gift ideas  (excerpted from Present Perfect)  

Deliver a batch of fresh-from-the-oven sweet rolls on a busy school morning, hot homemade soup or chowder on a cloudy day, or a pot of hot chocolate or wassail on a bitter winter afternoon.

Kidnap a friend for lunch or an afternoon of uninterrupted shopping. Arrange for care of her children, if needed (this would be a nice gift in itself).

Prepare a batch of cookie dough or homemade bread. Deliver it—with baking instructions—to a friend or neighbor and let him enjoy the aroma while the goodies bake.

Tuck a cheerful note into a bouquet of fresh flowers from your garden and give it to a friend who's feeling down.

Give an enlarged and framed photograph of the two of you enjoying a time together. Pen a brief message in the corner of the photo or engrave a thoughtful message on the frame. Or give an album filled with photos of a trip you took together or another event in which you both participated.

Assemble an assortment of birthday, anniversary, wedding, and other greeting cards and give them to a busy friend. Present them with a supply of postage stamps, a small calendar, and an address book.

Make holiday cookies for the neighborhood children. Decorate cloverleaves for St. Patrick's Day, hearts for Valentine's Day, ghosts or pumpkins for Halloween, flags or stars for Independence Day, and so forth.

Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion is filled with gift ideas for friends and everyone else on your gift list. In addition, you get tips on gifting etiquette, shopping, wrapping, special presentations, and much, much more. To order the book, click here.

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Have any friendship gift ideas you'd like to share?