Issue #197: an email you actually want today 💫

Morning ,

I hope you had a delicious Thanksgiving, whether you had turkey, takeout, or even "sidesgiving" — in 2020, rules no longer exist. 

With that said, YEP, it’s officially gifting season. Deep breaths. If you’re anything like me, your cortisol levels are skyrocketing and your sweat glands are running on overdrive because uh, gift-giving can be STRESSFUL, especially this year.

If you find yourself in this situation, it’s likely because you understand and appreciate gift-giving as a love language in and of itself. At least, that’s how I view it. I’ve historically struggled to show my feelings/appreciation/affection adequately for friends and family, so I tend to strive towards grand, thoughtful gestures and nice words — and what's more grand than a gift, nicely wrapped, with a tender note tucked along with it?

Because this year brings its own set of stresses, we made a gift-giving spreadsheet to help you keep your ducks in a row, from staying within budget to creating holiday season gifting values, and a sending plan. 

I also wanted to take some time to write out some tips for gift-giving in this very special year when most of us are at our wit’s end, likely apart from family, and just trying to get through this all in one piece:

1. My dirty gifting secret this year if you feel overwhelmed: Buy one good gift, in bulk. Yeah, I said it. I chose one gift for [most] of my friends that I think will make a universally great gift and bought it in bulk a few weeks ago. Why? First, because this year, more than ever, we have to ship things across the country, which takes time. I wanted enough time to get the goods, individually wrap them, and include a written note — a non-negotiable for me (a note, not the wrapping).

2. Save. all. the. boxes. Are you getting packages delivered to your home right now? Don’t throw out the boxes. Because, if you’re like me and love pulling together said care packages / gift packages a la #1, you are going to need those.

3. Hand write a card and spend more time doing it this year. There is nothing more heartwarming and appreciated than a really well-written card. This year especially, spend a minute or two longer on your note and include some fond memories, something you’re looking forward to doing with that person in The After, or a shared inside joke that will make the person laugh. In my opinion, you could give the worst gift in the world, but a good note will make up for it. 

4. Set an overall gifting budget. This is pretty straightforward. I love gift-giving, and therefore it’s gotten me into trouble in the past of spending far too much overall. A good monetary constraint can help you get creative. Jot down the list of people you’ll gift to this year, and divide your total gifting budget by the number of names you’ve got. There’s your average gift cost per person.

5. Approach gift wrapping as art therapy! I think one of the reasons why I love gift-giving is because gift wrapping feels like art class, especially if you make it an event. Turn on some holiday music, make apple cider, buy a bunch of happy gift wrap and other scrap supplies, and get creative with it. Once I ran out of ribbon, so I cut up some silver wrapping paper to twirl my own. There’s also nothing more chic or exciting than grabbing plain brown paper and zhuzhing it up with some pine twigs, ribbon, DIY stamps, etc. (Going this route is more sustainable, too.) 

6. Browse the Girls’ Night In holiday gift guide. There really is something for everyone on there. Other than that, some other tips I have are to take notes throughout the year (there's a space for this in our spreadsheet above!) of what your family/friends mention they like, stalk their Instagram follows for brands that they appear to love, and....

7. When in doubt… gift a consumable or an activity. I’m talkin’ food gifts, fancy olive oil, books, cookbooks, puzzles, board games. Basically, something they can use up, and won’t just take up space, forgotten in the back of a closet somewhere.

8.  Remember to support small, local, and BIPOC-owned businesses. It goes without saying that this is a tough year, but especially for small businesses. Support your community and consider how you can include local, small, and BIPOC-owned businesses in your gifting. (Here’s our small business gift guide.)

9. Don’t be afraid of gift cards. Speaking of small businesses and restaurants, remember that many of them sell gift cards! If you’re crunched for time, I do think gift cards can be a big sigh of relief for both the giver and the recipient. 

10. Last but not least, give yourself permission to just…do what you need to do. Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t find the perfect gift. Forgive yourself if your gift will arrive late. It’s okay if your gifts aren’t extravagant this year. Or not perfectly wrapped. Or not wrapped at all. This year of ALL years, remember to go easy on yourself. As cheesy as it sounds, the holiday season really is about celebrating what’s most important — your health, family, and loved ones in your life.

Let this be the imperfect holiday it needs to be. Gift-giving isn’t easy, but with these tips, I hope it’ll make it a little less stressful and more intentional this year. Alright -- queueing up The Princess Switch 2 whilst I muster the courage to wade through these Black Friday deals in my inbox.

Until next Friday,
Alisha Ramos
CEO & Founder at GNI