Do you still have some Christmas gift shopping to do? I sure do. This may be hard to believe, but I actually enjoy doing my Christmas shopping in December instead of spreading out over the entire year, or getting it all done in November. Usually Jay and I will pick a day and finish up all of our shopping in a single day. Seems crazy, but it’s really quite fun.

If you’re like me and still have some shopping to do, then you’ll be happy to learn that over the next two weeks Jennifer and I will be putting together a series of gift idea blog posts. As always, we’d love to hear your ideas and thoughts! So please leave us a comment any time you’re inspired to do so.

One of my favorite ways to generate gift ideas is to think about gifts I would like to receive, or special gifts that I have received in the past. One of my very favorite gifts was my Cuisinart Food Processor from Jay. I love to cook and still get giddy when I pull out my Cuisinart. Another favorite, believe it or not, is the bread machine I got from my mother-in-law one of the very first Christmases that Jay and I spent together. We still use that bread machine, all these years later. So if you’ve heard that kitchen appliances are impersonal gifts, think again. For this girl, a kitchen appliance is one gift that will make my heart sing for years to come.

It isn’t all about cooking with me, however. I have other favorite gifts. One that pops to mind is the Lisa Leonard necklace my Dad gave me a couple of years ago for Christmas. I wear it nearly every single day, and since I love it so much, I’ve also given Lisa’s necklaces as gifts. Her jewelry is definitely heart-felt and personal—which I think is the essence of gift giving.

If you’re stuck for ideas for someone on your list, thinking about your favorite gift ever is a terrific way to generate some ideas. And it can make for some wonderful memories and stories, too. For example, I asked Jennifer today about her favorite Christmas gift ever, and this is what she said:

What’s the best Christmas gift I ever received? My answer to this is a bit atypical, because I didn’t actually receive the gift myself until 10 years later. See, when I was a little girl, I wrote a letter to Santa Claus asking him to bring my mom an amethyst ring. My parents were divorced, and I told Santa that my mom didn’t have someone to buy her jewelry. That Christmas morning, there was a package for my mom under the tree. She got that amethyst ring! When I turned 18, my mom gave the ring to me since I was old enough to have it, and as she said, I was the one who had asked for it after all.  I cherish that ring because to me it encompasses what Christmas giving is all about – giving, joy, selflessness, magic, wonder, and most of all, love.

~Jen

I love that story. In fact, when Jennifer told it to me, it gave me goose bumps. (Which I love getting.) I’m also really inspired by what Jennifer wrote—that Christmas giving is about joy, selflessness, magic, wonder, and most of all, love. When you think of it that way, it really takes the pressure off of finding the “perfect gift,” doesn’t it? A gift that is heart-felt, and given joyfully with love, well that’s the best gift of all.

We’d love to hear your story. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Thanks so much for sharing!

Aby