Is there someone in your life who seems to have a magic knack for giving the perfect gifts? Even when someone is incredibly difficult to shop for, they just seem to nail it every time? Well, once you reach the end of this blog post, you’ll be in their midst! Get ready to be a gift-giving superstar.
Gifting Tip #1: Buy gifts throughout the year instead of in a mad rush.
You’re out and about when you see the perfect gift for a friend of yours, but it’s a full six months from their birthday. What do you do? Well, now that you’re on your way to becoming a gift-giving superstar, you snag that gift and stash it in your closet until their special day! I think you’ll find that once you get into the habit of acquiring gifts for the people in your life as they appear rather than right before you need them, your gifts will become infinitely more thoughtful and special.
Worried that you’ll forget you already got them something? Get yourself a “gift bin” where you can keep pre-emptively acquired gifts and then check it as birthdays and other holidays are approaching. Problem solved!
Gifting Tip #2: Gift certificates are NOT a cop-out.
One of the gifts in recent years that made me smile the most was when a friend of mine got me a gift card to my favorite townie bar and restaurant. It was so simple yet so thoughtful and no one had ever done it before. I loved it. Particularly for those who may be tricky to shop for, a gift certificate to a shop or restaurant they love won’t come across as a cop-out, rather, it will make them feel truly seen and understood.
Gifting Tip #3: Don’t forget about experiential gifts.
Who said gifts have to be things? This past birthday, one of my friends gave me a (homemade) gift certificate for a day at the arcade on her. What fun that will be! When you give someone an experiential gift (i.e. tickets to a show or event, a day of fun) it’s a gift for both of you and your friendship. And so much better than something that might have sat on their shelf gathering dust.
Gifting Tip #4: Make their life a little easier.
My Dad has gotten very into cooking in retirement and is now the chef of the house! So a few years ago when I spotted an elegant cookbook stand, I knew it was just the thing. It makes it easier for him to read recipes and also keeps the pages from getting splattered with sauce, etc. Let’s face it – all of us enjoy when life gets a little bit easier. If there’s a gift that can do that for someone you love, it’s going to be a huge win.
Gifting Tip #5: When in doubt, make it edible!
On the last day that I made the drive north to Lansing, MI to work with my recording engineer on editing and mixing songs for my singer-songwriter album, I knew I wanted to give him something special. The problem was, outside of our time at the studio, I didn’t know a whole lot about him. This leads us to our final gift-giving tip: when in doubt, gift something edible. A trip to my town’s local artisan food shop Zingerman’s yielded a collection of my favorite cheeses, spreads, nuts, and sweets. Did he love it? You betcha.
In Closing
Finding gifts for the people you care about can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little fine-tuning and reframing via the five tips above, it can even be fun!
Let’s not forget that giving gifts, when done with thoughtfulness and love, should make both the recipient AND the giver feel good. Have fun!
More Posts on Gifts and Giving from Janelle at Ellanyze
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