I AM THE GIFT GURU
Or at least I like to think so....
I've self titled myself the Gift Guru because I am never stuck for an idea on what to give someone. People have been asking me for gift advice my entire gift-giving life. Gift-giving is my thing. I read people and know their ultimate gifty wants; their unnoticed needs and desires!! So today I've written out my process for just how the fuck I figure out what to gift. With years of incorporating these skills, you too, can be a gift giving master! This isn't a list of gift suggestions, this is a guide to building up your gifting skills. I don't think gift giving is as hard as some people make it out to be, just making a conscious effort makes a huge difference in how easy it is to get the perfect gift - every time!
ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT ALL YEARSo many people don't ever do this and that just blows my mind. It's the easiest and fastest way to finding out what someone wants. This also throws off any potential sneaking suspicions they may have. Write these down in an app or in a note book. I use Wunderlist the app! For added security you can always use an app that's hidden or password protected, whatever you want.
PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR DAILY ROUTINESWhat they do in the mornings and at night, what they wear, how they travel, their most common leisure activities, eating habits, exercise, do they spend a lot of time outside/inside etc. I don't mean that you should go out of your way to focus on these things (that could be a bit much/creepy), just make yourself more aware to them. Make mental notes. What's going to make their life more organized and easier? More productive and efficient?
LEARN WHAT KEEPS THEM DRIVENI'd like to think that everyone has a passion. Something they love that makes them more successful in their own lives. Something they wish they could do forever. Something that motivates them to become the best versions of themselves.
WHAT DO THEY LOVE & WHAT MAKES THEM HAPPY?Down to the small things. Just again, pay attention, make notes, use your Wunderlist app! These are key words you should remember. Here's an example of my best friend: European History, Tea, Anime, Comfort, Cleanliness, Cruelty-free Beauty, Camels, Memes, Cooking, High Quality Wood furniture, Melon Popsicles etc. Paying attention to small details like this, goes a long way when planning out a gift.
WHAT THEY SAY THEY WANTPeople say all the time "I want that". Often they say it without realizing too, so you need to take these things with a grain of salt (just really think about if it will bring value or joy into thier lives). Pay attention to the random "I wants" "I could use" "I really need a" etc. Write those things down.
ASK PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEMSo this one is both great and not great. It can make you seem like an armature, BUT having an additional insight is a good idea too. This is also a really good way to weed out the possibility of gifting the same thing as someone else. If you know what they're getting or what they think may be a good idea can both give you inspiration and potentially a fair warning.
THINGS THEY WOULD LOVE BUT TYPICALLY WOULDN'T BUY FOR THEMSELVESAn example of this is my dad hates the cold (he handles it fine, ice-fishing hockey loving rustic Canadian dude) but never admits it. My step-mom got him a heated blanket. Would my dad have bought that for himself? Likely never. Does my dad curl up under that blanket every night? You better believe he does! That's why all the above steps are so helpful, eventually you just clue into what these things are.
WHEN IN DOUBT: GIFT-BASKETWorst case scenario, you cannot think of a single thing to get. So why not instead, get a whole bunch of their favourites or make a themed gift and bundle it?! Or wrap each part separately so all the gifts become one. Include gift certificates (real or handmade), snacks, clothes and all kinds of other things. They can be so incredibly creative. Example: Last year, my boyfriend made me a "Care Package". We play Call of Duty a lot and this is a score award. Anyways he had me close my eyes, played the sound effect/music from the game and dropped it in my lap. Inside was a whole bunch of little things that I loved, snacks, gift cards, beauty and a few other things and he made me a card. It made me extremely happy.
ALL IN ALL, REMEMBER - IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS.
