10 People Share The Lengths They Went To For The Perfect Gift

When you find the exact right gift for someone, you’ll do just about anything to get it. Luckily, Nordstrom can help you find the perfect gifts hassle-free.

1. Completing a Collection:

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"My wife Betsy is a Nancy Drew scholar of sorts, and one Christmas I spent the better part of a year amassing every Nancy Drew book in both 1930s/'40s edition and 1960s/'70s edition and individually wrapped them and put them in a bookcase. It took a long, long time."

—Ari V.

2. Recreating a Movie Moment:

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"For Christmas one year in high school, I went all Love Actually on a girl I was severely friend-zoned by. I let her use my locker, and we would leave each other written notes. Naive me thought, Hey, let's show her how I feel because it's Christmas. So, I filled my locker with her favorite chocolates, a gift, and lights, and I had a CD player with 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' cued up with a note that said 'Play Me' on it. There were also note cards that copied the Love Actually scene where the guy held up cards to tell Keira Knightley how he felt (I even had the mummy card). Needless to say, I did not get the girl."

—Tyler H.

3. Producing a Full-scale Photo Shoot:

Hannah Chamberlain

"My mom and sister are beautiful but don't see themselves the way I do (which drives me crazy). Last Christmas, I decided to prove it by producing a photo shoot for them with a makeup artist, a pro photographer, a cool location, and I even picked out outfits. Christmas morning, I gave them detailed instructions and a map for them to follow on the shoot day. We had the best time, and the photos look stunning — just like them."

—Hannah C.

4. Tracking Down the *Fantasy* Gift:

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"In college, I ordered my fantasy-obsessed boyfriend a perfect replica of Aragorn's sword. It took HOURS to find the most accurate model, and it cost me $230. When I gave it to him, he spent weeks telling everyone I was the best girlfriend in the world — so worth it!"

—Jenn W.

5. Creating a Custom-made Game for Your Family:

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"My mom is super competitive and loves board games. One year, I created 'Bakeropoly' for her, and it took 30 painstaking hours to connect the game to our best Baker family memories. When my mom unwrapped it, she was delighted. (Score!) When we played the game that night, the worst imaginable thing happened: She lost.

"I don't think it's seen the light of day since. I tell myself that at some level she appreciates it though."

—Heather B.

6. Making a Digital Tribute to a Friend:

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"My friend Joey is hilarious but doesn't like to be too showy about his sense of humor. One year, I reached out to 20+ of his best friends and had them all send screenshots of the funniest things Joey had ever said to them and compiled them all in a very, very funny Tumblr."

—Jamie K.

7. Hunting Down a Hard-to-find Antique:

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"My friend's rare map was ruined by movers. They broke the frame, shattered the glass, and it cut through the map like, well, glass through paper. I made it my mission to find a replacement for it even though all I had to go on was a rough date. I scoured the internet for almost a year, and finally one was listed! I was able to get it for my friend just in time for Christmas."

—Kirk D.

8. Celebrating a Mother-Daughter Tradition:

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"It's not easy to stay close to my mom now that we live so far apart. To stay connected, we like to read books together and share our excitement (or depression) over the latest chapters. One year, I wanted to show her how much this tradition meant to me, so I searched everywhere and FINALLY found a signed, first-edition copy of the first book we read together. Thank GOD we didn't start off with something like Jane Eyre."

—Martha B.

9. Giving a "Home for Christmas" Feeling to Someone Far Away:

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"I was crazy homesick when abroad during college. So, for Christmas, my parents sent me a giant box full of a million thoughtful little gifts and a DVD of beautiful video messages from everyone I knew from home. It was a total surprise, and it took them months of reaching out and putting it together. I will never forget it, and it's hands down the best gift I have ever received."

—Priya P.

10. Doing Whatever It Takes to Give a Life-changing Present:

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"My S.O. loved Christmas, and I knew it was the perfect time to propose. As December 25 got closer, she definitely suspected I was up to something (I had made way too many transparent excuses to get her thoughts on rings). Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve, the ring still hadn’t been delivered as promised. Watching her open gifts Christmas morning and expecting a ring killed me. I don't know how we did it, but her mom and I made a thousand insane calls and somehow got it. I was able to propose to her that night, in front of both our families. It was perfect."

—Will C.

The spirit of giving might just be the best part of the season. And with Nordstrom, it doesn't have to be difficult to find the perfect gift for the people you love.