A new way to drop hints to get the gift you want
We don’t know about you, but there are some loved ones for whom we’d love to get just a hint or two about what to buy them as gifts. Plus, when our birthdays roll around, we find that by now, out of sheer necessity, we’ve perfected a wonderfully-polite-reaction-routine: ‘I love that you love to get me things you’d love for me to love, too! Thanks!’ Ok, so our line needs a little more work…
Even though our birthdays might still be months away, this year we’re putting a strategy in place well in advance! Thank you Sarah Gow for conjuring up MyGiftClues, a site that allows us to easily give clues and ideas to guide loved ones in the present-picking process…and hopefully receive some of their hints in return!
You can check out our clues here (hey, we’ll take presents where we can get them!); we’ve sprinkled them like proverbial breadcrumbs to keep our families on track whilst shopping. For our big brother who looks as uncomfortable shopping in a women’s department store as we feel just thinking about it, we’ve alluded to sporting goods. More specifically, we’re hoping he picks up on the new spin shoes we’re just itching to use in our evening cycling class.
For eccentric Aunt Kate and crochet-obsessed sister-in-law, we’ve desperately listed clues for boho Kate Spade rings and a subscription to BarkBox so that our dogs can get new toys every month instead of another crocheted sweater.
As for cousins, the struggling and broke college students in the family, we’ve included affordable items from places we know they already frequent, like fun wine bottle stoppers and glass charms.
It’s super intuitive. MyGiftClues is a free online social bookmarking site that allows you to curate and share gift hints and suggestions for any gifting occasion including Valentine’s Day (here you go, secret admirers, a list we created just for you), Mother’s Day, Secret Santa, Christmas and more.
You simply search for family and friends’ lists and clues and make a pick based on what you see. Lists and clues can be shared with loved ones via email, so they can choose something from your lists or use your clues to surprise you with a unique gift.
For example, Sarah tells us how her sister-in-law and she have made a cute tradition of exchanging gorgeously scented Molton Brown soaps for Christmas. With MyGiftClues, Sarah now knows what to pick out for her sister-in-law rather than defaulting to her own favourite scents.
MyGiftClues was an idea born to Sarah after a few events in Christmas 2012 that may sound all too familiar to our readers at Your Coffee Break. Over a coffee with a friend about to go Christmas shopping, Sarah was asked, ‘what can I buy my sister-in-law and my mum?’ to which Sarah answered, ‘well what are they into and how much are you looking to spend?’
Then, while admiring another girlfriend’s new handbag – a gift from her husband – Sarah asked, ‘wow, did he choose it himself?’ to which her friend explained that she had emailed him three ideas, and he had then chosen one – so it was sort of a surprise!
Incidents like these got the cogs in Sarah’s brain whirring. She thought about the presents she receives from people who truly want to buy something special, but simply didn’t know what to choose. ‘If someone wanted to spend £20 on me, I’d rather have a Chanel nail varnish than [flowers]!’ A fair point well made!
Armed with ideas, Sarah meticulously combimed her experiences with those of her friends and family to make MyGiftClues what it is today. ‘I figured that being able to make and share gift lists and clues was the way to go’, Sarah explains. Our husbands, our colleagues, our kids – everyone really – can simply look at our lists and choose what they want to buy, knowing they can’t go wrong!
Genius. Just genius. Now, hop onto MyGiftClues and give it a spin.
