This year’s guide to gift giving that you didn’t know you needed
The five love languages were developed by Gary Chapman in his book The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts. Chapman describes the five unique styles of communicating love that are personal to each individual. These five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, physical touch, and gifts. Although everyone expresses their love in different ways, when it comes time for the holidays, everyone turns to one love language: gifts. Gift giving expresses thoughtfulness in different ways. A small gift for someone that sparks a fond memory, or just makes you think of that person, speaks volumes even if it was not the priciest item on the counter. A thoughtful gift for someone, maybe it’s something they mentioned needing or looking for, shows that not only do you care, but you listen. Even if gift giving is not your language, we have some helpful tips to help you conquer the art of holiday gift giving.
Some of the most thoughtful gifts are those of experience. Gifts of experience allow you to create memories with someone. These memories last far beyond the experience itself. However, due to COVID-19, we are living in unprecedented times with many experiences being cancelled, changed, or postponed. So, what’s another way to create memories with someone, without going out and doing anything? We’re taking this question very literally. You can physically create memories with someone using a scrapbook, photo album, or even a video montage. There are so many different mediums to create this memory. If you’re crafty and want to get your hands messy, check out Michaels Arts & Crafts for all supplies you need to create a scrapbook. You can even design the scrapbook with the person that it’s for, creating memories while you design it, or just gift the end result showing your thoughtful creation. If this sounds like too much work (trust me, I get it), there are a variety of ways online to make and print a photo album. You can check out Snapfish or Shutterfly, where one can design the layout of your scrapbook, or simply upload photos and have the platform create it for you. If you’re on the techier side, you can also make a video montage as something you can watch with your loved one/s. If you’re shopping for a special someone that is new in your life, or you don’t have tons of photos with them, a great present is a polaroid camera. With a polaroid camera, you can begin to make, capture, and print these memories, getting something that is both tangible and memorable. Although the gift of experience is unforgettable, the gift of memories are both permanent and tangible. In a time where many people have felt lonely, this is something to bring people back together.
Working from home can be difficult for some people. Some are anxiously awaiting going back to the office, while others are eagerly adjusting to their at-home workplace. Although there are different feelings towards working from home, it is something that is new for everyone. Some great gifts specific to this year’s holiday shopping include items to make a work from home space more special, since people have been spending a lot of extra time at home. These items can range from a cork board and decorative thumb tacks to a matching notebook, pen, and planner set to plants in decorative pots. Everytime the person is doing work and using your gift, they’ll think of you. This can make the workplace feel a bit less lonely while we all can’t be physically together. Need some help on where to get started? Check out Pinterest to see if these posts spark any ideas.
Consumers prefer personalized shopping experiences. We like seeing what our favorite websites recommend for us, or receiving personal messages from brands after shopping with them. Appreciating personalization goes far beyond the purchasing experience. Purchasing something that is personalized for someone shows that you went the extra mile for them. It portrays that you know what they would like, and personalizing it would make it that much better. For example, if you know someone that needs a new phone case, bag, travel pouch, or notebook, personalize it. There are tons of user-friendly websites that allow customers to personalize many items, from The Daily Edited to Stoney Clover Lane. These types of presents are timeless and can be appreciated by anyone.
There are two key elements to every gift. If you have both, they will ultimately make your tangible item perfect. These two keys are thoughtfulness and a card, as every gift begins with thought and ends with a card. The thought behind the gift shows the person you are shopping for that not only do you care about them, but that you listen to them. You know about their daily lives, what they do and don’t like, and what they do and don’t need. This thoughtfulness will allow you to pick the perfect gift. However, every gift must be topped off with a card. The best type of card hints at why you chose this item as a gift. Whether the card says I remember you mentioned needing a new… or with working from home, I thought this could help a bit…the card that accompanies the gift is extremely important.
Due to COVID-19, many people will be spending the holidays apart this year. However, they don’t have to feel so lonely. Sending gifts to your loved ones allows them to feel important and less lonely during these unprecedented times.
How will you make the holidays special for those around you?
by Brielle Hoffman
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