The Art of Gift Giving.

This time of year everyone is scrambling to get their Christmas shopping done. So here I am with some tips that work for me. 

First, I always start right after Thanksgiving. This is because it gives me more time to carefully consider gifts. Plus, I'm also the cook of the family with no time for last minute panic shopping. At this point, the shopping is done and I'm thinking about the food. 

Sometimes even throughout the year, if I happen to come across something that would make a good gift for a certain person, I put it on my  Amazon wish list. When I start to look for gifts, I just check the wish list and consider the gift. This doesn't mean I necessarily buy it on Amazon, but a wish list can be a way to save ideas. 

To me, the most important thing is what goes in the gift bag. Not the gift bag or box itself. So, I get all my wrapping supplies at the dollar store. It's so much cheaper than anywhere else. I'm also not embarrassed to admit that I reuse gift bags if they are still in good condition. I call it recycling. 

This year I ended up buying most gifts on Amazon. This is because I've had to do a lot of things around the house because most likely I will be selling it in January. Or at least trying to sell it. For the busy person, one can't beat Amazon for the convivence. Just be sure to check the delivery date. I accidentally ordered something that wouldn't be here until after Christmas, and ended up cancelling it. 

One of the things I enjoy most is giving that surprise gift where I didn't ask the person what they wanted. I spend a lot of time thinking about that person. Their hobbies, their likes and dislikes. I also tend to go for practical things I know they need. At work, I gave someone a desk fan because she frequently complained of being too hot. The fan solved the problem. She says it's the gift she uses the most, and to me that's a win. I also like to look for unique gifts that the person probably doesn't have. One time I came across a common gift. A coffee mug. However, these were unique because they had a design on them that changed when the cup was hot. The design went from black and white to color. You can see them here. I gave those as gifts to a couple people. But of course, make sure the person drinks something hot on a regular basis or it won't get much use. In general, the most important thing is putting thought into the gift. Then the fun part is when they really love it. 

However, sometimes it's a struggle to buy for that hard to buy for person. My Dad tended to be one of those people. There is nothing wrong with asking, "What do you want for Christmas?" One thing that I do with my kids is I simply ask them for a list of what they want and then buy from the list. That way everyone's happy. 

Happy Holidays!