Foolproof Thank You Gift Idea

I was visiting with a dear friend yesterday when she asked if I had any ideas of how to thank people who had helped her daughter get into a certain prestigious pre-school in Manhattan — not quite the equivalent of getting into Yale, but close. She was trying to figure out a way to incorporate the name of the school into the gift but we were both drawing a blank. Then it came to me … buy something really nice dollar-wise that’s generic and then personalize it with a child’s drawing. Thoughtful plus pricey guarantees you’ll please all personality types. 

Organic Structures like my friend put a great deal of thought and care into gifts and notes as do Classic Freedoms. She had already thought some expensive wine would fit the bill, which in Manhattan means north of $100. (Sherry-Lehman is an excellent place to find such a thing if you don’t have a really great, trusted wine shop near you.) However, my friend also knew a generic bottle of wine whether $100 or $500 still didn’t demonstrate the right level of appreciation or thoughtfulness.

Classic Structures, Smart Structures and Smart Freedoms might be rolling their eyes at this point since a $500 bottle of wine should speak for itself. If you were to give one of these folks a child’s drawing, they might look at it and wonder how you’re going to pay for the price of tuition if you can’t afford a thank you gift. Kidding. Well, maybe only a little. The point is when you don’t know the recipient’s personality type, you might spend $500 on a bottle of wine only to have this person be an Organic Freedom who didn’t think you put much thought into the gift or vice versa for some home spun gift. The idea for the child’s drawing — perhaps on the front of the thank you card — with the expensive wine ensures that whomever receives it will be delighted.