The Secret To Finding The Perfect Gift

Let’s be honest, finding the perfect gift is hard. Especially if the person you are shopping for already has everything or doesn’t want anything! I can tell you first hand (and I am sure you have had a similar experience) that walking in a store and buying whatever you see that ‘might’ be a good gift, just to get a gift, does NOT feel good. Often times, the recipient doesn’t even want the random “I-got-you-a-gift-because-I-felt-like-I-had-to-but-didn’t-know-what-to-get-you gift! I am here to put that to rest once and for all. Over the years, I have come up with an easy formula to find everyone that perfect gift that will bring joy to the recipient and will leave you feeling great about your gift giving. 

The three most important things to remember in order to find the perfect gift are that the gift should be Personal, Practical, and Fun. With these three categories, you will be able to find a great gift for anyone. So let’s break it down.

GIFT REQUIREMENT #1: PERSONAL

Personal can mean a few things when it comes to gifts. It could mean that the gift is personalized - has their name on it, their monogrammed initials, or something that represents them - either printed or shown on the gift. Nowadays, it is easier than ever to personalize a gift. Hop on over to Etsy, and you will find that you can put someone’s name on just about anything! My shop actually makes personalized stationery and cards - which adds that personal touch that you are looking for!

Personal can also mean that the two of you have a personal connection or memory associated with that gift. For example, if you know that your friend loves coffee and the two of you have a habit of meeting up at a specific coffee shop, a personal gift for them would be a gift card to that coffee shop and a fun coffee mug that either says their name or has something that they love on it. Here is another example. Let’s say that you and your dad went on a vacation to New York City when you were younger and you look back on that trip fondly. A great personal gift could be a framed watercolor New York City print with the date/year that you went and with a small photo of the two of you on your trip.

GIFT REQUIREMENT #2: PRACTICAL

This one may be self-explanatory, but people seem to forget it all the time. The definition of practical in relation to gift giving is  “suitable for a particular purpose.” It is key that your gift has a purpose and it isn’t useless. Practical is also based partially on the person that is receiving your gift. If you know that your friend doesn’t enjoy baths, then don’t get her a bath bomb with a cute personalized bubble bath sign for her bathroom. That would be impractical for her. But, if you know that your mother absolutely loves taking baths and it is her time to relax, a great mother’s day gift would be a bath bomb in a scent that she loves with a cute personalized bubble bath sign to hang on her bathroom wall. See what I mean?  Something else that I would like to point out that I hear a lot, is that practical does not have to mean that it can’t be decor or something pretty - as decor is practical for some. It just has to be useful for the person receiving the gift.

Here are a few gift examples combining the Personal and Practical categories. Your brother that loves cooking and always makes your grandmother’s family recipe could use a custom engraved cutting board like these ones here. For your best friend that is getting married who has spent countless hours one pinterest to get ideas for every room in her new home, including the front door, you could gift a personalized front door mat like these ones here. For your uncle who has it all but loves to grill, you could get this awesome personalized grilling apron - I actually got this for my husband who loves to grill and he really loves it!

GIFT REQUIREMENT #3: FUN

While “fun” is very subjective, remember that it is subjective based on your recipient’s version of fun (not necessarily what you would consider fun). Usually, when you get to this category, you have already found the perfect gift. This just helps weed out a few not-so-fun items that would probably be better not coming from you. When we say a gift needs to be fun, think about it in this way. The gift should be something that your recipient likely wouldn’t get for themselves - at least not regularly. You don’t want your gift to be something that is boring or a pure necessity (unless the circumstances call for it). In general, it should be something that brings joy. To better explain, here are a few things that might not be so “fun”: a toothbrush and toothpaste (so normal house stuff that we all need - but usually buy anyway), a new remote to their TV because you accidentally broke theirs when you were at their house last (you should have just replaced that right away and given them a fun gift for their special occasion), or a gift that YOU really want because you think it is super fun but they probably won’t enjoy so much.

There are plenty of fun gifts out there and the easiest way to decide if it is fun for your recipient or not would be picture them opening it. If you think they would genuinely smile and be excited about their gift, then it is probably fun. If they would be unsure how to react or have to fake a smile, then it likely isn’t the right thing

A FEW FINAL TIPS 

We all know that our mom is going to have a birthday, Christmas is coming in December, and we usually know at least a few months in advance that our friend is getting married. My biggest tip when it comes to gift giving - without too much stress - would be to look in advance. Write that person’s name down (either in notes on your phone, or on a post-it on your desk) a few months before needing their gift. Then throughout that time, you are more likely to find the perfect gift without having to spend hours and hours searching online or in stores. When you have that mindset of giving, the gift ideas often just come to you. It isn’t always easy, so don’t feel bad if they aren’t just popping out of thin air - but continue to think about that person and you will likely see something and think “this is PERFECT for them!” 

The final thing to keep in mind is that the perfect gift isn’t the most expensive one. You don’t have to spend $100+ dollars on a gift for it to be special - you can often find the perfect gift under $25. Gift giving isn’t about the money or how fancy it is - it is about the joy you are bringing to the recipient because with these three categories, you are telling that person, “I know you, I care about you, and I want you to enjoy.” 

So why does it matter? Giving gifts for Christmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Valentine’s may be a product of capitalism, but the concept of giving is not. Think about why we give. Giving is a selfless act that shows we care. It builds relationships, and even though it does have a positive side effect of making the gift giver feel good, we are bringing joy to someone else. Gift giving isn’t just about that gift specifically or how much it costs. It is about the thought, the meaning, and that person. Have you ever heard “it is the thought that counts”? Well my friends, that is true. A thing is just a thing until you give it a story - and the story comes from our three categories: Personal, Practical, and Fun.  

Were you ever given the perfect gift? What was it and how did it make you feel? Do you have any other tips for gift giving? 

Please share and put them in the comments below!

Peace & Blessings,

Liesel Anne