tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80979312756866657132024-02-20T05:16:29.165-06:00Biga GiftBigaGift.com's gift experts hand-pick the best gifts from the best stores on the Web. Find Birthday, Valentines, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Easter gifts and unique gifts for men, women, teens, children and baby. See our top gift ideas for mom plus anniversary gifts, wedding gifts and more.Bigado Networkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05202475488868831551noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097931275686665713.post-41364592279522805072008-05-26T12:53:00.000-06:002008-05-26T12:54:23.434-06:00Selecting the Right Gift for Your BossPurchasing gifts for your boss can be a challenging experience. On one hand, you want to select a gift that is appropriate, meaningful, and one that will be appreciated. At the same time, you might be concerned about costs, and want to find a gift that strikes exactly the right tone. It can be difficult (but not impossible) to juggle these competing demands. <br /><br />There are several issues to consider when selecting a gift for your boss. First, you want to remember that your relationship is, primarily, a professional one. This means your gifts should reflect this. <br /><br />It is rarely a good move to buy your boss intimate or personal gifts, such as clothes, handbags, belts, wallets, or shoes. You may select something in the wrong size, wrong style, or wrong color, creating an awkward situation in which your boss either asks you to return or exchange the item, or has to take time to do it him or herself. <br /><br />A better strategy would be to select gifts which are less intimate, but still appropriate. For example, if your boss loves golf, you might buy a book on golfing or golf courses, rather than a golf shirt. Similarly, you might buy golf balls or tees, rather than golf clubs. Try to find gifts that align with your boss' interests, without becoming too personal. <br /><br />Two other gift ideas which fit this model would be physical books or books on tape, as well as gift certificates or gift cards. These options allow you to convey knowledge of your boss' likes, while leaving the exact choice of item up to him or her. <br /><br />Another strategy for gift giving is to focus on more general items that can be widely used, such as picture frames or photo albums. These can be useful, especially if your boss has children or grandchildren whose photographs need displaying. The one risk you may have with gifts like this is that they may be almost too generic. <br /><br />You may also consider a customized gift basket as another boss appropriate gift. Gift baskets can be personalized and created exactly for your boss. <br /><br />Let's say, for example, that your boss enjoys a particular brand of tea and classical music. Creating a gift basket with her favorite tea, two mugs, and a classical music CD might be the perfect gift, because it is constructed from elements she enjoys (tea, music) without being too personal or overly friendly. It's always better to give a gift that you're reasonably certain your boss will like. <br /><br />Between gift baskets, gift certificates, books or books on tape, as well as gifts aligned with your boss' interests, you should have at least a few ideas for appropriate gifts. <br /><br />Remember, gift giving for your boss should be thoughtful without being too intimate, and should strike the right balance of cost and meaning. This can be a tricky balance, but not one impossible to achieve.Bigado Networkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05202475488868831551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097931275686665713.post-71798983788062537972008-05-26T12:18:00.000-06:002008-05-26T12:19:13.958-06:00Wedding Gift Registry - Suggesting Gift Ideas to Your GuestsA Wedding Gift Registry is a traditional way to suggest wedding gift ideas that you would like or would find useful to your wedding guests. Many leading retailers will help you to set up a Wedding Gift Registry for your wedding at no charge. An increasing number of online shops now also offer this service. <br /><br />As the bride and groom, it may seem a little rude or even cheeky to list out things that you like as suggestions for your friends and family to buy for you. Walking around the shop and picking out lots of things that you would like to have in your new home may seem like a self-indulgence. You can take heart that it is a traditional thing to do and perfectly socially acceptable. <br /><br />When you are getting married your guests will wish to give you wedding gifts. They will appreciate your help and guidance to make sure their gifts will give you pleasure. Having access to a Gift Registry makes their task of buying your gift much easier. Some retailers will offer a discount for gifts purchased off a Wedding Gift Registry. You are doing your guests a big favor. <br /><br />From the wedding couple's point of view, a Wedding Gift Registry greatly reduces the worry that your guests will choose gifts that you already have, colors or styles that you do not like or strange items that are of no use to you. You can coordinate gifts in matching styles and colors to fit into your new home. Nobody likes to give a gift that is not appreciated, or that is later returned and exchanged for something more appealing. In years to come your friends and family will take pride in seeing the wedding gift they gave to you on display or in use when they visit your new home. <br /><br />Another useful feature of a Wedding Gift Registry is that each purchase is ticked off so that the next guest does not duplicate the gift. You probably only need one toaster, so receiving three of them as gifts to choose from is an embarrassment best avoided. <br /><br />When you have a whole shop to select from and dreaming of your new home, it can be tempting to list only the most expensive and attractive items. A well-designed Wedding Gift Registry should include gifts from a range of prices that are affordable for all of your guests. Your guests may be offended and feel out of place if most of the gift suggestions are beyond their reach, or of a value that they feel is not appropriate for their relationship with the bride and groom. Often not all wedding guests are close family and friends, and they may be just looking for a polite rather than a generous gift. Having somebody else along, like the bride's mother or a good friend, can help to keep the Gift Registry in perspective and suitable for the guest list. <br /><br />A wedding couple may find it helpful to set up several wedding gift registers in different shops or online to give their guests more choices and shopping convenience. <br /><br />Using a Wedding Gift Registry can help to make for a more successful wedding from the point of view of both the new couple and their guests.Bigado Networkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05202475488868831551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097931275686665713.post-20511988048738382752008-03-17T17:32:00.003-06:002008-03-17T17:36:01.308-06:00Unique Personalized Gifts for Women and Children<span style="font-family:arial;">Most people are ecstatic to receive any gift. They know that the buyer has gone to great bother to search for a suitable present. Gift certificates, pre-paid gift cards, and even cash are given more often as gifts these days. Busy lifestyles, work and family schedules, and driving the kids all over town leave little time for in-store gift shopping. This causes many gift buyers to turn to the internet, but feel that online shopping lacks that personal touch. