Pepper Spray (Mace) and other Self-Defense items

It’s the start of the New Year, and I am back after a year long hiatus! Lets start the beginning of the year with a self-defense gift for the special birthday person(s).

Why are these gifts a good choice for Hers, Oneself, Teens and Elderly? These are not gifts that are particularly exciting, but it is something that is useful (when in difficult, life-threatening situations) and serves as good self-protection as last resort. Most recipients would be thankful for the thoughtful gift.

For females, teens, elderly, or oneself, it is scary to realize to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and may be a possible victim. These feelings creep up when walking alone in an empty parking lot at night or dark alleyway, in daylight at a park, at a crowded place, and quite possibly anywhere. There may even be no realization at all. Perhaps it was the only way to get to get to their destination, or maybe they weren’t aware of the possible dangers at the time. Whatever the reason, it is comforting to know that if they ever became a possible targeted victim (knock on wood), at least they may be able to somehow use the self-defense item to protect themselves and give them a chance to escape.

Where can you get Pepper Spray (Mace), and other Self-Defense items? Walmart, Target, Academy are a few good places to find pepper sprays and other self-defense items like personal alarms or sharp knuckles/pointed items. Not too sure whether these places carry stun guns, but their online websites show they do sell stun guns/tasers. There are also some places that specialize in carrying self-defense items online.

If you are on a budget, pepper sprays can be generally purchased for less than $10 at your local Walmart or Target stores or online on Amazon. It is possible that pepper sprays can also be homemade as well, but be sure to use protective gear when making. Check it out on the the Internet to see how.

If still on a budget, do something creative! Watch Youtube videos on Self-Defense moves, make a personal video with another friend and show to the Birthday One as a gift. They will enjoy and appreciate your efforts, and it may also trigger their memory if they are ever put in a difficult situation. Making a self-made book of self-defense moves drawing or even writing about self-defense moves will also do the same.

**NOTE OF CAUTION: Self-defense items and products can cause injury, harm, and even death to oneself or others if used incorrectly. If possible, do proper research to understand how to use the self-defense products before giving and using. Research on local laws or regulations relating to owning and using self-defense items may also be helpful. Understand carefully before purchasing, giving, or using self-defense items or products. Be sure to advise the gift recipient to also do the same. Give responsibly.

Birthday Gift List

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If you are not sure and or short on time, be honest and direct, and ask the Birthday One what they want for their birthday gift. Some Birthday Ones may be humble, and others don’t really care, but then you will not know until you ask. You can see whether the Birthday One wants to give a Birthday Gift List, and if they do, then you can try to see if you can work on getting a gift(s) from the list.

There shouldn’t be any guarantee or pressure on your part to give but you can also list some criteria like the items on the list should be under $10 (kind of like White Elephant or Secret Santa so maybe you can call this The Birthday One List). You can also say you would only pick one thing to give from the list to give. If they ignore your criteria, or if you do not set a criteria, and they put only Burberry items on the list, it does not mean you are obligated to give a gift on the list. However, there may also be some level of disappointment for the Birthday One if you do not. It is best to set criteria and set a low level of expectation for the Birthday One if you use this approach.

If you are able to get a list, it is also something you can pass to other friends if they are also figuring out what gifts to give to the Birthday One.

If you are not sure where to start, you can download this Simple Birthday Wish List Template (same as above pic) to start! Email it to the Birthday One and get their Birthday Wish List.

Why getting a Birthday Gift list may be a good choice for everyone? 1) You would know what items the Birthday One wants or need without racking your brain to get something that you are not sure they would 100% like. 2) If you get the list, you can also surprise them since you are not likely to get everything on the list. Always set expectations low, and if you decide to surprise them and get more than one gift, then they can be surprise when you give it to them.

However, I would recommend you use this Birthday List approach with only close family members and close friends only because getting this list from the Birthday One means there is some level of expectation set for something on the list. If you fail to get something the Birthday One wants on the list, close family members and close friends can forgive you, with others, you don’t really know (unless you want to test them, that is).

Where can you find the Birthday Gift List?  You and the Birthday One have to sort it out. be direct and ask in person, on the phone, or by text. If you ask a few months in advance, it can also be more of a surprise since the Birthday One may likely forget about the Birthday list they gave you.

If you are on a budget, try to get the Birthday Gift List a few months in advance so you can check on sales and save for the purchase, especially around the holiday season.

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Gift Cards for the Birthday One

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I love Gift Cards, and I think when I give Gift Cards to the Birthday One(s), they also appreciate it a lot because of the gift card’s flexibility to make purchases based on their decision. Some people think Gift Cards are too impersonal, but on the contrary, it is very much personal since it’s something you know the Birthday One does like, would need, or would find useful, or it’s something a little luxurious that would make the Birthday One truly feel special.

