With Black Friday officially starting holiday shopping I hope everyone has already made their lists and given it to mom or Santa, but in case you have not done so yet, I’m here to help.
Former talk show host, Oprah Winfrey used to come to the rescue with her annual list of favorite things. If you were not one of the 15 million viewers in the U.S. that watched The Oprah Show everyday, you definitely missed out. Sometime around Thanksgiving, The Oprah Show would feature Oprah’s Favorite Things List. This list would tell us what items would make a good gifts this year and of course, in true Oprah fashion, she would give the audience members plenty of these gifts.
The Oprah Show is credited for the popularity of items like the “JLo” velour sweat suit in 2002, UGG Australia’s crochet boots in 2007, and Jay-Z’s book, Decoded in 2010. Gifts on Oprah’s list became so popular that businesses featured on the favorite things show often saw a significant boost in sales and traffic. This boost is commonly referred to as “the Oprah Effect” (Google it, you will be amazed). Now that Oprah is retired, I asked students around College Park for their gift suggestions for your parents, your boyfriend/girlfriend and even for yourself.
“I think a good gift for a student would be a MacBook Pro; everyone wants it, but not everyone can afford it,” junior finance and information systems double major, Steven Francis Xavier Lee said. Lee plans on getting his dad a shirt and his mom some type of jewelry. He thinks a good gift for a girl would be perfume, lingerie, or something thoughtful like tickets to a concert she wants to go to.
He also shared ideas on what a girl should get her boyfriend. “A good girlfriend would hook him up with a new game system,” said Lee. “A PS3 or new games like Madden would be nice.” The best gift Lee has received was a large sum of money from his uncle. His favorite part about the holiday is spending time with his family and after Christmas sales.
Senior economics major, Gentry Jones has a different Christmas wish. He believes that like him, students in College Park want a 4.0 GPA for Christmas. (It would be great to find A’s in our Christmas stockings). He says that money is the best gift to give because it gives them options and they are guaranteed to like it
. Jones suggests that girls get their boyfriends, “The Ipad2 or the Jordan XI sneakers, so he doesn’t have to wait in line [at the sneaker store].” He thinks people watched Oprah’s favorite things episode because she is reliable and therefore the products must be good gift. The best Christmas gift Jones has received was tickets for a cruise to Bermuda from his parents. He says his favorite part about the holiday is, “The holiday spirit, food, friends, family, and celebrating the birth of my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.”
Buying gifts can be rough on the wallet. This is why Marie Claire magazine listed “Budget Friendly Christmas gifts”. Their list included Barefoot Bubbly Rosé Cuvée ($11), Workman Publishing shoe calendar with different pictures of designer shoes like Jimmy Choo and Manolo for each day ($16), Brookstone coffee cup warmer ($25), and scarves. Another way to save is to give two gifts at once, by purchasing charitable gifts. For example, TOMS shoes gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased or the red Beats by Dre solo special edition HD headphones that are part of Product Red, which gives a portion of the proceeds to fight AIDS in Africa.
If you are still uncertain about what gifts to buy, ask your mom. After all, mother does know best. I asked my mother, Donna Waters, how she felt about Oprah’s favorite things episode and what she thinks most parents want. Waters said that her favorite part of Oprah’s favorite things was the audience’s reaction when they received gifts. She says, “Oprah allowed people to get things they would never in a life time received otherwise, she had people in tears.” My mom wants a new treadmill for Christmas because the one she has is over ten years old.
She thinks students should get their parents, “Something heartfelt and affordable, no parent wants an expensive give from their college student who can’t afford it.” Her advice for husbands when shopping was to think about what their wives want, not what they want them to have. She adds that jewelry, fragrances, books, and gift cards make great gifts. Waters’ favorite part about Christmas is that, “It’s a time when everything stops. I love that special quiet time of reflection and Thanksgiving.”
In the end, there is no need to stress when it’s time to go shopping or write your list for Santa. It is more about the gift of giving. The great feeling you get when you make someone else happy is worth more than the actual gift you are giving them.