5 Holiday Gifts That Aren't As Useful As People Think

How to get your phone to announce who’s calling, maintain melted chocolate for hours, and more. December 14, 2021 [View Online]( TOGETHER WITH [ButcherBox]( Good morning! If you’re like me and try hard to find gifts your loved ones will genuinely find useful, Today’s Good Thing can help you figure out what to avoid. I’m sharing 5 items that get returned most frequently after the holidays, along with reasons why they don't usually make ideal gifts. Also in today’s newsletter, there’s a new Tech Tip Tuesday for you. I’ll tell you about a smartphone feature that will help you decide whether it's worth it to drop what you're doing to answer that incoming call. Jillee DAYS UNTIL 🎄 Christmas: 11 🎊 New Year's Day: 18 TODAY'S GOOD THING 5 Holiday Gifts That Aren't As Useful As People Think [Photos of clothing, a stand mixer, hand tools, and workout equipment.]( Unless someone asks for one specifically, it may be wise to steer clear of these frequently returned gifts. 1. Clothes. On average, around 60% of post-holiday returns are clothing items. The problem with gifting clothing is that many people have particular tastes for color, style, and fit, so it's tricky to choose something that's just right. For stylish friends and family, a gift card to their favorite store will rarely go amiss. 2. Kitchen Appliances. Kitchen appliances can be hit-or-miss, because unless you know someone has been dying to get a specific model, you may be giving them a bulky gift they don't actually want. There's also a risk that you could give someone an appliance they already own. 3. Tools. Based on the number of tools that get returned after the holidays, they aren’t as great a gift for Dad as we think. Unless you are positive he’s hoping to get a new drill or wrench set, a gift card he can use to get the tools he really wants or needs may be a better option. 4. Home Decor. Along the same lines as clothing, most people have a particular decor style that can be hard to put your finger on as a gift giver. Instead of trying to pick out the perfect home decor item as a gift, go for something functional like a cozy blanket in a neutral or goes-with-anything color. 5. Self-Help Books/Exercise Gear. It’s best to avoid gifts that can be misinterpreted, such as self-help books, exercise gear, gym memberships, and other items related to a person’s mental or physical health. These items may seem useful to you, but they may be taken as personal slights by the recipient. [4 More Frequently Returned Gifts ➜]( Related • [7 Unexpected And Creative Ways To Give A Gift Card]( • [15 Simple Handmade Gifts You'll Want To Make Right Now]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • From removing stripped screws to fixing sticky locks, these 9 household hacks solve several everyday annoyances. [Read more ➜]( • Have you ever wondered what’s really in cooking spray, or if you could make your own? You’ll find both answers here. [Read more ➜]( • If you’re like me and have a hard time picking out stocking stuffers, these 10 DIY ideas will come in handy. [Read more ➜]( TECH TIP TUESDAY Have Your Phone Tell You Who’s Calling [An image of two phone screens displaying the Announce Calls setting.]( When your hands are full, you can still find out who’s calling by turning on this simple feature. When I’m up to my elbows in sudsy dish water and my phone rings, I’m often torn between letting it ring and drying my hands off to answer it. “What if it’s Dave or one of the kids?” I think to myself, though I know the chances of that are relatively small and it’s much more likely to be unimportant. But now that I’ve enabled the Announce Calls feature on my iPhone, I don’t have to wonder who’s calling. Siri announces the name of the person calling if they’re in my Contacts, or if they aren’t, she reads the phone number or says “unknown caller.” She even asks me if I want to answer, and all I have to do is say “yes” or “no.” It’s been a really useful feature for me so far, so I wanted to make sure you knew about it too. To enable it on your own phone, go to Setting > Siri & Search > Announce Calls, then select Always (or one of the other options described below) to enable the feature. You can also set Announce Calls to Headphones Only or Headphones & Car. If you select Headphones Only, Siri will only announce the caller when you have headphones connected. The same goes for Headphones & Car, except she’ll also announce the caller when your phone is connected to your car via Bluetooth. Android Users: To turn on the equivalent feature on your phone (Caller ID announcement), open the Google Phone app and tap the three-dot icon. Select Settings > Caller ID announcement, then tap “Announce caller ID” and select either "Always" or "Only when using a headset." TOGETHER WITH BUTCHERBOX Take The Guesswork Out Of Choosing Quality Meat I hate spending time wandering around the grocery store, and one area that always seems to take longer than I’d like is the meat section! Labels can be misleading, and I’m never sure how to sort through all the options to find the best choice for family dinner. Luckily, I’ve just discovered [ButcherBox](. It can be overwhelming to try and find meat that’s both high quality and affordable. And with the cost of meat on the rise, I was excited to learn that the average cost with ButcherBox is just $6 per meal, and that each box contains 8-12 pounds of meat. Plus, shipping is always free! [ButcherBox]( has the highest standards for the quality of their meat, so you can feel confident that your family is getting the best. If you’ve never tasted grass-fed meat before, you’re in for a real treat! ButcherBox is offering an incredible deal to OGT readers. Sign up and you'll get 1 pack of bacon for FREE in every order for life, AND save $20 on each box for the first 5 months. Less time grocery shopping, fewer questions about where your meat comes from, and more bacon—what more could you ask for? [Sign up for ButcherBox]( and start bringing home the bacon today. [Try ButcherBox Today ➜]( [Try ButcherBox Today ➜]( Supporting our sponsors makes it possible for me to continue sharing the tips and tricks that make your life easier! [Check out ButcherBox]( for 100% grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and humanely raised pork shipped to your door. - Thank you! COOKING Perfect Melted Chocolate In Your Slow Cooker [A photo of melted chocolate in jars in a slow cooker.]