What better gift for someone you love or care about than something you have made yourself or that is unique and personalized. Christmas can be such a commercialized time with stores offering all kinds of expensive items, but you know what I love best… is giving that gift that comes from the heart, the one that I’ve really put a little thought into, where I get so excited that I can hardly wait for that moment of delivery. Remember that half the joy of giving can be the joy you experience when you have made another person happy. Spend some time reflecting on that one-of-a-kind gift you received from someone special, that gift someone spent hours working on, getting the right fit, the right texture, the right light for that special photo, and at the end of the day didn’t. . no matter how much it costs to make the gift. What really mattered was the thought that went into the creation and the intention of the giver. So where do you start, what do you give? Here are a couple of tips I’ve found helpful when trying to decide what to give, when trying to find that personalized Christmas or birthday present:

1. Take note of those little things that have meaning to the person you are creating the gift for. For example, do you have a lot of family photos in your house? Do you like souvenirs, display arts and crafts in your home or workplace? Which is your favorite color? What is important to them? Are they aware of the environment? Do they have a community mindset? Which are your hobbies?
2. Give yourself at least 2 months if you are going to create something yourself. This way, you won’t be in a last-minute rush trying to finish the gift on time.
3. If you don’t have the time or creative flair to create that one-of-a-kind gift, there are many arts and crafts groups, stores, and websites that can help, inspire, or provide you with that one-of-a-kind gift.

We all know that laughter is contagious, that laughter is healing for the body and soul, because I believe that the euphoric state of joy that we experience as a result of the act of giving can also be contagious. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone around the world could experience the feeling of joy as a result of giving, not just once in a while, but on a regular basis? Culture and trends in society usually originate from one person, from a spoken word that sparked someone’s imagination and inspired someone to create something new, thus creating a new social trend, a new slogan, a new culture, a new dance step, a new, a new, again! Jazzy Jigsaws is one of those websites that I have come across that can provide unique and personalized gifts using photographs provided by their customers. Jazzy Jigsaws has been asked to create a photo puzzle of a marriage proposal, how can Julie say no to such a unique and fun proposal? Craig and Julie went a step further and ordered puzzle wedding invitations. Hmmm maybe we have a trendsetter here. Let’s spread the joy!