Gift Guide #3: Gifts for Those Hard to Shop for

Lately, when people respond to, "what would you like for Christmas/birthday/etc." with a response of "Oh, I don't need anything," I have been threatening to buy those people laundry detergent. One of those people once responded with the brand they prefer, so this method is not fool-proof, although it does result in getting them closer to saying want they want. 

I've included below gift ideas for those people who don't want anything, and the actual gifts I have given them. These include some of my all-time favorite gifts that I have ever given, where you are waiting anxiously for the recipient to open them. 

1) The Gift of A Memorable Experience

For many people--minimalists/people down-sizing etc. when they say they don't want anything, it is partially true--they do not want more things. There is a significant body of research regarding how experiential gifts create more happiness than tangible objects. People create joy thinking about the gift in the future, while they are enjoying it, and then remembering the experience in the future.

Real Life Occasion: Father's Day Gift: 2 Tickets to see Paul McCartney in concert

My favorite real-life experience of this was when I got tickets for my Dad to see Paul McCartney in concert for Father's Day. The Beatles are his favorite band, so when I found out that Sir Paul was touring again, I bought these tickets. 

He would later say its the best show he ever went to. Now, whenever a Paul McCartney song comes on the radio, we can remember when we say him before it live. 

So, I would recommend concert or show tickets for someone who doesn't want any more things--instead you can give them memories.

(Or Hamilton tickets. Everyone wants those.)

2) The Helping Others Gift

Another route that you can take for the people who do not want anything is to give a charitable gift. Try to pick a cause that is meaningful to them. Another good tip is try to give something more than just a card that says I donated in your name. 

Real-life example: My sister-in-law loves animals. She rescues animals, and is involved in conservation efforts. For Christmas two years ago, I adopted an orphan elephant at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in her name. As part of the adoption, she got monthly updates about the baby elephant, as well as a watercolor of the elephant. 

Learn more here: https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/

When I asked her what she wanted for Christmas since then, she has said the same as last year, so I feel it was a successful present. 

3) Gift for Tiny Humans

In general, tiny humans (neices/nephews, friend's children) are fairly easy to shop for, as you can always just straight up ask their parents what you should go. In general, I usually confirm with the parent of the tiny human what I am getting i.e. I will buy little one a soccer ball and pop-up net, that way the parents know that that gift is coming. 

However, every now and then, parents will be at a loss. For instance, I get a lot of "S/he has enough toys. Books are always good." 

The quandary there is what book to buy. I am not extremely familiar with all of my little friend's personal libraries. The best bet there is either a new book, or a not as well known book. 

My recommendation in that case is the Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak. 

4) The Know Your Audience Gift

This one can be trickier. In this case, people say they don't know what they want, because they genuinely do not know--they likely do not NEED anything, or have an obvious gap, so it gets hard to answer. In this case, I try to think of something the person would appreciate, but that they probably won't buy themselves. 

Real Life Example: My friend had just bought a historic home. As a thank you gift for one of my bridesmaids, I bought an antique map of the city that she lived in, which had her neighborhood, and outlined a structure that was her house. She loved it!

Example here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/98494011/old-new-orleans-map-art-print-1845?ref=pla_similar_listing_bot-2

In my experience, antique maps and postcards in quick frames make great, stylish, gifts. 

5) The DIY gift

The trouble with experiential gifts, is that they can be very expensive. However, thoughtful gifts do not need to cost a lot of money. You can sometimes make something if you have crafty talents that will be even more valued. 

If you don't have crafty talents, you can still make great gifts. 

Real Life Example: My husband is a big fan of this British Game Show, called Only Connect. He has said that it is his dream to appear on this show. However, only UK citizens are allowed to compete. Since I couldn't give him the gift of UK citizenship, my friends and I made a surprise version of the game show to be played at his party. 

This gift cost nothing, except time, but created a lot of joy. 

6) If you are still at a loss

Laundry detergent. Unless your friend has a laundry service, everyone needs it. 

What do you buy people who are hard to shop for? What are the favorite gifts you have given?

Gift Guide #1: For your friend who doesn't like to read...

I love books, and I love giving presents, so for the holiday season, I will be posting gift ideas.

First up, for a book blog, what to get for your friend who doesn't like to read. 

In my opinion, the secret to a good gift is thinking about what the recipient would want versus what you want to give them. So while books make a great gifts (more on that later), I didn't want this post to just be here are some books that will magically transform your friend into a book-lover. Instead, I thought about why your friend might not like to read, and examples of the best books for that. 

1) For your friend who prefers to watch the movie...

I love movies too. For some people, the movie is a way to get the same enjoyment of delving deep into a new world, with a much faster pay-off. 

For this friend, I recommend you pick a book that is plot-driven, is cinematic in its approach, and has a good twist. I also recommend you pick a book that has a film coming out. My recommendation for this year is "Luckiest Girl Alive" by Jessica Knoll. Lionsgate and Pacific Standard bought the rights to make this film, release date TBD. 

Pair two movie ticket passes with the book, and a future date that you can go to the movies together. 

Buy Luckiest Girl Alive at your bookstore, or at amazon 

2) For your friend who thinks books take too long...

For this friend, appreciate that they are right. I have been waiting to discuss "Game of Thrones" with a close friend for several years. It does take some time to read a book, it's a commitment.  In this case, I recommend giving your friend something that is easy to pick up and put down. This could either be a collection of short stories, or a book that has chapters that stand-alone. My favorite book like that this year is "Get Well Soon" by Jennifer Wright, a terrifically funny books about plagues. Your friend can read a chapter at a time. Also, she writes in such a funny, entertaining way, it moves very quickly--like having a discussion with your smartest, funniest friend. 

3) For your friend who is just too busy...

As I said before, believe people when they say they are busy. They are. For these people, I give you the audiobook. Your friend can listen to book on their commute, while working out, or at working depending on their job. In this case, I would probably pick either a classic or a very buzzed about book to listen to. 

Here, I recommend the audio book version of "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood narrated by Claire Danes. 

4) For your friend who finds it hard to concentrate...

For many people, what puts them off about reading is long, uninterrupted blocks of text. Your friend may say they don't like to read, but they will read many articles and blogs posts.  Blocks of text with no images can be hard to hold attention. 

For this friend, I recommend a graphic novel. I usually recommend Neil Gaimon as a first-graphic novel. Here, I picked the Graveyard Book, a charming and interesting story which reads more like a novel than a traditional "comic-book" but has beautiful original illustrations. 

5) For your friend who doesn't like fiction...

For many people, when they say they don't like to read, they actually mean they don't like to read fiction. For this friend, buy them a work of non-fiction, or a really good coffee-table book. Here, I recommend "What If?" by Randall Munroe, a collection of his webcomics where he explores serious hypothetical questions. I personally have given this book as a gift two separate times. 

6) TL:DR For your friend who seriously hates reading...

Maya Angelou told us, "when people show you who they are, believe them." There are many other reasons you love your friend, and they don't have to love everything you love. If you really think there is nothing for them. Get them something else. 

May I suggest book ends? They probably have a few books that they can display in their non-overflowing book shelves. 

Please leave in the comments your favorite gifts for non-readers!