How to select holiday gifts for friends
We often say, "It's the thought that counts," when selecting a gift for a friend. But in actuality, the gift you give often serves as a demonstration of how you have taken time to pay attention to your friend's interests, likes and desires. By taking steps to make your gift personal, it will be meaningful, treasured and long remembered as a gift received from a friend who truly cares. And some of the best gifts don't come boxed in wrapping paper.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- List of your friend's interests
- Schedule of local holiday activities and events
- Time to share
- List of agencies to volunteer time or make a charitable contribution
Instructions
-
Choose a Gift That Connects Individual and Shared Interests
-
1
Select an item that shows that you have been actively listening to your friend's interests. Think about conversations you have had where your friend has expressed a "wish list" of things they would like to do or an event they would like to attend. This could include tickets to an upcoming art exhibit, or taking classes in woodworking or landscaping.
-
2
Make your gift a "twosome." For example, if you both share an interest in sports, consider tickets for both of you to attend an upcoming college or professional sports game. If you enjoy going out together for a certain type of food, like Italian or Chinese, take your friend to dinner and surprise them with a gift-wrapped cookbook on the cuisine that you both love.
-
-
3
Trade your talents. Perhaps you're good at cooking and your friend is good at home repairs. Create a coupon book that exchanges your respective gifts and talents. Gifts don't always have to be about money or wrapped in pretty boxes tied with bows. You could even make a pact with very close friends to give each other gifts that are homemade.
-
4
Give a gift that also gives back. Perhaps you share an interest in helping the homeless, working with children or volunteering your time to help people get a job. Locate nonprofit organizations that can benefit from your services or donation. Then write a note that allows your friend to select the organization to contribute a monetary gift or days where both of you will volunteer to serve at a nonprofit organization. Read to children or the elderly at a hospital. Go through your closets and donate clothes to the needy and homeless. Take a day to help with an organization that helps the unemployed create a resume or practice for job interviews.
-
5
Chip in where help is needed most. If you or your friend is short on money, make a pledge to each other that your gift cannot be bought from a store. If you or your friend is a parent, you can donate babysitting time during the holidays. If one or both of you are expecting family members and out-of-town guests, you can share cooking food, decorating a Christmas tree, making sure that you each have enough linen and bedding, and even enough movies on DVD to entertain holiday guests.
-
6
Take time to enjoy the charm, magic and joy of classic holiday entertainment festivities and events. Ride through the neighborhoods to "ooh" and "aah" over the lights and holiday decorations. The holidays can get overwhelming with tasks and shopping. Take time to smell the "holiday roses." Give the gift of making sure that you both enjoy a holiday activity like seeing a performance of a classic like "The Nutcracker Suite" or attending a sunrise service, followed by a meal at a favorite restaurant.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Walker and Walker/Digital Vision/Getty Images
