Gift Buying
Gift buying can be difficult for some folks. Doesn’t matter if you male or female most folks struggle when it comes to buying gifts ~ meaningful gifts. Men tend to buy electronic gifts and women tend to buy clothing. But are we really buying gifts or buying the other person what we would like to receive? I know my husband is an electronics kinda guy, but I would never try to buy something like that for him. And for me, well I’m an aging hippie ~ need I say more 😊
As I said my hubby is an analytical, computer kinda a guy. He tends to be a bit black and white, no beating around the bush, straight to the point. As I learned over time, this is why he has a tough time buying gifts. I saw this throughout our relationship but didn’t pay any attention to it because I thought the better, we got to know each other he would be able to buy gifts for me ~ wrong. And I’m not a hard person to buy for, as I said, I’m an aging hippie who loves to work in her yard, garden, craft, write and enjoys the smell of a candle burning. But his analytical nature overrides his imagination so, he finds it hard to meander around looking at things, spots something and thinks ~ Oh my bride would like this.
Which brings me to my next question and conclusion, what are the guidelines for a gift? I think a gift should be something the person would like, use, or find fascinating. My hubby’s idea of a gift is something I wouldn’t buy for myself and/or use every day. At times I feel like when I give him an idea for a gift, his brain goes ~ if she wants it then she would buy it herself therefore it’s not a gift I would buy ~ crazy, yes but I love’em 😊 The gift ideas below my hubby deems to be not gift worthy ~ he would buy them for me just not as a gift. Which to this day I don’t understand.
Leopard fenders and chain guard for my bike ~ that I ride weekly.
New tires, belts and tune up for my mower ~ I LOVE to mow the yard, so my mower is as precious to me as my car.
Heavy-duty mats for my jeep ~ we live on a dirt road, so I am always getting dirt or sand in my jeep and the heavy-duty mats make it easier to clean.
Belgian waffle maker ~ I enjoy a good waffle and my old waffle maker left a lot to be desired. He bought me this as a gift & I love it!
Handheld chain saw ~ I love doing yard work and sometimes the loppers just won’t do.
Small and medium hand sanders ~ I sand and paint furniture and usually do it with just a sandpaper bar.
A yard cart ~ again I find doing yard work relaxing and a workout.
Yard gloves ~ with all the yard work I do, I go through lots of yard-gloves & I use different gloves for various types of yard work, great stocking stuffer.
Candles ~ he says he always buys me candles; he needs to buy something else. No, I like my candles, just buy them 😊
My husband is very hard to buy for, first because he is analytical so therefore, he has to research things before he considers buying them which is not a bad trait just a hard to buy for one 😊 Secondly because hobbies are… astrophotography, remote control airplane building and flying, the boat, fishing and then we have the garden. There is nothing I can buy regarding the astrophotography so I don’t even try but the planes he uses the Velcro adhesives and metallic markers ~ I can buy them yahoo😊 The garden ideas are unlimited.
My thoughts are keep it simple.
A bottle of wine, with a label that correlates with the person receiving the gift.
Local homemade jam, honey, or a type of syrup. I found a local sea grape honey for my friend who is an environmentalist. My hubby likes to sip rum, so I bought him rum maple syrup ~ cured in rum barrels.
Seashells or corks placed in a vase or jar are always a nice gift.
Coffee or teas make nice gifts. For the coffee lover,various types of coffee can be nice, a bean grinder or stove top expresso pot ~ you can make any type of ground coffee in it. There are many types of teas to try and including a fun tea strainer or funky tea pot will make it festive.
Books ~ there are many good books out there. I usually look for what I call quick reads, books with a message in one or two sentences or quotes. A subscription to a magazine or positive messaging via text or email. I received a positive quote book for each day of the week, and I read it each morning to start my day.
Sun catchers and windchimes are gifts that keep on giving when the sun shines or the wind blows.
I listen to the folks around me throughout the year, jotting down things they mention and if they haven’t bought ~ there’s my gift idea 😊
Peace and Love