for The most difficult time may be months down them. Shopping and holidays can be overthe road when your friend feels like they may whelming. Offer your help. be leaning on friends for too long. In the first months, preparing healthy meals may be difficult. Consider sending a gift of meals from MagicKitchen.com or a local restaurant or catering company. Be on the look-out for destructive behaviors. Traumatic loss can lead some people into depression, alcohol or drug abuse. Your friend may need you to keep an eye on them while things are especially tough. Laughter is good medicine. You have some great stories about their loved one that will make them laugh and cry, Watch television shows with them which are light-hearted and uplifting.

In Closing We hope you’ve enjoyed our gift-giving guide. We’ve certainly enjoyed putting it together! The feeling we get when we’re giving is the gift itself, often. There’s a warmth and a feeling of contentment, even when the gift is anonymous. We’re so lucky in America, even in this time of recession. We have more than enough to eat, money to do things and our families are together. Rejoice in the love of your families and when you’re thinking of gift-giving, think of MagicKitchen.com!