In its special Diwali gifting series, The Mint focused on families giving away some unique Diwali gifts for friends and relatives. Anindita Ghose in an essay made mention of such off-beat gifting ideas. 

“What do you gift those who almost have everything they might need?” the writer asked, referring to the Sharmas - Jyotsana and Arjun – who decided to buy potted basil plants in lemon, camphor and tulsi varieties as Diwali gifts.

Their festive gifting plans reflect the austerity debate. But for them it’s more a practical option since the two increasingly find extravagant gifting a pointless exercise. Jyotsana testifies to the undesirable phenomenon of gift recycling. One gift she would though, never pass on is an orchid a friend gifted her. Nurturing it has become an engaging experience, which is why she chose to the green gifting idea.

She approached a local herb store to source their plants from a wide range of medicinal and exotic herbs. The couple opted for basil for its sociological ties with Indian tradition. In fact, the family has almost done away with the whole concept of gifting since the last couple of years. Instead it donates to charitable foundation.

Diwali is an occasion that prompts more donations, which would go to each family member’s chosen charity. Arjun supports Chintan, an NGO that is part of Project Arman. His mother, a doctor by profession, manages a charitable dispensary. Wife Jyotsana supports two animal shelters. A foundation named after Arjun’s father funds a hospital, temple and school in their native village. Every year, the dotting donors throw a party for the rag picking children after Diwali.

Instead of lavish gifting, the family tries to revive the tradition of get-togethers to strengthen the bonds of love. The message here is that, you can celebrate Diwali not just by splurging, but also by donating to charities, and going green. 

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Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated all over India and around the globe where NRIs are settled in larger numbers. Diwali, also known as ‘Deepawali’, originates from the word ‘deep’ meaning the light from a row of tiny diyas in order to brighten the lives of each and every one as well as to spread positivity around. In essence, Diwali is celebrated to spread the light of love and hope.

To add value to your gift giving ritual, The Mint publication unveiled more than hundred enterprising ideas. It carried a special edition of the Lounge section devoted entirely to the tradition of gift giving in Diwali.

A series of special features covered a whole gamut of ideas - from environment-friendly products and almost-free gift ideas to splurge-worthy goodie. The idea was to find festive bounty for every budget.

The introductory essay noted: “No matter how lean the year, this is not the time to scrimp. In fact, it’s the season for some serious retail therapy. That’s why we went shopping for some beautiful goodies. There’re price tags suitable for every pocket.”

They made a conscious effort to steer clear of the diyas and candles. Their list covered the whole gamut of items from nice eco-friendly products and jewelry to beautiful handicrafts and fabulous almost-free gifting ideas.

Enlarging the spirit of gifting and giving, the Lounge team noted: “We also believe Diwali is not merely about exchanging gifts. It’s also a time to share our good fortune with those who may not perhaps have as much. Hence they also covered various ideas on giving gifts that have the power to change lives.

The Mint accumulated for readers to gift your near and dear ones to bring smiles on their faces. Click on the link below to check about enterprising gift ideas:

http://www.livemint.com/2009/10/09203732/104-ideas-to-be-everyone8217.html#

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Salman and Aamir, the two Khan, have been generous to Kareena Kapoor. First about Aamir,..Kareena Kapoor always had a desire to do a movie with Aamir Khan. When it happened finally with Rajkumar Hirani’s production 3 Idiots, her joy knew no bounds. She though had never wanted to forgo her birthday bash not once but twice!

During Kareena’s last birthday, the 3 Idiots unit was doing a shoot in Ladakh. Bebo was very much part of it. And this year, around the same time, the final schedule of the movie was all set to start. Kareena’s birthday was just round the corner. Being a hardcore professional, not even once did she raise a hue and cry over it. In fact, it was the glamour media that made all the noise. This time, though the starlet was to receive a pleasant surprise.

Aamir himself stepped in and presented Kareena with a lovely birthday ‘gift’ – a break. If reports are to be believed, the actor personally requested Rajkumar Hirani to postpone the shoot so that Bebo was able to enjoy her birthday celebrations with her loved ones (No prizes to guess, who.)

