Sometimes it can be quite frustrating. You know the drill. Searching through the catalogs, walking around the mall, asking friends and family what THEY would do.

It's the dreaded THERE'S A SPECIAL OCCASION/ HOLIDAY/ BIRTHDAY/ ANNIVERSARY/ BABY SHOWER/ GRADUATION/ HOUSE WARMING EVENT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BUY!
scramble.

Gives me chills just thinking about it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a subscriber to the "It's better to give than to receive" club. But darn it, it can be down right difficult sometimes to find THE RIGHT gift. Fortunately, there's a way to get pretty close, if not right on target, to finding a gift that will bring pleasure to the receiver while:

• not requiring weeks and weeks of searching;
• offering an almost endless variety of possibilities;
• crushing the "Ho hum, everyone has one of THOSE", problem;
• fitting just about every budget;
• and working for any and every occasion.

Before I reveal what it is that I'm referring to, let's talk about what every gift requires, or what I like to call "The 4 KEYS to a Great Gift."

When we start looking for a gift to purchase for others we usually carry on an internal conversation. This 'self talk' is the clue to our 4 keys. As we go about our search, our minds are saying:

• "I want this person to feel how special they are and/or the occasion is to ME...and I want my gift to reflect that feeling"
• "I want my gift to be different from what all the others are giving/bringing."
• "I want this gift to be appropriate and fit the personality of the person and be right for the occasion"
• "I hope I can find this gift at a good price!"

So, from analyzing our

• Thoughtfulness
• Uniqueness
• Just Right-ness
• The Right Price

Meeting all the requirements of our 4 keys is the 'Great Gift' SECRET. Are you ready? It's:

PERSONALIZATION

Consider this:

• Taking the time to have a gift personalized shows the person you care enough to put extra effort into making the gift meaningful...this is THOUGHTFULNESS.

• Even if the person already HAS a picture frame, robe, tote bag, or even a pillow, chances are it's not personalized...this is UNIQUENESS.
• Personalized items are quite plenteous these days so the chances of finding something that fits the person's interests or occasion is great. Sports, collectibles, clothing, and pillows are some of the many options...this is JUST RIGHT-NESS.
• If you are quite crafty, you may consider making the item yourself and adding a photo or an embroidered name or sentiment. Give this option long considered thought. And then think again. Oftentimes what we think is 'oh, so adorable' from our crafty little hands just ends up looking like, well, something from a high school arts & craft show.(No offense to all of you gifted, artistic high school prodigies!). Many personalized items can be purchased for under $30.00...many for under $20.00. That's the RIGHT PRICE.

Next time you're thinking "I just don't know WHAT to get him/her", go for a thoughtful, unique, just-right, gift at the right price and make it PERSONALIZED.

Roni Ellison is the publisher of http://pillow-guide.com/index.html, an informational guide on Bed, Decorative and Therapeutic Pillows. Check out Pillow-Guide.com's http://www.pillow-guide.com/personalizedgift.html for her recommended resource that offers over 1000 personalized gifts for $20.00 or less.

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