The Gift of Time8 Ways to Give What She Really Wants - The Gift of Time
Time to think outside the clocks! Here are eight places a woman's time is spent with ideas about how to turn it into a great gift:
The Gift of a Better CommuteWhile there is no way to magically erase her commuting time, there are some great gift ideas that can help reduce it. With my girlfriends, there are two types of commuters.The woman loves her job, but hates the commute, and the woman who hates the commute and might want to work from home. Here are gift ideas for all situations. GPS Satellite Navigation Device Does she have a GPS for her car? GPS devices have become very affordable and can save her time by suggesting smart alternative routes when traffic is bad. Other than my laptop, my Garmin GPS is the gadget would never want to give up! Click here to see bestselling GPS devices on Amazon. This is an especially thoughtful gift if she travels frequently for business, and needs to have help finding her way around unfamiliar cities and towns.
Audio BooksIs she bored on the commute or feel like it is wasted time? You can give her time back to her in the form of audio books on CD or for her mp3 player. If she's stressed she can listen to comedy or humorous authors. Ambitious? Career-related, business books, or "word-a-day" audio CD will be a great fit. Needs to connect to a higher power? Spiritual CDs are available. Wants to learn a language? She can practice her language skills. There really is no need to waste time in the car on a commute anymore! Best of all, there are thousands of audio books for mp3 players like the Bible and Shakespeare's plays that are completely free because they are considered public domain. All you have to do is pick them out and burn her a CD! Go to
LibriVox
Is she exhausted from mandatory overtime, or having to commute six days a week? The video above mentions flex-time as something women often do not ask for, but many companies offer. Flex-time would allow her to work non-traditional 8 to 5 shifts when traffic is normally the worst. For example, she might be able to work four days for 12 hours instead.
I know of women who are miserable with their commute, but lack knowledge of their legal rights to ask for flextime. This gift could change her life, make her less cranky, happier while on the job, and give her many hours of time back for herself. What if she hates the commute and wishes she could work from home? Maybe she's let it slip that she wishes she could quit but she's stuck on what kind of work she could do instead. She's not alone! "Whatever stats or studies you look at these days, the result is the same: telework is growing rapidly. According to the research firm Forrester, 34 million Americans are working from home at least part time. The number of people who worked from home grew from 9.5 million in 1999 to 17.2 million in 2008." Source: Working Virtual: Goodbye Office, Hello Telework by Ira S Wolfe All the funny cartoons in her cubicle or nice co-workers at her office at work won't make things easier if she really feels like she'd rather work from home and avoid commuting completely. Here are some gift ideas to help... Job Search Resources or Career Counselor Time Consider treating her to some books on career change, working from home, or buying her sessions with a career counselor. Two of the leading authors on home based businesses, working at home from your computer, and career change are the husband and wife team of Paul and Sarah Edwards A career counselor can help listen to her frustrations, and help her develop a plan of action if she wants to work from home, or even start her own company. I have seen a career counselor, as have many women women I know. It's a smart move, and a great gift idea. Work at Home Resources The internet is full of "work at home" scams, but there are also legitimate ways to work from home, and be your own boss. In fact, I work from home to create this website, and earn monthly income this way. I have a very short commute to a nearby community college where I teach, so I feel that I've created an ideal work life for myself, and you can too! Find out more about this Gift of Freedom The Gift of a Personal Clothes ShopperYou’ve probably given her a gift card for clothing in the past, right? To make this gift really great, you can set up a free appointment with a personal shopper (also called a personal stylist) at a quality department store. A personal shopper will hand pick clothing for her and have it waiting in a dressing room. It is a huge time-saver!Many women believe that you must pay for this service, but it is not true! This is a free service. Here are three U.S. department stores that have personal shopper services at no cost, and links to the contact forms to schedule an appointment:
The Gift of Housecleaning HelpGive her a break from all the housework and save her hours of time!There are several nationwide services with great reputations that you can purchase gift cards or gift certificates from: Molly Maids has twenty-five years in the cleaning industry, and gives back by supporting domestic violence causes through the Ms. Molly Foundation. Maid Brigade has an emphasis on green eco-friendly cleaning and is an affiliate with Mom Corps, an organization which helps match moms looking for flexible work with corporations looking professional talent. The Maids is in over forty states and uses their 22 Step Healthy Touch system to deep clean a home. Doing the cleaning yourself? Have the whole family pitch in and work as a team to clean. Let kids know that mom will appreciate a sparkling clean room, and give them an extra gold star or sticker if you track their help on a chore chart. The Gift of Fast Online Grocery ShoppingEvery woman who loves standing in line at the grocery store, raise your hand! Maybe not. :) With the internet, you have the opportunity to have groceries and household items delivered to her door, in many cases, at no extra cost. When you consider the cost of gas and the time wasted standing in line giving her a gift card for an online grocery store with free delivery makes a fantastic gift. Here are some fantastic picks of online grocery stores nationwide in the United States. There are also many regional online grocery shopping services which will deliver fresh produce and meats, so check locally and do a web search to see for your options.
The Gift of an Errand ServiceErrand services aren't just for the rich and famous. Errand services, sometimes called a concierge service are affordable for everyone. Fees vary from $20 or more an hour, but this can buy her a blissful hour reading the the bathtub. Treat her with a gift card or arrange for the service and surprise her.You can also offer to do this yourself, save the money or spend it on a spa kit. Here are a few example of the types of errand services offered:
The Gift of Meal Preparation
Cooking dinner can be a joy...or a chore. If you'd like to give her the gift of a delicious meal and save her time in the kitchen here are some creative ways to do it.Cooking Ahead with a Slow Cooker Delivered meals Get her a Delivery.com gift card and she'll be able to get her get food delivered when she needs some extra time. GourmetStation.com has been featured in many national TV shows as a way to really treat her to a fine dining experience and save her time as well. Offers gift cards, certificate, and monthly food clubs. The Gift of Good ChildcareChildcare is a 24/7 job. Here are some ways to give her the gift of "free time" when she has kids.
The Gift of a Good Night's SleepTick, tock, tick, tock...the sound of the clock passing the minutes at night is something many women have to listen to while trying to fall asleep. Insomnia can be a another source of stress for some women, especially if they are getting frustrated thinking about the wasted hours spent tossing and turning while trying to go to sleep.If your girlfriend, wife, mom or another special woman you know is one of them, you can help her out with some truly thoughtful gifts that she'll be able to enjoy.
Wrapping Up the Gift of TimeWhen it comes to giving one of the above gifts, you can certainly give it with a bit of style, or even combine it with another gift category. Here are some ideas to make it memorable:Because you are giving her the gift of time, consider giving her a symbol of the time she will gain.
In the gift card you can include a famous quote about time, motherhood, or a note from you saying, "Here's to taking more time for you!" Some appropriate famous quotes:
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