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| this is my grandmother (and my uncle) with a twilight poster. probably one of the most hilarious christmas memories i have. |
content recycling disclaimer: this was a post i published on my other blog last year around christmas time.
Gift-giving is one of my favorite activities. I am pretty sure I enjoy giving gifts slightly more than receiving them. This may sound pious and altruistic of me, but be not deceived. Gift giving is a competitive sport, and one that I have definitely started playing to win. Few things are more awesome than giving someone the best gift they received that year. It says to the world, “I am caring, insightful, personal, generous, and quite possibly omniscient.” Santa? Who the eff is Santa? Your gift wasn’t constructed by the slave labor of midgets, it was hand selected by moi.
Clearly nothing can make me sound as self-possessed as I do discussing gift giving. But in honor of the season I present to you a list of tips on how to up your skillz as a gifter. Tis the season to get gifty, and all my Christmas shopping is done before black Friday. Come now, you can’t say you have nothing to learn.
- No gift cards. Christmas would not be complete without my brother’s annual rant on gift cards, and while I can’t say I relate to his theatrics, I will admit I agree with him. Unless, of course, the gift card has been requested, or you have an EXTREMELY close relationship with the recipient, and KNOW they will welcome the shopping spree, well, a gift card isn’t the worst gift, but you’re never gonna make it to a final four gift bracket with a little snip of plastic. At best a gift card is a weak substitute for cash, and at worst you have given someone an errand. You have said, I didn’t know what to buy you, but I care more about how you spend my money by restricting where you can use it, than I do about giving you what you want.
- Join private sale websites. Private sale sites like myhabit.com (owned by amazon) and hautelook.com (owned by Nordstrom) put high quality luxury gifts into a more reasonable price range. Yes, I know, it’s the thought that counts. But isn’t it terribly thoughtful of you to willingly endure regular spam email so that your friends and family can have awesome Christmas gifts? Their sales cycle in and out too so if you don’t see anything Aunt Cindy would like you can always check back the next day and get a good deal on something excellent like this.
- Choose function over fashion. Decorative accents or fashion accessories are dangerous territory. There are only 2 people in the world for whom I would feel confident buying a gift with no function other than looks. One is my boyfriend of three years (whose need for decorative objects is minimal), and the other is my sister, with whom I share an apartment. You don’t need to start buying everyone drill bits, but making sure your gift actually DOES something will make up for any discrepancies in what is “cute.” Odds are good your cousin isn’t going to tell you she thinks your taste is heinous. Even if she does, she’ll probably still bust out an ugly set of luggage tags in a travel pinch more frequently than she will those hideous throw pillows you bought her. If you MUST go decorative, stick to holiday themed objects (like tree ornaments, for example). That way nobody will be scrambling to find those ugly earrings to wear upon your arrival, your gift will be temporarily displayed with all the other junk.
- Ask yourself if he’d rather buy it for himself. This question can divert all kinds of gifting missteps. It can help prevent personal preference problems like the ones I discussed above (for example, she’d probably rather buy her own fragrance than have stinky perfume for free). Or, perhaps you, like me, are one of the less affluent gifters on your holiday guest list. This can put a lot of gifts off limits to ensure what you buy isn’t going to serve as junky inspiration for a shopping trip. Don’t buy a cheap bargain fleece throw that barely covers your recipient’s legs if you know they would prefer to drop the $40 it takes to buy one of these bad boys. Certainly if they are of the mind that a blanket is a blanket by all means go with the bargain, but if you are worried you are skimping on quality they consider necessary, go a different direction.
- Tread lightly with DIY. Some homemade gifts really cannot be beat. Mrs. DC’s candied pecans, my grandma’s homemade caramels, something hand knitted, crocheted, or intricately sewn. Others… well… hate to break it to you, pinterest, but nobody wants a mason jar full of sugar and olive oil labeled “body scrub.” Homemade gifts are fine when the thought really is what counts. Don’t forget that just because you made it, that doesn’t always make it thoughtful. Be personal and think about what others genuinely would enjoy receiving, not what you would be easiest and cheapest to give.
happy december everyone!
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