Gifts make us smile! Gifts make us not just happy, but delighted! Gifts warm us, make us glow… Gifting is not just a social protocol, but a delightful, superb way to let someone know how you feel. Gifts tell the person how much you care. Exchanging gifts highlights all social events – birthday gift, anniversary gift, return gift, wedding gift – the list goes on. What is important is, gift giving changes with every change in social interactions. One’s graduation from school to college, from college to work and from work to marriage – the kind of gifts he gets and gives keep getting more and more sophisticated, more mature. It is the norm.
With the increase in environmental awareness and understanding of the threats and hazards our lifestyle poses to nature, the outlook of educated, enlightened individuals has become holistic and organic. People these days prefer organic fruits, vegetables, even fabrics! Biodegradable and eco-friendly choices are being made to preserve the environment for the coming generations. In such a scenario, gift giving becomes even more meticulous. Any common items will just not do – getting creative and looking for a pro-nature, eco-friendly gift is the norm of the day.
Then what to do? Look at these ideas for your sensitive and aware friends and family and gift them something they will just love:
Plant – gift a plant! Get something low maintenance for that busy workaholic friend of yours, so that he can manage looking after it without being guilty of killing it. Get a delicate orchid for the one with the green thumb. A plant gives back much more to nature than it takes, and the satisfaction both of you get out of such a gift is immense. Thank you nature!
Eatables – Edible gifts are becoming a bit of a rage these days mainly because they neither require any space to keep, nor there is a question of like or dislike – we all eat, and that is the basic idea of a useful gift. Buy and send fresh fruit hampers online for that fitness freak cum naturalist yogi aunt of yours and earn that special place in her good books! Another good option is a freshly baked, home-style cake on order, of the choice of flavour; or maybe cookies or even organically grown vegetables. These are all available with many local retailers.
Bamboo Products – Be an environment friend as well as help some small scale artisans by buying bamboo gifts like baskets, fans, pen holders and many other useful items they weave and make. Once their use has been met with, they can be easily degraded in the environment and do not pollute.
Clay Gifts – Go for unpainted pottery as an eco-friendly gift option. Many poor artisans are also benefitted along with nature. Hand-painted and hand glazed pottery is not only very attractive but also a great gift.
Go green and spread the message of a sustainable gift culture by using these ideas. Impress your friends and family by such creative and off-beat gifts, bound to bring lots of smiles in return!