· 2 min read
The dog gets everything. Buy for the human this time
Everyone buys for the dog. The person walking it in the rain gets nothing.
Gift ideas and advice
What we have learned about choosing a gift that lands: how to read the person, when to spend more, and what to do when nothing comes to mind.
17 articles · Show all
· 3 min read
Eighteen deserves more than an envelope
Turning eighteen is a big milestone, but no traditional gift goes with it. Here are gifts that mark it well.
· 5 min read
Everyone brings a gift for the baby. Bring one for her
The baby gets a fourth muslin cloth. The new mum usually gets nothing of her own. Here are gifts that look after her instead.
· 4 min read
Skip the over-the-hill joke. They've heard it
A joke card about getting old is not a gift. Here is what a milestone birthday really needs.
· 4 min read
Set the Christmas gift budget per person, then add it up
An average Christmas spend tells you what other people did. A budget built from your own list tells you what you can do.
· 4 min read
Gifts for a grandma who spoils everyone but herself
She spends on everyone else and says she has plenty. For once, make her the one who receives the attention.
· 4 min read
Gifts for a dad you've run out of ideas for
After twenty years of socks and gadgets, you have run out of ideas. What you know about his life is where the next gift comes from.
· 5 min read
'Don't get me anything' is four different gift briefs
'Don't get me anything' does not mean you cannot buy a gift. It is a preference, and it points to something small, personal and clutter-free.
· 5 min read
She has never once told you what she wants
Mum rarely says what she wants. The answer is a gift that shows you noticed how she lives, not a bigger budget.
· 6 min read
He buys what he wants. The gift is the thing he wouldn't
The gadget aisle and the 'for him' gift set assume he is short of things. He isn't. Four angles that work for the man who has everything.
· 5 min read
You're still being assessed. Gift accordingly
Warm, but not too personal. Well chosen, without trying too hard.
· 4 min read
They own every tool. Buy for the seed, not the shed
Garden tools have been improved for two hundred years, and a keen gardener owns the ones they trust. Buy something that goes with the gardening instead.
· 4 min read
Everyone's bringing sweets. Bring something they'll remember
Sweets and diyas are the safe choice, but people often forget them. Here is what to give at Diwali if you want your gift to be remembered.
· 3 min read
You know her taste by heart. It still doesn't tell you what to buy
You know her taste very well, and that is exactly what makes choosing a gift for her hard.
· 3 min read
The gadget drawer is already full
Do not buy a gadget. Here is what a confident cook does not already have.
· 3 min read
He says he needs nothing. Your brother is wrong
Brothers often get a joke gift or a voucher. Here is what works when you know him well.
· 5 min read
They own everything. Buy the thing they'd never think of
When someone can buy anything they want, another object rarely pleases them. What works is a gift that shows you were paying attention.