Since the Friday after Thanksgiving (or perhaps before that day for some), the holiday season is in full swing. I've finally come to terms with listening the Christmas music, which started airing on different radio stations before Thanksgiving.The holiday season puts so much emphasis on the need to go shopping and find that perfect gift for all the people in your life. I'm constantly getting e-mails from different retailers with their newest deals, sales and BOGO specials for the holidays. Shopping is thrown in our faces every where we look, whether it's the retailers commercials on TV, the "best gifts this year" segments on morning shows, gift certificate specials at restaurants while you're out to dinner, celebrity gossip sites interviewing celebs about what they want for Christmas and what they're buying this year, that Bible-thick Christmas toy catalog...I could go on and on.
All of this emphasis on shopping and gift-giving blurs what the holidays are truly about. Whether you're super religious or not, the holiday season is about spending time with your loved ones. It's about reflecting on all of the things you already have, and not the material things (although having a job is something to be thankful for these days). It's about giving back to those who are less fortunate than you, even if it is you giving the spare change in your pocket to the red Salvation Army buckets.
The whole reason we buy gifts is to show people how much we love and care about them with a thoughtful gift. To show them we really took the time to think about that person and what they need or would truly appreciate. All too often, people pick up the first thing they see in a store for their polly anna/ secret santa. While I could write an entirely different blog on my thoughts about polly annas and secret santas, a thoughtless gift is obvious even before the wrapping paper is crumbled up and thrown away. Also, an expensive gift does not automatically equate a great and thoughtful gift either.
With the way the economy has been, the big shopping push has further blurred how many more people (and children) will be less fortunate this year.
I have always found that stepping out into a mall or department store really hinders my holiday shopping judgement. I compromise the amount of money I set aside by picking up something that costs more, I am hit with way too many options that I question my initial gift ideas and the crazy holiday shoppers around me not only stress me out but also make me feel like I'm not doing enough.
This year, I turned to the internet for my gifts. I'm warm and comfy in my home with the Christmas tree in plain sight without getting knocked over by the running of the bull-esque shoppers.
Here are some gift ideas courtesy of become.com:
- lacoste classice pique polo bordeaux
- merrell shoes micca
- feminine voile plus size shirts
- and faux mink coats
Whatever and for whomever you decide to shop for this holiday season, really think about what that person means to you. Spending time thinking about that person's personality and lifestyle will reflect in the gift you give them. And remember, you shouldn't give a gift because you're expecting one in return...that defeats the purpose of gift giving in the first place.
xoxo Nickie
