A few days ago I blogged about thinking ahead and preparing for the holiday season. I think some preparation goes a long way to making gift giving less stressful and more enjoyable. But, it isn’t all about the future is it? You can’t plan for everything and sometimes you just need to step back and focus on the present in order to be a good gift giver. Just like everything else in life, gift giving requires balance.

Let me explain. Focusing on the here and now will make you more aware and a better sleuth when it comes to noticing things about your friends and family – the people at the top of your gift list!

Like many of you, I have a limited budget so I have three categories of gifts – presents, surprises and thoughtful things.

* Presents are the things I try to plan …read more

One of the things to keep in mind is the difference between giving a present and giving a surprise. A gift is not just a gift!

Presents can be given to anybody at anytime of year but are often given on holidays (think Christmas presents and Valentine’s Day presents) or special occasions (wedding presents, birthday presents).

Surprises are just little things given randomly for no reason. Surprises may help a person take care of himself, may not seem spectacular, can be fun, useful or even a bit random but are always gotten just because, whatever it was that caught your eye, made you think of the person you are giving it to. Surprises may seem so small or be so un-present-like that they may seem odd wrapped.

Here are some tips:
1. Don’t overlook the fun and spontaneity of surprises! They can be …read more