Looking for a sweet, nearly free, gift for the grandparents of your baby? Nothing is cuter than a pair of baby shoes or socks as a Christmas ornament. For a shoe ornament, just make sure they are clean, tie them together with a brightly colored ribbon (for bonus points, write the baby’s name and birthday with an indelible marker on the ribbon) and then attach one of those little wire hooks to the ribbon. For socks, an oversized safety pin can be used to artfully attach the sock tops together and also to the ribbon. Cute giant safety pins with pink or blue tops can often be found at craft stores, if you are so inclined.

Of course, you might want to save your very favorite shoes and socks for your own tree at home. As a kid, I remember being thrilled to see the teeny-weeny black mary janes that had been my sister's, and then mine, when we were infants. They hang on the tree every year. Despite having a baby of my own, it still seems impossible that my feet were ever that small. - Leigh G.