How do you respond to the last minute surprise gift?

[gailrmv]

Received a totally non-expected, but very much appreciated holiday gift today from a new friend... do I recipricate, or simply thank them and recipricate next year? We usually don't exchange gifts w/ friends except a few so this is a new one for me!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 12/24/2007 1:01:58 AM
Author:TanDogMom
Received a totally non-expected, but very much appreciated holiday gift today from a new friend... do I recipricate, or simply thank them and recipricate next year? We usually don''t exchange gifts w/ friends except a few so this is a new one for me!

Good question. We''ve had this happen. I have gifts wrapped just for this senario. It''s saved our butts more than a few times... Best to do what''s comfortable for you...

 

[monarch64]

I ALWAYS have a few generic (generic in the sense that the gift could be given to any number of people in my life at the time) on hand, for this very reason. For example, this season I purchased 3 beautiful glass wine-stoppers for $10 each at a wine shop near where i work, just in case I needed a last minute gift. I also ordered a few Christmas ornaments and a couple of those paperweight gem thingies online from Nordstrom to have on hand in case I needed gifts for co-workers. Reason being: everyone at my work place told me we don''t do a Christmas gift exchange, but of course two of three of my co-workers pulled me aside randomly the past couple days and said they had a little something for me even though we don''t do an exchange. (Some of the gals don''t get along well

).

If for no other reason, I''m glad I usually have something in the $10-20 range on hand for these cases and it has served me well in the past, and definitely this year. I love giving gifts, but I''m never the first to give just so others don''t feel like they have to reciprocate.

I think in the end, people just like giving and don''t expect anything back, TDM. So if you don''t end up giving anything back to your new friend I doubt he/she will take it personally...likely they just wanted to gift you and make you happy. A nice thank-you note would be in order but nothing more, etiquette-wise.

Merry Christmas! Hope this post finds you well!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 12/24/2007 1:21:02 AM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 12/24/2007 1:01:58 AM
Author:TanDogMom
Received a totally non-expected, but very much appreciated holiday gift today from a new friend... do I recipricate, or simply thank them and recipricate next year? We usually don''t exchange gifts w/ friends except a few so this is a new one for me!

Good question. We''ve had this happen. I have gifts wrapped just for this senario. It''s saved our butts more than a few times... Best to do what''s comfortable for you...

Ditto, I have extra gifts for this sort of thing. I agree; do what is comfortable for you.

 

[gailrmv]

That is a very good idea to have some last minute generic gifts on hand. I used to do this and got out of the habit. NEXT YEAR I will be prepared! This year I will send a nice thank-you note.
Thanks guys!

 

[bee*]

ooh I hate getting a last minute gift when I haven''t gotten that person anything, even if they don''t expect it in return. That generic gift thing sounds great-will have to do that next year.

 

[Steel]

Date: 12/24/2007 1:21:02 AM
Author: Kaleigh

Date: 12/24/2007 1:01:58 AM
Author:TanDogMom
Received a totally non-expected, but very much appreciated holiday gift today from a new friend... do I recipricate, or simply thank them and recipricate next year? We usually don''t exchange gifts w/ friends except a few so this is a new one for me!

Good question. We''ve had this happen. I have gifts wrapped just for this senario. It''s saved our butts more than a few times... Best to do what''s comfortable for you...

Ditto!

But Monarch has a great idea about the type of emercency presents to get.

Nobody wants to feel like they are getting an emergency or recycled gift. Yuck. [Eg. Ages ago DH and I spent a fortune in both time and money finding the perfect gifts for my brother in law and his young family, ages! He (BIL) then grabbed what looked like a hastily wrapped bottle of red wine for us and passed it off as our gift. DH and I do not really drink and have never drunk red wine, ever, not once! (And they know it!) We would have felt better if he didn''t bother or said money was tight or whatever. We didn''t expect a gift, never do, but that made us feel very unappreciated.

]

So if what you have doesn''t fit them don''t pass it off as a gift for them. Either say here is a little **insert gift** I bought in, you might like it for the holidays: We must catch up in the new year and I hope I can take you out to dinner/coffee or something....

 

[sera]

I transferred to a different location this year, so I wasn't sure what to expect in way of Christmas gifts. I got something from someone that I did not get anything for... and this group does more than I expected and more than I did (I wasn't even sure they would exchange anything). SO... when we come back from vacation I will bring in some goodies like cheese and cracker plates to share as a "welcome back" to kinda make up for it. I would just feel better if I did a little bit more than I did.

Next year I will do what Monarch does... JIC (Just In Case) Gifts.

 

[VRBeauty]

All great suggestions!

Another thing to consider is whether or not you want to start a gift-giving tradition with this person. This year I got a totally unexpected tea gift pack from someone that I don't really want to start exchanging gifts with. I had commented on the same set in his office and I think he just appreciated that someone noticed. Anyway, I reciprocated with a totally generic gift that I knew he'd appreciate nonetheless (a small tin of flavored almonds) which I hope he will take as a thank you, but not as the start of a new "tradition."

We've simplified Christmas gift-giving in my family and I try to keep it simple among friends and co-workers as well. That way I can give meaningful gifts to people I know well enough to give meaningful gifts to, and not bankrupt either my Christmas account or my time worrying about trivial things for people that I really don't know that well. I also have a tradition of bringing in substantial treat for the office in the week before Christmas as a way of sharing holiday joy with all of my immeidate do-workers. (In my case, a large can of smokehouse almonds.

Can you tell that I live in almond country?

)