Summing up the gesture, a news report stated: “Kareena couldn’t have probably received a better gift than the one Aamir gave her this year on her birthday.”

Salman Khan was even more generous; he gifted Kareena a Dolce & Gabbana bag (hold your breath) worth Rs 2.5 lakh, while the two were shooting in Australia for ‘Main Aur Mrs Khanna’.

A source was quoted as saying, “Salman accompanied Kareena on shopping one evening. She loved a Dolce & Gabbana handbag. When she was to pay up for it, she was told that it was already paid for. Salman had paid for it…”

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Raksha Bandhan sure is the most awaited occasion siblings look forward to. Apart from being an opportunity to show their deepest feelings for each other, the festival also presents an exciting opportunity to exchange heart-felt gifts. Insightful articles appearing in the mainstream newspapers tracked this trend.

Take a look what this ToI report has to say, “There has been an evident transition in the gifting trend on Rakhi. Forget those 1,000 bucks brothers dished out from their pockets. Rakhi gifting is much bigger now.”

Owing to several exciting promotions, the concept of gifting has clearly changed, Attractive sales ‘n’ deals are now arranged to lure discerning siblings on the eve of d Rakhi.

New Delhi based model-cum-DJ Barkha Kaul was quoted as saying, “Earlier it was only some cash sisters got from their brothers. Now things have changed. It’s more about showing off. One can say that sisters have become much more demanding because the advertising industry is getting stronger with several new packages and promotions designed for Raksha Bandhan. In my case, my brother being ten years younger to me and not earning yet, I didn’t really expect anything from him. Instead I like buying stuff for him.”

Another interesting report, titled ‘unique gift this raksha bandhan’ listed some off-beat ideas that brothers considered to please their sisters. Among them were gift ideas such as pampering package at the spa, an exclusive trip to foreign shores, a dental care package, a hamper with beverages, confectionaries, and health food items, as well as cell phone coded with vouchers that can be used to buy a wide range of items at various online and retail outlets.

Take the case of a new job aspirant Devarshi Shag who gifted his sister a unique spa experience at Udaipur’s Angsana Spa (Radisson Plaza). “She loves pampering herself, so I felt this would be the perfect gift for her,” the proud brother was quoted as saying.

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Corporate gifting, business gift baskets

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If you are looking to gift something interesting to a successful student, who has come out with the flying colors in the SSC examinations, a computer mouse would just be perfect! The tech savvy youth sure would love to do away with his/ her old mouse. Here, we suggest some good picks.

Microsoft has come up with a portable mouse. The Arc Mouse is an industrial design innovation, so to say, as it folds up like your flip phone. This feature makes it a perfect accessory to stow away in a laptop bag. It wirelessly connects to PC or laptop via a USB micro-transceiver.

The Arc Mouse can efficiently work even from as far as 30 feet. You will be better off going with a Bluetooth-connected mouse, if empty USB ports are scarce on notebook, something that you need to check with the person whom you wish to gift it. Thankfully, there is no complicated installation involved.

In case the recipient would like to customize the left and right buttons on it, the free software known as Intellipoint available on Microsoft’s website, can be of help. Or one can simply tweak some Mouse properties from Window’s PC options menu too. The mouse motion is decent with Arc - no jiggling cursor or those jumping around movements.

The Arc Mouse has a laser sensor, which smoothly tracks along across many surfaces like cloth and hard paper. Just to mention, it has a slight design flaw. The back button on its left side could have been a potentially useful one. However, it becomes difficult to reach owing to its positioning on the left side.

A battery status indicator is present between the left and right click buttons. Microsoft claims that the Mouse will work for over six months on just two AAA batteries, so the battery life is good. The Arc Mouse is available at around at Rs 3,000.

It truly fits the definition of a versatile and reliable pointing device for both laptop and desktop users. Other features that make it attractive are functional design and glossy paint finish with rubberized sides and underside. On the flip side, wireless transceiver consumes a precious USB port.

