Once upon a time I gleaned all of my information from reading books and magazines written for adults. And then I had kids. Fortunately, children’s literature is often a treasure trove of handy lessons and tips, many of which can be applied to my life. As we approach another holiday season and the stress that comes along with buying presents for loved ones, I’d like to declare that everything I need to know about gift giving I learned from Blue’s Clues.
One of my children’s favorite books is “Blue’s Perfect Present,” which finds our heroine struggling to choose the perfect gift for her best friend, Magenta. As she talks to her other friends about her inability to find the perfect gift – Mailbox, Shovel and Pail, Periwinkle – she picks up pearls of wisdom, which I realized are a great fit for anyone succumbing to the stress of choosing a gift.
1. Buy Something Useful
Back in my teaching days, I occasionally received a gift from a student for a holiday, end of year, or teacher appreciation day. By the end of my four years of teaching, I had more apple knick-knacks than I knew what to do with. The intention was wonderful and much appreciated, but those gifts are now collecting dust in my basement. The best gift that I ever received from a student was a twelve pack of the diet soda that he saw me drinking every morning during his first period class. I’m sure that his parents thought it was a crazy request that day in the grocery store when he saw the Diet Dr. Pepper box and thought of his English teacher, but it sure did make my day to receive such a thoughtful and useful present.
2. How about a Little Bling?
Magenta likes things that are sparkly, so Blue was sure to add “something sparkly” to her list of gift requirements. And who doesn’t like a little pizzazz once in awhile? Do you have a best friend who’s always lugging around a frumpy diaper bag? Give her a small, sparkly purse for those rare nights out! Don’t know what to get your frugal, hard-working husband? How about a fabulous, shiny business card holder for his desk? For our most recent anniversary, my husband bought me a necklace that he caught me openly admiring one night on television. It seemed an impractical gift for a stay-at-home mom of two pre-schoolers, but I feel special on the evenings when I am able to wear it, and I’ve found myself taking more time to look nice and take care of myself just to be able to wear my beautiful baubles.
3. Make ‘Em Smile
Of course any good gift should make the recipient smile, but how about a chuckle or even a laugh? One Christmas I bought my mother-in-law a Christmas rodeo cactus. It sounds crazy, I know, but I knew it would fit perfectly on her kitchen counter with her other decorations in her home…deep in the heart of Texas. She has since joined the Red Hat Society, and I look forward to buying her amusing associated gifts this holiday season.
4. DIY Gift
There is no better way to show someone that you care than to take the time to make a personalized gift. I’ve found that buying gifts for new moms can be a challenge because so often presents are repeated and become meaningless. How many times can a person receive a layette and still remember the gift-giver? Because of this I have begun to knit baby blankets for each new friend who is expecting. It costs very little to purchase the soft, machine washable yarn to make the blanket, but the long hours that it takes to make this very special gift communicate clearly your love for your friend and her new bundle of joy.
5. A Reflection of You
I had a close friend back in my college days who always gave gifts that were so clearly, definitively from her that they held intrinsic value just for the fact that they made me think of our friendship. Just seeing a specific color (dark blue) or flower (irises) still makes me think of her, and these little trademarks were always a part of her gifts. A handmade card might have an iris stamp on the back or a blue ribbon tied to the front. Even something as simple as a thank you card might have a bit of lavender thrown inside so that immediately upon its opening, you knew who the card was from, making it so much more special.
6. A Little Bit of Them
We all know those people who are fanatical about a certain sports team, hobby, or clothing line. When it comes to gift-giving time, don’t worry about being unique – buy them what you know they love. My husband is a big Texas sports fan, so I can never go wrong with anything Longhorns, University of Texas, or just something that is burnt orange. Why not buy them what they want and take the guesswork out of gift-giving?
So what did Blue decide to give Magenta? She made her a beautiful, sparkly glasses case in her favorite color – Magenta.
Amy Lupold Bair’s gift-giving tips and other resourceful tidbits can be found on her blog at Resourceful Mommy.
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