The Gift Detective » Last Minute Gift

Sleuthing Sunday: Last Minute Birthday Gift UPDATE

The Gift Detective — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 08:01:50 +0000

If you read last Sunday’s post, you know that I helped a client find a gift for a long time friend and employee for her birthday. He felt this was an especially important gift because, having been born two days before Christmas, her birthday is often overshadowed by all of the holiday hustle.

Well, my client did something very nice for me – he sent me a copy of an e-mail he received after she had opened her present. Not only did she LOVE her present (she said it much more enthusiastically and with a lot more “love”s in her note) but she also appreciated the card he sent along with her gift that tied the present and the thoughtfulness behind it all together. This is really an important part of what I do for clients. I don’t just give a list of the “hottest gifts for 2009″ or whatever year it happens to be. I really give clients ideas based on what they are telling me about the recipient. This not only helps me find the right gift for the recipient, but also the right gift for their relationship. If I hadn’t picked a gift that suited them both, he would have never been able to write such a thoughtful card to go along with the present – because, when it comes right down to it, I helped him choose the perfect present, I didn’t choose it for him.

It was really very special for me to get such positive feedback and I had a smile from ear to ear as I read her thank you. It gives me great pleasure to give that sort of happiness – to both client and recipient – because he was just as thankful and happy that he had gotten her a perfect and personal present!

So, the next time you need a gift, you can submit your request via my Sleuthing Sunday form and have a chance to win my help for free or you can ensure The Gift Detective is on your case by hiring me to do a little present P.I. work!

As always, Happy gifting!

Last Minute Gifting

The Gift Detective — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:45:42 +0000

If you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping, you still have time to get some presents! There are two sections to this post – the first section will focus on helping you buy different personal gifts for the people remaining on your list, the second section will help you if you need to give the same gift to many, with lots of ideas on how to still make them personal and really fit the recipient.

Tips for Last Minute Shopping for Getting Different Presents for Each Recipient

In order to minimize stress, I suggest making a list of the people that you still would like to get presents for, then look at each recipient and write down a few things about them that come to mind.

For instance:

Lauren – Loves hats, skinny scarves and strong coffee; has new job and new home; enjoys knitting.
Tim – Loves sports and the Patriots and Celtics in particular; enjoys Calvin and Hobbs (though has probably read them all), loves humor, beer and Titos salsa.

By generating some broad ideas in this way you are brainstorming not just about what they may want but about things they enjoy. Now you can scrutinize each list a bit more and jot down a few specific gift ideas for each person. Taking this approach will allow actually give you ideas for now and in the future. And, if you keep this list on your computer, you can add to it so that you will always have a gift idea. Now, that you have your list and have checked it twice, get to the store and buy those presents so that you can get home to wrap them!

Tips for One Size Fits Most Gifts that You Can Add Personal Touches To

What if you just don’t the time or the money to buy each person a gift at this stage in the game? There are a few one size fits most gift ideas to fall back on (and none of them are impersonal gift cards!):

Baked goods could be generic, but you can personalize this gift by making a signature treat and adding special wrapping or including a treat like a special decorated sugar cookie, maybe one that looks like an ornament with the recipient’s name or with a symbol that is meaningful to them.
Magazine or newspaper subscriptions can be a good last minute gift since there are topics for a wide variety of tastes. Make sure that you get this for someone who enjoys magazines or reading the paper and take the time to buy a current copy of the subscription you are giving them and wrap it up!
Music is beloved to many. It isn’t too hard to stop by the store and grab a few cds in the style or artist that your recipient loves. Because this is such an obvious gift, get creative with wrapping. Buy a few really inexpensive stockings and add your recipients name in glitter then, put the wrapped cd into the stocking with an assortment of inexpensive, fun items like mini-bubbles, bouncy balls, playing cards, etc.
Give something you are good at. Are you artistic? Crafty? Can you make music? If you are an artist, you could consider making mini works of art for people (a 3×5 or 4×6 canvas for instance); if you’re crafty make up some pretty but easy ornaments; if you are a musician consider recording a Christmas carol that you love and burning it onto a cd or even e-mail an mp3 version of it to those of your loved ones who are far way (since mailing them won’t get it there by Christmas).
A bottle of wine is a frequent gift and if you go this route make it more special and personalized by bot only making sure to get the type of wine your recipient loves but by also adding some special accoutrements. Add a special label to the wine, give it with wine glasses, wine charms, a bottle stopper, cheese and crackers, fine chocolate, etc. Be creative! The point is, a bottle of wine is just a bottle of wine but if you can make a bottle of wine into a personalized gift.
Give a donation to a charity that your recipient would likely support. For the eco-conscious person a donation to an organization that protects the environment, the pet lover a donation to an animal shelter, etc. This makes the gift far more personal than if you donated to a charity that you would normally support – make it about your recipients likes, not your own.

Try to steer clear of things like cheap bath sets, gift cards, lottery tickets and the like. These “gifts” scream “I waited until the last minute and had no idea what to get you.” It is honestly better to give no gift at all than to give a meaningless gift. Spend the time you would have spent getting the last minute gift writing a warm greeting card to give them instead.

