I love to surprise a friend or family member with a special gift. It is so fun! However, I do not like to shop, and I do not have the skill needed to match a specific person with a specific gift, and I am tired of giving generic gift certificates. SO . . . what can I do?

Oh!  I know. I will ask family and friends to fill out a “Getting to Know You Better” sheet where I ask about their favorite hobbies, foods, sports teams and so on.

What’s listed on this type of survey? Well, it is up to you! This is an example of the survey I created: Getting to Know You Better. Notice that I asked about their favorite items but also invited them to share answers to questions that would help me get to know them better.

Along with the survey, I sent a note that said:

Hi Mary.  I want to know you better AND also it would give me great pleasure to be able to surprise you occasionally with a gift; however, I first need to know your “likes.”

Please help me surprise you by filling out the attached form.

Looking forward,

Karen

Wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend

I recently received the first eight completed surveys, and I had so much fun reading them! Now I know one friend loves York Peppermint Patties, one of my sons appreciates gift cards to Quality Car Wash, another person enjoys Volcano Candles, and someone else loves breakfast at Early Bird. These are little details I never would have known, and now I have a list of ideas for surprising the people I love. Try it—you may discover wonderful things about the people in your life, too.

You can send a handwritten note, email the survey, create a simple Google Form, or even ask the questions in person—perhaps as a grandparent visiting grandchildren or an aunt talking with nieces and nephews.

Personalized gifts become expressions of care. May your “Getting to Know You Better” survey help you create meaningful surprises, deeper relationships, and lasting memories.

God bless.