Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Meaningful Gift-Giving {A few thoughts}


My husband surprised me with a picnic basket for Mother's Day. I've wanted one for as long as I can remember, but what made the gift truly special were the personal touches he added: the hand-cut sign, the drawing he drew, the little treats he filled the basket with, the beautiful peonies that tied together the color scheme.  I was so impressed by his approach and absolutely floored by his thoughtfulness and attention to detail.

As I look towards Father's Day, I'm trying to step up my gift-giving and find a gift that matches the message I want to send. Kyle's message to me: "I want to spend more time with you." There's nothing more flattering or sweet than that.

Friends, I'm curious what kinds of gifts you like to give and receive.  I really struggle with gift-giving because I really try to give my loved ones gifts they can actually use, but that are also personal. How do you achieve this?  Thoughts?








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3 comments:

  1. AnnaJune 1, 2011 at 9:14 PM

    That IS thoughtful. How great!
    My mother is an excellent gift giver -- she never just buys something, she always wants it to be something meaningful and enjoyed. I like the idea of gifting for father's day something that either 1) is related to their role as a father or 2) is a gift of appreciation/relaxation for all the hard work they do.

    For my husband I got him a groupon for golfing -- because to me it says "here is some time when you can go relax with a friend that is pre-approved"...no wife being upset you are leaving or worries about spending the money. But I must say I really really love this idea from Jordan Ferney: http://jordanferney.blogspot.com/2010/06/diy-hero-supplies-for-fathers-day.html

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  2. HeidiJune 2, 2011 at 12:30 AM

    Your hubby did a wonderful job on celebrating you, esp with the handiwork. I will have to ponder on how hand-crafted, thoughtful, and long-awaited gifts combine to create that "wow" effect. Thanks for your posts and LOVE the tourist summary. Good job on capturing it and making 500!

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  3. Christina GJune 3, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    So cute! What a great husband you have! I often struggle with gift-giving as well (especially since Scott is so thoughtful!!) I also try to give things that are useful, but in a meaningful way. This last birthday I gave Scott a telescope (something that he talks about frequently--plus he loves anything to do with space!) Instead of just giving him the telescope, I centered the whole day around the "space theme" while keeping it adult :) and wrote little notes leading to the next thing. Then I made him a moon cake. He still talks about how it was the best birthday. For our anniversary I really wanted to get a shower head (not very romantic, but our old one was at his shoulders!) so each day leading up to our anniversary I gave him something little that started with a letter in his name. He still has each of the cards hanging by his bed. I think it can be a useful gift, but how you present it is the sentimental part.

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