Gift Cards comes in several categories as a Birthday Gift: 

I.Something the Birthday One likes – It is a gift card to a place you are sure the Birthday One likes to spend money on or enjoy to spend money at. Most likely, you’ve seen them use their money there at that place or hear them talking about their purchases there. Food places are excellent choices to get gift cards at (Starbucks, Chick Fil A, Movie Theater, other Restaurants)

II.Something the Birthday One needs – It can be something the Birthday One may need like for example, maybe they have mentioned briefly they may need to get new tires ASAP, or they need a new car battery soon,  or their labtop broke down, and they need to get it fixed by a technician. It could be something that stresses the Birthday One down, and or they are low on cash to get it.

III.Something the Birthday One finds useful– Something useful can be a Gift Card for Gasoline or a Visa Gift Card to be used on anything, a supermarket gift card, or a Walmart or Target gift card they can use to buy necessities. It may not be great, but when it comes time to use it, they will sure appreciate the extra help on payment.

IV.Something that the Birthday One finds Luxurious– The term luxurious can be different for different people. To me, it means it is not something the Birthday One would purchase regularly. In this case, you have to be careful that for some places, the Birthday One might have to fork out money to pay the balance, or they would be forced to give it to someone else. For example, if you give a gift card for Michael Kors, there are not many options that are under $15. This option should probably be only used if you know there’s something the Birthday One really want, or would like to purchase for the first time something at the store (in this case, your gift card would serve as some help to achieve their purchase.)

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Why are these gifts a good choice for everyone? The decision on what purchases the Birthday One would get rests solely with the Birthday One. They can decide what they want, need, find useful, or get something to pamper themselves with. It’s in their hands and less headache on your part.

Where can you find gift cards? If you know the brick and mortar location of a store, it is the easiest to pick it up straight from the store. Otherwise, many many places have stands at their stores where a variety of store gift cards with different amounts are sold. To name a few, Walgreens, CVS, supermarkets, Target, and Walmart have these stands.If you choose to get gift cards , please do check that the code on the back of the gift card is not scratched off. There had been some issues years back where thieves target gift cards and steal whatever amount that was paid on the gift card because they had access to the gift card numbers and code on back.

If the store has a website online, they may be able to send the gift certificate straight to the Birthday One’s recipient email address. Some may offer to send it by snail mail. If you choose to p, you can either send it directly to the Birthday One’s recipient home address or to yourself so that you can have with you to give to the Birthday One in person.

If you are on a budget, decide what amount you can afford first before you buy a gift card. A simple $5 gift card is also very nice already. It is really the thought that counts if you decide to give something to the Birthday One. If possible, try to save some money each month to help with the gift card purchase. A few places offer a discount on a gift cards (for example, if it is $20, some places offer 10% off so it would a little cheaper to purchase).

 

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50 General Gift Idea for Birthdays

Below is a quick list of ideas for birthday gifts (in no specific order). I will write more in detail in future posts, but it is a good list for those who need ideas now. I will add to this list as I think of more ideas!

1.Gift Cards

2.Pay for Meal/Movie

3.Birthday Cake/ Cupcakes

4.Chocolate/Candy/Fruit Arrangements/Cookies

5.Flowers/Balloons/Stuff Animal

6.Jewelry

7.Makeup

8.Skincare products

9.Fragrances

10.Lotion/ Hand Sanitizer

11.Puzzles/Games

12.CDs/Music Related

13.Movies/TV series in DVD

14.Video Games

15.Handbag/Purses/Wallet/Clutches

16.Activities related (bowling, arcade, golf, skating)

17.Spa

18.Manicure/Pedicure

19.Hair cut

20.Books/Comic Books/Audio Book

21.Clothes (Tshirt/hat/dress/shoes)

22.Computer Related- mousepad/mouse/flash drive

23.Something for the Car

24.Something for Protection

25.Picture Frames

26.Tea/Coffee

27.Groupon/Living Social Deal

28.Magazine Subscriptions

29.Subscription Boxes

30.Educational Lessons (cooking/language/designing)

31.Organizer/Planner

32.Fitness Sessions (Yoga/Dance Lessions/Boxing Lessons)

33.Aromatherapy

34.Basketball Game

35.Concert Tickets

36.Theater Play

37.Museum Tickets

38.Zoo Tickets

39.Painting Classes

40.Wine tasting

41.Something for the Pets

42.Something for the Kids

43.Stuff Animals

44.Disney related

45.Legos

46.Gardening Tools

47.Something for the Home

48.Cookware/Food Prep Related

49.Mugs/Cups/Water bottles

50.Be Creative and make something!

A Good Intro

 

Hi, my name is Wendy Teng, and I love gifts! Over the years, I have received many gifts from friends for birthdays, gave many birthday gifts myself, and discuss with many people about birthday gift ideas. I am starting this blog to share my thoughts and ideas on what to give to people for birthdays.

Is a special someone’s birthday coming up? Or a good friend? Dearest Mom? Helpful sibling? Fun coworker? Next door neighbor? etc.. Not sure what to give? Low on Budget? Feeling the need to splurge? Read this blog to get some ideas! There’s 365 days a year, there’s bound to be a birthday coming up! Can’t wait to start!