How many times have you heard that? ’It’s the thought’-the mantra of gift giving. It’s true but it’s meaning probably needs to be clarified.
Yes, it’s really nice you remembered(you thought), and when you were at the mall for that sale you thought’I need to get that gift for.’. Or that you thought about it the night before and rushed all the way over to your computer(open 24 hours) to order flowers or an online GC.
We’ve all done these and my guess is most of the time the quality of our thought comes through loud and clear. And that, my friends, is the point. It’s not enough that your brain produced a thought.(miracle that might be for some of us). Gift giving ought to be the expression of our best thoughts of the friend or loved on. Something that says that you care about their tastes and interests.
To improve your thought:
Plan ahead. I’m guessing that if you have found your way here online and uploaded a review or two, that you have the ability to use a calendar. Either hang a nice paper one with loved ones birthdays etc. prominently displayed or use one of the many computer programs or internet calendars that will remind you. The key is time. Ask for those reminders at least 2 weeks ahead of time.
Listen and Look. In your interactions with people notice what they like(or don’t like). If your auntie is chilly in the evening and complains she has no sweater to match her clothes-you know what to get. Some people file these ideas in little address books etc. I’m not that organized!
Buy Ahead. If your budget allows, purchase things as you see them. When you walk through the store or look at a catalogue and see something you know someone would love get it then. I buy cute little clothes for my Florida nieces at the season end clearance here in the northeast. I scan the clearance table every time I visit a bookstore. One of my great finds was a very detailed Nutcracker Suite pop up book for a friend who collects Christmas books. At 80% of list! I also keep a box in my attic of’finds’ for hostess gifts and grab gifts. My mother, ’queen of the perfect gift’ already has most of her Christmas shopping done. It makes for a lot less stress and more enjoyment at the actual holiday.
So remember it is the thought that counts and put some thought in your thought.