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Red Dot Mum’s POV On Meaningful Gifting


Takeaway: Set a theme to manage festive gift giving

How does one know one is buying the right gift for someone?


This is specially made much harder when the occasion calls for the exchange of gifts at office parties and one has no idea who is going to receive one’s gift. At other times, it may also mean giving gifts to someone whom you don’t know so well.


I’m a money-saving mum🙂. And a time-crunched family carer. I like to be able to cope with gifting, especially during festive seasons. Such times coincide with school holidays and with my children being home all day really draws upon any remaining energy reserves I have after returning home from work. I have errands to run and dinner to cook. I may not have the luxury of time, nor energy, to shop for a considered gift.


With Christmas a month away, I checked the Internet for ideas- and the search threw up some useful links of which started me thinking of how I wanted to approach gifting. I agree that Empathetic gifting will guide one’s gift-buying (or making) decision because the recipient of the gift will appreciate what you have bought for him or her.


One of the solutions I came up with was to give home-made food for Christmas.


These are the few simple reasons :


1) It gets eaten (so there is no home clutter).


2) There are no fashion trends to follow.


3) It is a thoughtful gift.


Deciding on what I am going to give beforehand removes all the last-minute decision making, thinking …wondering..sometimes agonising….  if the receiver will need the gift I have chosen for him or her.


Furthermore, it is a gift I can prepare ahead for. For instance, I will be on the look-out for ‘not-so-sweet’ dessert recipes or ‘no-sugar’ dessert recipes if I know the person is trying to follow a more healthy diet. If I do not know who I am giving to, I may bake a butter cake and pair it with some herbal tea bags and list the ingredients of the cake on a card attached to the gift wrap so that the gift recipient can check for allergies!


With this approach to gifting, I will stop racking my brains season after season what item I wish to give as I already have a ‘theme’ to follow (food).


The only ‘work’  I need to do is continually update my range of gift recipes for food.


What about receiving gifts? If I receive a gift I do not use, should I ‘recycle’ the gift, that is gift it to another person?


My answer to that is ‘Yes’… if one gathers the receiver will have a need for it!


If in doubt, improvise – pair it –  with another considered gift so that it becomes a meaningful gift.


For the remaining gifts that cannot be recycled for gifting,  pack them to be donated to charities that can sell them at their charity bazaars. Checking out the websites of non-profit organisations to find out what the organisation needs before donating our items is also thoughtful gifting!


Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone exchanges a loving gift!


 

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