My single favorite thing about the fall is Starbucks seasonal coffees. This is just a quick public service announcement to get your stuff going and grab up a pumpkin spice latte while you’re out shopping around. I also suggest running out and getting one before you do online shopping. Actually I suggest online shopping and coffee go perfectly together. What are your favorite things to get while you’re shopping to make it a more fun experience?
Guru,
What’s the best thing you’ve ever given to someone?
The best thing I’ve ever done is probably getting my friend a really nice bag that she wanted more than anything but refused to buy for herself. Yeah it was expensive but the look on her face was totally worth every penny of it all. She still uses it and it was over 3 years ago that I gave it to her. I think it’s the best money I ever spent!
I wanted to give my best friends a really cool gift one year that would tie us together. I settled on paying for all of us to get piercings of our choice. Now, this is not for the under 18 crowd, but it was a cool gift and an awesome bonding experience. We all have move forward with our lives and while we don’t see each other every single day anymore, or even talk daily we still all have those piercings. A tongue, belly and nose piercing bonded us together for as long as we have them and that is amazing.
Guru,
What is the worst gift you’ve ever given: Why did you give it?
Well aren’t’ we noisy, loll. When I read this question I debated about answering it, but one year I didn’t have a ton of money so I went with a really cliché picture frame gift and some cookies. It was corny and awful and I’m still really embarrassed about it. Loll. I feel the need to run off and apologize to the poor recipient of that gift. Seriously!
The most prized possession I have is a ring that was given to my last Christmas. It is a beautiful black diamond set in white gold. While the relationship it came from is battered and bruised, it is a beautiful piece that reminds me of an amazing time in my life. The moment that I knew me and my boyfriend, at the time, really were going to be something great. The ring doesn’t have bad connotations now that the relationship is over. It still holds something special. It continues to make me happy and it gives me piece of mind that the future, although slightly more battered than I expected can still work out okay. I think everyone needs a piece like that.
Coupons can be really useful when you’re trying to save on holiday shopping. The coupons can save you 20% or more on a purchase, but most people don’t know where to find them. I like to find online coupons; they really help when I’m planning to order a ton of stuff. All you have to do to find great coupons is to “Google” the store plus the words “promo” and tons of websites will pop up with coupons for the stores. Be careful when you attempt to use them though not all will be real. Retailmenot.com is a great website that offers amazing coupon codes, plus they have a rating system that lets you know whether or not the coupons will work. Not a bad deal at all.
The process of elimination is a funny concept when it comes to gift giving, but it is something you need to do. The process of elimination refers to taking two or three different items and deciding what would be best for your friend based solely on their likes. “Oh the pink shirt is cute, but Effie doesn’t wear a ton of pink”. See you’ve eliminated a gift simply by thinking about the person. I usually pick 3 or 4 items and then twiddle it down to one by really looking at everything.
My favorite holiday is Christmas, I’ve said that a million times, but it really is. I like to get gifts for my friends and the best gifts I’ve ever found I’ve honestly found on the internet. I don’t like the entire hustle of Christmas shopping so I tend to do it in my jammies at 2am. You can find some amazing deals online. Here is a little hint, look at small boutique type stores for really interesting finds online. There are tons of handcrafters out there who offer up seriously unique gifts. Treasure Worldwide offers a pretty interesting niche. The merchandise is much different than you would find on say Amazon or Best Buy. The stores are really useful and can help you pick something truly unique for your good friends.
Guru,
My dad is an older guy and he doesn’t really seem to have a ton of hobbies or interests. I don’t know him very well to be honest, obviously and I need a great holiday gift idea for him. What can I do?
Confused,
The best thing you can do for a father that doesn’t seem to have a ton of interests is to really dig into your memory and think about what he has always done. All people have interests so really you can find one. If you’re that hard pressed to figure it out then you can go ahead and get a gift card for a massage, all dads love that!
The perfect gift for a great dad can be really difficult to figure out. I never had an easy time getting gifts for my dad, but I really do try and shy away from the entire “cliché” gifts. No toolsets, no ties, no briefcases. That stuff might be pretty typical “dad” gift but it just is not for my dad. I always aimed to take my dad’s hobbies and use them when shopping for him. The greatest thing I’ve ever gotten him is probably a set of poker chips. Yeah, it’s a bit different but it exemplified who he is and that’s the entire reason for getting gifts, right?
