Gulf region MMS employees accepted gifts, food, tickets at oil and gas company expense
Inspector General report details other abuses, including use of federal computers to view pornography

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Giving Christmas gift baskets are a fantastic way to avoid the hard work of finding a suitable Christmas gift for even the most demanding of your friends and relatives. You can buy or make Christmas gift baskets that have particular themes to fit the lifestyle and hobbies of the intended recipient. One of the really fun things about giving themed Christmas gift baskets is using your imagination as you start to collect the various items needed to fill your surprise basket.

You can make your Christmas gift baskets as simple or elaborate as you like. If you are looking for an inexpensive gift for your children’s teachers or your co-workers that you would like to acknowledge during this time of year, then it is quite simple to put together a basket that looks great but doesn’t cost the earth. Your Christmas baskets can be filled with relatively cheap trinkets and thoughtful items such as soaps, homemade jams, chocolates and Christmas decorations that are easily sourced from your local stores or from a specialty stores that sell these items in bulk.

Food Baskets

One of the most popular types of Christmas gift basket ideas today is the food basket. You can fill these with a variety of delectable goodies, from decadent desserts and sweets to entire meals. Why not try an Italian Christmas gift basket, you can fill these with fresh pasta and sauces, breadsticks and don’t forget to add a bottle of Italian wine. For the younger recipients, why not go for the snack Christmas gift baskets stuffed with popcorn, nuts, lollies and a mixture of dip mixes and biscuits. You can find ready-made food styled Christmas gift baskets that will literally tantalize any palate, or you can create your own with your personal concoctions and specialties. For example if you enjoy baking and cooking, then this is the perfect way to turn your own favorite recipes into an entire gift ensemble for everyone on your list. Add some special herbal teas, flavoured butter and a pair of mugs, and your gift basket is ready to go.

Hobby Baskets

Is your best friend a golf enthusiast or an avid gardener? If so why not put together a Christmas gift basket that is full of tools and supplies to support their pastime or special hobby. Every gardener would just love to receive Christmas gift baskets jam packed full of flower or vegetable seeds together with a new trowel and some gardening gloves. A golfer can always use more golf balls, towels and other useful items. For others why not put in a calendar or some humorous books and magazines. If your intended recipient likes sewing, cooking or rock climbing, you can always find a few bits and pieces to create a unique Christmas gift basket that is tailored to that particular person. Make sure you throw in one or two items that are strictly just for fun as well as those useful tools that a hobbyist always needs.

Really the best part about giving Christmas gift baskets is that they are almost as much fun to create, as they are to receive. If you are looking for a creative way to delight everyone on your ‘to receive present list’ this year, why not consider preparing unique Christmas gift baskets customized to those special folks. Rest assured that your Christmas gift baskets are guaranteed to be a total hit and may even start a trend for years to come, so go on get your thinking cap on and start buying for this festive season.

5 Ways to Send Real-Life Gifts To Your Twitter Friends
The online nature of Twitter means that it’s highly unlikely you know the physical addresses of many of the people you follow, which if you want to send them something in the real world, could be problematic. Whether it’s a Twitter buddy’s birthday, someone’s a little under the weather, you want to say thank you, or just be awesome, there are a variety of services out there that can help you out …

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Bill allowing minor gifts for elected officials, state employees passes House
BATON ROUGE — The House passed a bill Tuesday that would let elected officials and state employees accept minor gifts on the job, a break with current ethics law forbidding public servants from taking presents and treats from those who…

Read more on New Orleans Times-Picayune

Are you looking for a great gardening gift? Start your search right now. There are plenty of great ideas that you can use to bring a smile to the face of any gardener.

There are a few things that you can consider before buying a gardening gift. Think about how large the garden is and how much free space there is. Then make a list of the things that already exist in that particular garden and those that are lacking, yet are still essential.

Next, consider the owner of the garden. Is it a she or a he, what type of person is he/she, is he/she a beginner in gardening, or is the gardener a professional? This is important as you wouldn’t want to buy a beginners’ gift set for a person that has been digging in the dirt for the last 10 years.

Having done that, go to a gardening store near you and see what you can buy from the list. Check the prices and establish a price range that you can afford. For a beginner in this hobby, a great gift could be a general gardening gift set. There are also soil testers, gloves of different sizes and colors, tools, weeders, compost pails, stools, planters, aprons, ergonomic tools and lots more. All you need to do is choose what you want to give as a present.

Gnomes are very popular gifts to give a person who enjoys gardening, as long as you pick the right Gnome! They are joyful, nice and lighten up any outdoor space. But, if you are thinking about garden gnomes, try to imagine if the owner of the garden would like them or have space for them.

If you are out of ideas or you are not quite sure what tools your friend already has, you should certainly consider buying a plant. This can be a lovely gift, and you can rest assured that it will never be inappropriate.

Gardeners love plants, and they will love you if you come up with a plant or a flower as a gift. You can find a lot of species of plants in specialized gardening stores, so finding the perfect match should not be a problem. You can also buy a nice planter that goes with the plant, and this will function as a perfect accessory.

If you don’t have time to visit the gardening store, or alternatively, you just want to find a gift as soon as possible, a good place to look for gifts is online. Browse the Internet for gardening tools web sites, and you will be able to get numerous ideas that can solve your problem.

The majority of these web sites have gardening gift sets organized into categories along with pictures of what the product will look like. This means that buying a gift can be both quick and easy. If you opt for this method, be prepared for the time it takes for the product to arrive.