How often to the gift people want to receive gifts from their friends I guess is what I'm asking.
i'm so not a gifts person either!
first of all, it is NOT the value of the gift that matters. don't ever think that an expensive gift is the best gift. if that's what the receiver thinks, then you should rethink whether you want this person as a friend. but i digress ..
how i tend to approach gift giving and frequency of gifts ..
i try to remember something about my last conversation with that person. if that person likes to bake, i might make some cookies and bring some over in a fancy gift box with ribbon. looks are everything. lol.
if that person isn't allergic to flowers, a bunch of fresh flowers always makes a girl happy. it brightens up someone's house. and flowers can be inexpensive.
i think for a gifts person, the message behind the gift is important. it's not about buying a random gift and giving it to that person. i think the gifts person is more touched by the thought behind the gift. the fact that you listened and you remembered something about them .. it creates that connection. that's the goal behind giving the gift.
then you can say .. hey, i remember when we last spoke, you mentioned that your living room needed a makeover. i thought maybe these flowers would help brighten up your living space.
when you put it that way .. it shows that despite what you are going through, you were listening to them. you are thinking of them and it's genuine. everyone knows you're going through a tough time right now and you still think of others.
frequency .. i'd say maybe once every few weeks. depending on how close you are with the other person.
i don't bake all the time for my co-workers. but i'll bring in random snacks to share. i have been baking a lot for my family. it's my way of thanking them for their support. it's been tough on them. my thoughts behind my baked goods is that my sister is going back to school and so are my nieces .. so it'd be nice to have something for them to pack in their lunches. i don't explicitly say "thanks for supporting me through this tough time" .. when i say that, i'm drawing attention to ME and my sitch. i want this moment to be about them for a change .. my sister going back to do her masters - it's huge! i'm going to make it about her. my nieces are starting 3rd and 4th grade .. i'm going to make it about them.
that's the D4MIL philosphy on gift giving. hope this helps.
