The Secret To Spotting Fail-Proof Gifts

I sat anxiously on the sofa, two days after Christmas, looking on as my relatives tackled the wrapping paper. There it was. That slightly awkward, slightly helpless feeling you get watching others unwrap your gifts. I felt a jump in my chest. I’d really hoped she’d liked it. I’d gotten safe gifts for everyone else. This one was a gamble. It was an impulse buy, something I never do for others, only for myself. She tore into the paper and screamed. Bingo!

This Christmas was the usual rush. A few days before the 25^th, I wrote a post on buying gifts. I mentioned how I’d spotted this one and within a few seconds I was queueing, debit card poised.

I worried and fretted about this for the whole week before Christmas. It was a red Radley purse for my step-sister. I didn’t know what she wanted, I only knew she loves fashion. Why did I worry? Everything went fine and she loved what I’d gotten her. I learnt something important from this experience. There is such a thing as the fail-proof present.

Sometimes, your first instinct is your wisest voice. Sometimes, you’re still unsure. You need help finding the perfect gifts. I wanted to talk about what gifts I think will be ideal for birthdays early in the year,  spontaneous treats or just for yourself. Either way, here’s what I think makes the fail-proof gift.

Cows Are Boring!

I remember reading an article about cows. The author talked about how nobody stops at the side of the road to look at a cow. Why? Because cows are boring. But if the cow was, let’s say, purple… I’d stop at the side of the road, so would everyone else passing. There’d be news crews and camera-people and kids getting their picture taken near the cow. Probably a museum, maybe a gift shop.

The moral of the story was about doing stuff that’s remarkable, or something. It applies to most things, not just luminous beef. You have to go with the not-so-boring to really get noticed. You’ve got to do things out of the ordinary. Do something extraordinary, to get extraordinary results.

When you’re hunting for gifts, the best presents are the ones that are that little bit different. That’s where the whole nervous/anxious/noxious feeling comes from when you’re watching someone give the wrapping paper what for.

And after Christmas… Our January Sale!

Our January Sale is an ideal event for finding post-Christmas gems. My suggestion? Here’s something for those really special people in your life. When you’re trying to find great gifts, go for something they’ve never seen before, the ones that are memorable and the ones that will put a very big grin on their face.

This Christmas was an education, and I know that all of my relatives are eagerly awaiting their birthdays to see if I can’t beat my personal best. One of my mottoes for the work place is “enough isn’t enough. Do enough, plus one.” If you want your gifts to be amazing, find something perfect… then go one further.