The Christmas season is the perfect time of year for showering the ones that you love with gifts. Finding the right Christmas gift for mum or dad, or your significant other or anyone else for that matter can be a difficult and time costly challenge, and often we can panic buy resulting in unwanted gifts, and awkward silences.
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Christmas present buying is a stressful time of year as it is, we've got financial worries like no tomorrow, we've got horrible visions of the Christmas presents not turning up on time, and we're having mini breakdowns over the fact that the item at the top of your child's Christmas list is out of stock everywhere! This post will hopefully help you to avoid the top giving mistakes this festive season.
A Forgettable Wrapping Job
You don’t need to be the Martha Stewart of gift-wrapping, but if your gift looks like it was stomped on by a Yeti, then you need to work on your Christmas gift presentation. Follow one of the hottest festive trends in 2018 and give your gift in a decorative gift back adorned with an elaborate Christmas bow. Don’t opt for plain white tissue paper, instead, choose vibrant colours like red or green, or go glamorous with gold. Your gift will look stylish without all the fiddling with tape and wrapping paper.
Forgetting to Give
We’ve all been there... Someone hands us a beautiful holiday present and we look back at them empty-handed. Always be ready when you head to family gatherings or the work's Christmas party, have a spare gift ready to go. You can leave it in your car and when that awkward moment arises, just mention that the gift is in the car. This is great for family exchanges with lots of children or unexpected family member's who you've not seen for a while. Make sure the gift is something generic, like chocolates or a gift card for a family friendly store. This way anyone can enjoy the 'emergency' gift if it's needed.
Buying the Wrong Gift
You wouldn’t buy a preschooler a set of wine glasses and you wouldn’t give your grandmother a Barbie doll. Make sure your gift is age-appropriate, especially when it comes to children. Children under three should never receive gifts that have choking hazards and have small parts, always make sure you check the appropriate age on the packaging or description. Toddlers and young children should only receive toys that are safe for their age only. If you don’t know what to buy a teen or young adult, ask family members for suggestions. If you are stuck and have no idea what to buy, opt for a Christmas selection box of foodie treats, a Christmas book, or a gift card for a family friendly retailer.
Forgetting to Say Thank You
When your uncle hands you another ugly, like really ugly, handmade Christmas sweater, be sure to be gracious and say “Thank you”. Even if the gift is absolutely horrendous, be thankful for what you receive. You don’t know the story behind the gift and believe it or not, the giver may have spent a lot of time making your gift, shopping for it, or it may have some sentimental memory. If you receive a Christmas gift that is absolutely horrendous or that you know you won’t want or use, then you can always re-gift it to someone else next year.
Pick up On Clues
If your loved one has hinted that he or she really, really wants something, be sure to listen. Sometimes we get bogged down by the hunt for the perfect gift or find a ton of gifts on clearance. Your nephew may not appreciate a Sponge Bob t-shirt, but it was only a pound! Try to get out of that habit, and spend a pound on something he would enjoy - like chocolates instead. Try to give people what they want for Christmas and it avoids awkwardness for the recipient too. If you can’t financially give them the gift they would like, then give them a gift card to their favourite store instead - they'll appreciate the gesture.
Until next time,
Jada.
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