Janah
My Mum and I have always put a lot of thought into buying gifts for one another. Birthdays and Christmas are exciting for us every single year, because we always go out of our way to make sure we get each other something we've never bought before.
We've been doing this since I received my first pay check at the age of sixteen years old - when I could finally afford to buy presents for her with my own money. But it's been twelve years of this twice-yearly tradition of original gifting, so we're both kind of at that point where we never know what to get each other as these special times of the year approach.
Sound familiar?
As an only child, I'm lucky that at this point in my life, I only really have two or three other people to think about. What about those with husbands and wives, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles, in-laws… and so on? When you have a long list of people to buy presents for, year in and year out, for every special occasion - eventually, it's highly likely that you'll also start running out of ideas pretty quickly.
Enter… gift lists.
What's so great about gift lists?
Sometimes you just don't know what to get someone. And some people generally are just harder to buy for. We've all got that person! And I can't be alone in wishing that some of the pickier people I know would just give me a list of things they want to choose from!
Similarly, when it comes to receiving presents, of course it's the thought that counts…but sometimes people just need a little nudge!
Why go through another year of opening the same Christmas jumper from Nan when you could just tell her what you really want? It'd make life easier for her too, and the big genuine smile she sees when you open a present from her that you love will make it all worth it.
More to love about gift lists
Gift lists make everything easier. There's no awkward fussing about the budget - you simply choose what you can afford from the list.
There's no worry about duplicate gifts - everyone can see what's already been bought.
And best of all, there's no nerves and jitters when it comes to unwrapping time - you can be confident that the recipient will be happy with what you've bought, and if you are the one that has made the gift list, you know you're getting something you've always wanted!
Gift lists remove all the guesswork from gifting and make it all so much easier.
The surprise element
When I sat my Mum down and floated the idea of creating Things To Get Me gift lists for our birthdays this year, the first thing she said was: aren't presents supposed to be a surprise?
My response? Who says they can't be?
Gift lists don't have to automatically remove the element of surprise from gifting. As long as there's more than one item on your list, you never know who will decide to buy what!
If you add a good bunch of things to your gift list, then the recipient of the list has plenty of items to choose from. They don't have to tell you which one they're getting you - so you still get to be surprised, while knowing that the present you'll be unwrapping is definitely something you want! Win-win.
Not sure what to put on your gift list?
- Think about your hobbies and interests. What would enhance the things that you already love to do?
- Think about necessities. Is there anything you really need right now that you've been putting off buying? Some new mats for your car, a new coat or a pair of boots for the winter - which always seems to come around so quickly!
- Consider budgets. If you're sending your list to a large amount of people, like you might do for a wedding or christening, not everyone will have the same gifting budget. Include a range of options with varying prices so people can choose what works for them.
- Browse our blog for more inspiration! We've got plenty of ideas to get stuck into.
So, there you have it - all the benefits of gift lists. Now it's time to make one!
