Buying presents for a difficult person

AND, the difficult person is ME!

To help those who must deal with people like me, here are my following rules about presents.

In no particular order:

• The gift does not have to be expensive (though I would not complain if it was...). BUT it cannot be cheap either, as in made out of cheap things, or look tacky (keep in mind that 'cheap' things can still be expensive). Okay, I admit that there is a time and place for cheesy gag gifts.

• The gift should not be something practical (i.e. socks and underwear), but not be completely useless either – like giving me a carjack would be practical and also be completely useless as I rarely drive, and even if I do, I cannot loosen the bolts that hold the tire in place.

• The gift should be a want, not a need. Like I really want a Kitchenaid mixer, because I think it is very pretty, but as I do not bake, I really do not need one (this is not a hint, as it is also unpractical, I have no room for one, unless the mixer becomes the centrepiece for Christmas dinner). Sometimes a want and a need may be the same thing.

• The gift should be something fun.

• Avoid gift cards if possible. Well, if you are getting a gift for your third cousin three times removed that you have met maybe twice in your life, then go for the gift card, but if it is someone close, try to get an actual present.

• The gift should not be bought half-assed – if so, just buy a gift card.

• Most importantly, the gift should be THOUGHTFUL – think about what the other person likes and wants (not need). I view gifts as a way of letting the other person know that you are thinking of them, and that you took time out (going online for hours looking for a present counts) specifically to go shopping, to get something special. Hopefully, the thoughts are not too cheap.

I know the list probably does not help with actual shopping, so here are some examples of a couple of my favourite presents.

a) A picture book of a trip that we took. It was a very thoughtful present, and I know it took time and effort for my husband to make the book. It also serves as a reminder of a really fun time we had together.

b) A massage at a spa. Now, I know you can give gift certificates to treatments, but this was special, because my husband made ALL the arrangements for me, including making sure our child would be occupied. All I had to do was to show up.

picture courtesy of Zurizim