I love celebrations – birthdays, weddings, Easter, Christmas. I love that celebrations give us the opportunity to step out from behind our daily routines, and to come together as family and friends to relax, share good food and, hopefully, enjoy a few laughs as we create a whole new page in our shared history. And I love giving gifts.
To me, gift giving is so much more than wrapping and bows. It’s about taking a moment to think specifically about a person you care about – who they are, what they enjoy, what they need, and then finding that special something which will hopefully bring a moment of joy to their life. In my mind, the best gifts to receive are those which come as a complete surprise, and those you can tell have been chosen thoughtfully – just for you. And I think that it is important to choose gifts which you would be happy to receive yourself, for your child or for your home – which is why you will never see me give a Bratz doll!!!
Admittedly, gift giving at Christmas time has it’s challenges. The stores are often filled to overflowing, you often have many people to buy for all at once (and in our case, within a tight budget), and inevitably, there is one person on your list, THAT person, the one who already has everything and you just can’t think what to buy for!
This year, Westfield have made thinking through gift selections a little easier with an Online Gift Finder. Enter an age range, gender and your budget and the Gift Finder will generate a list of possibilities, which could come in very handy particularly when it comes to buying for THAT person. Westfield have also put together a collection of tips for making this Christmas the most memorable ever for your family, that is memorable for all the right reasons 🙂 You’ll find expert advice for entertaining, food, decorating, fashion for the festive season and more about gifts!
And if you are still stuck for ideas, you can always head to your nearest Westfield store for more inspiration, especially fun if you have a nice shiny $100 Westfield gift card in your purse! Childhood 101 readers have the opportunity to win a $100 Westfield gift voucher to put towards their preparations for the big day.
ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED
To enter;
1. Leave a comment below telling me about a thoughtful gift which has recently brought a smile to your face. Please be sure to include your email address or Twitter ID so that you can be contacted should you win.
2. The most creative response as judged by myself and Nuffnang (as a representative of Westfield) will be chosen as the winner.
3. The winner will be notified via their preferred contact method, and will be asked to provide their email and contact phone number at that time. If they do not respond to the notification within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.
4. Entry is open to Australian readers only.
5. Entries close 5:00 pm AEDST, 23 November 2010.
6. Nuffnang’s full terms and conditions can be found here.
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
@yayforhome on twitter
yayforhome@yahoo.com.au
Also today my 2yr old boy gave me a dead lady beetle and said 'for you mummy, you're so pretty' his sweet (but sad) gift made my day
They don't have a lot of money either but I know they wanted to give him a really special gift after his treatment with cancer this year.
It was a real surprise and very much appreciated ...especially since it was the first time we had left our boys overnight.
sarahbendeich@iinet.net.au
twitter: @needlevsthread
A theme is a must, for every occasion - something that’s special, for the person who’s aging. Whether they be two, or a hundred years old; There’s a special themed gift, for THAT ONE to behold. It’s something that’s unique, and as special as them - a gift that’s been thought through, and matched, then that’s when: Hooray! I’ve just found it, the gift just for you; That great little something, to make you smile through and through. For this particular gift, we used two heads not one - to come up with a gift, that was perfect and fun. A custom made t-shirt and a book called “best friends”; With the t-shirt simply stating our names and “best friends”; The colour was chosen especially for you, and the picture on the front was your favourite animal too. And then when you got it, I could tell by your smile - that it was the best gift, that you got amongst the pile. This great little gift was chosen especially for you; By darling Miss Yana, and some help from her mum too.
@urshz on twitter
I couldnt have loved her more!!
hannahis@live.com.au
melissa@businessmums.com
jessandcharlie@hotmail.com
My most memorable gift would be from a little girl I had taught that year who's family had fallen on hard times.
Packaged up in a little box was a heartfelt note of thanks from the girls mum, as well as 5 pink ribbons.
She had noticed that I love to wear ribbons in my hair and that my favourite colour is pink! I still wear these ribbons and think of the little girl and her family each time I do :)
I just thought it was a most thoughtful and special gift and really shows that it's not the money that is spent, but the thought that is taken which make a gift memorable!
juliet.ranieri@gmail.com
My sister in law called me and said she thought it was wonderful and that it brought a tear to her eye - this made me smile. I love giving gifts that I know people will love (not that i'm always the best at picking gifts!)
Every morning though I receive a gift - my baby boy (nearly 5 yrs old!) gives me a kiss and cuddle. Nothing better makes me feel so loved!
@Bern_morley on twiter :)