There are few stresses in life that happen on repeat, but gift-giving is one of them. Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day – you name it, there’s a day for it and it will come with presents and cards to be bought. It’s simply an art that you should learn to perfect before you make lists choosing what to buy. Gift shops and card shops like these will never go out of business as it’s in our human nature to be generous and show our love and appreciation with a present. You’re not just buying for your partner, but for your parents, siblings, friends and other relatives that seemingly come out of the gifting woodwork when usually you don’t think about them. Every year, we vow to be organized with our gift-giving skills and dream of making lists and every year we simply don’t do it!
Asking people what they would like is usually a pointless task, because putting someone on the spot about a gift doesn’t work. Some people ask for a gift card, rather than a physical present, but that can be less fun when the idea of a gift is that you get to see the look on their face when they open something they’ve really wanted. The whole idea of giving a gift is that it should be personal, well thought out and mean something – even something small. Unique gift shops that crop up all over the internet have been created due to the fact giving a gift is personal. It’s for that reason you should ask yourself why choose likenessme – personal, thoughtful and individual gifts that mean something to the recipient and can’t be copied elsewhere.
Everyone loves being presented with a gift. There’s nothing more exciting than receiving a well thought out present for an occasion that’s important to you and it can be equally exciting for you to give a gift that means something. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding giving the perfect gift and when you consider who you are presenting with a gift, the occasion and the cost, it can be stressful! There are some golden rules to gift giving and when you choose to embark on your shopping trip, it’s these things that you need to take into consideration.
Gifts should be an event! Every shop you go into that stocks cards and gifts will have about sixty different types of wrapping paper, bows and labels so that you can dress up your present in the best way. Think about helium balloons in bunches: they’re all brightly colored and attractive. Always get creative with the way you package your gifts, you want them to look inviting and exciting all at the same time. Create a treasure hunt for the gifts themselves and watch their delight as they move clue to clue, excitement for their gift building at every turn. Half the excitement of a gift is the anticipation of unwrapping it, so make that experience last.
Speaking of experiences, make the gift itself an experience. Days out racing round a racetrack in a sports car have grown in popularity purely based on the fact that people love to make memories. Book tickets to a theatre show and find a package deal that pays for a delicious dinner. Or go one better and gift a spa weekend complete with treatments. Making memories lasts longer than a gift that gets unwrapped and used a few times. They’ll never forget the time they have on a thoughtful day out.
Budget can often be the clincher when it comes to choosing presents for loved ones and if you haven’t got much of a budget, then you need to head online to websites like this to get a little creative. If you are a dab hand at knitting or crocheting, making a beautiful throw for their bed, or a blanket for them to take with them on a cold night can be one that gets used often and makes them think of you whenever they use it. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Creative gifts often mean that the giver has really put some thought into what they are doing and this resonates with the recipient.
As we mentioned before, memories are a powerful gift. Not only can you provide an experience day to create new memories, you can enhance old ones and bring them to light. A canvas with a collage of photos from childhood to now can be a wonderfully meaningful gift to an older relative or parent. You’ve put some great thought and creativity into showing them the snapshots of happiness they’ve experienced over the years and this is something that is held onto. The games console they once considered the bee’s knees would now be retro so how about hunting down one of those for your dad, along with a box of penny sweets – now considered “vintage” (sob!).
Before you go ahead and spend money on a fantastic new gift, how about asking the recipient what they would need, rather than what they want? It’s well known that people often can’t decide what they would like for a gift because when they have a paid job, they buy what they want as they want it. They don’t wait for an occasion anymore, like we used to when we were children. So, buying something that they need – maybe an artsy piece for their new home, for example, or new equipment like ice hockey skates for the athlete in your life – can be much better. You can also help financially as a gift, such as buying a new passport so they can continue going on holidays.
Consider the age of the person you are buying for when you plan a gift. Buying for a toddler in the family is going to be vastly different than buying for your wife or husband. Age appropriate gifts are an important consideration as you don’t want to make a gift for a child look as attractive as a gift for an adult – simply because it won’t be appreciated. While generosity is great, a child wouldn’t see the amount of effort you put into the present, instead ripping off the paper and screaming in delight with your hard work cast aside. Always include a thoughtful card or letter with a gift that is appropriate for the occasion. It’s nice for the person receiving the gift to know you are thinking about them and you have made a huge effort for them. While it’s not all about you when you give a present, you want them to understand that you love them – and who doesn’t want to know that?!
It’s important to remember that the cash value of the gift isn’t what’s important. Sure, think about your budget and plan your gifts accordingly, but it is more about the thought that goes into the gift. Whether you hand knit a throw for their new home, or pay for a full weekend away for someone you love, they get the same joy and you get the contentment that your gift was the right way to go. Gift-giving is an unrelenting art so you should treat it as such when you are making plans to buy for people. The unbridled joy that comes from passing a gift on for a special occasion is always on both parties: the recipient is excited by your generosity and you get to see the look on their faces when you hand over a present you thought about.
Make gift giving the right experience, and everyone wins. Shop carefully and you can bask in the delight of your own thoughtfulness!
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