Research has found that comfortable and familiar things from the past can have a powerfully reassuring effect on us, especially when we might feel left out and crave a sense of belonging.

A scientific study recently published in the US’s Journal of Consumer Research, explains why despondent consumers often reach for nostalgic products or images to lift their spirits, rather than their more contemporary counterparts.

This can come in the form of old TV shows and movies, food, drink and other treats, books, car brands and even commonplace items like shampoo and shower gel. In each case the consumer is searching for an emotional crutch rather than the fulfillment of a more practical requirement.

The study’s authors, Katherine E. Loveland and Naomi Mandel from Arizona State University and Dirk Smeesters from Erasmus University in the Netherlands experimented with different situations that were designed to make some participants feel left out. The excluded participants selected nostalgic products over contemporary products, in surprisingly direct proportions to their feelings of needing to belong.

So when do people feel left out? It depends of course on their basic personality, but typical one gift occasion when people feel a real need to belong are housewarmings, when they’ve moved somewhere new and literally need to feel they’re part of the community. Home-baked cakes and cookies always go down a treat.

For others, it could be Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, particularly if the parent is divorced or widowed. This is not the time to buy them something funky and new, but something reassuringly familiar. Is that why retro kitchen appliances are so popular?

While mothers are busy getting all the baby gifts, some fathers can feel left out when their child is born – as can the older siblings. A fun item that harks back to their golden years can go down very well.

Have you ever sent a gift basket? If you have, who was it for? What was the gift occasion ie a new baby, Christmas, a housewarming, engagement gift or Mother’s Day – or was there some other reason you wanted to celebrate?

If you’ve never sent one, what items would you include? Chocolate? Champagne? Baby items? Flowers? Gift certificates?

Take a minute to fill out a fun gift baskets survey and you’ll receive a $20 gift certificate code to spend towards any astrology report on http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com.

The survey is at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GiftBasketsSurvey. The survey closes 31 July 2010.

One of the most innovative ways to raise capital has been done by luxury UK chocolate retailer Hotel Chocolat. Rather than turning to big banks or angel investors to raise money for so they can expand (the stores – not the customers eating the chocolate),  they’ve come up with a brilliant out-of-the-(chocolate)-box idea.

Customers who buy GBP2,000 worth of Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Bonds receive six free tasting boxes a year of chocolate worth GBP107.70 as their dividend, while those who lash out on GBP4,000 worth of Chocolate Bonds receive a waist-expanding dozen tasting boxes worth GBP233.35 per year.

While money always trumps anything else, chocoholics who also consider themselves sweet on investing can use their tasteful chocolate dividends to thoughtfully dole out as indulgent gifts for themselves, or to receive as a regular emergency supply of gifts to keep on hand for birthdays, hostess, housewarming, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Christmas gifts.

Can’t you just see the Taureans and Librans going mad for this one!

Why am I talking about Mother’s Day when it passed nearly two weeks ago on 9 May?

Because quite a few stores and online shops will be selling the items they ordered in especially for Mother’s Day at reduced prices now.

And there will be certain items which can be snapped up and bought for birthdays, Christmas or housewarming gifts.

While Mother’s Day bouquets are unlikely to be alive now, you might well find a bargain on glass vases, ceramic troughs, crystal bulb vases, planter boxes, woven baskets or mosaic-style containers. Any of these chujzed up with a fresh bunch of flowers and greenery will make a welcome birthday gift later on.

Candles remain enormously popular – do they have any of those on sale? Vanilla, freesia, magnolia, rose or frangipani-scented candles supposedly for mothers also happen to make the ideal multi-purpose, generic gift for yourself, a hostess gift, for someone’s birthday or for a Yulefest Kris Kringle present.

Bath and body gift sets are everywhere – remember how The Body Shop was the first to package these in the 80s? Pick up one or two to put away and give for a friend’s birthday, and they make a cute gift for friends who’ve just renovated their bathroom.

Nighties and pyjamas are an iffy Mother’s Day gift and I’m sure most mothers would not be thrilled with the majority of them on offer but those long, floor-sweeping ones with long arms and decorative necklines might make a thoughtful gift for your grandmother’s birthday while PJs could be a great get-well gift for a friend who’s feeling subpar.

