Be Prepared: the Gift Shelf

Here's a handy tip for anyone who will be giving a gift in the next 12 months: the gift shelf.

It can technically be a drawer or a cupboard, but the point of the gift shelf is to (a) keep a stash of ready-to-give presents for use as needed and (b) have a designated place for presents you have pre-purchased for someone specific.

This is a place to store:

• Potential gifts you bought on sale - Go for that buy-one-get-two-free deal if the item is potentially giftable!
  
  
• Presents you bought while on vacation - Please: no straight souvenirs (gold-plated buffalo chip, anyone?) or "My friend went to blah blah and all I got was this lousy tee shirt" shirts! But if you find some great indigenous arts and crafts, it's cool to stock up. Go for usable items (scarves, bowls, serving utensils, jewelry, etc.) as opposed to objets d'art (unless you are sure your giftee will love the statuette or other chotchke, it will inevitably fall into the dust catcher category). On the other hand, if your friend collects pencil sharpeners or snow globes or sugar spoons from around the world, go for it -- and keep your goods on your gift shelf.
  
  
• Presents you purchased in advance for someone specific - I hid my husband's birthday present so well from him (and myself) last year that he didn't get the gift until three weeks after his birthday...really should have used the gift shelf...
  
  
• Regiftable items - Gifts you received but don't want or need...bear in mind that it's a good idea to put a Post-It note on the item to remind you who gave it to you in the first place.
  

What's on my gift shelf? Bottles of wine, cute kitchen towels, knit scarves, Chico bags, books, makeup bags, traveler coffee mugs, Bananagrams, vases, CDs, candles, garden chimes and some crystal bells. There is no guarantee that any of these will be appropriate gifts for my next gift-giving opportunity, but my shelf is a good place to start if I am looking for a birthday present or hostess gift.

The truth is, there is no denying that Christmas or Hanukkah will come around again...and chances are very good that you will still be on speaking terms with your friends and family members when their birthdays roll around (which they will). The gift shelf will help you get a head start on great gifts!

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