Tips on End-of-Year Giving From the IRS

Want to make a contribution to a charity this holiday season?

It's the season for giving, but don't you want something back? The Internal Revenue Service has offered tips on those deductible donations:  Clothing and Household Items Clothing and household items (furniture, furnishings, electronics, appliances and linens) donated to charity must be in good used condition or better to be deductible. Guidelines for Monetary Donations Keep those receipts, because deductions on monetary charitable donations will require a bank record or communication from the charity. Don't Forget... Find Lorton Patch via:

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Tackling Technology

Video Games Can Make Great Gifts

A good game can lead to hours of fun as a family or solo questing; some hints on making the most of your shopping time and money

Video games can be great gifts for people of any age. Games are by there definition about having fun and giving them as gifts sends the message that you want your friend or family member to relax and have a good time. There are a world of options out there covering all price ranges and skill levels. Here are a few tips on shopping for a perfect video game gift and some recommended options for gamers young and old. Games are great ways to have fun together. A family gathering or reunion of high school friends can be more fun with a game that is easy to jump into or that accomodates varied skill levels. The Wii system and the Xbox Kinect system both offer games that get everyone off the couch and into the game. Whether playing a mean game of…

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Creative Moms Deserve the Best Tech Tools

Whether your mom is a designer, a photographer, artist or moviemaker--the right tools are often the best gifts

As a mom myself, I generally don't recommend getting tech tools as Mother's Day gifts. Seriously, unless mom specifically requests a new vacuum cleaner, socket set or ironing board, she want gifts that are more personal and less task-oriented. Giving her a present that allows her to further her skills, or discovering new means of expression can be the most meaningful gift you can give. There are many non-technical tools that can help her develop her creative side, of course (flowers and a card), but as more and more artistic expression is digital, giving the right gift means looking to technology. Here are some great ideas for creatives of all sorts--mom or not. For the Photographer While a digital SLR would be an ideal gift for someone …

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Gift Ideas: From Consumer to Creator

Is your daughter a gamer? Help her learn to design a game. Is your nephew into electronic music? The right software can help them make their own mixes.

  Holiday wishlists are often full of requests for new games, music, movies, or books. And as we indulge in our entertainment of choice, we learn to appreciate the creator’s mastery of a particular form and how they push the art in new directions.  Your loved ones may hold strong opinions about what makes a game great or one song being better than another. If you know that they are passionate about a field, how about giving them the tools to create their own? It could be the gift to help set them on the road toward a career or lifelong hobby. For the Musician Garageband for Mac users (part of the $49 iLife suite from Apple) or Mixcraft for PC ($74.95) is a great gift that might be just the inspiration a music-lover needs to express …

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Holiday Tech Shopping Advice

Giving electronics as gifts can make you a terrific Santa, but with a bit of planning you can avoid making some expensive mistakes

  From Black Friday to last-minute holiday sales, news reports to conversations around the watercooler --everyone is talking about high tech gifts. There are high ticket presents that are purely for entertainment to essential tools for students and business people. Before you rush to buy a tech gift there are a few things to consider to avoid expensive mistakes.

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