Although living nearby to all
of your relatives can be a wonderful experience, unfortunately
this is not always the case and relatives are often separated by
vast differences. Sometimes you are forced to relocate because
of a job and sometimes you just move because you would like to
live in and experience a new city, state or country. Likewise
one or more of your relatives may opt to relocate for the same
reasons. Regardless of how or why it happened many of us often
find ourselves in a situation where our relatives may be spread
out all over the globe. This is a sad fact of life which makes
it more difficult to stay in touch and also greatly complicates
the Christmas shopping process. This article will take a look at
some of the dilemmas associated with Christmas shopping for out
of town relatives and will provide some strategies for dealing
with these dilemmas.
The financial cost and the hassle of shipping gifts is one of
the most obvious problems in this scenario. Items which are
large, heavy or fragile can be difficult to ship. For example
you may find a beautiful crystal vase that you know your out of
town cousin will love but you may be hesitant to purchase this
item because you are afraid it will be lost or damaged during
shipping. Even shipping small items can be a problem
particularly if they are items which would be hard to replace
such as collectors items or limited edition items. In these
cases it may be wise to stick with gifts such as gift
certificates for your out of town relatives. These can often be
included in a Christmas card and mailed with only the use of one
stamp. Although these gifts may seem unexciting it is much
easier than dealing with the long lines which typically exist at
any shipping location around the Christmas season.
Another problem associated with Christmas shopping for out of
town relatives is you may have a great deal of difficulty
selecting gifts for these relatives. You may have been very
close with the relative when they lived nearby but distance can
make it difficult to stay in touch and can result in emotional
distance between you and your far away relatives. You may be
unaware of her current hobbies and interests which can make it
difficult to select a personalized gift she will really
appreciate. Opting for more generic items such as sweaters or
scented bath soaps and candles is one way to deal with this
problem. Another way to deal with this dilemma is to make a
concerted effort to get in contact with your relative before you
begin the Christmas season. Whether you give them a call or send
an email or letter you will be opening up the lines of
communication which can give you some insight into their current
life and can help make it easier for you to select a great
Christmas gift she will really appreciate.
Even purchasing items for the home can be difficult when it
comes to out of town relatives. You may see a throw pillow or a
vase you think your cousin will absolutely love and which would
match her living room perfectly but you may be unaware that she
has redecorated the living room by painting the walls a
different color or purchasing new furniture to replace the
furniture you remember so well. This may seem like a big detail
but even if you have kept in contact with your cousin she may
have forgotten to mention she had redecorated. This can make
purchasing home related items for out of town relatives quite
difficult. You can help to alleviate this problem by purchasing
decorative items as gifts but including a gift receipt with the
gift when you ship it to your relative. This makes it easier for
them to return the item if it does not match their décor and
purchase a more suitable item. They will appreciate the gesture
of your gift as well as your thoughtfulness in allowing them to
choose an item that really works well in their living space.