If you have someone on your vacation list that requires a little more thought than the average person, then you’ve come to the right place. I married into a very large family 8 years ago and finding gifts to fit all the varied personalities has been an exciting and time consuming adventure.
To get started, you can try looking around your local area at some of the specialty stores. These are great places that can easily be overlooked during the holiday season. Just to stay in business, these stores need to specialize in fantastic service and offer unique products year-round. They must offer customers a reason to keep coming back. And if you don’t find anything the first time, they’ll probably be getting new items soon. Don’t be afraid to ask them when they expect new stock to arrive. Most homeowners are delighted that you are interested.
If time is a constraint, you may want to consider a gift card for an unusual service. Cleaning and errand services are popping up all over the United States due to an overworked population. If you choose this gift, make sure you know how much the average service costs. If you know someone who can never have enough hands, this can be a life saver. Just think, you could be a hero!
Of course, the overwhelmingly popular option is to search the Internet. One search technique I use is this: You have a person who is hard to shop for, and you probably only know a thing or two about them. Try typing these things into the search bar and see what comes up. You may be surprised to find a world you never knew and a host of gifts to go with it. Don’t forget to wrap it pretty!
Example: I used this technique once with a cousin-in-law (I said a large family). I barely knew him and I was in charge of his birthday present. The result was a silver computer mouse. I was pleasantly surprised when the box arrived which was covered inside and out with navy blue velvet. It seemed like she had spent a fortune on the gift, but it was only about $35 including shipping. I wrapped it with just a white ribbon and it looked great on the gift table. He loved it and there were a lot of oooohs and aaaahs.
One of my favorite gift ideas is the homemade gift. That seems to scare a lot of people these days, but years ago most gifts were all of the handmade variety. If you have a special talent, let it shine when you give a gift. If you haven’t developed a sewing or crafting skill, get one. There is great love that comes from a gift of your time and personal effort. Just a month ago I bought crochet and have made several sets of tea towels for family members. Dish towels are easy with an instruction book and I have a new skill.
The best gifts are those that the recipient would never think of asking for and would love to use regularly. When you give a gift, make it something that changes their life in a very small but positive way. Try never to give ordinary gifts.