Luckily, no-one ever puts Mother’s Day labels on boxes of chocolate so as long as the use-by date hasn’t passed, you could collect a couple of these and put them away for hostess gifts and for those unexpected guests at Christmastime.

And dare I mention the other clearance sale item you could snap up?Those household appliances that were promoted as the ideal Mother’s Day gift. While I would expect a smack on the head for giving my mother a juicer as a present for Mother’s Day (or any other gift occasion), it would be a great gift for your twentysomethings finally moving out of home. And it makes a surprisingly thoughtful gift for your grandparents” health - especially if your grandfather (like mine) is refusing to eat his vegetables…

I just wish I had an old-fashioned bathtub for this!

In the Really Cute Gift Ideas Department: you can buy the Learn a Language shower curtain from Urban Outfitters, in your choice of Spanish, French or Japanese!

It is one of the most fun ways I’ve seen to help you learn a language, so it could make a wonderful gift for a bridal shower (literally!) if the bride and groom are off on their honeymoon somewhere in Paris, the French Pacific, Spain, Mexico , South America (minus Brazil), or Japan.

It also might be fun as a novel housewarming present for your twentysomething uni student moving out of home (sob!) for the first time.

I can sooooo see this appealing to a Sagittarius!

Did you buy any of the top 24 gifts listed for 2009 for an anniversary, birthday, christening, Christmas, engagement, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, new baby, Valentine’s Day or wedding gift? I bet you did!

According to consumer insights company Unity Marketing, they were:

1 (46%). Books (I gave one each as a Christmas prezzie and a thank-you gift for Dad, to Mum for Mother’s Day, and to nephew Sol for his birthday but I’m sure I gave many more!)
2 (36%). Chocolate – boxed or pick-your-own (hmmm – does that count buying them for yourself?)
4 (28%). Men’s clothing (to brother David for his birthday)
5 (26%). Bath and body soaps and lotions
6 (24%). Toys including action figures, building sets, sports toys, vehicles
7 (22%). Games/puzzles
8 (22%). Children’s clothing (for niece Camille, and nephews Lachie and Sol for Christmas)
9 (20%). Candles and/or candle accessories
10 (19%). Flowers, plants and /or garden accessories including bouquets
11 (17%). Wine and/or wine tasting gifts
12. (16%) Gift baskets including cookies, snacks, fruit, candy, wine (I gave this to Audra for her housewarming)
13 (15%). Video/DVDs (I gave a boxed set of the Marx Bros to my grandfather for Christmas)
14 (15%). Fragrance/perfume
15 (15%). Electronic games such as Wii
16 (14%). Women’s accessories eg handbags, belts, wallets, scarves, shawls
17 (14%). Coffe and tea gifts
18 (14%). MP3 players, iPods and personal audio devices
19 (13%). Plush/stuffed animals
20 (13%) Teenage clothing (I wonder if so few were bought because we’re afraid of getting it wrong?!)
21 (13%). Dining/restaurant experience
22 (12%) Liquors and spirits (I gave someone champagne…)
23 (12%) Gift card – discount department stores and mass merchants eg WalMart, Target etc (I’m surprised this was so far down the list but Mum got one for Mother’s Day and stepmother Jo for her birthday although it was really a gift voucher)
24. (12%) Baby/infants’ clothing including booties and hats (I got a personalised one made for niece Camille for Christmas – she was running a bit late being born though so it really became her birth-day present).

I’d love to know where personalised gifts came in on the list… As well as homewares that all of us seem to be asked to buy on wedding gift registry lists!

When I was growing up, I used to think my mother was kind of embarrassing for buying certain foods on special and “putting them away for Christmas”.

Now I understand what she was doing! Food just gets more and more expensive and entertaining more so, but if you can buy things that will last for some time, it will be perfectly fine at Christmastime and it will spread your expenses, making it all much more affordable.

A lot of people enjoy giving and receiving a Christmas food hamper – and if you’re planning to give one to someone living in the same city, it will be cheaper and more fun to put it together yourself. So what goodies can you buy now – and give later?

