Gift Giving

                  A gift is pure when it is given

                                          from the heart to the right person

                    at the right time and at the right place,

                                          and when we expect nothing in return.

                                                                                             Bhagavad Gita

 

My shopping marathon last week inspired me to write about my Christmas shopping, or I should say, gift giving.  If it isn’t obvious yet, I love shopping - for myself, for the boys, or for others, and whether it’s grocery shopping, online shopping or plain window-shopping.  That’s a lot of “shopping”!  No pun intended. 

 

I love to give, so I take my Christmas gift-giving seriously.  There’s no particular time I start my Christmas shopping.  Throughout the year, if I see something and have a person in mind to give it to, it’s sold.  I may keep it until that person’s birthday, until Christmas, or when the person hosts a party, or I would just give it if we meet. 

 

My latest preoccupation was online shopping.  It’s where I can find interesting things that you don’t normally find in the stores. 

www.Etsy.com has anything handmade, it’s an ebay of mostly housewives who handcrafts from home.  www.Uncommongoods.com has – what else – uncommon goods.  For the engineer in me, I love the items from www.thinkgeek.com.  The only downside to online shopping is the US conversion, shipping cost, and sometimes a ridiculous import tax.

 

I am governed by the following criteria when I buy gifts:

 

Inexpensive.  When you have more than 20 on your list, you gotta keep the gifts within your budget.  Else, it will blow your pocket.  Who says nice have to be expensive?

 

   Shoehorn.  IKEA. 99 cents.

 

Eco-friendly.  In keeping with being environment-friendly, www.envirosax.com has the lightest I-am-not-a-plastic bag.  www.Chuvaness.com blogged about it.  My sis-in-law gave me one.  I liked it a lot that I bought some more online for my girlfriends and a couple more for me.  It folds to this small, I always keep 2 in my purse.

 

 

Healthy.  The Sugarfree Shoppe in Mississauga has everything sugar-free and no-sugar-added sweets, candies, chocolate, caramels, and baking.  Hard to believe huh?  It’s the best you can give to the health-conscious.

 

Branded?  I am not brand conscious with gift-giving and myself.  But if I do give branded stuff, chances are it’s something that I want, I also have or I use.  Like walk the talk. LOL.  Tupperware, Old Navy, H&M and anything from Utsuwa are a few of my favorites. 

 

Personalized.  To somebody of age, parents or grandparents, a personalized gift would be nice, like a calendar with photos of the family.  For Christmas this year I gave my grandma-in-law a personalized magnetic white board with pictures of the boys.  It’s useful for tracking her medicine intake while also looking at the greatgrandkids she seldom sees.

 

Unique.  Something that is going to be a conversation piece in a friend’s computer desk or living room is your best bet. 

Lego calendar. www.uncommongoods.com.  $9.99

 

Themed.  Although it may seem like a loot bag, a themed collection is always nice, such as an assortment of tea flavours in a nice tea box or tea set, Guylian hot chocolate and biscuit in a holiday mug, or a Japanese-themed food set.  If you want to give something for every member of the famliy, an assortment would also be nice in a giftbox. 

 

Safe.  You can’t go wrong with food items, especially for guys.  Belgian chocolates.  Mixed Nuts.  Pralines.  Who doesn’t want them?  It’s one of those things people don’t usually buy for themselves, so there you go. 

 

Presentable. If there’s Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, you can say Don’t judge a gift by it’s wrapper.  But you can judge mine.  Cos I always wrap my presents as nicely as I think my presents are.  I re-use gift bags.  I save ribbons.  I even love to curl them.  I keep nice boxes, tin cans, candle boxes, and what nots. Anything that may accessorize, I’ll put in my craftbasket.  A salvaged Christmas ornament, hollies, beads from an old bracelet, or a dismantled piece from an old windchime would certainly add flare to a plain packaging. And I have to use my Swiss Army knife to cut my wrappers sleek and straight.  That’s gotta be my OC-ness.

 

For keeps.  Most importantly, I strive to find something my recepients would love to keep or use.  For the time, money and effort I put into shopping, buying and wrapping my present, I would feel really bad if right after my presents are opened, they go straight into another gift bag and re-gifted, or buried in someone's storage, or much worse trashed.  Boohoohoo!  Most of the time you would never know, anyway. 

 

From the heart.  For all that was mentioned above.  I give from the heart.  Inexpensive or extravagant, my gifts are always well thought of and I expect nothing in return.