I love buying gifts, and thinking about gifts, and making gifts, and taking time to find the perfect gift. I know that for some people it can be stressful, but I enjoy the whole process (most of the time, anyway - everyone has someone on their list that's difficult!).
So, here are the things I do to keep it fun:
- Pay attention.
- Write it down.
- Talk about it.
- Relax.
Most people drop hints all the time about great gift ideas, without even realizing they're doing it. Listen to what people like to do, and pay attention to what they need.
One day, while walking in a store with my sister, she pointed out a sign with a quote that she loved, but she didn't like the style of the sign. That year for her birthday, I ordered a custom art piece from Sara's Art - now she has the quote she wanted, but in a style that she likes.
The problem is with #1 is, you've got to capture inspiration when you get it. I have a note in my Blackberry for each person in my family, and when I get an idea for them, I add it to the list. When their birthday or Christmas rolls around, that's the first place I go when I need to buy a gift.
If you buy gifts ahead of time, you'll also need to make a note when you purchase something, so you don't buy a second gift later.
I'm lucky in that my sister Katie also likes to buy gifts early, especially for Christmas, and our mom and other sister Kelli have learned to tolerate it. Katie and I talk all the time about gift ideas. Sometimes I'll have more ideas for a person than I need, so I'll share them with her, or vice versa. Just talking about ideas can spark new ones. And sometimes you discover great ideas that are out of your budget, but make great team gifts.
Gift-giving, and the occasions surrounding them, should be fun and not stressful. Pick something you think the recipient will like, then let it go.
For example, I decided a long time ago that if I needed to find the one perfect gift for my nephew, the one that would be his favorite gift on Christmas morning from among all the others, I was just setting myself up for disappointment. Instead, I pick something that may not be the most flashy gift, but I know its one he'll enjoy later.
You should turn your blog into some type of Christmas blog.
ReplyDeleteDavid Allen meets the Christmas Store or something. :)
I hate it when someone says something and I think "Oooh that will be a PERFECT gift"...and then the time comes and I'm all "dang...what was that perfect gift??"
ReplyDeleteWriting it down is ESSENTIAL!
These are great ideas! Thanks for sharing! I love the "pay attention" part. That is definitely key in finding a gift that they will truly love.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog and leaving a sweet comment! Enjoy your day!
Hi Kristy,
ReplyDeleteI hung up one of my prints in a room in my house that has different paint color to answer your question. :) The paint color shows through a little bit but not a whole lot. I think the transparency would be most evident if they were hung from the ceiling so they weren't touching a wall. I don't have a good way to do that at my house but maybe someday I will figure out how to do it! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Hannah