1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to save time and energy by having 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: a go to gift. In the course of normal human interactions, 5 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: we wind up giving and receiving all sorts of gifts. 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: If you know someone well, it can be fun to 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: shop for that person's specific tastes, but we give other 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: gifts to people we don't know so well. You're invited 9 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: to a colleague's child's wedding. You know your colleague, but 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: you don't really know the brighter groom. A new neighbor 11 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: has a housewarming party and you need to bring something. 12 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 1: A child's classmate that you've never met. Invites your child 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: to a birthday party. In all these cases, you can 14 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: save time and effort while fulfilling your social duties by 15 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: having a go to gift. I began doing this about 16 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: twelve years ago. When I had my first child. One 17 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: of my husband's colleagues sent us a giant cookie bouquet 18 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: from Cookies by Design. This array of sugar cookies came 19 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: fistooned with my son's name and birthdate. The cookies proved 20 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: quite tasty. When I was up at two am feeding 21 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: the kid, I shared some of the cookies with folks 22 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: who came to visit my newborn as well. I realized 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: that pretty much everyone with a new baby would enjoy 24 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: receiving a giant cookie bouquet, and even if the new 25 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: parents didn't eat cookies, they could pass them out to grandparents, friends, 26 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: and other well wishers with a sweet tooth. So my 27 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: husband and I began sending those cookie bouquets to the 28 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: vast majority of people who sent us birth announcements. This 29 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: go to gift is simple and straightforward. We pop in 30 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: any details about the baby from the announcement, name, birthdate, 31 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: it's a bowyer, it's a girl. Wait, if it's included 32 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: on the cookie bouquet webs site. We feel happy knowing 33 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: we've sent a gift that will probably be well received. 34 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: Of course, there are lots of other go to gifts 35 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: that might work in these circumstances. Maybe you always send 36 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: a certain baby blanket or a favorite set of children's 37 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: books for kid birthday parties. You could stock up after 38 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: the holidays on toys that appeal to your children's age groups. 39 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: If you have a seven year old For instance, you 40 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: should anticipate that you will be invited to at least 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: half a dozen eight year old birthday parties over the 42 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: next year. So take a few minutes to accumulate a 43 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: collection of art supplies or legos or a favorite book series. 44 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: Get a few rolls of wrapping paper, and you will 45 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: not need to race to the store or think about 46 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: this much. Again, to be sure, some element of personalization 47 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: is lost with a go to gift, but I think 48 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: the best go to gifts are actually personalized just around 49 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: the giver. This is still a way of honoring the 50 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: recipient because as people love gifts with stories. So rather 51 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: than bring a generic bottle of wine from the supermarket, 52 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: show up at a dinner party with a bottle from 53 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: the winery you visited on your honeymoon. You can tell 54 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: the host why it's special and suggest a trip to 55 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: that winery as a future vacation. Go to holiday parties 56 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: with ornaments purchased from a nonprofit that works in a 57 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: village where you spent your first year after college volunteering. 58 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,959 Speaker 1: Include a note explaining the story. Because the gift is 59 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: special to you, the gift will be special to the recipient. 60 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: It's thoughtful without requiring a whole lot of thought, and 61 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: that is really a win win situation. What are your 62 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: go to gifts? You can let me know at Before 63 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com. In the meantime, 64 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making 65 00:03:54,040 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: the most of our time. M hm. Hey everybody, I'd 66 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 67 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 68 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E 69 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: the number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can 70 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at 71 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled 72 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 73 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 74 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 75 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 76 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.