( When you need a lot of melted chocolate for gift-making or snacking, your slow cooker can help. A couple of years ago, I decided to make a big batch of “chocolate spoons” for gifts, and I needed a way to keep melted chocolate at a consistent temperature to facilitate the process. My first thought was to put it in a bowl set over simmering water, but I wasn’t too keen on the idea of being tied to my stove the entire time. Luckily, I discovered an alternative that not only worked flawlessly, but also allowed me to work at my kitchen table: my slow cooker. I just poured a few inches of warm water into it, turned it on to Low, then put a handful of chocolate chips into two jars and set them in the water. Once the chocolate had melted, I had no trouble making all my dipped spoons in one sitting. If you’re making anything with melted chocolate this holiday season and need to keep it melted for a while, I highly recommend using your slow cooker to make the process easier. Make Your Own Chocolate Spoons: Dip a plastic spoon into melted chocolate, then sprinkle mini marshmallows, sprinkles, or other cocoa add-ins onto the chocolate. Set the spoon on wax paper and allow the chocolate to set. Use chocolate spoons to stir up your next hot cocoa to make it even more of a treat, or give them as gifts. JILLEE'S PICK The Inspiring Story Behind An Unlikely Bestseller [The cover image for ]( Whether you’ve read the book or seen the TV movie, you might already be familiar with The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans, originally self-published by the author for a select group of his family and friends. Within 2 short years, the book was published by Simon & Schuster and became an international bestseller. The short-but-sweet book’s unlikely path to success began with its touching message about love and loss. It became a balm for parents who have lost children, to the point where people around the US have put up their own versions of the angel monument that's central to The Christmas Box story. The events that led Richard Paul Evans to write the book, as well as the story of its unlikely success, are the subjects of [The Christmas Box Miracle: My Spiritual Journey of Destiny, Healing and Hope]( by the same author. This book also includes stories shared with the author by fans of his book, from the inspirational to the miraculous. I highly recommend The Christmas Box Miracle (as well as The Christmas Box, if you haven’t had a chance to read it) to anyone experiencing challenges in their life, and anyone who could use a little more hope and faith. Isn’t that all of us, at the end of the day? [See The Christmas Box Miracle by Richard Paul Evans on Amazon ➜]( WHAT IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB ElfYourself, An Online Holiday Tradition [A GIF of Jillee and the OGT Team as dancing elves in an ElfYourself video.]( If you weren’t online very much during the last few years of the 2000s, or perhaps were living off the grid in a cabin or cave somewhere, you may be one of the few people who has yet to learn about [ElfYourself](. Just upload a photo of you or someone you know, and ElfYourself will generate a video featuring the person in the photo as a lithe and spirited dancing elf. The site went viral after its debut as part of an OfficeMax holiday ad campaign in 2006, and continued to be extremely popular over the next several holiday seasons. And as you can see, ElfYourself is still going strong in 2021. Today there are nearly 2 dozen dances to choose from (though some do cost money to unlock), and you can add up to 5 different “elves” to the same video. It’s a great way to find out what your family would look like if you decided to form a festive family dance troupe. Give it a try for yourself! On the website, you can download your videos and share them however you like, or with the ElfYourself mobile app (available in both the [Apple App Store]( and [Google Play]( you can share them directly to social media, send them in texts, and more. A FEW MORE THINGS... Three Cheers For Free Shipping: Today is [Free Shipping Day]( an opportunity for procrastinators and last-minute shoppers alike to round out their holiday shopping minus the usual shipping costs. We’re joining in the celebration with [free shipping in the By Jillee Shop]( all day long! Crispy Or Chewy: Whether you like it crispy, chewy, or somewhere in between, you’re going to love bringing home the bacon (for life!) and getting $100 off your monthly ButcherBox subscription. Make your menu planning easier in 2022 by [signing up for ButcherBox today]( On This Day: In 1903, the Wright brothers made their first attempt at flight with the [Wright Flyer]( an experimental canard biplane, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The attempt lasted just 3 and a half seconds, but it set the stage for the brothers to achieve the first sustained flight(s) of an airplane 3 days later on December 17. *Sponsored by ButcherBox. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. 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