We all have at least one person’s name on our Christmas list we struggle to cross off. It seems that this person has everything and/or doesn’t want anything. Finally, the Christmas countdown dwindles down and you settle on something you are sure is a dud of a gift. Don’t let this happen to you again. There are some things that are appreciated by all, and certain items that are meaningful even to the person whom has it all.
Food & Drink
Food and drink come with an expiration date, meaning that even the person with everything has to frequent the local grocery store. However, most grocery stores don’t carry a full line of imported and luxury items. Gourmet foods and wines make great gifts because they are not items people typically buy for themselves often. Places to shop include:
- Local farmer’s markets
- Import food stores
- Imported goods stores (like World Market – worldmarket.com)
- Online stores (like GourmetFoodStore.com)
- Wine and spirits vendors
- Specialty shops
- Gourmet chocolate shops
- Local bakeries
A local favorite, gourmet cheese, wine, spices, succulent chocolates or exotic foods may be the perfect gift for your challenging recipient. It may seem like they have it all, but it’s unlikely that they have a kitchen fully stocked with gourmet and imported merchandise.
Make it Personal
The more personal you make a gift, the more unique and meaningful it becomes. Photos provide opportunities for original gifts that are almost guaranteed to please. You can always buy a nice frame for your favorite photo, but the market for personalized gifts has expanded far beyond the confinement of frames. Here are just some of the items that can be personalized with your photos:
- Mugs
- Aprons
- Puzzles
- Key chains
- Photo albums
- Blankets
- Stationary
- Mousepads and office supplies
- Shoes
- Bags
- Photo skins (skinit.com) for electronic devices (laptops, cell phones, mp3 players, etc.)
- And more!
Most places that develop film offer products that can be custom-made with your photographs. Or, customize your gift without leaving the house by ordering online at sites like SnapFish.com and Zazzle.com. Simply upload your desired image/s, choose a product, and wait for it to arrive in the mail! Personalization doesn’t have to be a hassle.
Dedication
If you know Grandma doesn’t need any more “stuff” to add to her overwhelming collection of dust-collectors, a perfect solution is to purchase something in her honor. You can help a humanitarian cause by giving a monetary donation to her favorite charity in her name. So that she has something to open on the holiday, give her a rubber bracelet campaigning the cause. Or, purchase jewelry, stationary and other items at Presents for Purpose (PresentsForPurpose.com), a site that allows you to select the charity your gift’s proceeds go toward.
Another gift that is becoming popular is registering a star in the recipient’s name. When you register a star with the StarRegistry.com, you receive a certificate containing the star’s name, date and coordinates. If your challenging recipient likes astronomy or appreciates sentimental gifts, naming a star is a great gift idea.
The key to any successful gift is to find something your recipient would not buy for him or herself, but will love having. You don’t typically give practical items like toilet paper and laundry detergent on the holidays. Gifts should be items recipients don’t already have and won’t pick up whilst running errands. This is easier for some than others, because it seems like some people have everything. But they don’t. Nobody has everything, and the perfect gift is waiting out there. You just have to find it.
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