Gift giving is an expression of friendship and love. The best way to give unusual gifts that leave lasting memories is to paint a picture in your mind of what you believe the person will cherish, along with a personal message they will enjoy. The feelings you express through your gift depend on the relationship you have with the person you are gifting; whether casual or intimate.  Gifts need not be expensive, but rather heartfelt. Therefore, Darlings, don’t purchase a gift until you know what you want to spend and what you want to express! This will help you better find an unusual gift that leaves a lasting memory.

An Unusual Gift Idea for Anyone – Paperweights

On our last trip, I wanted to bring back a few gifts for my Mom’s caregivers and my assistants at home and at Honey Good. These women have become close to me, and vice versa. I did not want to spend a lot of money. My goal was two-fold. I wanted each person to know that I was thinking of them on our travels, and I wanted a forever gift that they could enjoy each day.

Gift Buying Begins with this Thought… It is all about the Person

For the first ten days, I saw nothing that caught my eye and reminded me of these women. Suddenly, on the next to last day of our trip, I found the perfect gift for my friends in a little French shop—paperweights! When I began my search for the perfect gift, however, I did not have paperweights in mind!

These paperweights seemed the perfect, sentimental little keepsakes from me to my friends. Underneath the glass of the paperweights were beautiful, French bouquets. I choose each woman’s favorite color, which added to the sentiment behind my gift. One bouquet was pink, one blue and one yellow. I loved the paperweights so much, Darlings, that I have one on my own desk! It is important that you also love the gift you are giving because it represents your feelings and taste.

I think paperweights are a perfect unusual holiday gift idea. They express your feelings towards another person through art. They can be given to a casual or close friend, to your children, to a spouse or significant other, to grandchildren, or to people at work.

Paperweights Can Send Many Different Messages

Paperweights as a gift can send a multitude of messages. For example, I once gave a Zodiac paperweight to my daughter. On her card I wrote, “I loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you.” A close friend gave my ultimate concierge a paperweight with the continents Europe and America to symbolize his role as the former President of the International Real Estate Federation, housed in Paris. One year, I gifted paperweights to my Honey Bees at Christmas with pink bottoms and a gold crown in the center. On the card I wrote, “You are my Queen Bees at Honey Good.” I also gave a grandson a paperweight with an owl for ‘wisdom’. Lastly, I gave my ultimate concierge a cigar paperweight for his desk.

Paperweights are keepsakes that can send several different messages, from casual, to humorous, to sentimental. I love, love, love, them and consider them an unusual gift idea that leaves a lasting memory.  Here are a few sites for paperweight ideas:

• Personalized map paperweight – by Acorn
• Personalized photo paperweightPersonalized photo paperweight – by Snapfish
• Zazzle sells a wide array of customizable and unique paperweights
• Etsy also offers some lovely options for paperweights

An Unusual Gift Idea for the Family – Facebook’s Portal Smart Video

Many of us grandmothers live far away from our grandchildren. As a result, I recently researched a gift that offers an easy way to connect with your family and friends—Facebook’s Portal. Portal is new in the marketplace. It is a device that allows you to have video conversations with those you care about most. Yes, this will connect you with your children and grandchildren, face to face! The camera even keeps you within its frame no matter where you walk. I find that amazing! Just think of the lasting memories you will create over time. I am toying, I said toying, with buying one for each household in my family, including ours, so we can connect as a family.

Different Screen Size Options

Different screen size options are available on Facebook’s Portal. The standard Portal smart video calling system has a 10″ HD display.  Portal Mini contains an 8″ HD display, while Portal +, smart video calling has a 15. 6″ HD display. Finally, if you want to really see your grandchildren up close and in action, Portal TV is a smart video program that uses the biggest screen in your home, your TV!

With any of the Facebook Portals, you can move around and talk freely in your home, and you always stay in the frame. For example, if you are in the kitchen and a call comes in via the portal, you simply say, “Portal answer.” Then, voila! You will be able to interact and watch what is going on in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives. In return, they will be able to watch what you are doing…baking a pie, cooking up a storm, packing for a trip, or whatever your little heart desires. How easy is that?

This gift allows you to see your grandchild put his or her tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, dressed up and ready to go for the first day of school, or opening an eagerly awaited college acceptance letter. Additionally, our grandchildren can listen to us read them a good night story, learn firsthand how we bake their favorite cookies, or be taken on a tour of our new downsized home.

Portal from Facebook allows us to share our life experiences from afar, the price is right, and the device is easy to operate. That is why this is my recommendation for an unusual gift idea that is sure to leave lasting memories for a lifetime!

Don’t Leave Out the Gift of Your Sentiments

If I do decide to send my family members a smart video calling device, I can already imagine the card that I would include with this gift:

“Dear Children and Grands of Mine,

Your grandfather and I choose this gift to instill within you the importance of strong family ties. When we were growing up, families lived close to one another. Our grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles were our role models. Our cousins became our close friends and confidants. We laughed together, ate family meals together, and shared holidays as a large family.

Unfortunately, you are missing out on this very important chapter in your lives because of the miles that separate us.

This gift will require your participation and action. It is not a toy, but a discipline, and an important one. Some day, you will thank us when you look back and remember that you were able to share daily happenings and rituals in our lives by video.

With devoted love,

Honey, Papa, and America

An Unusual Gift Idea for Those Traveling Over the Holidays

Although it may be too late for many of us to plan a trip over the holidays, remember this idea in the future. For those of you with family members who love to travel, a carry-on bag is a great gift. I recommend Away travel bags. Trust me, these bags are very well made and in vogue. They have a great website and Instagram site that make purchasing easy. Away bags celebrate a lifestyle where travel is as easy as it is glamorous. Go to awaytravel.com. While I would not say that this unusual gift is of itself truly memorable, the trips to be taken with the bag beside you will certainly leave lasting memories!

Some of My Best Unusual Gift Ideas that Left Lasting Memories

For my ultimate concierge, I have given the following lasting memory gifts.

1. Cufflinks with lions and the message, “You are my King of the Jungle.”
2. Cufflinks with the sun, ” Remember, walk on the sunny side of the street and see your glass half full.”
3. A tie with palm trees, to remember, “Our romantic time in Bali.”
4. A moving globe on a Lucite stand that revolves on its axis by natural light. “See the world with Rose-colored glasses.”
5. A ‘Wise owl’ paperweight containing the message, “You are the wisest person I know. I am so lucky to be your wife.”

As you can see, I have always enjoyed giving a gift that is inscribed with meaning. A memorable gift does not have be expensive. Years ago, I bought two, little clear, glass candy kisses, the size of a real candy kiss, for each of my daughters. It makes me smile knowing they still have these little kisses today.

It is a joy when I find the perfect gift for someone, and an even greater joy when I sit down and write out my thoughts to the person. I am very sentimental, and I like that part of me. It brings me total happiness.

Happy holiday, Darlings.

 

For more gift ideas, you may enjoy these articles:

Holiday Gifts for Significant Others

How to Have an Impact on Your Grandchildren from Afar

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