The Perfect Gift

Is both thoughtful and unexpected. It doesn't need to be expensive (but a girl will never turn down a great piece of jewelry!).

In high school mix tapes fell into this category, and then in college it was CD mixes. They consisted of songs that genuinely reminded the giver of you, whether they were some of your favorites or songs you'd never even heard before. It was one of the more thoughtful and economical gifts you could give a person.

I have learned about some of my favorite musicians from these mix tapes/CDs (Travis, Coldplay, Keane). I still have one friend who regularly makes CDs for her friends/family, but buy in large the introduction of mp3 players has taken away the need for these kind of gifts to be given, because no one needs CDs anymore.

So in an age where these seem to have become a thing of the past, what do you do when you have no money but want to give someone a great gift? You could make something, but many people are not crafty. If you're a great shopper, you can always score a great deal. And sometimes, you just get lucky, and the perfect gift falls in your lap.

I recently received possibly the best gift ever. It was thoughtful, unexpected, and economical, and allowed me to make a complete ass out of myself for one evening (which is one of my favorite things to do, anyway). My New England Patriots helmet (given to me by a Giants fan, no less) was handed to me completely wrapped (so I had NO idea what it was, haha) and brought joy and laughter to all those around me. Wearing it made me feel both ridiculous and yet totally unique. At face value, it's just a helmet, but just looking at it now reminds me of one of the best nights of my life, and how incredible each and every one of my friends are.