Is it the gift or the thought that counts?

We all want gifts, who doesn’t? But is a gift a gift? a gift? How do you feel when you spend a lot on somebody and they don’t spend a lot on you? Is it really the thought that counts?

Gift giving has become such a minefield, so much psycho agro. For instance when you give a gift, should you include a receipt? The ‘new’ etiquette says Yes!  but personally we think that’s tacky. Leaving the receipt inside the packaging is like advertising how much you spent…not very gracious...

5 Must-Haves that Changed the Way We Live

1) Smart Phones – From the handy built-in cameras, to the convenience of carrying the internet around in your pocket and never having to miss an urgent email, I wonder how we ever lived without these gadgets.

Features like BBM (Blackberry Instant Messaging) by RIM have successfully gotten us addicted to a style of communication that we never even knew we needed! Not to mention the endless stream of apps that liven up our days and make our lives easier... (*sending happy thoughts to all smart phone developers out there*).

2) Digital Cameras – “Once upon a time, people had to wait ages to see photos that were taken of them, because they used this thing called film that had to be sent off to be developed).” That would sound like a folklore tale to some of our children! Most of us grab on cameras immediately a photo is taken – to make sure we look just right. Running out of film because you only had 36 frames? Well, gone are those days - thank goodness!

3) MP3 Players – Or should we just say iPods?! Apple seems to have done a great job of annihilating the competition as far as mp3 players

go. Love them or hate them, you’ve got to accept that they’re somewhat revolutionary. With thousands of songs at your fingertips, you never have to worry about leaving your ‘other favourite’ CD at home again. Whatever the mood, there’s always a tune - right there with you on your iPod!

4) Games Consoles – Back in the day they were only for kids, but with consoles such as the Nintendo Wii right now, games consoles have

broken the age barriers. Adventure games... Exercise/Work out games... Racing games... They’re all part of the fun. Since these came on the scene, rainy days have never been the same.

5) Portable Computing Devices – Whatever the pessimists have to say about the times we live in, this is a good era. We now live with the convenience of being able to work (and play) on a computer without being confined to a desk as part

of our everyday lives. Laptops (and more recently, the iPads) have seen to that. Whether you fancy being a ‘Mac’ or a ‘PC’, you can always change the way you live at www.u-wantit.com.

Which other must-haves have changed the way you live?