Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
The Gift Box
Many of my clients have a box, or an area, or several boxes, where they stash things they intend to give as gifts. I get it: I, too, have a “Gifts-to-Give” box. Sometimes these items were bought on vacation, or they were a bargain or a unique find, other times it’s just something that came in such great colors you had to buy them all, without a particular recipient in mind. Gifts to regift end up in the box as well. I have no beef with regifting. Someone gives me a lovely candy dish, it is nice and new and they spent money. But I already have more candy dishes than I need… why not pass it on?
In my gift box is a kids’ music CD that has been hanging out for years. There was a point where my son was attending a lot of birthday parties… so I bought a bunch of a particular CD that we liked, in an attempt to be efficient. Then he got older, and I couldn’t remember who I’d given them to already. Someday I’ll get rid of that last one-I hope.
Here is another common scenario: You see something fabulous, the store is going out of business, it is dirt cheap, you buy six silk scarves, thinking you’ll give them as gifts. And maybe you will, but maybe when you look at your gift list you realize that everyone on it would rather have iTunes gift cards. Well, you say, silk scarves never go out of style, one day I’ll have the right person. Perhaps…but perhaps by then the colors will be out of vogue, and they’ll be wrinkled and crushed and moldering in gift-box limbo.
It’s nice-even smart-to have a few nice but nonspecific gifts to give as last-minute hostess gifts or to have on hand if you forget a birthday, but if it gets to be too much it becomes self-defeating. Things get ruined, out of date, forgotten.
If you find something fun and cheap when you are traveling, don’t buy it unless you have a specific recipient in mind, otherwise it will end up languishing. If someone gives you something you don’t need, move it on quickly-don’t leave it in your box and let it become outdated. You might forget who gave it to you and be unsure who it is safe to re-gift to.
Keep lists of those to whom you give holiday gifts. Don’t expand. Winnow. Fewer, more heart-felt presents is the way to go. And remember: Before you go to the store, go to the box.