"What did you get for me?" Navigating the holiday stress of gift giving
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Can we have a frank discussion about holiday gifts for a second?
Gifts can range from wonderful to awkward so what exactly should you be getting?
Well, I found an etiquette expert to guide us through the pitfalls of gift-giving.
First, if someone asks you what you want and you have an idea, tell them! Whether receiving or giving, Diane Gottsman said to be gracious.
Starting with the understanding gifting comes from the heart, what if you get a gift from someone you are not expecting?
"Don't feel like you have to start making excuses and say, 'Oh my gosh, it's in my trunk or it's in my closet or just saying thank you so much, how thoughtful,' that's it," Gottsman said.
She also said don't worry about timing. If you feel the need to reciprocate, you can do it at a later time.
"You don't have to match value for value because a gift is from the heart and everyone has different budgets," she explained. "This is not a competition so you give what you can do."
Don't worry about gift cards, either, she said they're okay with a personal note, but make sure they're specific to that particular person.
"Some place where they can buy whatever they would like, from groceries to a bicycle, that's always a safe bet," Gottsman said.
Gottsman also said if your family is in the growing stage, you can suggest a gift exchange, you can suggest only giving kids gifts.
If you didn't get a gift receipt for a gift, Gottsman said it's ok to leave the tag visible in case the person wants to exchange it later.
"Just make sure you mark through or cut off the portion that is the price tag," she explained.
Remember, no matter what the gift, "is a gift that they think you're going to want so say, 'Oh, thank you so much.'"
Again, be gracious, you don't want to offend the giver. If you are the giver, always voluntarily tell the receiver where it came from in case they want to return it.
It spares them from asking the question and avoiding the question "do you like it?"
Finally, she said that regifting is no problem, just make sure it's outside of the circle that includes the original gift giver.