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If I am being honest I will admit that it is the challenge of giving that I enjoy. Certainly there is a lot of pleasure in seeing the look on someones face when you give them the perfect gift. Getting to that point is the challenge and believe me, it is a challenge I am up for.

I am not a put off until tomarrow kind of person. I begin planning months in advance for any and all gift giving occasions. I enjoy finding just the perfect things for everyone on my list. The beauty of this plan is that it allows me to shop while we are on vacation without any guilt. I love to shop and gift giving provides me with the perfect excuse to indulge my passion. With the economy being what it is we have all down scaled on the amount that we spend on gifts. This adds a whole new set of challenges, finding the perfect gift at the perfect price point. This makes shopping early even more vital, right after Christmas is a good time to find excellent values on holiday related items.

I listen carefully all year to anything that is said around me. When ever possible, I leave myself a note to remind me. It may be a casual reference to something the recipient would love to own or has always wanted. It may be just a casual comment about a hobby or an outfit that they own that needs a pair of earring to match. I store away these little bits of knowledge and then pull them out when I am out poking around in the stores or cruising the Internet.

The down side of this is that you set the bar very high for yourself. Your friends and family expect to get great gifts from you and there are times when you have gift buyers block. This is the equivalent of writers block, you are just at a loss. You haven't heard anything, can't think of anything and then what? There is a feeling of pressure to perform.

Thank goodness for gift cards, they can save any day. It does take a little thought to match the person up with the perfect card but especially with kids, teens and seniors, gift card can actually end up being the preferred gift. I never give a gift card solo, I always attach it to a small gift. Sometimes I place them in a little jewelry box or use them as a book mark. I stick Toys R Us in the back of little trucks for my grandsons. This works amazingly well.

Is giving better than receiving? You bet but don't underestimate the high you get from receiving the perfect gift. I certainly enjoy that almost as much.

Learn more about this author, Belle Starr.
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