Small-sized Christmas gifts: what are the advantages?
On Christmas Eve many years ago, my husband and I got engaged. He came to Long Island for the holidays, bringing gifts and my engagement ring. Receiving my ring was a magical and unforgettable experience. The ring represented more than our future, it represented the long hours she worked at Libby’s cannery to pay for it.
My future in-laws, still in Minnesota, sent two stockings with my husband, one for him and one for me. The felt stockings were made by my mother-in-law. She had cut out sleighs, snowmen, and stars and sewn them onto stockings. Our socks were lumpy and we were wondering what was in them. When I looked in mine, I found a large sterling silver spoon and other items I can’t remember now.
However, I remember thinking about how much love and care they put into my gifts. Today, 55 years later, I understand the effort that went into the media.
You can find better hiding places for small gifts. Our twin grandsons live with us and I have to be careful not to hide vacation packages. I hid them in the office closet, a poor place because that’s where we also keep the wrappers. Now I hide the presents in our bedroom closet, away from prying eyes.
Wrapping is easier with small gifts. You don’t need a whole roll of paper or fumbling with tape and yards of ribbon. Instead, you can use scraps of paper or bags from Christmases past. “Oh, I remember that bag from last year!” exclaims my granddaughter. (She also remembers what was in it.) I have wrapped gifts in Chinese takeout cartons and small and medium sizes are available.
Postage rates continue to rise. Small gifts generally weigh less, so they cost less to ship. Although postal employees try to handle packages with care, I have seen them drop packages into bins during the holiday season. To protect the gifts, you may want to place them in the book envelopes. There are several sizes available and you should be able to find the one you need.
Looking for little gifts is fun. I can imagine how much fun my mother-in-law had, finding something tiny to fill the tip of the stocking and something bigger to fill the top. One of the best things about small gifts is that they are intriguing. Your loved one can shake the gift before opening it and try to guess what’s inside. Is a check very necessary? Is it a diamond ring? Is it a family heirloom?
As you venture into this holiday season, you may want to look for small gifts with a big impact, things that say “I picked these especially for you.”
Copyright 2012 by Harriet Hodgson