IS15. Holiday Dos and Don'ts

Дата публикации: Dec 27, 2015 5:4:47 PM

Transcript

Holiday Dos and Don'ts

Cristine Romans: What kind of gift do you give to your kids teacher and how .. your end ... 'Hey, I love those sweaters every year but maybe this year I could really use a gift card'. Er, here is a solution of Sarah Humphreys, the Executive Ed... Executive Editor of, er, Real Simple Magazine.

And I want to start with the teacher because a lot of parents are going to these times .. tough. Classrooms are also having a tough time. Would you... what would you give a teacher? Erm, and you try to find that class moms and dads who's organising the group gift.

Sarah Humphreys: Well, so that's... I think it's happening a lot these days they're organising a group gift or a group kind of donation of cash. Right, I think o lot about this .. now and if you can donate this much money, you know, for the teacher for the holidays it would be great. If that's the case, I would go ahead with that. Some schools don't have that policy so you can do that. So if you just wanna give something thoughful but small, you know, it can be a modest "thank you", erm, you know, a candle or a gift card is great. I mean, a gift card is easy and expected but it's always useful.

CR: I know a lot of ...

SH: Right

CR: that people don't use gift cards and the only reason why is .. reason of financial .. .. they don't use it, but

SH: True

CR: If you're a teacher, maybe you much more like to use it because, you know

SH: Hopefully

CR: .... .. .. the front door. What ten dollars? Fifteen dollars? Twenty dollars?

SH: I think, twenty - twenty-five

CR: twenty - twenty five dollars

SH: Yeah, I think you could actually buy something, because, you now, these days ... .. .. much, so

CR: Right, and should you volunteer to be the class parents just to pull all together to one gift card

SH: Well, I think that's a really mess idea

CR: Yeah, if you are crazy, you could buy .. ?

SH: If they are aggregating in your ... and your whatever .. gift cards to one thing and you ... yeah, if you can do it and you've organised it would be great idea

CR: Okay, if you go to a holiday party? Er, let's .. etiquiette of that, Sarah.

SH: Yes

CR: You say, er, no flowers, er, there's just more work for the host

SH: Yeah

CR: And when it comes to co-workers, it can be a little awkward

SH: Right, so, when you go to a holiday party at a friend's house, so, you know, whatever, er, a personal acquaintance, you don't wanna bring pick-up flowers because again .. after put them in water and run around but you also maybe not ... don't want to put them to the bottle ... which is expected again it'll go to use but it's a little expected so let's put the difference go with a potted plant which is really nice to .. there for next stay which she can just sit it down. It could be obviously appoint.. ... ... but it just could be some earth in a pot which can be really ... and again it's nice way .. her day .. ..

CR: That's a really good idea. That's a really good idea. Okay, everyone wants to hear once more it's cash, of course,

SH: Yes

CR: Let's speak about cash because giviing cash is a little difficult, a little tricky and getting cash can be tricky too. I mean some people in Earth find that a kind increadibly Gosh would be the word I think.

SH: Gosh, it also feels a very last minute ... Oh, God, I forgot .. a gift ... down. However, cash is a great gift, I mean, I would love cash. It's just the way it's presented all about the packaging

CR: Wow

SH: So, you need just take you cheque book and take a stack of a black holiday gift cards where you go to the holidays. And if you indeed forget to buy a gift for someone, it's all about the nice you in close to a cheque way. So, say something like 'I want to give you this money to do something you really love to do or to buy that you really love to buy that's all, I want to make you holiday to be a little happier'. It's all about the nice personal note.

CR: Can you regift cards that someone gave you last year or they are still in your purse?

SH: I don't see why not. I mean, again, like you said, a lot of gift cards .. .. .. how many millions

CR: .. never spends some gift cards, you really, for sure, giving the revenue to the retailer

SH: Yeah

CR: and almost all of these people like to spend more than the value of the gift card to get something, so you're asking them to spend their money

SH: Well, absolutely, so, I think it's a great idea. I think that, you know, regifting is okay when you know the person, who you're giving the gift, will actually use it.

CR: Okay

SH: It supposed .. just pass .. it

CR: Let's talk about a babysitter and a doorman, a mailman, mailperson. How much tipping and it's economy you have to give here. So, here is a time to ... for you but .. guess what time .. tough for that person tip

SH: Yes, absolutely, absolutely, so it really depends on, .. right so, the milk carrier, different milk carriers have policies of .. special service a... allowed as a gift

CR: .. super inten...

SH: ...

CR: and it's Apt. super, I thiink it like ... when I didn't live onn the East Coast I wouuld never .. it

SH: .. .. .. for the supers it's about $20-$100, again depending on how much they .. clear ... for you, $200 if you want him to be on your side. Erm, but again, as for a milk carrier, there is policy .. you can do .. it's certainly $75 .. o gift or .. value. And then, er, UPS .. has a policy

CR: Can I ask you about a gift for a babysitter? A cash or a gift equivalent to 1-2 night's pay, but if your kids have a day care, are you expected to give a gift to the person who is a babysitter at the day care facility, if you don't have a nanny or ...

SH: I don't think so, I think .. nice j... is good, you know, even some gift made by your kids or a nice holiday card made by the kids, something to show your appreciation, but I think you are obligated to give a tip or a gift

CR: Sarah Humphreys, Real Simple Magazine, nice to see you again

SH: Nice to see you

Gift giving etiquette

for your kids teacher

- buy something for everyday use

- check with school if there are guidelines or class group gift

for your co-workers

- if only giving to a few co-workers, don't hand out in front of everyone

- stick to small generic, seasonal gifts

is cash an option?

- depends on how well you know the person

tips

Apt. super - $20-$100

Doorman - $20-$100, $15 each if multiple

Nanny (babysitter) - 1-2 week's pay & gift from child

Day-care babysitter - cash or a gift equivalent to 1-2 night's pay

Dog walker - 1 week's pay and/or a gift

Mail carrier - small gift or gift card in $20 range

Comprehension Check

1. What presents are acceptable?

2. What can you give to the teachers? How much? (in case you choose to give cash)

3. Is it OK to bring flowers?

4. How should you present people with cash? What can you say to make it look better?

5. Can you regift a gift-card from someone else?

6. What can you give to your babysitter, mailman, doorman? Day-care babysitter?

Wordlist

Tough difficult to do or deal with

Contamination making a place or substance dirty or harmful by putting something such as chemicals or poison in it influencing something in a way that has a bad effect

To donate to give something, especially money, to a person or an organization in order to help them

Thoughtful always thinking of the things you can do to make people happy or comfortable [≠ thoughtless]

1) задумчивый, погружённый в размышления, созерцательный

2) глубокий, содержательный (о книге и т. п.); наводящий на размышления

3)

а) (of smth.) думающий, помнящий о (чём-л.)

б) заботливый, чуткий, внимательный; думающий о (ком-л.)

4) (about smth.) относящийся к чему-л. серьёзно, внимательно

Modest someone who is modest does not want to talk about their abilities or achievements [≠ immodest, boastful]

1) скромный, сдержанный

2) скромный, умеренный, ограниченный

3) скромный, благопристойный, застенчивый

To volunteer to offer to do something without expecting any reward, often something that other people do not want to do

Acquaintance someone you know, but who is not a close friend

Potted plant a plant growing indoors in a pot

Tricky something that is difficult to deal with or do because it is complicated and full of problems

Gosh informal used to express surprise

Retailer a person or business that sells goods to customers in a shop

Obligated made to do something, because it is the law, the duty, or the right thing to do

I can't imagine