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9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,D ecem ber 16,2021 insidehalton.com I can't recall many of the gifts my parents bought me for Christmas, aside from the odd Hot Wheels, the kit- ted-out G.I. Joe Frogman or maybe those Aurora mon- ster models. The presents I do re- member were the ones we lovingly crafted with wit, love and our own hands. It became a family tradition to haunt a local hardware or dollar store and reima- gine a much funnier use for something bought for a buck. My most satisfying re- turn for my meagre invest- ment was a little something I concocted for my mother that became an instant hit. I called it "The Leg Wea- sel". I bought a funnel, a paper clip and a four-foot length of clear plastic tub- ing. I assembled it all in a baggie with hilariously mangled English direc- tions. As per directions, one had to adjust the funnel in your underwear, and the tube down one leg clipped to a cuff to enable you to, "Pee anywhere, Any Time. Wow. Hooray!!" The accompanying car- toon of a hat-wearing man waiting at a bus stop, one leg raised to casually but confidently pee into a near- by plant sent my mother in- to paroxysms of laughter, so hard she rolled on the living room carpet with tears in her eyes. For me, that reaction was pure and utter joy. Once I gave my nephew a little wooden dollar store box. On top I glued a cartoon monkey with a note in bold letters saying, "See the mon- key! Open the box!" When he opened the box and saw his reflection in the little mirror I glued in- side he paused then said, "Hey!" For another nephew, I bought four simple wal- nuts at a local supermar- ket, placed them in a baggie with a creatively illustrat- ed but wholly scientific study on petrified dinosaur droppings. Humour, in our family, was always an important tool in coping with life's lit- tle problems. Yes, we bought real gifts too. One does not live by humour alone. But acquiring a sense of humour early in life culti- vates another level of cre- ativity and can be much more satisfying than just buying something to fill a spot under the tree. Prod your creativity this Christmas. It'll bring a little therapy to your home. Stephen Ilott is a home organizer and author of "The Domestic Archaeol- ogist". He can be reached at silott@cogeco.ca. CREATE LASTING, HOMEMADE MEMORIES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON OPINION BEST GIFTS CAN BE THOSE YOU MAKE YOURSELF, WRITES STEPHEN ILOTT STEPHEN ILOTT Column Try putting something hand-made under the Christmas tree this year, suggests Stephen Ilott. Graham Paine/Torstar Graham Paine/Torstar "Prod your creativity this Christmas. It'll bring a little therapy to your home."