Ask KQ Claus

[TurxSki]

But...fur shoes?
...you won't know you wanted them until you have them...serendipity and all that...

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[Meadow Skipper]

I feel like I'm stuck in Grammy's attic every time I read this thread. I am, admittedly, an amazing gift giver. Never been asked what I ever wanted once in my life, thus never received a remarkable gift personally.

Well C, what do you want?

[cravenmorhead]

I feel like I'm stuck in Grammy's attic every time I read this thread. I am, admittedly, an amazing gift giver. Never been asked what I ever wanted once in my life, thus never received a remarkable gift personally. But if you look into the soul of a person, you can see what they really want. Just approach that. It's not about money, or fur shoes or socks. It's all about connecting with intention to that person's soul. If you know them well enough to gift them, then you should know what they desire. Give them a taste and let them know that you get them.

Have you ever heard of the distinction between "ask" and "guess" culture? More here.

You've never gotten a "remarkable" gift, yet you think that if you look into somebody's soul you can see what they really want. That mentality is super frustrating to me (an "ask" person). My wife and I send each other christmas lists. We know each other well, but both of us think it makes more sense to ask for what we really want rather than just expect the other to intuit what we "really" want.

It's worth determining whether you're gift-giving for an "asker" or a "guesser."

[KQ]

It's worth determining whether you're gift-giving for an "asker" or a "guesser."

Yeah... i dunno about that ask/guess thing being all encompassing. In some situations I would consider myself an askser and in others I'm a guesser.

[dan_pdx]

What do I get for a coworker who helped me get my current job by giving me a referral to an opening in his department? I looked at gift baskets from Made in Oregon and Harry and David, and frankly, who wants 5 lbs of Tillamook cheese in the mail? If you want that, you can just get it at your grocery store. Any good ideas?

[KQ]

What do I get for a coworker who helped me get my current job by giving me a referral to an opening in his department? I looked at gift baskets from Made in Oregon and Harry and David, and frankly, who wants 5 lbs of Tillamook cheese in the mail? If you want that, you can just get it at your grocery store. Any good ideas?

well if you're talking cheese you could always get Cougar Gold - it is not readily available in stores. That said it's late to order. Might be out. Maybe you should go with a gift card to their favorite coffee place and a nice note written in a Christmas card.

Funny story about Cougar Gold. Someone I know has a friend who used to receive a tin every year for Christmas. Those of you who know this cheese know the ugly tin it comes in. Seriously the packaging is horrendous but it harkens back to WWII I think and it is a good way to preserve the cheese for travel. Anyhoo this woman had no idea what Cougar Gold was and the thought of cheese in a tin disgusted her so she just threw them away when they arrived. It wasn't until she was visiting someone who was serving Cougar Gold that she realized how good it was the error of her ways. Can-not-believe that for years she had simply tossed the cheese in the garbage.

[GoldMember]

^^ Yeah, and not a cheap throw-away, either. We usually have a tin or two of it around this time of year. Use it in a lot of different stuff. And I second it as a great gift, albeit hard to come by. I'm not sure if it's even available this year, Covid and all.

[dan_pdx]

Cougar Gold is a great thought, thanks! Looks like I can still order it, so I'm going to put in an order this weekend. Got any tips on smoked salmon or other salmon product that would stand up to shipping?

[KQ]

Cougar Gold is a great thought, thanks! Looks like I can still order it, so I'm going to put in an order this weekend. Got any tips on smoked salmon or other salmon product that would stand up to shipping?

make sure you tell them to try it before they toss it.

Portlock has smoked salmon products that travel well. Harry & David also carries smoked salmon.

[Diamond Joe]

Almost every Christmas since this thread started, I have used your ideas KQ and always had success. Kind of stumped for present ideas this year though.

Wife is mid-30s. Works from home (software sales support). Interests: makeup, exercise/fitness (modern barre, yoga) and stretching. And cats. She is getting into cooking a bit more lately but not sure I'd call it a "hobby". Also started getting into bird watching as a result of staying at home all the time this year, I bought her a high-end feeder as well as a quality pair of binocs for her bday... she is a coffee-holic too.. Any ideas for me?

[Meadow Skipper]

Cougar Gold is a great thought, thanks! Looks like I can still order it, so I'm going to put in an order this weekend. Got any tips on smoked salmon or other salmon product that would stand up to shipping?

Patagonia Provisions has some smoked salmon that’s really tasty IME, and ships easily.

[dan_pdx]

Patagonia Provisions has some smoked salmon that’s really tasty IME, and ships easily.

Thanks for the rec! I remembered these guys in Astoria and I'm going to get something from them if I can: http://www.josephsons.com/ They are super-local, which of course is nice. They also have some stuff like canned smoked sablefish that might not be that appealing, so I need to see if there's something that looks good.

[MakersTeleMark]

Well C, what do you want?

Gifts don't happen in my world, but I keep above my window a huge stockpile of thank you cards and many others thumb-tacked to my wall, personal notes of thanks. Those are true gifts as well, so I contradicted myself. But "things"? Nah. I'll take a big hug over anything. But if you are offering, I've got like 30 rolls of film I haven't developed yet. You could send them out and I would send you 10 prints. Chemicals and space are limited.

