Flowers vs. Keepsake Gifts and Gift Baskets

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, most gift givers will go the flowers route. Really, what holiday or occasion would beautiful, fragrant flowers not be appropriate? And who doesn’t love flowers? But will the flowers be remembered after the occasion? Sorry to say, probably not, especially in times of grief.

With flowers, there’s usually not a whole lot of thought and time involved in choosing them. That makes them an old standby. The novelty of receiving flowers wears off minutes after they’re put in a vase and placed on a table or on the kitchen counter, which is a sad reality for the gift giver who just spent a chunk of change purchasing them. Then, too, the recipient is left with another vase to add to her stockpile, until the stockpile is sold at a garage sale for pennies or put in the recycle bin.

In our challenging economic times, flowers can be a frivolous indulgence. However, the act of giving doesn’t have to fall by the wayside. Life’s events should be acknowledged and/or celebrated. One should be able to enjoy giving gifts, as usual, even if one is on a strict budget.

This is where standalone keepsake gifts and/or gift baskets come into play. At the Kindred Spirits Gift Shop, this is our specialty. We’re doing the legwork of choosing unique gifts -- and even doing the gift-wrapping -- so you don’t have to.

Now, we ask you: Would you rather your hard-earned dollars be spent on something that will be dead in a week and end up in the trash can, or would you rather spend your dollars on a gift that will be remembered always and cherished?

For your gift recipient to be able to enjoy a well-thought-out gift for many years to come, now that’s priceless!