My Gift Guide |

My Gift Guide - How to Give

Finding the Right Present

A good general rule could be to give something that you would like someone to give you. If you see an item and go “Wow!” chances are it will have the same effect on others.

Of course there is a common sense clause here that says we must allow for different personalities and preferences. Don’t send your grandmother an off colour comedy tape by your favourite humorist (unless you know that she too is a fan). Don’t give gifts that people can be offended by such as a weight-loss book to a stoutish sister. And don’t give gifts that are obviously second-rate: sweaters with hanging threads or kitchen gadgets in banged-up boxes. Avoid imitation and copy items: it may look just like Chanel perfume and smell like bad drains.

Remember that young people grow and change their interests very rapidly from an older person’s slow moving point of view. Little Sam is no longer a nine year-old keen on books about dinosaurs – he is fourteen and wants the latest Arctic Monkeys music for his MP3 player.

Don’t be cheap – but be careful also to buy a gift which will not embarrass the recipient by being too expensive. If you are much richer than your sister it may be alright to buy her a state of the art sound system but it might just make her feel that the pretty vase she got for you is not good enough.

There are several basic categories of gift:

Flowers: bouquets, arrangements, buttonholes, corsages
Vouchers: these can be for music downloads, big store shopping, or for an “experience” (adventure or luxury spa)
Luxuries: soft toys, ornaments, jewellery
Useful: warm socks, jumpers, writing sets, kitchen items, technology
Hobbies: games, music, books, hiking boots,
Consumables: chocolates, fruit, jams, wines and spirits

Flowers

A bouquet or flower arrangement can have all the Wow! of a glittering gold ring. You could even buy flowers for them to wear for an evening out. Why not buy a bouquet to keep in a vase at home and a matching flower to wear on their dress. Flowers can be fun, can be pretty, can be elegant. They can be all things to all people. There are very few people who don’t like flowers. Here is a gift that suits everyone available in a range of prices to suit all.

Vouchers

The advantage of vouchers is that they make shopping completely hassle free. They can often be bought online, but even if not they can be carried home without straining you. They pass the physical side of shopping on to the recipient, who now has to go to town to select and collect their gift. These are best given to someone who enjoys shopping in itself – you are giving them the shopping experience as much as the voucher.

Luxuries

This is one where the Wow! factor, or the Awww! factor for teddy bears, comes into play. If you think it is so pretty, cute, or just plain Wow! then it probably is. Make sure that it suits them. Can you imagine your serious friend holding a cuddly dog? Or your mum wearing a sparkly necklace? Perhaps a cuddly cat would be more suitable in one case and plain pearls in the other - but this is one where your friends may surprise themselves and you!

Useful

It could be just what they want and need. There is still room for some of the Wow! factor. If you ask what they want and get told “a new handbag”, “a nice hat”, “an address book” there is still a lot of choice. Choose the gift that they want but get one with some flair and add a mini-gift that’s fun on the side.

Hobbies

This includes all sort of things to do with their favourite hobbies, or even trying to start them on new hobbies by buying them a set of paints or a mouth organ. This might seem an easy option but it is even easier to go wrong. You don’t know the difference between a Titleist and a Nike Mojo – so don’t buy them golf balls unless you ask what make and model they prefer. To be given a beginners’ level tip book can be annoying to an expert in the field. The best way here could be to ask another expert then you cal still surprise them with your thoughtful present.

Consumables

Many people now seem to have everything. Their kitchen has all the gadgets, they are always too busy for hobbies or a days train driving; so add an immediate pleasure to their life with a consumable gift. Chocolates or wine can be shared or hoarded and give great pleasure. If you know they really loved your gift then you can hardly do better than give them the same thing again on the next birthday or congratulations that calls for a gift.