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Please, ‘weigh’ the consequences of your gift!

A husband was in trouble. Guess why; it was because he had forgotten his wife’s birthday. She was willing to let it go by if the husband made up for the mistake in the ‘right’ way.

She told him, “Tomorrow there better be something nice in the driveway for me, which goes zero to 100 in 10 seconds”.

The wife found a small package next morning in the driveway. She curiously opened it and found a brand new weighing scale.

‘Cheap’ husband’s gift

After being away on a business trip, Manjit thought it would be great to get a nice little gift for his wife so as to make her happy.

“How about a good perfume?” he asked at the cosmetics shop. The salesgirl showed him a bottle worth Rs 1000.

“That’s a bit too much,” said Manjit. She returned with another bottle for Rs 500. “That’s still quite costly for me,” Manjit complained again. Getting annoyed, the girl brought out a tiny bottle.

“What I mean?” said Manjit angrily, “It costs Rs 150. I would like to buy something that is really cheap.”

The girl handed him a shampoo pouch. It’s for you, baldie,” she shouted.

A precious gift, but is it for the real?

A guy got his wife a lovely diamond ring for Diwali. After coming to know about this rather extravagant gift, a friend of his remarked, “But I thought she was looking for one of those sporty four-wheel-drive vehicles.”"Yes, she did,” he replied. “But how and where was I going to find a fake Jeep, tell me?”

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Barbie sure is the most famous and treasure doll in the world. The coveted character just turned 50. The whole world including India joined in the frantic celebrations. And the party will go on right through the year.

Psychologists have debated whether Barbie advocated a highly consumerist lifestyle. She has also been blamed for her unnaturally skinny appearance, in comparison to other dolls available in the market. Some may love to hate the dazzling, but the fact is the adorable Barbie is still hugely popular.

The doll was first introduced in 1959. It still remains among the most popular icon of our times. Barbie has been everything - a career woman, a princess, a fashionista a dance diva and all what you can think of it to be. Her creator was Ruth Handler. The co-founder of Mattel wanted her to be essentially the young girl’s best friend. That’s what Barbie has always been!

Love Barbie or hate her, but do gift her. And a beautiful Barbie gift sure will invite a smile and cheer. You can consider Vera Wang’s adorable ‘bridal’ Barbie, in a white gown that comes with a black border, holding red flowers. It costs Rs 8,000 (exclusive of shipping charges).

To commemorate Barbie’s five decades of popularity, Roger Best was asked to design a doll especially for the milestone. Dressed in a pretty evening gown, in scintillating gold with sizzling sequins, a special bracelet and long earnings, she is available for just Rs 2,600. The bracelet is inscribed with “50” to mark the occasion.

It will be about a couple of months before Barbie arrives in India, it might be a wise move for even grown-ups to buy one and keep her in the closet. We tell you why? A mint condition Barbie of 1959 fetched $27,450 at an auction in May 2006. The same year, another Barbie went for £9,000. So, who knows?

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Here are some more ‘ridiculously stupid’ gift ideas that well fit the April Fool spirit from a sneezing, yawning monkey to a screaming rubber chicken. You can come up with ‘stupid’ gifts.

Slingshot Monkey
The Slingshot Monkey is a stuffed monkey that’s dressed like a superhero. It can fly up to at least 50 feet and scream along the way. Scary and funny, both in one go, isn’t it?

Mistletoe to Go
In the mood for love, but unfortunately, on the go? Turn to this portable mistletoe. This attractive arrangement of faux mistletoe carries a suction cup, which attaches to your forehead.

USB dancer
This bikini-wearing dancer can plug into your computer’s USB port & audio port and when audio files run on your system, she will dance and gyrate around the pole.

Get off the Phone Excuse Machine
If you’ve trouble getting off the phone from some unwanted callers, this small electronic device could be the solution. Press a button for ‘Whoops, there’s the door’ or ‘I can’t hear you, you are breaking up,’ and you can thus get off the hook, as the caller will get easily fooled.

