1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: tip is to decide on a gift of the year. 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: You can make gift giving easier on yourself by being 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: more streamlined, but you can preserve a lot of thoughtfulness too. 6 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: My guess is that if you are the sort of 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 1: person who listens to this podcast, you want to give 8 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: gifts that people will love. You also don't want to 9 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: spend huge chunks of your life hunting through the entire 10 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: universe of gift options. If that is the case, you 11 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: will probably benefit from having a default plan. Just as 12 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: I have a basic structure for each Before Breakfast episode 13 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: so I don't sit down and say, hmmm, how should 14 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: I begin things today? It can be helpful to add 15 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,559 Speaker 1: structure to your gift giving. For instance, you can always 16 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: give one particular thing for people's special occasions. I know 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,279 Speaker 1: of a couple who give every young couple that's getting 18 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: married whatever betting they have registered for, no deliberating over gifts, 19 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: and no need to remember what they gave anyone else, sir, 20 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: whether it was equivalently priced. You put sheets on your 21 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: registry that is what this couple is going to give you. 22 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: You can do something similar as we go into the 23 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 1: holiday season. Decide on a gift of the year, choose 24 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: something you like that you think others will like too, 25 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: and then give it to most of the people on 26 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: your list in some form or another. So, for instance, 27 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: if you like those LLBean boat bags and who doesn't 28 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: give them to everyone on your list? You can very 29 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: the specifics by person. The family that loves picnics gets 30 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: a big, open topped bag, while your niece who commutes 31 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: by train gets a smaller one that zips up so 32 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: she doesn't have to worry about everything spilling out. You 33 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: can choose a color each person likes and get it 34 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: monogrammed if you prefer. You could also put stuff in 35 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: the bags to amplify the gift. The gifts are not 36 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: in any way identical, but you don't spend time wondering 37 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: what should I get my in laws? You consider which 38 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: particular boot bag your in laws would like the best, 39 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: and go with that. There are other gifts that will 40 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: appeal to just about everyone on your list. For instance, 41 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: you might get everyone your favorite water bottle or yet 42 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,119 Speaker 1: e coffee cup in different colors. Or patterns. You could 43 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: give everyone a Christmas ornament and choose specific ornaments that 44 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: relate to each person's taste. You could give everyone stationary 45 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: with their initials, or a gift of regional food from 46 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: your area. I bet there is a local restaurant or 47 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: store that would be happy to have you give a 48 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: gift basket from them to everyone on your list. What 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: I like about this idea is that it is personal 50 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: and easy. There are a lot of presents in this world. 51 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: By narrowing things down to one small category, you keep 52 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: yourself from spinning your wheels. But within that category there 53 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,119 Speaker 1: are probably lots of options that can speak to each 54 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: particular person. You save time and put thought into your gifts. 55 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: That is not a bad combination at all. If you 56 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: try choosing a gift of the year, let me know 57 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: how it goes. You can reach me at Laura at 58 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura, 59 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 60 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to before Breakfast. If you've 61 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 62 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 63 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 64 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 65 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.