Dr & Mrs gonzi - MaltaRightNow.com

| LIFE&STYLE |PerfectlyPreciousEveryone has a perfect gift and it’s thinking of it that counts.Here Jo Caruana discovers those treasured Christmas presentsthat were so precious they’ve been remembered for years.Finding Christmas presents: you either love it or hate it.Did you know that according to some psychologists, picking out Christmasgifts for loved ones can be the season’s most nerve-wracking ritual? So muchstress is involved in finding that ‘perfect gift’ that the joy of the holidays is oftenovershadowed.Personally speaking this time of year brings with it immense pressure to a)remember everyone who’s made an impact on my life within the last year and, b)give them something worthwhile and worthy of the way I feel about them. Tough job.Everyone has a Christmas gift that they’ll remember forever. For me it wasthe arrival of my dog, Dice, a few days before Christmas nine years ago. Sheappeared on our doorstep one morning and refused to leave; within a few daysshe’d produced six plump puppies too and the tree was surrounded by waggingtails. Eventually we managed to home the little ones but kept Dice – she still sitsunder the Christmas tree every year with a red ribbon around her neck making herpresence felt, especially when the turkey’s on the table! Of course that’s just me -as to others the thought of a stray dog turning up unannounced would be closer toa nightmare than a Christmas present…Faced with ad campaigns as far as the eye can see and expensive options all overthe place it may seem that the only way to keep your friends and relatives happythis season is to give them something that breaks the bank. However, (as I foundwith Dice-the-dog) a precious Christmas gift need not necessarily come with a heftyprice tag – after all, the meaning of the holiday season lies not in designer labels, ordoes it?I spent a few days chatting to different people to discover which ones, out of allthe gifts they’ve received over the years, remained special once the wrapping paperand tags had been tossed away.Tips for Givingthe Perfect Gift❉ Try to think outside the box. It may take a littlemore time, but properly considering each gift (andnot just opting for the first novelty tie or scarf andglove set) will make all the difference.❉ Everybody has a hobby or at least an interest.This is what themed gifts are for. For example ifsomeone likes cats, a gift that has something todo with cats will always succeed.❉ Buy online. You can buy EVERYTHING on theInternet, all it takes is a little forward thinking tomake sure that it arrives on time to be wrappedand placed under the tree. Not all sites will deliverto Malta but you can start by browsing www.ebay.co.uk and www.amazon.co.uk for some ideas.❉ If you’re stretched budget-wise why not work oura Secret Santa system? This works especiallywell if you are a group of friends or familymembers and can be a lot of fun. Everyone putstheir name in a hat and pulls out the name ofsomeone else; then you all agree on a budgetand just buy a present for that person. Everyone’shappy and ends up with a gift worth more than ifthat budget had been divided.❉ When it comes to gifts: if it worked once whynot do it again? If the gift was a special treat ormeal in a great restaurant you can enjoy it againand even make it part of your yearly celebration.Special gifts such as these don’t go out of style.L&s | DECEMBER ’07 17