Choosing gifts for special occasions can sometimes seem like a chore. With a little forethought and planning, though, it can also be a very rewarding experience. Giving a gift that is well thought out for the individual recipient is much more satisfying than buying a dozen sweaters in different sizes and colors.

Being an excellent gift giver is easy if you simply pay attention to those you're buying for. Listen throughout the year as your boss, best friend, spouse, parents and kids drop hints without knowing it in casual conversations, and set aside a section of your planner to keep notes. Does your husband throw longing glances at multi-function watches in store windows? Does your boss let it drop that he cooks big breakfasts for his family on weekends and adores maple syrup? Does your wife occasionally retreat to the bathroom for a long, restorative soak in the tub? See? You've got those covered.

Holiday Gift Shopping

Shopping for gifts for the winter holidays is particularly stressful because everybody's doing it at the same time and because you have more people to buy gifts for. If you've been listening and buying throughout the year, you're already in good shape. But if, like most of us, the season finds you unprepared, here are some hints to make the process easier.

Online shopping, of course, is a godsend during the holidays. Not only can you visit more stores in an afternoon than you could in a whole week of driving around, but you can also have the gifts delivered, either to you to give personally, or to the recipients, if they live far away. The shipping charges are well worth it when you consider the time you'd spend wrapping, packing and standing in post office lines.

If you still prefer to shop in brick and mortar stores, try to stay away from malls and large department stores as much as possible. Most years, I can find gifts for the majority of people on my list by going to bookstores, music stores, import stores, specialty food stores and even hardware stores. By keeping away from the frenzy, you can accomplish much more in less time.

Gifts for Personal Celebrations

Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, new babies, and other life milestones call for thoughtful gifts. There has been a trend in the last few years towards giving several small gifts in a bag or basket rather than one larger gift. Gift baskets are relatively easy to put together yourself or can be ordered online.

Your basket might contain a collection of goodies such as cookies, candies and snacks. It might have a theme, such as a golf basket or a spa basket. Gift baskets also make wonderful business and office gifts, which can contain something for everyone.

Romantic gift baskets, for anniversaries, Valentine's Day and the like, make a lovely impression. A bottle of champagne, two flutes, a candle, a few excellent chocolates and some scented bath salts or aromatherapy massage oil make a memorable gift--and quite possibly a memorable evening. In fact, why wait for Valentine's Day?

Gift baskets have come a long way since those collections of nasty cheeses and bad wines that were the gift of choice for business situations and far-off relatives. Today, the making of gift baskets has become big business, and you can find specialized, themed, or personal baskets at many gift sites online. No longer just a holiday staple, today's gift baskets are appropriate for birthdays, anniversaries and other personal celebrations.

Birthday Gift Baskets

For young people, a clever idea is to tie the gifts in the basket to the recipient's age. How about giving "Sixteen Candles" to your sweet girl? Put in a copy of the classic movie in video or DVD, then fill the rest of the basket with, yes, sixteen candles. For a five-year-old, center the basket with a stuffed version of The Count, then put in five Sesame Street gifts, each wrapped separately. You could also do everything in fives: five packs of gum with five sticks in each, a box of sidewalk chalk with five colors, or five silver dollars.

For the not-so-young, "over the hill" themes are always popular, at least with the people giving the gifts. But if you'd like to be a little kinder, say, if your 40th birthday is fast approaching, how about a "golden years" theme? Fill the basket with Ferrero Roche candies wrapped in gold foil, a golden oldies CD and a DVD of On Golden Pond, Goldfinger or Ulee's Gold.

You could also tell the recipient that he or she is still hot! Fill a basket with various hot sauces, salsas, jars of jalapenos, candied ginger and dried peppers. Add a CD of "Hot Hot Hot" and a battery-powered hand-held fan. Save the stinky cheeses for those far-off relatives that you don't really like.

As far as I'm concerned, gifts for mothers should be selected according to one criterion: pampering. It's part of a mother's job description to pamper those around her, but she seldom gets much chance to pamper herself. A Dustbuster might come in really handy, but would you rather have her thinking of you while she's cleaning up cat litter or relaxing in a bubble bath with a glass of nice wine?

Spa Baskets and Other Luxuries

I've never met a woman who didn't fantasize about going to a spa. If you can't afford to send her to Two Bunch Palms for a weekend, put together a collection of bath oils, facial masks, soothing eye pads and other spa goodies. Loofahs, scrubs, exfoliants and emollients expand the experience, and if your budget allows, a thick white terry cloth robe will complete it.

Clothes are subject to the vagaries of size, fashion and personal taste, but there are some luxury items that are always welcome. Your mom might get a couple of sweaters every Christmas, but what it you band together to buy her one superlative cashmere? Choose a neutral color and a simple style, and I can guarantee it will become one of her very favorite items to wear.