[Meadow Skipper]

Gifts don't happen in my world, but I keep above my window a huge stockpile of thank you cards and many others thumb-tacked to my wall, personal notes of thanks. Those are true gifts as well, so I contradicted myself. But "things"? Nah. I'll take a big hug over anything. But if you are offering, I've got like 30 rolls of film I haven't developed yet. You could send them out and I would send you 10 prints. Chemicals and space are limited.

PM me the details.

[KQ]

Almost every Christmas since this thread started, I have used your ideas KQ and always had success. Kind of stumped for present ideas this year though.

Wife is mid-30s. Works from home (software sales support). Interests: makeup, exercise/fitness (modern barre, yoga) and stretching. And cats. She is getting into cooking a bit more lately but not sure I'd call it a "hobby". Also started getting into bird watching as a result of staying at home all the time this year, I bought her a high-end feeder as well as a quality pair of binocs for her bday... she is a coffee-holic too.. Any ideas for me?

Re: birding
A family member gives me an Audubon Gift Membership every year. It comes with some nice benefits and a little bird window hanger (like fused glass). Here are some of what is included in the membership:

Gift Membership benefits include:
A full year of Audubon magazine, our flagship publication
Membership in your local chapter and free or reduced admission to Audubon Centers and Sanctuaries
Birding and community events happening near you
Timely, relevant news about birds, their habitats, and the issues that affect them
A powerful voice in the fight to protect birds, plus advocacy opportunities
Special offers and discounts available only to members


To go with that you can add a birding book or two. I've collected a ton over the years. The ones I like most are regional and books that have sections on planting to attact birds and/or how to build houses to attract specific birds.

Re: coffee

Walla Walla Roastery has some amazing coffee. Havest is their darkest blend. Pursued by Bear is a lovely medium roast developed in collaboration with the actor Kyle MacLachlan (Kyle is a Yakima native).

Re: Cooking

Whoo boy that could be a big rabbit hole. If we weren't in the middle of a pandemic I'd suggest cooking classes at a local kitchen store. Are you in the greater Seattle area? Sur la Table and PCC both have classes. Maybe you could buy a gift cert for a time when things aren't so "uncertain."

If you want to go outside the box for a unique gift I like to turn to Novica. A great organization that supports independent artists around the world. Gifts with a feel good bonus!

[KQ]

I plug this site all the time on here. Love their stuff and their cause. Their puzzles are particularly cool. The wine puzzle makes a fun addition to gifting a bottle (I've given this one to friends in the past).

Novica Games and Puzzles

BTW: Those of you looking for a new family game might consider Dominos. There is much more to this game than meets the eye take for instance "Mexican Train" (a "train station with dominos is sold on the Novica site). I would suggest also buying a book on the many variations of Dominos.

I have this book: Dominoes: Five-Up and Other Games

[MiddleOfNight]

If you're into puzzles, liberty puzzles are the meow of the cat. But I think they're about 45 days out right now.

https://www.libertypuzzles.com/

[Jax]

Always a good choice. Maybe some cool Stance socks could be an alternative.

My bf got me some stance cycling socks last year, they are awesome. I just asked him to get me another pair.

[tetzen]

Thinking about getting the S.O. a type of smart watch. She has an android phone, but not too sure where to start on these watches. I'd like one that easily tracks the health indicators and is simple to use. I think it needs to be useful for other messaging apps or similar functions. I suppose the key part I really want in it is the health indicator.

Anyone have some good/bad experiences with these?

[KQ]

Thinking about getting the S.O. a type of smart watch. She has an android phone, but not too sure where to start on these watches. I'd like one that easily tracks the health indicators and is simple to use. I think it needs to be useful for other messaging apps or similar functions. I suppose the key part I really want in it is the health indicator.

Anyone have some good/bad experiences with these?

I know nothing but .....

Smartwatch buying guide: Everything you need to know

What to know before buying a smartwatch

Best smartwatch 2020: the top wearables you can buy today

Your guide to buying a smartwatch in 2020: Everything you need to know

Consumer Reports Smartwatch Buying Guide

[Diamond Joe]

Thanks KQ

Stellar ideas as usual. Really like the Audubon membership, thats fantastic. Lots to think about at that Novica site as well.

[old goat]

C'mon KQ. We follow this thread for your excellent personal insight and taste. Anyone can google about smart watches. (And why don't they?) :--)

[KQ]

Tres cute! A gift I would be delighted to find under my tree:



Women's Ramble

[KQ]

C'mon KQ. We follow this thread for your excellent personal insight and taste. Anyone can google about smart watches. (And why don't they?) :--)

Hey don't be such a Grinch! You don't want to end up on the naughty list do you? I do what I can to facilitate. Sometimes the request if outside by wheelhouse so I research and do what I can.

[old goat]

Hey don't be such a Grinch! You don't want to end up on the naughty list do you? I do what I can to facilitate. Sometimes the request if outside by wheelhouse so I research and do what I can.

I'd love to be on the naughty list.