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Issue Date: December 2, 2007
Look like you spent time choosing a gift -- even if you didn't
A panel of experts offers last-minute tips.
The most wonderful thing about gift-giving is investing time and effort to get that "just-right" holiday present, right?
Many teens want money. Including a simple letter can make the gift meaningful. |
Unfortunately, we often fall short. The significant other ends up with a swiftly purchased box of scented soaps to add to her vast collection of still-boxed scented soaps from past holidays. Your ever-skeptical teen gives you that "lame-o" look when you present a gift card from an uncool retail shop.
Holiday-stressed shoppers obviously need guidance when it comes to making it look like they spent lots of time on a gift -- even when they didn't. So, we've once again assembled our annual panel of gift gurus for advice: Robyn Freedman Spizman, author of "Make It Memorable: An A-to-Z Guide to Making Any Event, Gift or Occasion ... Dazzling!"; online gifting expert Suzanne Ellis of RedEnvelope.com; Hollywood celebrity shopper Allana Baroni; and Lisa Schultz, who, as chief creative officer for Sears, is the company's resident "gift guru" during the holidays.
Here is what the experts had to say:
Our confession: We intend to spend hours on holiday shopping but inevitably make a last-minute sprint to the local mall to buy a bunch of stuff. How can we makethis meaningful?
Spizman: The very heart of gift-giving is understanding what people value. Think about what makes that person special. If that person is a big traveler and is going to, say, Costa Rica, then buy her a picture-book guide to Costa Rica. If she's a new mom, why not buy some nice frames at the mall, then print out photos you have on your computer that she took and sent you of her baby?
Schultz: Right. You don't need to spend hours of effort to make a gift special. If the recipient is a dog lover, buy dog-themed pajamas. If she recently has gone through a stressful time, give her slippers that massage the feet. People like seeing something that was bought with their interests in mind.
How much payoff can a good theme provide?
Baroni: It can be very effective. Maybe your friend is a high-powered executive by day and a home fix-it whiz at night. At a tool store, you get a tool belt and provide some useful goodies -- a hammer, electric screwdriver, level -- then take some other items from the mall and tuck them into the tool belt, as well. Maybe get some energy drinks or a PDA-type gadget. I found a pink tool belt that I gave to Kelly Ripa. I put pink lip gloss, a tape measure and even "mommy"-themed business cards in it for her. She loved it.
Any tips for buying for a special teenager at the last minute so that it doesn't seem haphazard?
Spizman: When kids become teenagers, they stop asking for gifts and simply want money. In this case, maybe just a simple letter can make it meaningful. Share some words of wisdom and tell the teen how much he means to you. Those letters could become the most cherished gift.
Teens are also notorious for being procrastinators. Are there ways they can give to their friends at the last minute while still presenting a high degree of "cool"?
Schultz: Get creative with the wrapping job. Take images of rock bands and lyrics and make a collage out of them on paper. With all of these images available online, it's easy.
Can the standard gift card be elevated into a memorable gift?
Personalize the stamp on your card.
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Ellis: There are sites online that can really put the dazzle into a gift card. For example, if you're mailing the card, Snapfish.com and Stamps.com are working together so you can buy and print postage stamps with your own photos on them. You could send someone a gift card, and the stamp will be a photo of a nice moment the two of you shared. One friend sent me a gift card, and my son's face was on the stamp. It really touched me.
What about avoiding the mall altogether and picking up a great gift from what you see on your normal, everyday routine?
Baroni: Sure. During the Oscars, everyone loves swag bags. Why not take items you run into every day -- gift cards, books, soaps, coupons, chic sunglasses -- and package them as a personalized swag bag?
Ellis: I just did this with a friend of mine who visited me in San Francisco. I got her tokens from the trolley here, postcards of famous places and brochures from museums she could visit. The gift in this case was a tour, but I mailed all of these items to her before she arrived to make the presentation more heartfelt.
-- Dennis McCafferty
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