Finding a great gift is often not an easy thing to do because people these days, in many instances, often buy for themselves the things they wish to have. Everyone is different and it’s often very difficult, if not impossible, to know if a certain gift will make someone happy. However, there are also so many innovative people with great new ideas and many fantastic products, so we hope if you follow these simple steps you will not only enjoy your gift buying experience but make that special person in your life extremely happy.

Always keep your key goals in mind -

take time to ascertain what they may need or want

do it thoughtfully with originality and style

be generous – this can be done without spending $$$$ but by spending time and thought in your selection

have ‘something in mind’ (if possible) before you set out on your journey, and lastly,

think of their delight when opening your gift

 

How to do this – find out what their interests are

do they enjoy having nice décor for their home (homewares)

are they interested in cooking, gardening, reading, sports (bar accessories, aprons, cookware, serving dishes, gardening items, gloves…what is their star signs (journals, candles, jewellery)

what are their favourite colours, do they have a ‘theme’ for their home

do they like fragrances – what is their favourite fragrance (perfumes, lotions, candles, drawer liners, sachets).

 

New Innovations

There are so many new and innovative ideas in the market place today to cater for all of these situations.  Take the humble tea towel for instance.  Today, tea towels can be purchased in a variety of colours, patterns, prints, designs to match any interest, kitchen, or theme.  They can be matched with aprons, pot holders, etc.  Such a gift is such a useful and acceptable gift to delight every one being such a practical gift.

 

Body products are also another great practical gift idea.  Again, there is such a diverse range of fragrances and colours to delight.  Some of the well known brands have introduced a new ‘hand wash’ product to match their existing range so no need just to keep them in the bathroom – the laundry and the kitchen can now have a lovely scented hand-wash ‘on tap’!

 

Be Prepared

Make a note in your diary or use a gift reminder service for each special event throughout the  year.  Keep a list of people you will be giving gifts to along with a few notes on what you think they might like and what you have given them in the past together with their reaction.

 

Listen to their conversation prior to ‘the event’ determine what they might be wanting or look around their home and look at what they do have and then when shopping you may see something that you know they don’t have??

 

Where to Shop

Rather than going to the larger shopping centres, (especially around Christmas and school holiday time) parking often being the first biggest problem you will face.  Then there are the crowds of confused shoppers, unhappy children and pushy sales people – is it worth the hassle? You’ll rarely find unique gifts in large department stores.  Boutique gift shops carry a variety of ever changing, interesting and unique gift giving ideas at a reasonable cost.  You have the added advantage of personalized service and sometimes, if time permits, a gift wrapping service which makes your effort even more worth while.  Most of us are somewhat ‘brain washed’ in thinking that the larger and well-know shops are cheaper.  Don’t be mistaken by this as a lot of gift shops’ pricing is very comparative to the bigger shops and you may even in many cases, find them considerably cheaper. The ‘key’ is to ‘shop around’ to find the ‘best buy’!

 

Presentation of Your Gift

Now that you have used you creativity, detective skills and tenacity to ferret out the perfect gift for that special someone, it is now time to prepare your gift.  This is the  ‘fun part’ for you to ensure that the gift you have just bought looks fantastic so that the time you have put in the purchase is now going to look beautiful and exciting.

 

Select wrapping with matching or coordinating ribbon and a card to enhance the WOW factor of giving. There is nothing more exciting than giving or receiving a gift that is beautifully presented to enhance surprise and enjoyment. 

 

Never give a gift in a plastic bag or in a box that is not wrapped. Take time to personalize each gift with cards and gift wrap your package for the ultimate in giving pleasure.  With $1 cards, too, this won’t ‘break the bank’ (or for an even more individualized look, make your own).

 

Make Your Buying Experience a Happy Experience

As you can see, gift shopping doesn’t have to be a pain.  In fact, for many people, gift giving is an enjoyable time in thinking about how to make that special person happy on their special occasion.

 

Just remember to

-plan ahead

-stay focused

- give yourself plenty of time so that you don’t have to rush. 

 

Always remember, that gift giving is just as enjoyable for you as it is for the recipient when you have put in the effort to please them.

 

Happy Shopping and Enjoy Your Gift Giving Experience

History of Gift Giving

  

The custom of gift giving seems to stem originally from the Roman tradition of presenting the Emperor and each other with good luck tokens, called strenae. As is often the case, this practice escalated perhaps in an effort to receive special favours or impress, so that more precious gifts were given, clothing, gold or silver items. This occurred during Saturnalia.

 

However the tradition probably goes back even further to the Babylonians, when the reincarnation of Nimrod as his own son, by his wife Semiramis, was born at the Winter Solstice (late December).

 In honour of this event Semiramis organised the cutting down and decorating trees (in Roman tradition they used decorated fir trees). By AD324 the custom of Saturnalia was ingrained in the culture and the new Christian Emperor, Constantine, needed to satisfy both his new religion and the masses. So he converted Saturnalia into Christmas.

 

Part of the gift-giving tradition of the western world is tied up with the gifts of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts at the birth of Jesus. Outside of the Judao-Christian world the Druids used to make a gift of their holy plant mistletoe at the beginning of each New Year.