Inflatable Moosehead
No need to go through the effort and expense of tracking down a moose and then shooting it dead when you can merely buy an inflatable moose head for the trophy wall. Show that you are brave, even if you are not!

Electronic Yodeling Pickle
The electronic yodeling pickle is a plastic pickle with a high-tech interior. When you opt to press the pickle’s button, it belts out a yodel that’s reminiscent of the Swiss Alps.

Poo-lar Bear Candy
It is a peculiar plastic polar bear, which one may choose to fill with candy poop so when one presses down on the bear’s hind quarters, he will poop out a tasty treat.

Tags: business gift baskets, Corporate gifting, Business etiquette, promotional products, promotional gifts, gifting india, Gifting events, Best corporate gifts, gifting etiquette, Best business gifts

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India’s most leading stores, malls and shopping chains have attractive Gift Voucher options on most festive occasions. Gudhi Padwa is no exception. Visiting the top shopping hubs and availing of gifting vouchers is not about self-indulgence alone. It’s a feeling of joy that you want to experience and share with your loved ones. Gift Vouchers make this possible.

You can wish your friends, relatives and colleagues on special occasions like Gudi Padwa by giving them attractive Gift Vouchers. Apart from celebrating personal milestones like birthday and a wedding anniversary, you also want to enjoy social occasions. Gift Vouchers make a perfect festival gifting option.

You may check the Gift Voucher plans on offer from shopping chains like Shopper’s Stop. A large or mid-sized corporate house can employ the Gift Vouchers as a tool to reward distributors/dealers and clients.

Some shopping chains have on offer M-voucher. It can be employed to pay for purchases made online without giving away credit card details. All one needs to do is just enter the mobile number and a few other details and authorize the payment with a pin number at the time of purchasing the voucher.

This is a perfect means of pampering someone close to you as it gives the latter the power and the freedom to pick something of his or her choice from a wide range of buying options like apparels, electronics, movie tickets, restaurant coupons. They can redeem the voucher the way they want and double their joy of festive celebrations.

Hypermarkets like Big Bazaar guarantee bigger value for your money through Gift Voucher offers. A buyer can select from an attractive product line including such as cosmetics, crockery, dress material, accessories, household appliances, luggage, toys and much more - backed by an excellent service that makes shopping a truly memorable experience.

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With a bit of planning and innovative thinking, you can ensure a fun-filled and romantic marriage anniversary.

Love tends to chart its own undefined course. Your marriage life also must have been filled with various intense moments and shades of emotions. Relive those memories and choose a gift so that he or she appreciates the time spent with you, your loving gesture and accepts the apparent or subtle message that your gift conveys the joys and even challenges shared by both of you.

A gift will mark the celebration of your relationship. Of course, tastes of different persons are understandably different; there is no such thing really as an ideal or utopian gift.

Instead of pushing that last-minute delivery of flowers or rushed reservation request at a restaurant, think of your gift well in advance and work out your gift idea and a romantic spot with some thought and planning.

Create the right mood; dress your bed eclectically. Decorate a vase on a bedside table; spread the fragrance with some fresh flowers. The idea is when your partner walks in, she or he will get a real surprise!

Buying a set of soft silk sheets in colors such as dark maroon, silver would make a good idea. It can be bought at any local linen or branded upholstery showroom. Make it a point to give him or her special anniversary gift to match your level of involvement and the intensity of your love. In fact, a deciding factor in what you gift should be how committed both of you are to each other.

A thoughtful gift is one that counts and brings smile on the receiver’s face. Take the effort to gift something your partner really aspires for. This well might be a genre of book or music he or she had mentioned to you. If the person loves collecting, get something worthy for the collectibles’ shelf.

Remember, it’s not about how much you spend to get the gift; it’s more about the gesture you make and the efforts you take to make a gift far more meaningful and personal. Gifts act as a perfect reflection of your sentiments towards someone special in your life.

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