Don't be a Grinch!

The other day I was reading an article about family holiday traditions. The respondents told of kids versus adults holiday sing off, going to Target Christmas eve with $20 for each family member to buy a gift, and my favorite, a mom who said that she gives her adult kids something she wants that they already have or don’t want to they give it back to her and she gets what she wants.

This last one sounds mean to me. It made me think about how we buy gifts, and more importantly know what someone wants. I know I touched on this is a previous blog recently, but I thought I would go more in depth here, since gift giving can be just as stressful as worrying if the turkey is fully cooked.

“When Dec. 1 strikes and the holidays loom, the list of gifts you need to buy grows. And so does your anxiety. Will my sister-in-law really like a hot pink scarf? Will the DVD I bought my father measure up to the gift my brother gave him? And how in the name of all that is wrapped in a big red bow can a person make it through to January with his wallet and sanity still intact? For most of us, it's enough to call a moratorium on the holidays.” — Web MD

STOP! Don’t call a moratorium. Develop a plan. As I said in my previous blog plan an outing, get a gift card to their favorite store. Heck, one year for mother’s day, I gave my mom a 6-pack of her favorite pens. Not exactly an expensive gift, but definitely a thoughtful one.

“Holiday gift giving (and spending) can be one of the most exasperating shopping experiences. In fact, about 60% of Americans find holiday gift-buying to be the most financially stressful event of the year, far outpacing even tax season, according to a recent survey from Marcus by Goldman Sachs.” — Megan Leonhardt, CNBC

Things to keep in mind when shopping for holiday gifts:

1.    Don’t break the bank, it is the thought that counts (make a budget)

2.    Worry about your gift only and not what someone else is getting this person

3.    For the person who has everything, make a donation to his/her favorite charity (ask first what the charity is) in an amount that works for you

4.    Go simple— a bottle of their favorite hand lotion, chocolates they like or in the case of family friends, a jug of real maple syrup to go with the French toast the mom makes quite often throughout the year.

And if none of these, do it for you (or your budget is tight), a heart-felt note of love and gratitude for the person. Last year, I sent 5 people close to me each a box of tea with a simple note of appreciation. I plan to do the same this year, with 5 new people and hand-made lavender scented candles.

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