There’s a terrific website called StillTasty.com which, while it is probably really aimed at people wanting to check what type of food they can eat well past its use-by date, gives you some great clues into what gourmet food items you can buy when they’re on special, to create your own Christmas hampers. (Or housewarming hampers, maybe?)

A solid, dark chocolate bar kept in the pantry, will last for up to two years (well, maybe not at my house). Fettucine = 3 years. You can buy beef jerky, bottled caviar and truffle oil up to a year ahead of time. Packaged vanilla beans last for up to 3-4 years. Fancy sea salt lasts indefinitely, as do most spirits. Ready-to-drink wine – not so much.

What food could you buy now to put away for a Christmas hamper (and hide it from a Taurus)?

A Canadian domain name company has created a gift card that lets anyone buy their own .tel domain name when they buy a coffee at their favourite Canadian Blenz Coffee franchise.

.Tel names are like “live” digital business cards which direct customers to a person’s or a business’s contact details – such as their phone, mobile, website, email addresses, social media profiles and so on. Optimised for mobile phone content, you can try out mobile campaigns, for example.

An original birthday gift (card) for your favourite business-owner, it’s also a fantastic housewarming gift idea for twentysomethings who are always moving too, as it lets them provide one ongoing point of contact at SamSmith.tel, for example.

OK, well I guess this appeals to the nerd in me but I love a list!

Considering we’re just two weeks into 2010, and it’s oh, 49 weeks to Christmas, now is a great time to set up a gift fact file on your friends and family. You can use it for anniversaries, birthdays, Valentines, graduations, housewarmings, weddings too.

So what are some of the things you should take note of, ask or discuss so you give them someone perfect (or close to it)?

1. Favourite colours. My younger nephew loves red, the older one goes for green while my niece is a sucker for pink. Makes it easy knowing this when it comes to cute t-shirts etc. Same goes for adults. My brother thinks pink and purple (not worn together) are completely gay. My stepmother won’t wear anything with a floral print, thinking she looks like a sofa. Dad is mad on chocolate brown and navy. Easy. Make a note of what colours they love to wear (and particularly the ones they look good in ie don’t forget it is your chance to help them wear something that suits them and stops hurting your eyes). Hint: it can be an insight into their favourite decorating colours, too.

2. Favourite metals. No, I’m not talking about Black Sabbath! If you’re giving jewellery, think back to whether you’ve ever seen them wear silver. Do they prefer yellow gold to rose gold? In home decor, are they a silver-frame kinda girl or do they go for brushed steel? It’s not just the metal, it’s the way it is finished that can make all the difference between a dud and a great gift.

3. Favourite decor. If your little niece’s bedroom is pink gingham, her mother is not going to appreciate something batik. Do they like French provincial? Then they won’t appreciate anything that belongs in an architect’s office. If they mention they’re buying new furniture, ask a bit more. Have their tastes changed? Are they buying more of the same style? A white mohair throw won’t suit people with kids. A gift certificate for more storage accessories (Howards Storage World is great) will suit almost anyone.

4. Size. Kids under 15 years old change rapidly. If you’re buying clothing or shoe sizes, ask within 2 weeks of buying and giving it to them. You never know when they’re going to have one of those crazy growth spurts. If you’re planning on giving your girlfriend or best friend lingerie, if you live together check the sizing on her underwear on washing day. Some brands, like Country Road and Sportscraft, are known for vanity sizing so if she’s really a 14, she’ll be delighted to fit into their 12. Sneakers tend to be one half-size bigger. I’m normally an 8 1/2 but need a 9 for trainers.

5. Fragrance. Mum has no sense of smell so I get all her perfume gifts. Jo is allergic to anything not made with essential oils. Kirsten doesn’t wear it. Next time they smell particularly good, ask them what they’re wearing. You could always give them the soap or moisturiser that goes with that fragrance. Know they like spicy style perfumes but still afraid to guess? You could always give them berry-scented candles or pot pourri.

