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There are times in life when you really want to thank someone, and words just don’t seem strong enough to express the sentiment. Maybe a friend spent all day Saturday helping you move into a new home, or maybe someone just helped you land your dream job. You can give them a call to say thanks or drop a nice thank you card in the mail, but if you want to do a little something more you might send a gift. The question is, what do you send? The best thank you gifts aren’t extravagant or expensive. They tend to be fairly simple. Sometimes, they are thoughtful and personal but often times they are really just small tokens of appreciation.
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Best Thank You Gift Ideas
Something decadent to eat
Food is a great place to look for inspiration when thinking through the best thank you gifts. Perhaps this category does so well because it’s universally enjoyed. If the person that you are thanking has a sweet tooth, you might send some chocolates or cookies. If you happen to be a baker, sending something fresh baked can be a particularly nice way to show your gratitude. Honey or maple syrup can be great as well. Not the regular stuff that you find at the grocery store but something straight a farmer’s market or country store. For the more health conscious set, a fresh fruit basket is sure to bring a smile.
Alcohol, a spectacular social lubricant in every sense of the phrase. Nothing says thank you like a fine bottle of wine. Of course, if the person that you are thanking prefers scotch or some other beverage, then by all means go with that instead. With the growing popularity of craft brews, you might even send along a few IPAs. For the teetotalers among us, coffee beans or tea leaves can be a very nice expression of thanks as well. On a related note, here are plenty of gift ideas for wine and coffee lovers.
Decorations galore
Have you ever heard the expression say it with flowers? Well that’s because flowers are an absolutely wonderful way to express just about anything from I’m sorry, to congratulations, to thank you. Believe me, as someone that frequently has to apologize, these things tend to go much better if there are flowers involved. Flowers seems to exist for the sole purpose of making people happy. Great looking and wonderfully scented, it’s hard not to be just a little bit happier when flowers are around. Plants are a close relative and also one of the best thank you gifts around. Some people opt for plants because they tend to last a bit longer. Flowers bring a lot of joy but it’s fleeting unless you find some that bloom every year. Candles can be a great thank you gift as well. Basically, the theme here is small items that look and/or smell good.
What came up in conversation?
Maybe you’re thanking someone for hosting you at their home for a couple of days, or for something else where you ended up spending a good chunk of time together. Think back to the conversations that you had when you were together. If they happened to mention something they liked or wanted to do, this can be a great think to key in on for a gift. Do they love the Red Sox? Maybe some tickets to a game are in order? Did they mention how cool they think the new Echo is? Why not send one their way? Are they blown away by the latest Tesla? Ok, maybe this line of thinking has its limits. Still, some of the best thank you gifts have a slightly personal touch to them. Don’t stress out too much though if nothing comes immediately to mind though. Really, it’s more about the gesture than it is about the object.
Sometimes the best thank you gifts are gift cards
Gift cards get a bad rap in the world of gifting. People often think that they are a cop out or that they lack thoughtfulness. On the one hand, they don’t require as much thought as other gifts. But, when it comes to saying thank you, it’s really all about getting someone a small token of appreciation rather than doing an exhaustive search for the best thank you gifts and picking the perfect one. Besides, there is no reason that you can’t be a little bit thoughtful when getting someone a gift card. Just try and make sure you get something that they like and will find useful. Maybe it’s a Starbucks gift card or some other place that they regularly frequent. Or, maybe it’s a gift card for a massage or some other special treat.
Hope that these ideas are helpful. Happy gifting!