When shopping for souvenirs I look for something that will savor a memory!  I don’t think I’ll ever forget my first “real” shopping experience in Bangkok.  After dinner, my co-worker asked me to accompany her on a shopping expedition to Patpong, a bustling all night outdoor market. Sellers were shouting, buyers were bargaining it was so exciting to be in the middle of this serious shopping battleground.

Patpong was full of unique gifts.  Walking around, I thought I heard a “ribbet” then widely opened my eyes to find this guy stroking the back ridges of a wooden frog with a play stick.  I knew this frog would be my nephew’s hero so it came home with me. My advice is to go beyond the t-shirt – you never know what you’ll find at the outdoor markets!

I always wondered, about those little spoons you find in souvenir shops, what exactly do people do with them? That got me thinking, I should start a keepsake collection for my loved one, so I did.  My sister spends much too much time in the kitchen so I decided to start collecting aprons from around the world. Her favorite is from Buckingham Palace, it’s a classy look, off- white trimmed with gold lettering and of course it includes the official lion and unicorn emblem.  I topped it off with some tea from Harrods and she just loves prancing around the kitchen sipping on her tea and munching on an English muffin!

And don’t panic if you run out of time and need that last minute gift, check out the local deli or food market.  I found this fabulous German mustard called Senf, there.  Just squeeze it out of the tube like toothpaste.  When I got home I grilled some Bratwurst for dinner and placed several tubes of Senf on the table - sweet, spicy and hot!  I got those funny looks everyone gets when they put toothpaste on the dinner table.  But after squeezing out some Senf, well let’s put it this way, we are a Senf-compliant household now.

So while shopping for souvenirs use your senses. When something attracts your sight, smell, hearing, taste or touch, it’s most likely the perfect gift, so wrap it up!  Gift giving is fun, so share your travel adventures with your loved ones and let them experience the trip the same way you did. Create a memory that lives on well beyond the trip!