When it comes to gift giving, don’t forget it’s the thought that counts
By Madeleine Johnson
IT happens every year: When it comes time to draw a name for the office Pollyanna, you inevitably select the new guy who’s as enigmatic as he is shy, or the secretary who always scribbles “I don’t care what anyone gets me because it’s the thought that counts” in a parenthetical addition under her name.
And it’s the day before the office holiday party and you still haven’t been able to conjure up a suitable gift for your hard-to-read Secret Santa.
Fret not, frantic shoppers. There are plenty of creative ways to save yourself a headache when you hit the stores in search of the perfect gift for someone you may not know well.
There is bound to be somebody who knows your would-be gift recipient better than you do, so make a few inquiries into thoughtful but inexpensive suggestions.
If that doesn’t work, a quick walk past his or her desk might reflect hobbies and interests previously unknown to you: A favorite team’s pennant might be tacked up on his wall, a photo of her dog could be on conspicuous display or a picturesque desk calendar might betray his love for Sudoku, a particular comic strip or fishing.
Once you have an idea of what might tickle their fancy without breaking the banks, start moving!
A Novel Concept
Does your Secret Santa have a penchant for a certain artist, poet or writer? Is he planning a trip to someplace he’s never visited before? Or is she simply a bookworm?
Books — ranging from a favorite author’s newest release, to an instructional guide on a new hobby, to a travel guide for an unfamiliar travel destination, to a bargain-bin selection on a topic of interest — are an easy-to-pick and relatively inexpensive gift choice. Pair your literary selection with any one of the inexpensive gifts that bookstores have to offer, such as a mini reading lamp or a bookmark with his first initial emblazoned upon it to prove that you really do want to make your gift a personal one.
If your gift-givee is an aspiring writer or artist, bookstores also offer an array of journals and sketchbooks that could become the perfect outlet for your creative co-worker’s pursuits. The addition of a nice pen or some colored pencils is one more way to show that you put a lot of thought into your gift.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Scarves, hats and gloves are an easy way to warm hearts as well as hands and heads. With the days getting colder, it’ll be easy to observe what kinds of styles and colors your gift recipient prefers, as well as what might best match his or her favorite winter coat.
”I brought in these fabulous silk and velvet scarves. It’s a scarf-slash-wrap so you can wear it as a scarf, or it’s big enough so you can wear it around your shoulders,” says Claire Morris, owner of Charmed by Claire and Charmed by Claire Too, in Cranbury. “I also have these beautiful tweed hats — they call them the paperboy hats — it’s in hounds tooth and a beautiful plaid.”
The Quickest Way to Their Heart
Gifts that tantalize the taste buds are always a hit, such as candy canes, boxes of chocolate, assortments of teas and trays of holiday cookies.
Food allergies are a growing concern, but there are plenty of alternatives to satisfy any sweet tooth, especially with the abundance of sugar-free, soy-based or other “healthy” holiday treats.
Harry & David, with five central New Jersey locations, including one in West Windsor’s MarketFair, offers an assortment of tasty treats that will please anyone looking to satiate the sweetest of cravings.
Gifts that Keep on Giving
If you have no idea what to give the people who swear they don’t want anything because they have all they need, then making a donation in theirname might be the most thoughtful gift.
For an animal lover, donating to a local shelter, such as Princeton’s SAVE (save-animals.org), would be a purr-fect gift. An environmentally friendly co-worker might appreciate a donation to help support local open spaces. Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (fohvos.org) is just one of such organizations found in central New Jersey.
And if you happen to work with someone who is a champion of a health-related cause, the NJCares Network (njcares.org/healthcare.htm) offers a host of local organizations that could benefit from a donation. Included on the site are links to the Central New Jersey Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Foundation, the American Lung Association of New Jersey and the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community.
Still Stuck?
Don’t rule out gift cards as a potential present. Far from impersonal, gift cards ensure that the recipients will get exactly what they want this holiday season, especially if you select a card to a store you know they’ll love. The office fashionista will have a blast picking out cosmetics at Ulta, located in West Windsor’s Nassau Park Pavilion, or Merle Norman, in South Brunswick, just as the IT guy whose taste in music runs on the obscure side will be thrilled to peruse the musical offerings of the Princeton Record Exchange, located in downtown Princeton.
”The nice thing about the gift cards is that the person can use their own taste to pick out their gift,” says Jon Lambert, general manager of Princeton Record Exchange. “We have a huge selection of new and used CDs, DVDs and records, so someone who was looking for a movie or music would almost assuredly find what they need.
”We carry a lot of foreign films and special edition Criterion Collection films that you usually can’t find in other stores,” he adds. “We do feel that gift cards are an excellent choice, because it can be bewildering for parents to pick out a CD their kid might like.”
In the end, the secretary who sent you on this wild goose chase is right: The gift doesn’t matter — the thought you put into it does.