6. Flowers. My stepmother loves violets. My sister-in-law is partial to camellias. I love oriental lillies. My grandfather however associates lillies with death and can’t bear them. In fact the only flowers he has in the house are silk ones which are getting awfully dusty. Check if they have allergies!

7. Foods. A homemade dish can be ideal if you know what they love to eat. My sister is vegetarian. David swears he won’t eat quiche. Audra prefers savoury snacks and strong coffee while Kate has a real sweet tooth and prefers herbal tea. Caz hates pate while our pregnant neighbour can’t eat brie right now and Jo is allergic to peanuts. If your best friend only likes green M&Ms for example, they sell packets of M&Ms in red and green colours at Christmas. Pick out the red ones, wrap the rest in a cellophane bag and there you have a very sweet (literally!) gift.

8. Music. Are they into their iPod or do they prefer vinyl? Are they fans of one era or do they have wider musical tastes? An iTunes card might suit some people while others would prefer the CD soundtrack of that really cool movie you saw together.

9. Hobbies. Do they like outdoorsy, camping type weekends? Do they potter around market stalls looking for antique objets d’art they can pick up for a song? What about gardening? Or doll collecting? What hobby would they do if they had more time? How do they like to see themselves (everyone has a fantasy version).

10. Books. The first clue is: if they picked up the newpaper on the weekend – what section would they flip to first? The business section? They might prefer the latest book on wealth creation or on creating your own business. Hollywood gossip? Juicy, unauthorised biographies could be the ticket. Those who flip to the home & garden part could appreciate a beautiful coffee table book on New York/Paris/Tuscan/Thai/Scandinavian living etc. Do they read their stars religiously? What about giving them an astrology report for Valentine’s Day? If they just like reading the news, what about the latest Guinness Book of Records or a Life picture book.  The travel section? Indulge them with an Eyewitness Guide or a Lonely Planet on their favourite city/country/continent.

Three in four homebuyers receive nada, zip, nothing at all from their real estate agents as a thank you for shelling HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars, but more than six in 10 homebuyers would use them again and recommend them to others looking to buy a home if they did.

The Real Estate Agents Gifts Survey conducted online by It’s In The Stars found that if you want that bottle of champagne to celebrate your massive purchase, you’ll be much more likely to receive it once you’ve bought oh, three homes or more.

Overall, only 26% of homebuyers received a gift from their real estate agent with the first homebuyers the least likely to receive anything. Ironically of course, if you kept them sweet from the start, they might recommend to their friends who are in the market for a house, consider you for their second, third and holidays homes…but no.

Homebuyers were instead more likely to receive gifts the more homes they had bought. Of the 38% who had bought one home, only 37% of those had received a gift. This rose to 43% for the 23% who had bought two homes, and to 51% to the 39% who had bought three homes or more.

Wine or champagne is the most gift most given (31%), followed by food hampers (13%), flowers and plants (11%), homewares (10%), promotional items thoughtfully including the real estate agency’s logo and personalised gifts for the homebuyer and/or their family (9% each) and gift certificates (8%).

Of those who did receive gifts, 53% said they cost under $50, 26% estimated $50-$100, 16% guessed $100-$200 while only a lucky 5% received gifts valued at over $200.

So – who’s more generous? Boutique firms or the major franchises? Seventy percent of respondents used a major franchise, 22% a boutique firm while 8% dealt directly with the vendor. I was surprised to discover that homeowners were more likely to receive a gift from a major franchise  than a boutique firm (47% vs 34%).

The major franchises were more likely than the boutique agencies to give gifts under $50 (58% vs 50%) but none of the boutiques gave gifts worth over $200 while the 8% of the franchise agents did. Smaller agencies were much more likely than the franchises to spend a mid-price range of $50-$200 (50% vs 32%).

While it is obviously better for the agent to give something rather than nothing at all, if he or she chooses the gift wisely, it could be worth hundreds of thousands of commission in referrals.

The survey found 81% of homeowners would tell their friends, family and colleagues what gift/s they received, 63% would use that agency again when they next bought a house, and 61% would recommend them to others in the house-hunting market if their real estate agent gave them a thank-you gift.