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Choosing Gifts
By Claire Webster
Choosing Gifts Successfully Finding the right gift for someone can be a tricky business, but some people are really good at it - my daughter for one. What makes some people so good at it? Well, that's what I thought I'd write about first. Let's make one thing clear from the start: a good gift does not have to be expensive. But it does require a bit of thought. My ex used to go to Tesco on Christmas Eve for me - that's if he hadn't already suggested that I just buy something for himself. A little planning will go a long way! Don't buy something inappropriate - for instance something too expensive (making the recipient feel uncomfortable), or some irrelevant clutter - the flotsam and jetsam we all have in our houses that we feel such guilt at disposing of because it was bought for us, and yet really don't need or want. (Years ago I saw a great TV sketch set in a souvenir shop featuring a 'rampant mackerel ashtray'... maybe you get my drift?) Steer away from the 'self-help' products too - that special belt to help you look 10lbs slimmer is not going to be well-received. (That is, not unless the recipient has expressed a burning desire to own one!) Another no-go area is the gift you actually wanted yourself. My Dad enjoyed gadgets, and I recall the year my mother, with some dismay, received 3 or 4 different alarm clocks. Yes, really. He was actually pretty good at finding things she appreciated, but we can all get it wrong occasionally. The best gifts are: personal - this has to be top of the list. It shows that you care about the person enough to have really thought about them. Or that you just happened to have them on your mind that day you were in a 2nd hand bookshop and spotted the book you knew they had enjoyed as a toddler before the pet dog ate it and left them in therapy. This is about KNOWING the person you buy for. original - no, don't worry. Gifts don't have to be imaginative every time (although, yes, that would be good!) but try not to resort to the same gift for every birthday. A little variety is called for - again, it shows someone that you care enough to have thought about it/them. useful - something practical. A tea-towel may not be the best gift in the world, but my son's school have one printed each year with the childrens' self portaits and these have proven to be a successful Christmas present from him to his grandparents. consumable - not just edible gifts but anything that gets used up. This is a different kind of useful. If you get me a vase, I won't need another - but I'll always need more flowers to put in it. Flowers are a great standby for women (but please don't get me chrysanths - especially not the sludgy coloured autumnal ones!). I love bubble bath - not very imaginative, but trust me, it WILL get used. Think of chocolates (do they like milk, white or dark - are they diabetic?), perfume (do they prefer floral? musky? light? citrus?) underwear (can you get the size/colour/style right?), stationery (if this is something they are likely to use), wine. It could be argued that socks are consumables - these are consumed by the sock gremlin somewhere between the washer and the dryer, but maybe this isn't so imaginative. What about golf balls? Surely a fair number of those must disappear too... and so the list goes on. So that's an introduction to the art of choosing gifts. I hope you found it helpful and that your next prezzie purchase will be a huge success! |
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PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
House of Cool
Gift & gadget blog - a guide to cool stuff
www.houseofcool.co.uk
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