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(ARA) – Anyone who’s opened a Valentine’s gift box only to discover sweat socks or cookware -- or who’s given a gift that elicited “How … nice” -– knows that gift giving is an art. But gift giving doesn’t have to be a disappointment for the recipient or the giver as long as the purchaser follows the “four S’s” -– “simple, sweet, sentimental and sensitive.”
“You don’t have to spend a lot -– although expensive gifts are always welcomed –- as long as your gift clearly says ‘I’ve put some thought into this gift because I really care about you,’” says Glenda Lehman Ervin of Lehman’s old-time general store. “The key to finding a great gift is to think about what will really please someone and make them happy.”
If a gift fulfills the “four S’s” then it’s sure to be a winner. There are several types of gifts that are likely to meet all four requirements. Ervin, a connoisseur of the art of gift-giving, offers the following advice:
* Give something that will remind your loved one of a sweet memory from childhood.
“If your sweetheart fondly remembers sitting beside her father while he made ice cream in an old-fashioned freezer, then an ice cream maker that evokes that memory can be wonderful gift,” Ervin says. “Collaborate with her Mom to find a picture of her and Dad making ice cream. Enlarge it at a photo kiosk, put it in a pretty frame and place that picture on the outside of the wrapped ice cream maker.” Lehman’s carries the kind of old-fashioned ice cream freezers that have been popular since the 1800s.
* Help her with a much-loved hobby.
“Garden tools may not seem like a romantic gift,” Ervin notes. “But if your loved one really enjoys the relaxation and health benefits of gardening, then any accessory that makes her hobby more enjoyable is a great gift.” You can give a practical gift a romantic flair, as well, she says. For example, what gardener wouldn’t love a galvanized watering can? You can add a touch of romance to the gift by filling the watering can with water-related feminine delights such as body wash or lotion, bath beads, scented candles and other luxurious bath accoutrements.
If she’s a baker, you might find a gift that both helps her with her hobby and evokes a childhood memory. “People tell us they love our old-fashioned Pie Bird because they remember their grandmothers using one just like it,” Ervin says. The blue enameled bird sits in the middle of a double crust pie, allowing the steam to escape and preventing the pie from cooking over.
* Put a personal twist on a reliable Valentine’s Day gift, like flowers.
“Every woman loves flowers for Valentine’s Day, but if you hesitate to give such a transient gift, why not present the flowers to her in a container that will be a keepsake?” Ervin says. “For example, she may remember that her grandmother had a lovely pitcher in red speckled enamel. You can find exactly that kind of old-fashioned ‘Granny Ware’ on our Web site. Pick out a pitcher and have your local florist use it to create an arrangement of her favorite flowers.”
For more simple, sweet, sentimental and sensitive gift ideas this Valentine’s Day, visit www.lehmans.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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