Right now it isn’t hard to find the holiday spirit and to put others’ wishes and wants above your own, but check back with us in about a month and see where your spirit is. At Cardinal and the Dog, we are leading the charge to bring back thoughtfulness in 2023 - not just seasonally, but all year long. If you are tired of having to Google “unique gifts near me” because there isn’t anything new under the sun, you are not alone. But as you and I both know, it isn’t about how much you spend; it is about the gesture behind it. These are the new rules we are living by, and we encourage you to do the same!
Thank-You Cards Are Not a Thing of the Past!
It is hard to imagine a time when you didn’t send a thank-you card for people’s kindness and generosity. I get it - sending a thank-you card takes many revolving parts from buying the card to signing it to sealing and delivering it. But remember how much a card that used to come amidst the array of bills and other unpleasantries picked you up? If you want to brighten someone’s day, you don’t always have to find the perfect gift; sometimes it means that you have to go out of your way to put the energy and steps into doing something nice. No,
thank-you cards are not a thing of the past. Our objective is to bring them back to mailboxes around the nation and beyond!
Words of Encouragement Are Needed More Than Ever
Another thing that we simply don’t do enough of anymore is personalization. It is so much easier to send a text or an email to say “hi” to someone you either haven’t spoken to in a while or someone who is going through a rough time. When you send a text or email, it can sometimes feel as if the person has to respond, and the last thing you want is to make them feel obligated to reply. A card in the mail says “I care and I want nothing in return but for you to smile.” Take the time to go outside of email and text and send them a smile that is handwritten - something they know you had to set time aside to deliver.
Gifts Aren’t Obligatory
Somewhere along the way, gift-giving went from doing something nice to having to get something for an occasion. We are leading the charge to replace the intention behind gift-giving. It isn’t about buying something for something’s sake; it’s about finding something that lightens someone’s load, makes them happy inside, or makes their day a little brighter. Let this be the year that gifts have more meaning than the money you spent on them.
Measure a Gift’s Value Not by Its Monetary Value
The entire phrase “good things come in small packages” was designed to teach children that a bigger gift doesn’t always mean a better gift, but many adults still need to be reminded of that. Often, we think that we have to spend a lot for someone to notice how much we love them and how much we care. This year, change your mindset to understand that gifts aren’t a way to win the graciousness award or the “spend the most” award. Seeing something and thinking “I bet ___ would love this” is truly priceless and should be the force behind every gift given in 2023. The holiday season can make us all nostalgic about people and things that we don’t have anymore and are missing. If you feel as if the world is becoming a little too impersonal, you are not alone. The good news is that you can begin to bring back thoughtfulness and gratitude for you and yours in the year ahead by being mindful about how taking the time to acknowledge how much someone means actually means way more than writing a check for the biggest gift. If you Google “unique gifts near me,” we should certainly be on top of that list this holiday season and for many more to come!
Check out our website for unique gift ideas today!
