I’m June Calloway, and I write GiftPlume from Asheville, North Carolina.
For fourteen years I worked the gift-wrap and personal shopping desk of a department store. In December the line went past the escalator. People would put a box on my counter and tell me, a little embarrassed, that they had no idea if the person would like it. I heard the same worry from teenagers buying for their moms and from executives buying for their assistants.
What I learned at that counter is simple. A good gift is about attention, not money. The gifts people came back to thank me for were the ones that showed somebody had listened: the book by the author she mentioned once, the class he kept saying he would sign up for, the good knife for the person who cooks every night with a bad one.
I have also made every mistake on this site. I once gave my mother-in-law a bread machine. She does not bake. It lived in her garage for six years. When I tell you to avoid something, it is usually because I tried it.
What you will find here
The Gift Finder sorts 362 gift ideas for the person you have in mind. There are pages for each person on a typical list and for each occasion, with ideas in five budgets and the mistakes people make with them. The guides answer the awkward questions, like how much to spend on a coworker or whether you need to bring something to a dinner.
How I write the ideas
Every idea is a type of gift, not a product. I write “a good chef’s knife”, never a brand or a model, and I never quote a price. Prices change every week and differ by store. Instead, each idea sits in one or more budget bands that describe what you would spend. No company has paid to appear here. Some pages may have affiliate links to stores, and every page that has them says so right above the links. The Disclaimer explains how they work.
What I am not
I am not a certified etiquette expert, a counselor or a lawyer. The etiquette notes describe what is common in the US, based on years of watching people give and receive gifts and on the standard etiquette references. Families, regions and workplaces have their own customs, and those win. If your office has a gift policy, follow it.
Say hello
Spotted a mistake, or want a person or occasion added? Write to contact@giftplume.com. I read every message, and corrections get fixed.