Remember, you don’t have to give a gift! Giving is not a social obligation, it should come from the heart. You don’t have to give a gift to every person you know, you can give only to those close to you or just give cards and simply share the joy and spirit of the holiday season with those you love. A gift can be a telephone call to wish them a Merry Christmas, singing Christmas carols together or playing reindeer games with joy and good humor.

Whether you get a gift at all or even if you get the “wrong gift” your intentions, your love and your care are more important than what is actually wrapped under the tree. If you give with love then, regardless of what you give, it is already the perfect present.

Happy gifting!

SET – Fun Game!

The Gift Detective — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:42:25 +0000

This was one of the presents that I got my boyfriend for his birthday.

SET! Available by Clicking Here
The game’s simplicity makes it easy to learn – you have to compare four things (color, shape, shading, and number) on each card independently. When you compare the cards, each of the four things either has to be completely the same or completely different. The rules are really that simple but the game gives your brain a workout! You really have to scan the cards and try to quickly ascertain if there is a “set” on the board or not.

This game got five stars on Amazon and it is no wonder. I was looking for a game that could be as good for two players or a group of people so that we could play it alone or when we had friends over and I did a lot of research before heading to the Games of Berkeley store for some in-person advice. I walked in with my list and the moment I asked about a great party game the young man immediately said “Set!” No hesitation at all. Since I had that on my list and I knew it was highly ranked on Amazon as well I took my chances and got it.

I was not disappointed.

Everybody enjoyed the game and my boyfriend and I have played it several times since the party as well. Once everyone is on the same page, the game moves quickly so you can easily sneak in a game or two here and there and, I might add, what a nice way to connect! It may seem a bit old-fashioned to sit and play a game in the evening but it really is nice, relaxing, fun and isn’t a huge time commitment for set-up nor play. You just shuffle the cards well, lay out twelve of them and start playing. This game can even be played solo or with as many people as you desire – they just have to able to see the cards. Simple, fun and engaging – I see us playing a lot of it in the future!

This game makes a great gift!!! (I speak from experience…) Are you going to a party? Great host/hostess gift! Going to stay with friends? Bring this as a gift and present it at the beginning of your stay and you will not only have given them a wonderful gift but you’ll have fun playing together as well! Birthday? Affordable present that will appeal to a really wide variety of people. This is a great game for children and adults. No reading involved! If the child can differentiate shapes, colors, shading and numbers they can play (recommended for children 6 and over). In fact, I read many reviews in which the children are as good at this as the adults so everyone in the family can participate and enjoy themselves. Want to give your family a present for a holiday or an anytime present? This would be great because it encourages thinking, everyone can play and you’ll be giving them a gift that gives back in the form of creating memories and having time to bond with them.

This is a really affordable ($9) gift so you could even buy several and keep them on hand for the next time you need a last minute gift.

If you live in the Berkeley area and are in need of a game I highly recommend visiting the folks over at Games of Berkeley. They have a huge selection of games, Frisbees, Yo-Yos, kites – pretty much anything worth playing with, they have it! The person who helped me couldn’t have been more helpful – he even recommended some fun card games as well which I thought was really nice because he wasn’t pushing me into a sale but really considering my request of what would be fun for a party. They are conveniently located at 2151 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, which is right across from the Berkeley BART station and just one block from the UC campus. If you’re a real game enthusiast, you should visit their website and check out the calendar of events that lists all sorts of gaming activities.

Happy gifting and gaming!

Fitness Gifts Series: Part 1

The Gift Detective — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:06:42 +0000

Spring has sprung, Summer will soon be arriving (yeah!) and I’ve eaten one too many donut holes, cookies and bites of ice cream. Combine this with reading in a magazine (a fitness mag, of course) that they polled women and 90% of them said they wouldn’t be offended if they received a fitness related gift – I was impressed that such a large majority of women would like and enjoy a fitness related gift (Way to go, women!) – and all of this got me to thinking of fitness related gifts in general…

So, this week’s gifts will all be geared toward fitness. Perhaps the inspiration from writing about fitness related gifts will get my own butt in gear!

Fitness related gifts do not have to carry a negative stigma if you are giving it to the right person (someone who is interested in fitness, exercise or sports) and you give it in the right way. Don’t give a gift to get someone interested in exercise – you have to remember to tailor the gift to fit the person.

One gift I think is great to give someone who is interested in exercise and sports is a magazine subscription. It is a gift that they can be excited to receive every month and many subscriptions run in the $12-$20 range, so this is an affordable gift too. There are so many varieties for every level of fitness enthusiast, for health of mind and body, general and specific, for men and women, younger or older. Shape, Natural Health, Fit Pregnancy, Men’s Health, Weight Watchers, Iron Man, Fit Yoga, Diabetic Living, Pilates Style and so many more. You can easily check out these magazine’s at most drugstores to see if it is something that your recipient will be interested in. Or, do a web search for a specific magazine – you can sign up for many subscriptions right online so it makes it really easy to give. (Great last minute gift, anyone?)

This is a wonderful surprise or “just because” gift. If you plan to give this gift in person, roll the magazine tightly and wrap it up with a big bow around the middle, diploma style. This gift will remind your recipient of how much you care all year long!

Happy Gifting!
~ Alyna