Our holiday gift-giving stories
(1) comments Monday Dec 21, 2009 at 10:57 am posted by Marina
The holidays are finally here. After our last meeting, our team here at Breakthrough in Beauty indulged in a little chat about our holiday gift-giving experiences. Since we’ve let you in on our favorite holiday shopping tips, I thought it would be fun to share some of our personal gift-giving experiences with you as well, so you can get to know us a little better. And maybe you’ll get some gift-giving ideas of your own.
For me, holiday shopping is a full-day event. I gather my husband, kids, and mom to take them out for a day of shopping activities. It starts with lunch, then shopping, then a visit to the park afterward. At the mall, we explore and stop at almost every store. It’s a great way to spend family time together, and the kids love to pick out their favorite toys so Santa knows exactly what to get them.
Sheila, our shopaholic, says, “I’m a die-hard shopper, and I love buying little gifts that are unique to the individual. I love to give my mom anti-aging skincare and hair-care products. Last Christmas, for the first time, I gave my brother skincare. It was actually a men’s skincare line. I’m not sure if he’s even used it!”
Yi Hsin doesn’t like holiday shopping, as it totally stresses her out. She tells me, “There’s no place to park, and there’s too many people around. Instead, I buy gifts throughout the year as I see something special that one of my friends would like, then I save it until the holidays get here.” She says she can’t give out beauty products as holiday presents to friends and family, since she gives them the extra products she gets from work year-round.
Louise actually loves to give beauty products as gifts. But as someone working in the beauty industry, she makes sure to purchase unique brands and includes a pretty makeup bag to dress up the gift. She explains, “I love buying gifts that are unique—something they normally wouldn’t purchase for themselves. I also find the presentation of the gift is just as important as what’s inside the package! I admit, I’m a terrible gift-wrapper, but I think it only makes it more interesting and fun!” She gave us some terrific gift ideas and creative ways to present the gifts. For someone who loves to cook, get a cast-iron cooking dish to use as the actual wrapping. Fill it with tissue and little goodies inside like spices, small mixing utensils, and dishcloths. Another idea is to make the gifts. Louise makes cozy scarves to send to her friends back home on the East Coast. She even hand-paints wine openers and ornaments to bring to holiday parties. She also recommended decorating and personalizing a frame and inserting a special picture of you and the recipient. This can help save money, too.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about each of us and our holiday gift-giving traditions. Happy holidays, and happy shopping to you this season.
TALK TO US:
We’d love to hear about your gift-giving stories. What’s a creative holiday gift you have given or received?
