The Perfect Gift

Christmas Lights, a whiff of fresh pine from the tree, captivating heart stirring music with whimsical memories of Christmas's gone by, special gatherings with my family and friends, once-a-year luscious sweets that delight the taste buds with memories; these are a few of my favorite Christmas things.

Buying presents - not so much! I always want to buy the perfect gift for each person. It's hard to know what is perfect for some people. I usually strive for unique one of a kind gifts and I almost always hit it right after hours of shopping and analyzing. This process usually weighs me down at the start of the season. The choices and decisions can be cumbersome at best.

I have found that shopping at little known and one-of-a-kind shops online has given me inspiration and lightened the load tremendously. Some shops are filled with surprises and choices I would never think of on my own. It is really quite fun to discover new treasures online.

For those closest to me the shopping get's easier. I often know ahead of time how to pick out the perfect for my loved ones. Slippers are always the perfect gift for my mother. She gets a new pair of slippers from me every year. As she picks up my present I glance at her feet and notice the well worn shabby duo she displays. Oftentimes her big toe is sticking out of at least one. As she unwraps my present she gets so excited to see what type of slippers I chose for her this Christmas. I mean, she'd be disappointed if I got her anything else.

Then there's my Dad. He has always slapped tons of cologne over his face and chest, as part of his morning ritual. I tell you, you can smell him coming! No one could ever be mistaken about his obsessive love affair with cologne. We've all tried to theorize about his compulsion to overdoing it. My sister thinks it makes him feel young and virile. I think his nostrils don’t work so well and my mom, well she just gets irritated when Dad doesn’t believe her when she says he reeks. The easy part of picking out cologne for my Dad is that he enjoys a variety of scents. So, once a year I head for the men’s counter and smell oodles of fragrances to decide which smell I'd like to overdose on when I visit Dad.

After my shopping is complete and the presents are wrapped in my favorite paper with pretty bows and ribbons I feel happy and complete. I really do love to give gifts and although the hunt can be laborious, it is definitely worth it all when I see the grins and grateful twinkle in the eyes of the people I love.