Great Ideas for Gifts and Gift Giving
Gifting is meaningful and fun but finding the right gift can be a challenge. Buying for yourself makes it an easier task, but this is to overlook the special person; and the point is to really think about his or her enjoyment.
Here listed are a host of categories and great ideas that are sure to help you give a gift with lasting impression. They are ordered by three purposes: to pamper, excite, and stimulate.
To Pamper
Gourmet. Gourmet is a great way to indulge a person. Exquisite chocolate, cheese, tea and coffee, and baked goods are excellent choices. But gourmet is not limited to foods. If the receiver is a baby or parent-to-be, why not a gourmet baby gift basket? A gourmet kitchen utensil set for an experienced cook is significant. Think of gourmet as simply high quality or deluxe.
Aromatics. Aromatherapy and the enjoyment of a fragrant home have become customary. Just avoid strong or harsh scents. Remember to include bath and body here as well.
Daily Use. Be a scout and find out what your special one uses daily like soaps, deodorant, toothpaste, powders, body spray, lip balm, mints and gum, lotions and creams, shampoos and conditioners, OTCs and vitamins, and more—then create a gift basket of it. It doesn’t get more personal than this. They not only get the product but the cost savings as well.
Jewelry. Jewelry makes us feel fashionable and is welcome by most. Moreover, it is usually a lifetime keepsake and stands to gain in value with time. Just be careful: jewelry can suggest romance.
Perfume and Cologne. Now smelling good is romance, if only to oneself! The same rule works here as with aromatics—stick to lighter, popular scents and perhaps costlier, too.
To Excite
Board Games. Essential for the playful or family-oriented person. Avoid the most popular titles that may already be part of their collection.
Dates and Vacations. Make a big impression with dinner-and-a-movie (or given as gift card and tickets), play or concert tickets, sporting event tickets, museum passes; or whisk the person off on a full daytrip or weekend outing. These will go over big—promise.
Tech. Computers, pods and pads, cameras, e-readers, mobile phones, and video systems—these speak for themselves.
To Stimulate
Calendars and Stationary. Calendars can be amazingly beautiful (and expensive) and are a fantastic gift idea anytime between September and February. Stationary, including writing and drawing tools, is an excellent idea for people who will use it or have need of its use (office, parents, teachers). This category caters well to recipients’ personalities.
Books and Magazines. Choose recent bestsellers or popular classics you can be sure they have not read. A magazine subscription, however, is a gift that continues giving; and some reputable magazines, like National Geographic for instance, are surprisingly cheap. Magazines are also a way to let booklovers choose their own titles while you broaden their reading by leading it another direction.
Plants and Flowers. A great gift for plant and nature enthusiasts. A plant will live a lifetime if properly cared for—and you will always be thought of when the plant is remembered.
Novelty. Novelties are those items that defy classification. They are so unique and happened-upon that they are sure to be showstoppers.
Special Photos. Family photos, grandkids, pets, and trips translate into lasting memories. I advise that you go all the way: frame photos or create deluxe calendars or post cards. Quality posters and artwork belong here, too.
