Customer Reviews

The Giftionary: An A-Z Reference Guide for Solving Your Gift-Giving Dilemmas . . . Forever!

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to disagree with the reviewer who said the gift ideas were "tacky." "Corny" is the word I would've used. Virtually every idea in this book involves including a note with a bad pun with your gift. That would be OK, if the note were optional. The problem is, most of the gifts don't make sense without the note. If you leave out the silly note that says, "Sorry I've been driving you nuts," just imagine the confused look on the face of the person to whom you just gave a bag of mixed nuts.

There are a few genuinely good ideas here, but not enough to make the book worth the price, or to justify having it take up valuable bookshelf space. I'd advise checking it out of the library, sneaking a peek at the local bookstore, or as a last resort, buying it used.

A great many of the gift ideas in this book are tacky and tiresome to wade through in order to find the really thoughtful ideas. I'd prefer a much smaller book without the corniness, in which case I'd give it a five-star rating. If you look at the "look inside" pages on Amazon you will see what I mean about tacky ideas, and yes, the whole book is that way. Please judge for yourself if that style suits you.

For me, tacky gifts may be appropriate in some situations, but if I really want to warm someone's heart with my gift then tacky is not it. Giving your special lover some mints with a note that says "we were mint to be together" shows the person how clever you are with puns, but so what?

Reading the book was a little like watching a sitcom with a laugh-track. Kind of entertaining and clever, but a little tiresome. The reason I shelled out money for this book in the first place is that I wanted to learn how to embarrass myself with kindness when I give gifts, not merely to give people a few chuckles and some junk for them to throw out after the joke wears off.

This book was everything I'd hoped for - and more. When I first heard about it I was interested to see just how creative gift giving can be. My husband is so difficult to shop for and I felt like I've exhausted all of my options over the years. And following the holiday rush, I felt burnt out on buying gifts and fresh out of ideas for upcoming birthdays, anniversaries and other assorted gift-bearing occasions. The Giftionary really came to my rescue and opened my eyes to a whole new way of expressing myself through gift giving. Gone are the days of trudging through the mall for hours on end only to escape with another unoriginal, dreadful sweater or impersonal gift certificate. Robyn Spizman gives thousands of unique tips on how to really personalize your presents and show the giftee that you put a lot of thought and heart into the gift. What I love most about her unique tips is that they focus on the cute, memorable little details, like heartfelt poems and touching words that accompany each gift so you make a statement not by impressing people with the cost of an item, but by being thoughtful enough to make each gift meaningful with a message. I highly recommend this book for anyone in search of fun new ways to shower people with great gifts for every occasion imaginable. Overall, it's a very clever, super helpful guide that I'm sure I'll refer to over and again for years to come.

This is the ultimate reference guide for gifts for every occassion. Not only does the author provide the right gift, she gives you the right words to go along and make each gift extra special. Ideas such as sending someone 100 new pennies to apologize for something and tell them you promise you'll make more cents next time or sending bubble gum to say that your're sorry you blew it -- the very reason I am not sharing that chapter with my husband so I can start apologizing in style! This is a must-have book for every gift giver. I am taking one big piece of the author's advice on keeping a stocked gift closet with favorite CDs, knick-knacks and books and keeping copies of The Giftionary to give to all my friends.

This book is nicely organized, it's easy to browse and find just what you want. There are certainly some very thoughtful, original gestures throughout; considerate ideas you likely wouldn't think of if you were not in the recipient's situation. But like a previous reviewer said, there are also plenty gift ideas that rely on a pun for a crutch, like pinning a heart charm to your shirt to "wear your heart on your sleeve."

I blog about gift ideas every day at [...], and so I am constantly looking for inspiration. A couple gift idea books I've found helpful are Sarah Weidman's Gifted and Dawn Bryan's The Art and Etiquette of Gift Giving. Though all have their benefits and drawbacks.

I like this book. I think she has some clever ideas. I can't wait to use them in the New Year. I love to give unique gifts. My friends and family have come to expect it and now I have some new ideas to use! Thanks Robyn.

The Giftionary is the perfect solution to any gift giving dilemma. I always want to give people gifts that are both appropriate for the situation and fun, but have a difficult time coming up with just the right gift. The Giftionary solves this problem by providing hundreds of creative gift ideas to choose from. It's a relief to know that I'll never have to worry about choosing gifts for people again. I highly recommend this book; definitely one of the most useful purchases I've made in a long time!

The GIFTionary is the greatest gift giving guide I've seen. The book is broken down in easy to find alphabetical categories so I was able to find the exact category I was looking for. Robyn Spizman offers gift suggestions for everything from thank you presents to "I'm so in the dog house" gifts, and even includes a chapter of the perfect quotation to accompany each gift. The gifts she suggests are original and not something I would have thought of on my own. This book not only gave me a great idea for a present, but it also saved me a lot of time that I would have spent trying to imagine up the perfect gift idea. I would love to receive any of her suggestions on a special occasion.

This book is a necessary tool for any person who loves to give meaningful and fantastic gifts.

I am really glad to have The GIFTionary to help me with gift giving ideas. Each section is full of suggestions that I will certainly use. I get excited in just reading about all the clever things one can do to show others that they care. I can't for my next occasion to give a gift. Thank you Robyn Spizman for creating this amazing book!

The Giftionary is the perfect solution to any gift giving dilemma. I always want to give people gifts that are both appropriate for the situation and fun, but have a difficult time coming up with just the right gift. The Giftionary solves this problem by providing hundreds of creative gift ideas to choose from. It's a relief to know that I'll never have to worry about choosing gifts for people again. I highly recommend this book; definitely one of the most useful purchases I've made in a long time!