Let's face it, you don't want to be known as the person who gives bad gifts at Christmas. There's nothing worse than sitting with your family or friends at Christmas and seeing their fake smiles as you give them the same socks and chocolates for the third year in a row. If you think this is you, you might want to read this advice before it's too late.
Most bad gifts fall into three categories: ones that aren't thought out, aren't useful, or are just boring. If you were unlucky enough to get a gift from that list, you should already have an idea of what you would have preferred instead.
Make a gift that wasn't thought out into one that was...
The "rush" factor is a clear sign of a gift that wasn't thought out. No matter how much it costs, a gift that looks like it was bought quickly shows a lack of time and thought. A person who doesn't drink would not be impressed by even the most expensive bottle of champagne.
The best way to make sure your gifts this year are your most thoughtful yet is to take your time and stay organised. The Internet is a great place to find great gifts that aren't like anything else. Many websites focus on making personalised gifts, and they don't charge extra to do so.
Personalizing a gift shows that you thought about the person who will get it. Now, even the most thoughtless gifts can be turned into something that will be remembered for years to come. If they like a certain drink, you can now customise a bottle of wine for them. All you have to do is type in the message you want, and it will be sent to your door. Even a calendar can be the best gift on Christmas if it spells out the lucky recipient's name in a different picture for each month of the year.
How to make something useful...
I've gotten more than my fair share of useless gifts, so this is a big deal for me. Who needs a baseball cap with two can holders and a straw that can be taken off? We all like funny gifts, but they don't have to be useless all the time. Photo gifts have become very popular. You can send an image to a printer via email and have it printed on a variety of accessories and household items. Whether it's a cushion for your couch or a deck chair for your garden, these great gifts turn your favourite photo into a one-of-a-kind gift that is both useful and looks good.
There are also some great Christmas-themed gifts you can buy online that should be an important part of your holiday preparations. Personalized Christmas stockings and Santa sacks are a great way to make Christmas morning even more special and exciting. They are also great for keeping your gifts safe and out of sight.
No more socks, let's make this Christmas a memorable one...
This year, there should be no reason for you to give or receive a boring gift. With both traditional shopping and shopping online, you've never had more options for Christmas shopping. Every year, stores start getting ready for the holiday season earlier and earlier, and they offer more interesting and fun gifts than ever before. It would be terrible to buy a boring gift this year.
Experience Days are the most exciting gifts you can give. Some of the activity days you can book online are jumping out of a plane, racing around a track in a sports car, and going through wild water rapids. If a friend has always wanted to bungee jump, why not give them the chance to do it instead of a novelty silk tie?
Why not surprise someone you care about by naming a star after them? You can now put any name you want on the intergalactic star database and get a poster with the star's coordinates so you can find it. This is a million miles from being a boring gift. Or make a big change in the way you shop for Christmas and buy a real acre of the moon? Because of a gap in International Law, an American named Dennis Law claimed ownership of the moon and its satellites. He then started selling them off one acre at a time. Even if your friend never makes it to their acre, they will have a certificate from the Lunar Embassy that says they are the rightful owners.
