Gift Giving Year Round
If you spent the past few months scouring websites and searching through stores looking for the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday list, you may be moving in to January with a sigh of relief.
I myself entered into the holiday season with over 30 people on my list to purchase gifts for – everyone from my son’s and daughter’s teachers, to my hairstylist and manicurist to babysitters and business vendors - and this is before all of the family gifts.
Don’t Let Gift Giving Give You Anxiety
Thankfully for me, gift giving is in my blood. I absolutely love the thrill of the find. However, for countless others, ‘the find’ evokes anxiety, and, in my opinion, far too often results in the purchase of a gift card – the symbolic white flag of gift giving.
Now, at risk of striking fear into your hearts, it’s only a few more months until gift giving season ramps up again, with Valentine’s day, Spring weddings and baby showers, coming in full force. And with them, spring and summer birthday parties for all your kids’ friends, and not to mention, hostess gifts for every house party occasion you are invited to.
Never fear, for with these few gift giving tips, you too can find the perfect gift for every upcoming occasion in 2019 and beyond.
TIP 1 – GET PERSONAL – GIVE PERSONAL GIFTS
A really simple way to ease into gift giving is to think about the recipient of your gift on a personal level. Think back on conversations you may have had. Do they love their alma mater? Are they active in the kitchen? Maybe they are a movie buff, or visit wine country every year. You don’t have to know someone extremely well to pick up on a few of their favorite things in casual conversation. Listening can go a long way…
This strategy is particularly effective for children’s birthday parties. Notice a theme in the clothes the child wears or the backpack they carry? Maybe they love Doc McStuffins or always carry around a Paw Patrol plush. Kids show their likes and dislikes, often on their sleeves.
TIP 2 – THINK UTILITARIAN – GIVE USEFUL GIFTS
This is my favorite strategy for gift giving, and one I employ quite regularly. Think of what the person would really, truly use. I love giving useful gifts because people will think of you when they use them… often on a daily basis!
When I had my first child, a friend of mine purchased a monogrammed diaper bag with my daughter’s name on it, and you know what, I used that bag every day for years. And every time I used it, I thought of her. Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved the adorable onesies and toys our first born received, but no matter how much I loved them, I certainly did not get as much use out of them, and my daughter had outgrown them in one or two uses.
I often suggest care packages for big gifts as well. Whether this is a student in your life bound for college, a young one off to camp for the summer, a friend or family member having a child, big moments call for bigger gifts, and I love a care package with lots of little multi-use items. Babies are notoriously picky – how about a basket with a few types of bottles for baby to pick from, with a few organic burpcloths and baby-safe laundry detergent for a new mom coming home from the hospital? Sometimes simple is best… and simple is always useful!
TIP 3 – GET EXCITING - GIFT AN EXPERIENCE
Still stumped? Are you trying to gift a hard-to-buy for couple, or maybe even a whole family? Think of giving the gift of an experience.
As some families move away from the commercialization of December holidays, and some families limit the number of gifts given, an experience is always a welcome departure from the regular.
The whole idea of an experience is to give the gift of time spent together, and for busy families, what can be better than that?
At the end of the day, if gift giving still simply isn’t your thing, you can always reach out to TaskAlexis! I provide gift-giving services year-round, and always put a personal spin on things. Now, you can be prepared at a moment’s notice, whether it’s a gift for your sister’s baby shower, or a gift for every kid in your third graders class. While we specialize in children’s gifts, we are also often brought on for corporate gifting and hostess gifts (how nice is it to have all your hostess gifts for a year taken care of at once!). Some clients also engage me to handle all of their gift-giving needs year-round.
The process is simple. Just schedule a free consultation with me. I’ll ask a few key questions about you and the recipient of your gift(s) and then create a plan to coordinate the purchase and delivery of a gift or gifts for each occasion.
And remember, we can also help you with your other daily tasks throughout the year. Our goal is to simplify your life – one task at a time. Whether you need help finding it, selling it, or just getting it done …