When moving from one side of the country to another, a great friend gifted me a complex made gift that included our quirky humor, a running joke, and, little to her knowledge, a tool that would be continually used through my travels.

When I opened the box I burst into laughter as this gift was personal and brought our friendship to life. 

It has hung in a number of homes since and I can’t help but chuckle each time I pass it. 

It came with a multi tool hammer hanging on the side that has built so many projects through the year. 

I have used it so often that the paint she covered it with has worn away but it continues to get the job done.

I make a list for Christmas shopping about half way through the year and start filling it in like a game of bingo. Some people are easy to shop for because the items call to me when walking through local markets or thrift shops throughout the year, but there are also those that end up with an empty space next to their name come December.

I have found that assigning a goal, interests, or problems into the empty space has a way to spurn ideas and fuel the gift search to complete the list in early December.

What are you wishing to gift this season? A laugh, reassurance, camaraderie, a sense of being important and heard? Write those down instead of a thing or sports teams to begin your search from and you will be surprised how it opens your mind to thoughtful gift options.

And lastly, if you are really stuck, do a year in replay in your mind (or phone if you want to cheat ;) and go over the things you have done together in the past year, the conversations you’ve had, what they were excited about. You would be surprised how even remembering that someone enjoys a good bowl of soup but always fumbles with a too hot bowl can lead to a fun bowl cozy that they will enjoy throughput the year and think of you each time they grab it!