Do you dread purchasing gifts? Are you a notoriously bad gift giver? Do you wonder why you never see your girlfriend wearing that sweater you got her last year?
Finding the perfect gift takes a lot of care and thoughtfulness. And it can be a completely different process depending on who you're buying the gift for and the event.Guys, here are a few hints to help you purchase a gift for the next special occasion.
Anniversaries
There are traditional wedding gifts for each year of marriage that revolve around different materials. The first five years of marriage are represented by paper, cotton, leather, fruits and flowers, and wood. It's fun to be traditional, but these gifts also call for creativity. For the paper anniversary, a homemade card or a decorative print are both nice gifts. You could try out some sewing skills on the cotton anniversary or carpentry for the wood anniversary. Making something requires a lot of dedication and is a great way to show how you really care. Other classic anniversary gifts are jewelry, flowers, or works of art for the home.
Christmas
Christmas is a toughie. You're buying for your friends, co-workers, family, and significant other. Everything is rushed and store lines are huge. I prefer to use
Etsy at Christmas time. Buying gifts online allows you to avoid the hustle and bustle, so long as you get your orders in early enough. Etsy has a cool feature where it will suggest gifts for your friends based on their Facebook information and then you can buy the gifts from independent artists. This way, you're getting unique gifts for the special people in your life that aren't run-of-the-mill and sold at every retail store.
Graduation
Graduation gifts can go one of two ways: sentimental or practical. Sentimental ideas include a homemade t-shirt quilt,
Oh the Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss, or even an emotional card. Those are all great gifts that someone will likely cherish forever, but to get to the practical side, most graduates will be quite pleased with a card and cash.
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a good time to give back to the woman who gave you everything. And husbands, if your wife is a mom, then you owe her a gift, too; it’s not all on the kids. This is a good time to spoil the special women in your life, so gift ideas include certificates for spas, manicure/pedicures, massage treatments, or even their favorite clothing store. Jewelry, candles, scarves, and home decor are also good gifts.
Valentine's Day
Browsing for something extra special for your girlfriend, fiance, or wife on the Day of Love? Skip the novelty Valentine's aisle, and grab inspiration from
our gift guide!
Father’s Day
Classic Father's Day gifts include fishing gear, barbeque accessories, gadgets, and tools. If you want to do something extra special, purchase game tickets for yourself and your dad for his favorite team. He'll love this gift -- and the time he gets to spend with you.
The most important part of gift giving is making sure the gift is personalized and from the heart.
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