It’s that time of the year again when all the stores are bustling with shoppers trying to find that perfect gift for their loved ones. Or they are scouring online sites to find the latest and greatest one of a kind gift.
Gifting can and should be joyful for both the gifter and giftee. Watching someone open that present that you searched long and hard for and seeing that expression of joy that they got just what they wanted is truly a precious gift in and of itself. Or on the other hand opening a gift and feeling that element of surprise in receiving something that you never expected and genuinely love. Gifting is a labor of love. That warm feeling that overcomes us all because we understand the thoughtfulness that went into not only choosing the gift but also the time spent wrapping it and making it special.
So, why does it sometimes seem so stressful? Well, we all have that one person that we just have no idea what to buy for them. Or the one who never seems to like anything they get. Or the one that would rather give than receive. This parlays into an overwhelming feeling of searching each year to make everyone on our list happy with what we picked for them.
After we purchased our new home; we spent the months prior to its completion, packing, purging and donating all the years of stuff we collected. It was an arduous process. As mentioned before our old home was the one that D grew up in. D’s father passed away when he was in his early 20’s and no one actually went through all of his belongings. His mother relocated down south and remarried. She and D’s step-father would spend summers with us (and this meant more stuff came into the house). C moved in (and again brought more stuff). After D’s mother and step-father passed, his sister took some furniture but again there were closets and a basement full of both their belongings. When we tasked ourselves to go through all that stuff, was when we realized how much we disliked clutter. We made the decision then and there that our new home would not become an assemblage of collectibles.
This was also our discovery of stress free holiday shopping. It was actually something that we had already somewhat done for years so transitioning to it fully was easy. Gift cards! We decided that we would rather give our family, friends and colleagues an experience rather than more stuff for them to fill their homes. Now don’t get us wrong, if there is something that someone on our list is in need of or wanting terribly of course that is what we gift them.
Gift cards! We know that some people think that it takes away that personal touch or thoughtfulness but trust us, we have had great success. That sports fan on your list, a card that they can redeem for tickets to an event. The movie buff, a supply of movie passes. The history lover, museum passes. The aspiring actor, theater passes. The foodie, their favorite restaurant. The cooking enthusiast, their local seafood market or butchery. The book worm, a book shop (or tablet if they prefer). The music lover, I-tunes or record store, maybe a concert. You get the idea…
There are sincerely endless options to finding the best experience for your loved ones. The best part, is that giving family and friends an opportunity to have an experience they cherish is a gift to us as well. Hearing of them speak of the great time they had at an event, or the delicious meal they enjoyed is when you get that same warm feeling all over again that you had when you watched them open their gift card.
Happy gifting everyone!
D & C
Mt. Esty Manor 