Tova's Guide to Being a Great Gift Giver Part II
So I wrote some tips yesterday on how to be a great gift giver and now here are some ideas for Christmas this year for certain types of peeps.
The Surly Teenager: If you aren't the parent, but close to a teenager in your life (legally and above board please. Doug Hutchison, I'm looking at you), you may be scratching your head as to what to get this ungrateful child. First ask the parental units, and then go from there. Nowadays the kids are all about the instagramming and inappropriate selfies and the Facebooking. So, technology-based gifts are always a good idea... However, maybe set up an evening out with the angry child. A teenage girl? A book reading or jazz night at a cafe or a mani and pedi (know your audience). A teenage boy? Paint ball or go-karting. I think in this day and age, we spend so much time plugged in that we miss out on actual experiences. I can guarantee that if you treat a teenager like a somewhat adult for the evening, the teenager will always remember it. I know I do.
The Person Who Has Everything: People have a lot of crap today. And there are some people who don't like to own a lot of crap. These people are the hardest to shop for... but here are some suggestions for "People Who Have Everything" broken down into categories:
The Gourmand: Make them a basket of mixed goodies they can actually use and be pompous about. A good start is: an interesting exotic oil, some weird-ass salt (Persian blue salt is available at Merkur), a jar of something exotic i.e. truffle honey, some cured salami, a nice wine, etc. These are all things that are practical and can be consumed. And to be extra indulgent (and if you have the extra cash), "wrap" the gift in a nice stainless steal frying pan or a champagne bucket and wrap in cellophane. All things that can be used!
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The Reader: Nowadays people have Kindles if they are cool and hip (just getting you riled up, you paper lovers). Some people still read from those things that open and close. I have a Kindle and I love it, but I am still a fan of coffee table books with lots and lots of pictures. I am addicted to cookbooks and fashion books and the prettier the pictures, the better. But what do you get for a person with high intelligence and penchant for using words like "penchant"? Practical reading stuff! If they still read books, get them this baby. Such an awesome idea. It's a weighted paper weight so you can read outside, in the wind and eat Ramen noodles.
If they are Kindle owners, a gift certificate to Amazon will always be welcomed. You can also look into book lights for actual books or the Kindle (love mine). Buy a cozy blanket. I think "serious readers" like tartan, so buy a tartan blanket, fold it up, place a magazine like "The New Yorker" on top and then add the weight and the book light. Place in a newspaper holder... like this one.. And again, wrap in cellophane. Booyah!
The Culture Lover: Are they ballet fans? Look into alternative shows that are happening in your city. Maybe there is a dance troupe in town that seems kind of different and neat. Buy 2 tickets and give them to the person and make it clear that you don't expect to be their plus one because alternative anything is not your thing (oh look, I'm projecting). In Vienna, the Opera House tour is kind of neat too, and that would be a cool little gift as well. Pair your tickets with a pair of affordable Opera glasses. Wrap gift in an affordable Pashmina because it gets a little chilly in theaters sometimes. Art fans? In Vienna, the Art History Museum offers an amazing price for annual membership. Always a fantastic gift for the avid culture seeker. There is also the Albertina that offers great deals as well. Pair the membership with a museum book and you are done. Jazz fans? In most cities around the world, there be JAZZ.. (jazz hands!) See if you can book a table and put some money down for an evening out. Alternatively, look for amateur jazz players and see if you can bribe them to play at your friend's place for an hour. That could be a kind of funky event. Bring booze and snacks. If you are super organized and the musicians are really cool, have them stand outside your buddy's apartment and play. Arrange a day to meet and then stand outside with the band and serenade the lucky bastard. Tip the awesome musicians, as well.
The Stay-At-Home Mom: There are a couple of things you can do for moms who stay at home. It is an often thankless job and there is no such thing as a coffee break unless they throw a little brandy in their kid's Cheerios (for the love of God, don't do it!). If you know a stay at home mom and you know her kids well, get in contact with her partner (if she has one), find out her schedule, arrange a time and date and do the following:
Show up, hang up your coat, ignore her protests (if you know that she hates people dropping by, warn her that you are coming by to drop something off or fake an issue that you have to talk about. People like to listen to other people's problems because people like to feel needed and that their opinions are worth something. The more you know.), throw a gift certificate at her for a spa nearby and kick her out of the house because her appointment is about to start. It could be for a massage, a facial, manicure, anything. Samantha did this in Sex and the City and it was awesome. And you could do the same. If you aren't down with her spawns, see if you can arrange with the partner to take over kid-wrangling for a couple hours and take her to the spa yourself and then have some drinks. I guarantee you, this will make her year. But, and this is important, really know if she has the time! CHECK HER SCHEDULE!
The Random Giftee: I mentioned yesterday how I always have a couple of Christmas mugs on hand to pass on as gifts if the need arises. This year, for the daycare providers, I am going in a slightly different direction. I bought 4 pairs of super duper cozy socks which I will wrap up and then place on individual plates of cookies. If they don't want socks, they can pass them on to family or the homeless. Pocket warmers also make awesome little gifts. You can find these in a lot of shops this time of the year. The re-heatable ones are the best. Remember, get a random giftee something practical and not decorative.
These are just a few ideas for Christmas presents. If I think of some more, I will make a part III to this guide. If you have a question about a gift for a person you think is hard to shop for, drop me a line and I will try and help you out with an idea... FOR I AM THE GIFT WHISPERER!!!
