Well, I asked for your opinions about the clothing found at dollar stores and, once again, you responded with enthusiasm and honesty.

Impressions tended to be varied from one reader to the next, even getting into a debate over what constitutes a dollar store. It seems some of you don't consider Family Dollar or Dollar General to be "dollar stores" in the strictest sense of the word and that was my first impression. However, the majority of my readers seem to lump these discount stores in with dollar stores and I'm not here to pick nits, so I include them. After all, a bargain is a bargain, wherever you find it.

Whatever the topic, there will always be conflicting opinions and experiences. Such was the case with the issue of clothes in dollar stores. One reader said the clothes at her dollar store looked stiff and only came in extra large sizes, while another gentleman complained that he needed those sizes but the ones marked x-large seemed smaller at Family Dollar than at other retail stores.

I asked for reader feedback about things you've bought at a dollar store but wouldn't buy again, and you let me have it! What surprised me was that most of the comments were about positive shopping experiences. Everyone loves the paper products, greeting cards, wrapping paper and the like, and I heard again how awesome the cleaner Awesome really is.

Several of you rapped my knuckles for placing plates of hot food directly onto a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth. Ouch! In my defense, this was not the first vinyl tablecloth I've ever owned and I have never had the color fade and flake off of one the way it did on my dollar store find.

Not every purchase we make is entirely satisfying. Recently, I had to return a winter jacket to Sears after only two months of wear because a couple of the seams had started to fray. But dollar stores seem particularly susceptible open to criticism that "everything" they sell is junk. Personally, I can't agree with that, but I do admit that there are some things that dollar stores shouldn't try to sell for a buck or two.

An informed shopper is a smart shopper. So, if something in the dollar store looks too good to be true, maybe it is, maybe it isn't. How can you tell? Here are some tips that will help you to decide.

The craft stores are bustling at this time of year but you don't necessarily have to visit one in order to make unique Christmas ornaments and decorations for your home.

Here are five Christmas crafts that were made using materials from the dollar store and cost less than $5 to make.

Coaster ornament. All you need to make this ornament is a pair of 5-inch cloth embroidered coasters, a small amount of batting, a length of wide ribbon and a ready-made tie on bow. The coasters cost $1 for the set of two. Put the coasters together with the patterns facing out and stitch around the gold trim near the edges, leaving a small opening in the top to add the batting and ribbon hanger. Then stitch the opening closed and attach the bow near the base of the hanger. Total cost: less than $3.

Feeling the pinch as you scan your holiday gift-giving list? You should be heading for a dollar store to get great gifts that you can dress up as fancy gifts. How much can you save? We put ourselves to the test to see what we could get for the people on our list.

(Plaid dress in this video provided by Anastasia Chatzka. Special thanks to Nolcha.com)

My mom lived out the last few years of her life in a nursing home. The question, "What can we give Grandma?" was one I would hear every year about this time.

I knew that Mom loved chocolate, playing Bingo and word find puzzles. A rare debilitating disease had robbed her of her fine motor skills and her speech. So much for Bingo and puzzles. With each passing month, it became more and more difficult for her to swallow. So much for giving a box of chocolates.

Even without physical limitations, it can be a real chore figuring out what to get our elderly relatives. In my mom's case, I could buy her a new nightie and she loved getting new tops (clothes tend to get lost in a nursing home.) Another good choice seemed to be body wash that the staff would use for her shower and body lotions as the air is often dry during the winter months.

Lisa MacColl went up to the teacher's desk and asked a question. In fact, she queried several teachers. "What do you like to receive from your students as Christmas gifts?"

The result was an article for Reader's Digest that should have parents everywhere breathing a sigh of relief.

MacColl's article lists nine ideas, many of which cost very little or even nothing at all. Some of my favorites:

Make something, like a unique personalized ornament, with your kids or bake up a batch of cookies with them. Pop the cookies into a dollar store cookie tin, add a bow and you're golden.

One elementary school teacher said she treasures dollar store gifts that have been selected by the student and given with pride. Hey! It really is the thought that counts!

MacColl offers no suggestions as to what those gifts might be, but you know I will. What about a set of three matching ornaments? I recently found colorful acrylic snowman ornaments in three different designs. Or how about the small white porcelain-look angel ornaments that come in a variety of styles? Each ornament is only a buck. You could also give a new desk or pocket agenda with a pen; $2 for the set. I've also seen some really nice wall calendars. Just a few thoughts.

Another really inexpensive idea from the article comes from a musician/teacher, whose student gave him a framed photograph of himself playing at a local jazz festival. Again, there are lots of nice frames at the dollar store and you can bet this teacher will keep this memento and remember the kid who gave it to him.

Perhaps the best gift of all is a simple "thank-you." A heart-felt note written by the child will be kept and re-read. I'm sure more of our teachers would appreciate knowing that they have made a difference, especially since the day-to-day running of a classroom can be downright tiring at times.

There was a time when you would catch me standing in an aisle at my local dollar store with my mouth hanging open 'cause I'd just seen something I thought would cost way more than a buck. One of the first times was when I looked up and spied those giant boxed Hersey's Kisses on a shelf. Nowadays, I take these sightings pretty much for granted and grab a couple of packs when I see them 'cause, for sure, they're not gonna stay on the shelf very long.

This year, I snatched up a couple of tubes of After Eight "straws" for a buck each. Stuff like this make great stocking stuffers or basket fillers. Later on, I saw the exact same thing in the same size at a department store for nearly four bucks. Uh, yeah, no thanks.

When it comes to sweet treats and shiny baubles for Christmas, try your friendly neighborhood dollar store first. You never know what you might find. Here's a round-up of what's being advertised at the various stores this week:

Dollar Tree has boxes of 50 miniature tree lights in clear or multi-colors, boxed or candy-filled gift mugs, a box of 12 candy canes or 32 miniature canes, some very pretty tree ornaments, a 6.6 oz box of Zachary cherry chocolates, a 10 oz. tin of Washburn's Old Fashioned hard candy, 4.25 oz. Pirouline rolled wafers in chocolate or hazelnut and a whole lot more. For a buck each, how can you go wrong?

The 99-Cent Only Stores ad is showing Brown and Haley English Toffee, large candy canes with gift tags, 18" plush stockings or Santa hat, glittery fruit ornaments, various sizes and counts of colored ball ornaments and tinsel garlands, along with other useful items like wrapping paper, bubble wrap and a 2-pack of Scotch tape. And I'm sure you'll find a heap more stuff in-store, as well.

With the holiday party season officially underway, you may be wondering what to give the busy hostess at the parties you will be attending. Here are some easy ideas that mix items from the grocery or department store with things from the dollar store.

I found a pretty floral candy dish for $1.25 at my local dollar store. Just add some brand-name wrapped candy or a can of Planters mixed nuts and you're good to go.

This gift only looks expensive. In reality, $6 was all it took to put together a gift with two wine glasses, cocktail napkins, a reindeer ornament and some After Eight mint sticks on a silver-colored tray. Just add basket wrap and a bow.

If you're thinking of taking flowers for the hostess, a pretty vase from the dollar store filled with a bouquet of grocery store flowers makes a thoughtful gift. That way, your hostess won't have to search for a vase in the middle of a busy evening.

If you want your Christmas shopping dollars to go further and support a great cause, then the Pink Friday charity fundraiser is the answer.

Systemax Inc., whose companies include CompUSA, Tiger Direct, TigerDirect Canada and Circuit City, will be hosting the third annual Pink Friday on the day traditionally known as "Black Friday."

The consumer electronics and technology retailer expects Pink Friday to help raise more than $100,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest breast cancer organization.