I am almost completely done with my holiday gift list except for Dan, the boyfriend. Now here comes the tricky part. Since we live together hiding presents can be very difficult. Heck, I can’t get something delivered in a box this season that doesn’t get the “is that a present for me?” out of the boy. After much anguish trying to hide gifts last year, having gifts found before the big day and, ahem, losing gifts in my apartment because they were so well hidden I decided to throw together a short list of ways to keep your gifts a mystery to your live-in lover.
1. ONLINE SHOPPING? GET PACKAGES DELIVERED TO AN ALTERNATE ADDRESS: This one is easy for me personally. I work in a small office in Union Square NYC so having packages delivered there is relatively simple, easy and safe. If you want to have packages delivered to your office make sure your office manager or receptionist knows that they should be expecting packages for you. If not she might have that iPhone 4S that you are getting for your sweetie incinerated for fear of package-borne anthrax. No not really, but it is nice to give him or her a heads up that they can expect a little extra work signing for deliveries. Bonus if you are the receptionist at your office – you don’t have to tell anyone anything! Score! Besides the office, you may also live close to your folks or a sibling. Ask if you can have packages sent to their homes for you to pick up later. If you don’t have anyone near you, you can ask a friendly neighbor to help out.
2. ONLINE PURCHASE, IN STORE PICK-UP: Now this is one of my favorites! Let me paint a picture for you – your partner really, really wants [insert hot tech product here] for the holidays. You find said ‘hot tech product’ for a great price online at Best Buy. For some crazy reason* when you physically go to a Best Buy the same product is about $30.00 more expensive. That’s whack! Obviously you are going to buy it online, but, oh no UHG you have no options from #1 to ship the gift! Also, ew, $9.95 for shipping! Whatever shall you do? If you are lucky enough to have a Best Buy close to you, you can cleverly buy the item online and opt to pick it up ‘in-store’. This eliminates s/h costs and allows you to put the Best Buy purchase in a Victoria’s Secret bag to take home so partner is none the wiser… Oh come on! You know you’ve done that! Anyway, many big name stores have similar online/in store situations including Apple, Nordstrom, Sears and even Lowe’s! I suggest scoping out the site to see if you have the option. Many places try to hide it so if you can’t find it, try Google-ing for more information.
3. Ok, now you’ve got your booty – where do you stash it so your lovey doesn’t accidentally or “accidentally” find anything that you’ve bought for them? If you’re lucky you can keep your holiday gifting loot at your parental unit’s home, you can keep it there. Preferably in your old bedroom closet. Like I do. Dan, if you’re reading this, my mom knows you’re not allowed to snoop! If you don’t have parents close by, I have a few other tricks up my sleeves. Empty suitcases under the bed or in a closet make for great storage space. Fill them up with gifts and you’ll be crafty and using space efficiently! Similarly I have used empty shoeboxes as hiding places. Bureau drawers are a good place to hide small items. Dan is generally frightened to touch any of my clothes for fear of ruining something I love to wear. He stays clear away from my clothes. Linen closet stuffed with extra sheets and towels? Shove some of your loot behind your extra linens. If your Sig Other is anything like Dan he or she would never think to change the sheets on the bed alone! No no that’s what you are for doncha know?
4. WRITE DOWN WHERE YOU HAVE HIDDEN GIFTS: Please, please, please do this. I cannot tell you how many people (myself included) have “lost” gifts in the gift hiding frenzy only to be discovered much later. Like July later. My parents famously forgot to give me a dollhouse one year because it was so well hidden…
5. WRAPPING GIFTS ASAP: Now this one is rather annoying if you’re a busy working woman (or man!), but on the advice of my mother, wrapping gifts as soon as you buy them is literally the best ever. Not only does it ensure that your gift is concealed beneath the wrapping, but it makes wrapping gifts a lot easier. You know what I mean, we’ve all been there on Christmas Eve frantically wrapping for EVERYONE you know and love. Guests coming over for Hanukkah? You naturally waited until an hour before to wrap party favors and gifts. Oy! But if you had wrapped each present the day you made the purchase you would only be wrapping a few gifts at a time. Now when your winter festivus rolls around you are not running around in your silk and taffeta with raglan and tape stuck to you! You have more time to devote to family and guests. And, of course, your Better-Half.
I hope you learned some new tricks to keep those prying eyes off your gifts. Now just as a gesture of karma – stop looking for your gifts around the apartment!
Ali this is too funny! Very good advice, particularly the "write down where you hide it" bit. I lost my father's day present this year, which ended in a grumpy house stomping around tirade about why I even bother. This year I am employing a wrap immediately strategy- so far, so good!
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