Advice | November 18, 2021
TIPS ON HOW TO PICK THE PERFECT GIFT BY SAMANTHA DUNNE
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Editor
rying to find the perfect gift for a family member or friend and hoping it won’t end up in the trash is a prime example of pre-holiday anxiety. With holidays right around the corner, friends and family members are usually scrambling to find last-minute gifts at the busiest time. But as you can imagine, the pandemic has presented some unique and ongoing challenges with a significant shortage of products in some of your favorite stores, which could make it hard to find that perfect gift. Sometimes gift-giving can be difficult, but it’s the thought that counts, right? A truly thoughtful gift will mean more than the most expensive one. Sophomore Lauren Andrews enjoys Black Friday because it’s the perfect time to find gifts for her friends, and the feeling she gets after their reaction makes it worth it.
“I love shopping at Target and Barnes & Noble because they have a wide variety of options, and they have decent prices. I always try to find something [my friends] will love and remember for many years to come,” Andrews said. “The feeling of giving someone the gift is better than the gift itself because I know they’ll love it as much as I do.” As we all know, social media has a big impact on today’s society, and that includes affecting the way we shop for gifts. Many businesses can keep their customers updated on any special offers or exclusive deals that are only available online. Rather than shopping through the big rush and crowds, a better idea is to stay where you are and shop from the comfort of your home. It is more convenient to shop online because you can usually find more options and exactly
what you need without having to travel all over the place. It is not worth waiting in long lines at stores for the same deals or better ones - that you can find on your computer. Math teacher Kristin Massey typically shops on the internet for gifts for her two kids rather than in stores. “I like shopping online for my kids’ gifts during Black Friday because I don’t have to worry about the big crowds, and I don’t have to worry about the risk of things being out of stock or someone taking the last item in the store,” Massey said. While shopping online and spending less money may be frowned upon, it still has the potential to lead to a good gift. All that matters is that the gift means something special and you put in the effort.
LISTENING FOR IDEAS
PRESENTING WITH THOUGHT
GIFTING ADVENTURE
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uring this eventful month, Thanksgiving is arriving soon, and then the calendar will turn to Black Friday. If you know you tend to struggle with gift-giving during the holiday season but want to make sure you find ones that will put smiles on your loved ones’ faces, then pay attention to the smallest details while you hang out during the upcoming weeks. It is important to pick up on key things they bring up in conversations that could relate to any gift concept. More often than you might think, people will tell you exactly what they want during the course of a conversation without even realizing it. Listening carefully to these hints can be very helpful when planning what to get for someone. The earlier you start thinking about the gift you’re going to buy, the more time you have to listen closely. Listening for phrases like, “I wish I had...” or, “I really like…” can lead you straight down the path to a great gift idea. Without listening carefully, generic gift ideas can lead to generic reactions. When it comes down to the time you need to buy your gift and you still don’t have a good idea, the worst thing to do is ask the gift recipient directly what they want. Finding a good idea by listening can lead to unique reactions and great surprises. A personal, thoughtful gift is not as hard to find as it seems. All it takes is attentive listening.
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nother important step on how to give the perfect gift is presentation. A gift can still look good and not be complicated at all. You should consider all of the possibilities of how to put it together. Depending on the gift, you can add a bit of creativity by using something like a mason jar or a fun basket instead of just a bag or box. If you still choose to put your present in a traditional bag or box, there are many ways to make it look and feel more special. You could try and wrap the gift in their favorite color or use a bag with a unique design. Another thing you could possibly do after you finalize your gift is write a note. It can be one sentence or a full letter. It will lead to an emotional and thoughtful gesture either way. Spanish teacher Michelle Jurcenko is a wife and a mom and understands the importance of the presentation of a gift. She always makes the extra effort to make sure the presentation of the gift is special. “Part of giving a good gift is the presentation, so if you can find some wrapping paper that is specific to them that is great. I always try to tie something to the outside of the gift, like a big and pretty bow or some ribbons to serve as an appetizer to the gift,” Jurcenko said. Giving a gift with thoughtful presentation shows that you put in more effort and can only improve the quality of your gift.
inding a thoughtful gift is a great way to show your gratitude, but it does not always have to be an object. Instead of finding something on a store shelf, you can get someone you care about tickets to a special event or something to do in a unique location. This is a great gift because they will be going somewhere they enjoy rather than being given an object that they may or may not care about, and a trip to somewhere fun tends to lead to a great experience. Local spots where people would enjoy going are places like Color Me Mine in Geneva and iFly Indoor Skydiving in Naperville. Also, if they would rather do something in an outdoor environment, good options are either Six Flags Great America or a local outdoor concert. Another option instead of giving them gift cards or tickets to some place is taking them to the place yourself. When you take them there yourself, not only do they get to experience what you had planned for them but they get to do it with someone else, which always makes the experience better. The perfect adventure gift has no limits. It does not have to be a local visit, so you can go downtown Chicago as well. You can venture through the city by going to restaurants unlike any we have nearby, internationally renowned museums and a variety of places near Lake Michigan such as Navy Pier or the Shedd Aquarium.
Page design by Nicholas Mitchinson and Anna Olp
