Summer isn’t over yet, although the stores would have us believing that we need to break out the sweaters, the plaid, the knee high boots, the back-to-school gear. Go ahead – plan for these but stay in the present!
Whether it is a birthday, graduation, wedding, thank you gift, etc. – make sure that it is seasonally appropriate.
Summer is the season for playing outdoors, swimming and taking relaxing vacations so if you need a gift consider the person first (do they love to swim, sun, hike, bike, cook? what are their particular interests, hobbies, things that make them unique from the other people in your life?), your relationship to them (lover, parent, friend, child?), the reason for the gift (just because, birthday, milestone, thank you?) and the season in which you are giving the gift (you want the gift to be enjoyed in the present!).
Enough theory!!! Let me give you some quick examples…
Stayed at a friend’s beach house? What is their focus? Sailing? Sunning? Water sports? Fine food?
If they love to sail you can make a thank you card with a nautical theme or give them their favorite alcoholic beverage (you were paying attention, right?) and re-label it (a photo from your stay, saying “thank you” in code with nautical flags, print a nice pic off the internet of a sailboat, etc.) and tie a sailing knot around the top of the bottle. See how something as simple as a bottle of wine can be turned into a more personalized gift? Without a lot of fuss or money either! Combine their passions with a gift and you have something personalized that they will enjoy!
A child’s birthday? What do they love? Bugs, dinosaurs, Barbie, Harry Potter, video games?
Well, let’s pick the bug lover…do they love to examine, find, learn? Consider their age and what they have access to. You don’t want to give an butterfly net to a child who lives in a city apartment complex but an insect habitat like a butterfly garden
Happy gifting!