The Surly Teenager: If you aren't the parent, but close to a teenager in your life (legally and above board please. Doug Hutchison, I'm looking at you), you may be scratching your head as to what to get this ungrateful child. First ask the parental units, and then go from there. Nowadays the kids are all about the instagramming and inappropriate selfies and the Facebooking. So, technology-based gifts are always a good idea... However, maybe set up an evening out with the angry child. A teenage girl? A book reading or jazz night at a cafe or a mani and pedi (know your audience). A teenage boy? Paint ball or go-karting. I think in this day and age, we spend so much time plugged in that we miss out on actual experiences. I can guarantee that if you treat a teenager like a somewhat adult for the evening, the teenager will always remember it. I know I do.
The Person Who Has Everything: People have a lot of crap today. And there are some people who don't like to own a lot of crap. These people are the hardest to shop for... but here are some suggestions for "People Who Have Everything" broken down into categories:
The Gourmand: Make them a basket of mixed goodies they can actually use and be pompous about. A good start is: an interesting exotic oil, some weird-ass salt (Persian blue salt is available at Merkur), a jar of something exotic i.e. truffle honey, some cured salami, a nice wine, etc. These are all things that are practical and can be consumed. And to be extra indulgent (and if you have the extra cash), "wrap" the gift in a nice stainless steal frying pan or a champagne bucket and wrap in cellophane. All things that can be used!
The Reader: Nowadays people have Kindles if they are cool and hip (just getting you riled up, you paper lovers). Some people still read from those things that open and close. I have a Kindle and I love it, but I am still a fan of coffee table books with lots and lots of pictures. I am addicted to cookbooks and fashion books and the prettier the pictures, the better. But what do you get for a person with high intelligence and penchant for using words like "penchant"? Practical reading stuff! If they still read books, get them this baby. Such an awesome idea. It's a weighted paper weight so you can read outside, in the wind and eat Ramen noodles.
If they are Kindle owners, a gift certificate to Amazon will always be welcomed. You can also look into book lights for actual books or the Kindle (love mine). Buy a cozy blanket. I think "serious readers" like tartan, so buy a tartan blanket, fold it up, place a magazine like "The New Yorker" on top and then add the weight and the book light. Place in a newspaper holder... like this one.. And again, wrap in cellophane. Booyah!
The Culture Lover: Are they ballet fans? Look into alternative shows that are happening in your city. Maybe there is a dance troupe in town that seems kind of different and neat. Buy 2 tickets and give them to the person and make it clear that you don't expect to be their plus one because alternative anything is not your thing (oh look, I'm projecting). In Vienna, the Opera House tour is kind of neat too, and that would be a cool little gift as well. Pair your tickets with a pair of affordable Opera glasses. Wrap gift in an affordable Pashmina because it gets a little chilly in theaters sometimes. Art fans? In Vienna, the Art History Museum offers an amazing price for annual membership. Always a fantastic gift for the avid culture seeker. There is also the Albertina that offers great deals as well. Pair the membership with a museum book and you are done. Jazz fans? In most cities around the world, there be JAZZ.. (jazz hands!) See if you can book a table and put some money down for an evening out. Alternatively, look for amateur jazz players and see if you can bribe them to play at your friend's place for an hour. That could be a kind of funky event. Bring booze and snacks. If you are super organized and the musicians are really cool, have them stand outside your buddy's apartment and play. Arrange a day to meet and then stand outside with the band and serenade the lucky bastard. Tip the awesome musicians, as well.
The Stay-At-Home Mom: There are a couple of things you can do for moms who stay at home. It is an often thankless job and there is no such thing as a coffee break unless they throw a little brandy in their kid's Cheerios (for the love of God, don't do it!). If you know a stay at home mom and you know her kids well, get in contact with her partner (if she has one), find out her schedule, arrange a time and date and do the following:
Show up, hang up your coat, ignore her protests (if you know that she hates people dropping by, warn her that you are coming by to drop something off or fake an issue that you have to talk about. People like to listen to other people's problems because people like to feel needed and that their opinions are worth something. The more you know.), throw a gift certificate at her for a spa nearby and kick her out of the house because her appointment is about to start. It could be for a massage, a facial, manicure, anything. Samantha did this in Sex and the City and it was awesome. And you could do the same. If you aren't down with her spawns, see if you can arrange with the partner to take over kid-wrangling for a couple hours and take her to the spa yourself and then have some drinks. I guarantee you, this will make her year. But, and this is important, really know if she has the time! CHECK HER SCHEDULE!
The Random Giftee: I mentioned yesterday how I always have a couple of Christmas mugs on hand to pass on as gifts if the need arises. This year, for the daycare providers, I am going in a slightly different direction. I bought 4 pairs of super duper cozy socks which I will wrap up and then place on individual plates of cookies. If they don't want socks, they can pass them on to family or the homeless. Pocket warmers also make awesome little gifts. You can find these in a lot of shops this time of the year. The re-heatable ones are the best. Remember, get a random giftee something practical and not decorative.
These are just a few ideas for Christmas presents. If I think of some more, I will make a part III to this guide. If you have a question about a gift for a person you think is hard to shop for, drop me a line and I will try and help you out with an idea... FOR I AM THE GIFT WHISPERER!!!
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