Do you remember being a kid during the holidays? All the holiday baking, finding the perfect Christmas tree, caroling with friends, being in awe of all the amazing holiday light displays, writing Santa a letter, hoping you got everything on your list, not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve, and the sheer joy when the day finally arrived and there were presents under the tree. The holidays are an absolutely magical time.
For kids, Christmas is typically about getting presents but as we age, Christmas becomes less about getting presents and more about giving presents. When this happens, you begin to gleam joy from finding the perfect present for everyone on your list, and you can’t sleep on Christmas Eve because you’re so excited to see the look on their face when they open the presents you got them. Even though the Christmas season changes for adults, the magic is still there.
However, finding the perfect Christmas present isn’t always butterflies, bunnies and rainbows. It can easily become stressful and put a damper on the holiday season. In fact, statistics gathered by the American Psychological Association show that one of the leading causes of stress during the holidays is the pressure to give/get gifts. Further, a survey conducted by Think Finance found that nearly 45% of Americans would prefer to skip Christmas altogether so that they did not have to deal with the stress.
Yikes! How sad is that?
Before you let the weight of holiday stress ruin this magical time of year, we urge you to read our 9 tips to finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Who knows, maybe this will inspire you to go out and finish that holiday shopping you have been putting off. Enjoy!
Make a List
This one seems pretty obvious, huh? In fact, you’re probably thinking “I already did that”. We urge you to take it one step further. Instead of just creating a list of possible gift ideas, spend some time and create a long list of all the things the person likes and what defines them. Once this list is complete, think of gifts you can get them for each item on the list. Even better, try to combine items. Do they like grilling and football? Get them a SmartCells STOP mat and portable grill for tailgating season.
Do Some Internet Sleuthing
In this day and age most people have at least one social media account whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or dare we say it, Google+. Do some digging through their profiles to see if they posted about wanting something specific. If you get lucky, they will have a Pinterest account and that will be your gift idea jackpot. If by chance they don’t have social media, there are several websites that provide gift selector services to help you narrow down your choices.
Get Nostalgic
Looking in the past for gift ideas is a great way to come up with a meaningful gift. Reviving big life events from yesteryear in a gift is always a winner. Do they have sports jerseys from the glory days? You could frame their favorite one. For elderly loved ones, you could take all of their printed photos and digitize them so they can be cherished for years to come.
Make Them Work for Their Gift
During the holidays, people unwrap gift after gift and it after a while that it all starts to fade together. If you want your gift to be memorable we suggest doing something fun like a scavenger hunt to find the gift. Wrap a clue and take them through the house on a hunt to the final destination.
Give an Experience
Instead of just giving a gift, give them an experience. For example, instead of giving your kids yet another video game, give them a gift card to the bowling alley or trampoline zone or a live show. Gifts like this are the ones that are the most memorable.
Make it Personal
Getting gifts such as movies, clothes, food, tools, etc. are nice but they come with very little sentimental value. To add to the sentimental value aspect, we recommend making the gift yourself. If you are an artist, draw or paint them something. Maybe you are a wood worker, make them something special. Even for us less creative types, a quick search on Pinterest will give you thousands of ideas for beginner-level crafts.
Don’t Just Stop at One Gift
Instead of giving them one gift on Christmas, you could sign them up for a subscription service so they can receive a gift each month. There are literally thousands of different subscription services out there ranging from wine and coffee clubs to pet toys, magazines, makeup, tools, clothes, video games, and more.
Make a Donation
We all have those people on our list that A) have everything and/or B) do not want you to buy them anything. For these people, a donation made in their name to a charity that aligns with their personal beliefs is both thoughtful and a great way to spread the holiday cheer beyond your immediate circle of friends and family.
Bonus Tip: Give Them the Gift of SmartCells
SmartCells cushioning technology is available in four different product lines (Anti-Fatigue, Fall Protection, Personal Training and Zelus Insoles) to best suit the needs of everyone on your Christmas list.
SmartCells Anti-Fatigue
For the person who spends extended periods of time on their feet we suggest the SmartCells line of anti-fatigue mats and flooring.
SmartCells anti-fatigue mats are built with industrial quality and combine features such as beveled edges and stability with style and elegance that blends perfectly in any room in the house.
The unique SmartCells act like springs that cushion as weight is applied, then rebound when the weight shifts, which returns energy and reduces fatigue.
The SmartCells line of anti-fatigue mats come with an industry-leading 8-year warranty and are available in three different surface options (smooth, basket weave and carpet top) as well as three colors (Black, gray and light brown) and three sizes (2X3, 3X5 and 24X68).
If you are simply too mobile to enjoy the benefits of a SmartCells anti-fatigue mats, we also have a line of Zelus insoles.
SmartCells Fall Protection
SmartCells fall protection mats and flooring are the perfect gift for the person on your list who wishes to age-in-place and maintain safe independence.
SmartCells fall protection products provide users with a stable standing surface that will not cause a balance impaired person to lose their balance, while at the same time providing 5-7 times more cushioning than a foam mat of the same height. In addition, SmartCells cannot absorb liquid so infection control issues can be more effectively dealt with.
This suite of products is available to be used as an underlayment or in a variety of colors (Black, Light Brown, and Grey) and additional configurations ranging from build-your-own mats and custom flooring to pre-sized mats (2’×3’, 3’×5’ and 24″×68″).
SmartCells Personal Training
SmartCells Personal Training products are the perfect gift for the person on your list who loves to stay active, and wants to stay comfortable and feeling good in the process.
SmartCells Personal Training products can reduce impact stress on joints by up to 90% while at the same providing a safe, stable surface for workouts.
Available in three different colors (Black, Light Brown, and Grey) as well as three different sizes (36”X60”, 52”X60” and 52”X88”), the remarkable SmartCells Personal Training mats are low profile (1/2”) and have molded-in beveled edges. For custom applications, SATECH offers custom-sized mats as well as a wall-to-wall flooring option that is perfect for in-home gyms and aerobics flooring.
Zelus Insoles
Zelus Insoles are our newest line of products that allows users to bring SmartCells cushioning Technology on-the-go. Perfect for everyone on your list, Zelus Insoles come in two styles (Simply SmartCells Cushioning and SmartCells Cushioning with arch support), and are biomechanically designed to reduce pain, improve performance and prevent future injuries. You can learn more about them at www.zelusinsoles.com.
Happy Holidays!