Weekendin Singapore Dec '14 | Issue 09 | Page 78

WeekendinFEATURE WeekendinFEATURE Gifted Watching someone open a gift and seeing the pure delight on their face is almost enough to make the stress of buying the perfect gift melt away. However, with only three weeks left before Christmas, there is a lot of researching, shopping and wrapping to do before you can sit back and languish in your gift buying skills. CELEBRATIONS Buying for colleagues Buying a gift for a colleague doesn’t need to be hard, think about what you know about your colleague and work from there. Gift vouchers are a good option in this instance too. Alternatively, candles, a box of handpicked chocolates or a scarf are good options for female colleagues. For the men, cufflinks, ties or books, and of course a bottle of wine or whiskey is a great option too. But desk calendars, notebooks and pens can make great gifts for both too. The art of buying the perfect gift can take years to perfect. It takes time and planning and a lot of careful thought and consideration. Do: • Buy something that the recipient will love rather than something you love. • Online research before you hit the shops, it will save you a lot of time. • Give yourself enough time to get the right gifts or risk paying over the odds for it at the last minute. • Give a gift with good intentions! (Re-gifting a gift is no longer taboo but be a little careful, giving the gift back to the friend who gave it to you could be a little awkward!) Don’t: • Leave your Christmas shopping to the last minute – both you and the recipient will be disappointed! • Use websites that you don’t know – the website offering 50% off something that everyone else is selling at full price is probably not legitimate. • Panic buy! It is one thing to buy presents for close friends and family but when it comes to buying a gift for a work colleague or a friend’s children it can be difficult to know where to start. But if you stick to the “do’s and don’ts” and take the time to think about the person you are buying for, you’ll be sure to avoid disappointment. We have included a few helpful gift ideas: Weekendin 76 Buying for couples Take both parties into consideration, do they like the same things or are they complete opposites? Gift vouchers could be a good idea; you usually can’t go wrong with book or music vouchers. Other great options could be wine, cooking lessons theatre or cinema tickets, or something for their home if you know them well enough. Buying for Secret Santa gifts Always stick to the budget when you are buying secret Santa gifts! There are so many options in this category; the gift you buy will depend on the group of work colleagues or friends you are buying for. Unless you know the group well, steer clear of the tacky options unless you are absolutely certain that it will be laughed at and enjoyed as intended! Instead opt for the safe ideas like coffee mugs, chocolates, diaries or books. 77 Weekendin