presents

It's almost Easter weekend, and that may mean baskets of goodies around the house. But beyond the risks of sweeteners and chocolates, there are plenty of threats looming in any sweet-looking Easter basket. Even though paper "grass" is not as dangerous, the shiny, pastel bits seen here can lure in a curious cat (or pup), but pose the same problem as tinsel — strands can't be digested, get stuck in their intestines, and totally mess up the digestive system.

What other hazards lurk inside? Dig deeper and read more

If you think you're doing your friend a big favor by buying a really expensive item that she's been lusting over, there might be one drawback that you probably didn't know about. It's called the "aesthetic incongruity resolution" and it gives people the urge to buy things to match up with the nicer item, according to the Boston Globe.

For example, if your closet has no designer pickings, getting a brand-new Balenciaga from your pal might upset the balance. You might use it as an excuse to get a pair of expensive Manolos to "even things out" in your wardrobe.

There are plenty of gifts that won't cause this designer distortion in your friend's life. If you want to gift your friend with something meaningful, consider experience gifts such as tickets to the theater or crafty presents like scrapbooks or framed pictures.

Maybe a not-so-romantic pair of slippers from your new boyfriend, or an ugly sweater from your great-aunt who doesn't appreciate its ironic value makes your not-so-merry Christmas present hall of fame. Or perhaps it's a gift that proves someone hasn't been paying attention at all, like a box of candy from a co-worker who knows you're diabetic, or tickets to see a band your boyfriend should know you hate.

I hope Santa brought you everything you wanted this year, but what presents of Christmas pasts have caused you to hold back a cringe while opening?

I was amused to read an article in Slate about the evils of gift cards because I coincidentally recently talked to a friend about her gift card fiasco. I've also previously talked about the ways cash trumps gift cards and suggested some cute ways to dress up your present of cold, hard cash. So if you're thinking about giving someone special a gift card for the holidays, read some of the arguments against them before buying one.

• Spend More: Most people tend to go over the limit, because sometimes the amount is not enough for what they actually want from the store or they're buying something they won't necessarily spend money on just to use up the gift card.
• Dose of Guilt: If your gift card expires, you'll feel a healthy dose of guilt about wasting money and maybe blame yourself for forgetting.
• Bothersome Hiccups: Be aware that you'll face bumps that you won't get with cash. My friend suffered a bunch of hiccups because the salesman accidentally rang the card up twice. She then proceeded to have to go through customer service, who said they couldn't do anything about it. This resulted in going back and forth between the store and the gift card issuer, which took up a lot of time and energy.

Apparently December is a busy time for plastic surgeons, as people start gifting each other with cosmetic surgeries. In fact, Massachusetts-based Dr. Min S. Ahn tells CNN that December is when his schedule is the most packed because it's a good time for people to take time off and hide their surgeries. It's even busier for Dr. Ahn this holiday season due to the gradual rebound in the economy. I guess there's a correlation between cosmetic surgeries and the country's economic climate.

People can get pretty creative with trying to surprise recipients with their surgery gift — this one guy apparently put breast implants in a box for his wife under a Christmas tree! This is certainly not your ordinary holiday present; how would you feel if someone gave you some plastic surgery for Xmas?