Holiday Gifts for the Remedial Gift Giver
(If you resemble any of the people in this article remember that we love you!)
Lys Fulda
November 2007

I said it: “CHRISTMAS!” I am sorry, but it’s everywhere and it started to beat Halloween this year into many mass-market retailers. But it’s the beginning of November and it will be here before we blink. The holiday season for many is absolutely mega-stressful due to the cash pressures, the family issues, and Lord help us all . . . “What do you get all those people?” As you well know, we are the sugar daddy of deals cash-wise, but I decided to take a moment and look at some of the basic archetypes of people we all have in our lives and what we can get them AP-wise, for the most part WITHOUT going into debt. Remember, if you're feeling stressed out about the money you spent, this does NOT say “Goodwill on earth.” We want to help you get through this season by working smarter, not harder.

Grandma and Grandpa

They're older, often having some vision issues, and many are now in nursing homes or assisted living developments. The older you get, the faster your friends die on you, and many seniors run into trouble trying to make new friends. For them unfortunately it can turn into being friends with who’s around instead of picking your friends from who’s around. Give them TEARS OF THE DRAGON. The pieces are easily placed under the same magnifying glass they use to read. The board is a bit oversized and brightly colored. It’s not historical or scary. For many seniors, they have lots of folks around and more then enough time to fill. For those that don’t, “Hi, want to play this game my kid sent me?” is an icebreaker they don’t have to come up with on their own.

The eclectic relatives you barely know

They read more than you, talk about all the places they have been that you have never heard of, and generally any conversation is the most painful small talk in the world that you have almost nothing to contribute to. Every year they get you something small as a token gift and you have absolutely no idea WHAT to get them in return. Try one of the “Games You Can Play” selections. Try to fit the battle to loosely match one of the areas they have talked about before. An example is below:

They love French Wine. Pick Alsace. While they may look at you like you're nuts for giving them a game your response is “I remember you talking all the time about the wines you love from France. Well this is a historical game about the Alsace region. Figured you might get a kick out of learning the history of one on the regions." - A stretch, yes, but you showed interest in what they were talking about and you get MAD thoughtful points.

Sixpack Joe

Your sister-in-law married him and no one knows why. He likes NASCAR, fishing and country music. No don’t get me wrong, I LOVE THIS GUY. Sixpack Joe is one of my favorite types of people 'cause they are just good old simple fun. He always gets you something and you haven’t the damned foggiest what he likes and every year it’s a swing and a miss and you get him that “gift certificate.” Get him Panzer Grenadier. These guys are all about heart. If he’s expressed an interest in “Saving Private Ryan” or “Band of Brothers” pick PG: Road to Berlin or PG: Eastern Front Deluxe. If he’s new to it, pick PG: Airborne Intro. He’ll open it looking confused and you say, “It’s guys fighting shoulder to shoulder, blowing stuff up and the more heart and soul your guys have the better you do.”

He may never play it and it doesn’t matter. Sixpack Joes often share the soul of guys everywhere who often have to deal with the messy side of life, be it in war or simply doing jobs that we all are glad that we don’t have to. And let’s face it . . . that’s what enlisted folks deal with every day. It may sit on his shelf but it’s a lot more personal a gift than $20 at Applebees.

This is where I send you to other people’s sites as I share with you a secret - and it's only become obvious to me in the past couple of years that all men don’t know this. I hope they don’t come for my “Girl” membership card for telling this publicly. What do you get for her (and this can be everyone from the wife to the coworker)? In short, you get her girly bath crap. The more girly, the more fruity; the less girly, the more utilitarian. Your stalwart aunt who has a drier wit than the Sahara and the one time you saw her wearing lip gloss you almost had a stroke (HI ANN!), you get something that says exfoliating or moisturizing. The bath crap needs to be doing something. The more girly, just look for fruits or flowers in the name and the more, the better. While this gift may not be the perfect one you will NEVER offend with this. It’s a great safety gift and no she won’t think this is you saying she smells, she will interpret it as you pampering her.

That’s all for now, if you have people in your life that you want 119694_avalanche Press products selected for simply drop me a line at lfulda@avalanchepress.com and we'll have a sequel to this article.

Check out these games and more!