Create Pampering Gift Baskets With NIVEA

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is shop for our Angel Tree names.  We try to choose at least one or two each year, and we involve the whole family in the process.  This year we added Angie’s Angels to our shopping list for tree names.  Angie’s Angels make sure that folks living in long term care facilities – folks that often are overlooked, many without any family – receive a few gifts for the holidays.  This organization struck a chord with me as a few of my relatives in the past have been in this type of facility.  When I was little my mother would make sure we’d stop by and visit other residents while we were there.  Most of them never received any other visitors; it was nice to be able to give them a little company.

I heard the call for Angie’s Angels on the radio where they shared a standard list of requests that they put in every gift bag.  It included deodorant, sweatshirts, magazines, and lotion.  The winter weather brings dry skin for a lot of us, but often the elderly are more susceptible than many others.

We shop at Sam’s Club at least two or three times per month and I had remembered seeing lots of big bottles of lotion there so when I set out last week to gather all my gifts, Sam’s was my first stop.  There were a lot of different brands of lotion to choose from but the one that caught my eye the most was NIVEA.  A few years ago I received a sample of NIVEA in a small blue tin and I’ve been hooked every since.  It’s a very luxurious-feeling lotion and makes my skin feel supple and smooth.

There were a lot of lotions to choose from, but after a little searching I found what I needed.  The NIVEA came in a large two-pack and after peeking past the first few that were in the front, I found some packages that included a small bonus lotion.  Of course that’s the one I chose!  When I put it in my cart I realized that the bottles of lotion were pretty big, probably more than my Angie’s Angel bag needed.  So I decided to make a second gift basket for A1.

As a Type 1 diabetic, dry skin is a common problem due to dehydration.  Add in the winter weather and the conditions for dry skin increase even more.   And it’s a little more worrisome for A1 than you or I.  For a diabetic dry, cracked skin can allow germs to enter and cause an infection.  High blood glucose feeds those germs and makes it worse, and can lead to serious problems.  A gift containing NIVEA lotionwould not only be pampering but it would be useful!

I picked a few more things up at Sam’s Club for my Angie’s Angels bag, like a deodorant I love, a magazine (magazines are up to 30% off the cover price there!), and a three-pack of cotton socks.  Cotton socks and gloves are a great way to seal in moisture after you’ve applied lotion.  Next I went to Walmart to get the rest of my supplies: a gift bag, a bath poof, a sweatshirt, a plastic bin, candles, and more.  Check out my entire shopping trip in my Google+ album.

Putting the gifts together was a lot of fun!  The Angie’s Angels gift went into a gift bag.  It included the NIVEA lotion, a pair of cotton socks, a cozy sweatshirt, magazine, and a couple of candles.  For A1 I packaged it in a purple plastic bin.  It was a bit bigger than what was needed for the gift items, but that way she could use the bin as a foot soak!  I’ve always read that it’s a good idea to put your lotion on skin that’s damp.  So she can prep her skin with the loofah, then pamper herself and have a little relaxation time, and finish up by applying the lotion and slipping on the cotton socks.

I think the finished products turned out nicely and I can’t wait to drop off my Angel Tree donation.  Giving #NIVEAmoments this holiday season is one way to give the gift of soft skin – and a smile!  If you’d like to see the #NIVEAmoments others are giving check out this Pinterest board.  I think you’ll find some inspiration for your own gift ideas.

To whom would you give the gift of #NIVEAmoments?

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Beiersdorf for NIVEA.  #NIVEAMoments #CBias #SocialFabric