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Online buyers don't have to feel that way. With a little extra online searching, you can not only find the perfect gift, but you can also get it personalized exactly for the recipient. Expect extreme surprise and even tearful hugs when your super-special personalized gift is unwrapped.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Personalized Gifts for Children</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Children will tear open any package, even if it is not for them. Although children rarely appreciate the gifts they receive, their parents do. Furthermore, gifts bearing the child's own name make treasured keepsakes. Here are some ideas for personalized gifts for children. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Many online bookstores sell children's books which can be personalized. Gift book categories include books for babies, toddlers, and older children. Holiday books and special books can also be found. Simply choose a story that matches the interest of the recipient. On the order form, fill in the personalization information. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Most books can be personalized with the following information: age, boy or girl, date of occasion, first name, nickname, last name, home town, state, name of older child (brother, sister, friend, or sometimes a pet), names of other friends, a dedication, and whom the book is from. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Once the book order is received, the book printer replaces all the names and places in your chosen story with those of the child! The recipient becomes the star of the story. The action takes place in the child's town, with his or her friends as the co-stars. The book is then hard-bound and shipped. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">To find a store online, search for "personalized children's books." </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Personalized Gifts for Women</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Men who are tired of buying the same chocolate, wine and flowers gifts should consider a personalized gift for their special woman. Imagine a completely personalized romance novel, with your sweetheart as the star! Much like the children's books described above, her personal information is inserted into a mainstream romance novel. However, the degree of personalization is much more detailed. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In addition to the basic information such as name, town, kids, pets, etc., you can include your name as the main male character (if you are the giver), her favorite music, perfume, physical characteristics, her car, where she works, and much more. Several sites also offer the romance stories in "mild" or "wild" flavors, depending on your (and her) tastes. If you thought roses made her grateful, wait until you make her the star of her very own romance novel. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">To find a store online that offers this service, search for "personalized romance novels" or "personalized romance stories." </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>They Say "It's the Thought That Counts"</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Many people are just happy to get some attention on their special occasion. Make that day even more memorable by surprising your loved ones with personalized gifts they will never forget.</span>Bigado Networkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05202475488868831551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097931275686665713.post-51911832192747103402008-03-17T17:28:00.002-06:002008-03-17T17:32:04.923-06:00The History of Gift Giving<span style="font-family:arial;">Gift giving has symbolic meaning in nearly every culture from all corners of the globe for as long as mankind has existed. From the first time a father gave his child a carved doll to the gold ring given to a bride, gift giving symbolizes many things: love, respect, sympathy, flattery and appreciation. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>GIFT GIVING IN HISTORY</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ancient Greek mythology gives credit to the goddess of love, Aphrodite, as the original bearer of the classic gift of love, a rose, to Eros, the god of love. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Such symbolism has pervaded the giving of flowers as gifts for centuries and although the symbolic meaning of many flowers is lost the act of giving flowers has never waned. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Another famous bearer of gifts was the Queen of Sheba who notably gave the richest king of his time, King Solomon, a lavish gift of gold, balsam oil and precious stones in exchange for his wisdom. The gold alone was worth more than 46 million dollars in today's money. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Elaborate gifts as tokens of political friendship are not exclusively an ancient custom. The United States of America has one of the most iconic gifts of international friendship as the symbol of their pride of freedom. The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from France in 1886. Gifts between nations have continued to be a custom up to our current day. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The act of giving wedding gifts is proficient in many cultures and may have developed from the dowry given by or to the bride or her parents as part of the marriage arrangement. Depending on the country the dowry may have been given by the bride's parents to the bride or the groom or given by the groom's family to the bride's family as a form of payment for their daughter. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Giving cattle to the bride's family was a tradition for the people of the Sudan. Sephardic Jewish brides were given lavish gifts of jewelry from both families and Eastern Europeans of the Middle Ages collected many of the household goods required for a new bride during the years up to her wedding day. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Many of the gift giving customs associated with Christian holidays are rooted in the much older customs of ancient nations that worshipped other gods. Combining these pagan rituals with Christian teachings made it less difficult for those nations to adapt to a new religion. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>THE GIFT GIVING CULTURE OF JAPAN</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Gift giving has often been associated in Western culture with the celebration of events or holidays. While giving social gifts has gained popularity in recent years it does not compare to the gift giving culture of Japan. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Japanese people are well known for their graciousness and this extends to the common act of gift giving. In Japan the presentation of a gift is as of much importance as the gift itself. Showing respect to the receiver, even small tokens are often wrapped with great care and attention. Accepting gifts is an act of extreme appreciation on the part of the receiver and humility from the giver, presented and accepted in both hands. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While gift giving is common to most cultures, the act of giving gifts can be quite different from one place to another. Many business people are advised on the appropriateness of giving gifts when doing business in foreign countries since the act of giving gifts is often closely tied to the traditions and cultures of different people worldwide.</span>Bigado Networkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05202475488868831551noreply@blogger.com0