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 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to streamline gift giving. Your time itself 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: is a gift, of course, but the good news is 5 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: that giving physical gifts doesn't need to take much time 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: if you do it wisely. This year, certainly people want 7 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 1: to avoid crowded retail stores, but let's be honest, many 8 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: of us don't like hanging out in malls on December Saturdays, 9 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: even when there isn't a pandemic going on. We want 10 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: to spend more time with family and friends and less 11 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: time hunting through racks of sweaters that the recipient isn't 12 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: going to wear anyway. We want to maximize the message 13 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: of presents, that is, you are important to me, while 14 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: minimizing the time cost. So to do that, it's important 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: to be strategic. Make a list of everybody you want 16 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: to give presents to. Some of these people you know well, 17 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: like your spouse. Others such as the cousins you exchange 18 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: gifts with every year, maybe not so much. Long time 19 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,199 Speaker 1: listeners know that I am a big fan of having 20 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: a go to gift for such people with a personalized twist. Namely, 21 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: it is personalized to you. Something that you find meaningful 22 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: will have a story attached to it, and that makes 23 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: it seem more meaningful to the recipient as well. So 24 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: think about what that might be for you. Maybe you 25 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: have a favorite local business you'd like to support. You 26 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: know that place that makes amazing gourmet cookies. Well, everyone's 27 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: getting a different batch of the cookies this year, and 28 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: you can talk about why you love the place. Or 29 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: maybe it's a favorite local stationary store. Everyone can get 30 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: slightly different patterns, but all of them can hear about 31 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: how the owner built her way site for online sales 32 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: overnight when COVID struck. Of course, there's something to be 33 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: said for practical go to gifts to yeti coffee cups 34 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: or Nalgene or camelback water bottles are a reliable hit, 35 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: an upgrade from the leaky freebees we often use. You 36 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: can fill the water bottles or coffee cups with Christmas 37 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: candy to make them more festive. Or what about matching 38 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: fleece vests for everyone in your family or blankets for 39 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: every household. We're all in our homes more now, and 40 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: it's nice to feel cozy. The vests or blankets could 41 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: be personalized with a family name or individual names, and 42 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: you can all wear your vests or snuggle up in 43 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,679 Speaker 1: your blankets for your next family video call. Now it 44 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: might feel weird to give the same gift to lots 45 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: of people, like something you would want to keep secret, 46 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: but done right, you could be quite public about it. 47 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: For instance, you could give the same puzzle or cookbook 48 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: to every household or everyone in your friend's circle to 49 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: create a shared experience as you work through are the 50 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,399 Speaker 1: same puzzle or try recipes from the same cookbook even 51 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: though you're in different places. Of course, gifts have to 52 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: get to their recipients too, and standing in line in 53 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: the post office is few people's idea of fun. So 54 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: even if you're buying local, see if the vendor can 55 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: ship and possibly wrap two. Since a lot more small 56 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: businesses have online shopping options these days, you might be 57 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: able to pull this off. For gifts you'll give in 58 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: person dedicated day to wrapping them all at once. It 59 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: can be fun to turn on some holiday music and 60 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: get out all your wrapping supplies. It has that Santa's 61 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: workshop feel, Plus it saves you from having to get 62 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: out wrapping paper, ribbons, scissors, and the like multiple times. 63 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: Since I have five kids, each kid gets their own 64 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: wrapping paper. I can see at a glance if the 65 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: piles look equal. If this feels like a lot of hassle, 66 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: well use gift bags. Gift bags with tissue paper covering 67 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: the president's side are ridiculously easy to pull off. Then 68 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: at the end of all this present giving, save your 69 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: gift bags and save any nice gift tags too, because 70 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: guess what, there will be another present next year to 71 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: Grandma from Fred. Now you already have a head start. 72 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: I am always looking for more tips on how to 73 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: streamline gift giving, so you can let me know yours 74 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. In the meantime, 75 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 76 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 77 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 78 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 79 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the 80 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: number four then Breakfast p o D. You can also 81 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at I 82 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: heart media dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out 83 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward 84 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of 85 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: I heart Radio. 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