The Gifting Season

This canvas, for instance, shows how I somehow love customizing my present. This one is for my best friend who'll enter motherhood real soon. Finger crossed! Hoping she'll have place for this artwork in her nursery. 

The calendar is marked. Those circled dates are daunting me. This is it. The months when many things happen. 

Why do important events tend to overlap? One moment my life is completely flat; other times it's too chaotic: independence day sale (impulsive buyer alert), weddings, birthdays, newborn babies all happening within a short span amount of time. Bye, savings & hard-earned salary! It's nice to have you for a while in my bank account. 

Unlike most people, I find gift giving really enjoyable, especially if it's for someone I know well enough. The thought of making someone's day just by my little token of appreciation always makes all the money & time I spend on finding a perfect gift worth it. Besides, nothing delights me more than receiving a thoughtful gift, and I'm sure most people are with me on this. 

Many times I'd spend months thinking and browsing for one present - asking for recommendations, dealing with online sellers, finding great deals on the more expensive items. Going through those extra miles never really bothers me. On the contrary, I always look forward to receiving the items in the mail; it feels like I'm also somehow giving myself a gift. And all these efforts pay off when the receiver unwraps the paper, which is also almost never random, and loves what she finds inside. Call me weird, but there are times I love wasting my money on gifts. It gives me reason to shop for myself, too! lol

Growing up, I was never showered with gifts from my parents/ other family members. I remember being able to choose a present for my birthdays, but that tradition stopped once I got into middle school. Never have I received anything for other special occasions in my life (christmas, graduation, etc) from my family and I never ask for one either. I guess that's partly why I love receiving presents of any kinds and giving in returns. No one should grow up without getting gifts every once in a while. Receiving gifts make you feel warm and fuzzy inside; it makes you feel loved and precious.

Well, next time you have to get someone something for his/her big day, remember this: give something without expecting anything in returns. Set your bar high to obtain things the other person will enjoy and find useful, but be prepared for not getting the reactions you expect. Not everybody can shriek and squeal in joy in front of you; some keep it quiet. Don't let it discourage you from spreading happiness and love!

Lastly, here are some tips on picking the right gift from my past experiences:

1. Monetary value is not of the upmost importance. Set a budget that suits you, and don't go overboard, yet still allow some flexibility to go over just very slightly. Nothing is too cheap, though too expensive is a thing. Getting a diamond ring for a random stranger or a friend you barely know is a big no no. It's an extreme example, but you get the point.. 
2. Stalking is recommended. Go through the receiver's social media pages. Find a common theme - hobbies, fashion styles, collections. routines, or anything else - to give you clues as to what his/her taste is like. Asking around for advice from his/her circle of friends is also a good way to get a rough picture. 
3. Planning forward is always a good idea. If you know your friend is giving birth in three months, use those three months to start looking for gifts! You don't have to buy things 3 months in advanced, but you can start making a list of possible items. A rushed gift never yields good outputs.  
4. It's not about whether the gift is something you'll appreciate, but whether it's something THEY will appreciate. You may love books and think that a book is a good gift, but to someone who hates reading, your Percy Jackson's series will end up in a shelf and collect dust.
5. Personalized or even handmade gifts are never off-the-list. Customized gifts work best for weddings, anniversaries, or birthdays for the extra special friends and families. Your hand-knit sweater is not too tacky. People will always appreciate the extra work you put. 
6. When all fails, gift vouchers are there for you. Yes, gift vouchers. iTunes gift cards, Google play credits, department stores vouchers, Starbucks cards with some credits in it are all acceptable and simple. Just make sure there is no expiration date so that the receiver can take his/her time deciding how and when to spend the vouchers. 
7. Have fun. Don't make giving gift a burden or a must. Just enjoy the time you spend finding the right gift. And if you can't afford to get anything, don't sweat it. Sometimes you don't need an actual gift to show your love and appreciation to other people.