The Web's Premier Gift-Recommendation Site Offers 10 Solutions to Put the Happy Back in Your Holidays
NEW YORK, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- With the gloomy economic outlook, crowded malls and endless shopping lists, holiday gift giving has become undeniably stressful. However, Gifts.com, the leading online gift recommendation site, is on a mission to put the happy back in the holidays. Gifts.com and its Gift Gurus, a team of expert merchandisers, offer up advice and scour millions of products to recommend the perfect gift for any recipient; providing shoppers with great ways to find a thoughtful Christmas gift.
You're working harder than ever this year to make your holidays jolly. Let the Gift Gurus bear some of the burden. They're here for you!
Save Time
Do Some Ground Work
It feels like it takes forever to find that last-minute gift for somebody you left off your "mental" shopping list so save yourself the headache and jot down a list of everyone on your holiday shopping list along with a rough budget before you get started.
While you are at it, do a little detective work to reveal their wish lists. Gifts.com recommends 3 sneaky questions to ask your loved ones when you need some gift inspiration. 1. What would you do if you won the lottery? 2. What are some of your favorite moments of 2008? 3. Any new hobbies or old ones you want to resurrect?
Shop in Your Pajamas
Why stand in line, when you can shop on-line from the comfort of your own home? Save yourself the hassle of circling the parking lots and battling long lines at the register. Online shopping lets you compare prices and read customer reviews so you can make a well-informed purchase. Plus, shop early to take advantage of free shipping deals which kick in the week of Thanksgiving.
Send eGreetings
eGreetings have come a long way from their dancing hamster days. If you are in a time bind, there are great electronic options that take minutes to send and are guaranteed to arrive on time without having to pay for postage. If your budget allows, most major eGreetings providers let you go the extra step and attach an e-gift card so you can finish your cards and Christmas shopping all at once! Gifts.com offers customizable gift cards complete with a personal photo, message and amount of your choice. Best of all, recipients get to pick the gift of their choice from hundreds of different merchants.
Save Money
Group Gifting
Is your shopping list endless? Lighten your load and your budget by organizing a group gift exchange. First, establish an agreeable price range for each gift. Then have members submit their names and a short wish list on an index card. Everyone selects a name and is responsible for one gift. This works well in office settings, amongst friend groups and even with large families. You can also split the cost of a big ticket gift amongst friends and family using an online service like eDivvy.
Top Gifts for the Whole Family
A well chosen gift for the family can make a bigger splash than spreading your budget thinly across several recipients. Consider gifts that bridge generational divides like a portable counter top ice cream shop.
DIY Gifts that Rock
Why spend loads of cash on gifts when you can make them more economically yourself? You're trading time for money but the pay-off is a truly thoughtful and personal gift. Give a booklet of your favorite recipes paired with a batch of your famous cookies or make a DVD slideshow of favorite family moments from 2008 to create an experience that everyone can enjoy.
Gift Wrap Redux
There are several easy options to save on gift wrap such as recycling old gift wrap or bags, and taking advantage of complimentary wrap online or at local department stores.
Another fun option is to host a gift wrapping party where everyone brings some paper, ribbon and bows. Your gifts will all look spectacular, you'll have fun wrapping them and you'll save money on wrapping too. Just make sure you put gift tags on right away so the gifts don't get mixed up!
Can't Be Home for the Holidays?
Keep the holiday spirit alive even if you're unable to travel to your family this year. Invite your friends and neighbors over for a Holiday pot luck dinner where everyone brings a dish (or two). Show classic holiday movies or play games and festive music to create a jolly vibe. You can send out Holiday cards to your friends and family asking them to send homemade ornaments or a favorite photo so that they'll all be with you in spirit.
Gifts.com, an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI), is the #1 gift recommendation site, offering consumers great gift ideas and interactive, personalized shopping services that enable them to become better, more organized gift-givers. Gifts.com combines editorial sourcing with its interest and personality-based gift finder to deliver the most relevant and unbiased gift options available, ranging from popular and trendy to unique and unexpected. Gifts.com received "official honoree" distinction for the 12th Annual WEBBY AWARDS, the leading international honor for the Web.
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