We all know the saying that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but sometimes it can also be the most stressful. You know what I’m talking about– gift giving.

Let’s admit it, we all love giving and receiving gifts. The idea of unwrapping brightly adorned presents sparks the possibility of fulfilling our desires. Giving can be equally rewarding– with a pleasing anticipation of connection and acknowledged love from the receiver.

Choosing the right gift can be one of the most challenging things to do. There are so many factors to consider. From your limited budget to their personal preference, everything needs serious consideration. Coming up with creative gift ideas is somewhat an art form and just like with any other type of art, some of us aren’t good at it.

We dread receiving useless gifts, so why not ensure that the people we give gifts to won’t feel the same? If you still have no idea what gifts to give, take a deep breath and relax as we are here to spill some of our tips.

1. A Letter

There’s something about the times we live in today that makes giving or receiving a letter something of a rarity. So go ahead and pour your heart out in words, pick a good post stamp, and send it their way.  You can send this via email or better yet, use a handmade stationary and have it mailed through the post office. Either way, it’s still gonna be huge surprise because almost no one ever does it anymore.

2. Old Books

These are the titles you’ve read and reread, the ones you impulsively bought and said will read but never actually did. For whatever reason, they’re collecting dust in your bookshelf and you just know for sure that they’re better off in someone else’s care. To make it extra special, write a personal inscription inside. (Unless of course you don’t believe in writing on books. Respect.)

3. A Cooked Meal or Baked Sweets

Invite your friend to dinner at your place. Cook up something simple yet hearty or whip something up in the oven. Everyone’s café favorites, basically. Have some drinks and let the night pass in between thoughtful conversations and impossible laughs. If you’re not much of a chef then making simple, packed lunch or treats with even just a short note is enough.

4. A Personalized Playlist

For every generation, the personalized playlist has always been a no-fail gift to give. It has taken form in tapes, CDs, and now in good old Spotify. You could customize it any way you’d like. Put in that person’s favorite songs, songs that remind you of them, or songs that you know they’d thank you for introducing. Essentially, a playlist is like a warm hug one can keep going back to, so don’t ever hesitate to give one.  

5. Time

The Christmas season is easily the busiest out of the whole year, with everyone rushing to go places. So just the act of making time and showing up for the people you love is more than enough to show them just how much you value them. Have a meal together to catch up and show you care.

A FINAL NOTE

You choose a gift for someone. You give that gift to them. They look in your eyes and say “thank you.” It’s a moment of love or friendship that has been banked, a bond that has been deepened.

These tips are certainly not the only ways to rethink your gifting ideas. The only real limit to our gift giving is the lack of imagination. After all, most of us celebrate the holidays as a way to share our love with each other and remember the good in our lives.

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