Small, Helpful Gestures With Big Impact

Show you care: Even a simple act of kindness can make a big impression.

Personalized Gift Ideas

For Weddings

"Right after my neighbor’s wedding, I made a mini-album of the photos I took. The next morning, I gave the newlyweds the first pictures of their nuptials. One caught them hand in hand on the beach. They loved it."
 ―Marcia Blackwell, 44, Long Branch, New Jersey
 

• Frame the wedding invitation and give it to the bride and groom after their honeymoon.
• Pack up a small cooler of Champagne and leftover wedding cake so the couple can enjoy what they probably missed the night before. 

 

For Births

"The journal I received at my baby shower meant the world to me. Each guest wrote two pieces of advice: one to me on being my son's mother and another to my son on having me as a mother. It was a hilarious and touching gift to me (and my son!)."
―Rebecca Sample Gerstung, 33, Chicago
 
 

• Gather newspapers with the baby's birth date, and some current magazines, and make a time capsule for when he gets older.
• A new mom hardly has time to shower. Drop by before you start your day and watch the baby while mom cleans up―15 minutes is all she needs.

 

For Graduations

"When I give a gift to a graduate, I include a 'To Whom It May Concern' letter―a recommendation the grad can use when needing a reference."
―Robyn Spizman, 54, Atlanta
 
 

• Dig up one of your graduate's grammar-school report cards and include it inside a card. It will be fun to see how far she has come. (Plus, she can see if critiques like "Talks out of turn" still apply.)
• Call a pizzeria or burger joint in the high school graduate's new college town and prepay a tab or buy a gift card.