Tickets to a play or other cultural event are also welcome gifts, but of course, the most luxurious gift of all is time. This is especially true if she's the mother of small children. Accompany your spa basket, for instance, with a "coupon" to take the kids to a movie, so she can have two hours to loll in her tub without someone pounding on the bathroom door. She already loves you, but she'll love you even more.

An anniversary is the time to celebrate not only the other person, but the times shared together as well. A relationship has a life of its own, and since it provides so many of the experiences that shape your life path, it deserves acknowledgment. This does not have to be overly expensive. The gift should simply be honest and heartfelt.

Anniversary Gifts: Honoring and Celebrating Your Relationship

Different Types of Anniversary Gifts

There are so many ways to celebrate the time you have spent together. If you would like to celebrate the longevity of your relationship, you can restore a previous gift from your earlier years. You can also recreate a memorable date or activity.

An anniversary is also a good time to look forward to the times ahead. If you are planning a family or buying a house, an engraved clock or piece of crystal or china is a wonderful idea. Even a top-of-the-line grill can be a great, and romantic, gift. Set a table for two on the patio with twinkling white lights, a canopy, and candles. You could even recreate a favorite romantic restaurant from your honeymoon.

Renewing your vows, whether formally or in a poem or book, is also a great way to celebrate your anniversary. Jewelry is also one of the best ways to mark the occasion. The piece of jewelry is a constant reminder of your love. For an anniversary, anything that speaks to your past, present, and future love for each other is sure to be appreciated.

Once the invitation is in your hands, so is the choice of a wedding gift. Depending on how well you know the happy couple, whether you're related to either side, and how much you have to spend, you will want to choose just the right wedding gift. Often this task is not as simple as it sounds. Bridal registries have helped, but what do you do when someone else already purchased the gift you were considering, or nothing on the list expressed your feelings?

Unusual Wedding Gift Options

Some of the most interesting and unforgettable gifts we've seen are personalized wedding keepsakes. These can include everything from a framed engagement photo matted so that every wedding attendee can write a personal message to the couple on the matte to photo quilts that will become family treasures. There are even wedding "guest book" platters that attendees sign with a special pen. Later, the couple simply fires the platter in a kiln, and the signatures are set forever.

Browsing through the wedding section in a department store will usually lead you to very traditional gifts including china, crystal, glassware, and kitchen accoutrements. On the other hand, you can search online for the truly unusual gift that is not readily available locally. I found one woven picnic basket from Tuscany loaded with great features including leather handles, wine implements, and cheese service for two. With two napkins, two wine glasses, and a corkscrew, this is perfect for a romantic day on the lawn or beach. Its interesting design will delight the happy couple.

Find Unique Traditional Gifts

If you prefer to offer the bride and groom a more traditional gift, you can, of course, select crystal or china, but you don't have to settle for the commonplace. In a relatively short amount of time, you can find a perfect crystal bowl or a silver frame that you know the couple will love. There are dozens of wedding gift web stores that showcase impressive gifts, both imported and made in the US, at remarkable prices. You might find a great wooden tray with design accents that you know will suit the couple's taste or an elegant silver wine bucket inspired by the grand hotels of decades past.

Handmade Gifts

Handcrafted afghans or quilts remain popular, but today's designs may not look anything like your grandmother's. It's a good idea to inquire about the couple's taste in home decor in advance. If you're considering making a special gift, a few discreet questions asked of family, friends, or even the couple may give you some great ideas.

If you've been close to the couple, a retrospective photo album of their courtship can be special, more so if you include dates and details about the pictures. You can even make a photo journal that is funny as well as sentimental. Handmade mosaic picture frames, mirrors, and even coasters can be a special gift as well.

The Gift of Romance

After the wedding and the honeymoon, couples sometimes find that getting back to work severely limits their time together. To keep the romance new, you might consider presenting the couple with a dinner for two at one of the most romantic restaurants in town or even a weekend at the beach planned for six months after the wedding. Another great choice might be a basket of movie tickets with the candy and/or popcorn vouchers enclosed.

Filled with unique gifts chosen to delight the newlyweds on their honeymoon (and when they get home) a passion pack complete with carryall is a fun, romantic idea for a wedding gift. Would you believe that there are cookbooks written just for newlyweds? These books contain terrific recipes, starting with how to prepare a candlelight dinner just right.

Special Wedding Gifts

Just remember that the best wedding gifts are the ones chosen thoughtfully. They do not have to be expensive or flashy. They should, quite simply, express your feelings about the couple and your well wishes for their union.

Gifts For Fathers