Gift giving just “feels” good

Gift giving is truly the best way to show your feelings, especially when It comes to a gift for your sweetheart or someone you hope will become your sweetheart.  I recently read an online article by Tara Parker-Pope (New York Times) who talked about the psychology of gift giving.  In it, she sites a study that found “that giving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends. Indeed, psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift.”  What’s the old adage….it’s better to give than to receive?

I’ve had some amazing and fulfilling personal experiences in gift giving and have, to some degree, honed my gift giving skills to the point of frequently giving the “perfect” gift (admittedly, there have been some misses along the way, too).  When people say things like, “oh, how did you know?” or “I’ve always wanted one of these” (with sincerity) you know your gift hit the mark.  It takes a little practice but you can do it too by just listening carefully and observing what people like, what they gravitate to, what the enjoy doing, hobbies, favorite colors, favorite memories – that sort of thing.

I recently attended a birthday party for a very close friend but by the time the party started, I hadn’t really thought of a good present yet.  However, I did have the presence of mind to take my camera to the party where I shot a roll or so of candid photos.  The prints came out very well so I put them in a nice wallet sized photograph album, wrapped it beautifully and gave it to him at lunch a week or so following the party.  He was so touched and I felt great.  As ideas go, it’s not terribly original but the uniqueness of the giving….those one-time shots of his friends was what touched his heart.  It turned out to be more of a personalized birthday gift than anything I could have bought at the store.

Gift baskets are a great way to go for all types of giving occasions.  Some say they are impersonal but I staunchly disagree.  If you take the time to look through the ingredients you’ll find an enormous selection, bound to suit any taste bud.  Also, if you take some time to think about your sweetheart’s hobbies and interests you will find several fantastic choices at www.withmyregards.com.   The best part is that there are lots of different goodies in each beautifully designed basket so every time your darling dives into another bag of something delectable, they’ll think of you all over again.  If you’re clever enough to choose one of our gifts that is encased in a keepsake, they’ll remember your thoughtfulness even longer!!