The Dilemma of Getting A Perfect Birthday Gift For My Niece

Getting a gift for our loved ones is one thing and the gift to be valuable and appreciated by them is another thing.

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If I were to give someone a gift, I would like to put a lot of thought into it. I would want the recipient to feel loved and appreciated. To see my gift and smile, knowing that I truly care about them.

I was In such a dilemma just last month, December 1 to be precise.

I woke up to see my cousin's sister's WhatsApp status that read, it is my 🤴 Anike birthday in a few days, Happy birthday in advance to you my darling

That was the kind of notification I was waiting for, as I can't wait to celebrate my favorite Niece's third birthday. She is as cute and adorable as ever and I'm kind of dying to shower her with birthday wishes and blessings.

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Age three is such a magic year for kids, she is not a baby anymore, her way of playing has advanced, her vocabulary has developed greatly, and we now have a meaningful conversation together whenever we speak on the phone.

But there is one problem at my end, what will I present to her this time? I wanted something special and useful to her. Something my Cousin will see and say awe, I love this.
I checked through the Amazon website and almost all the ideal gifts for a three-year-old girl, such as a Step2 Ride Along Scooter, a Princess Dress-Up Trunk and many others I came across,
were above my pocket reach, no thanks to the decline in the value of our local currency, the Nigeria Naira.

If I thought of baking her a cake, which I can easily afford, it wouldn't make much sense, my cousin is a better baker than I am, on Anike previous birthday there was a surplus of cake during the celebration, my cousin baked three different cakes for her and a few others were gifts from family and friends. So, think Funshee! Get your creative cap on.

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What can you buy for a child whose father can afford so many different kinds of expensive toys, so that your gift won't just end up inside the storage room?

That morning, as I went inside the bathroom to take my shower the thought of my gift to Anike kept on ringing in my head, an idea struck and it sounded like a perfect one.
I remember giving my cousin some coconut oil a while back when she told me Anike hair wasn't growing well, even after she spent so much money on hair products for her.

A month had gone by and she had called to explain how rapidly Anike hair had grown after using the oil. Her front hair began to come alive, and her whole hair growth witnessed tremendous changes.

_{This Image Is Mine, it is coconut oil infused with carrot and avocado fruit.}

Yes, that is it, that is what I have to give to Anike, my cousin even told me some weeks earlier that Anike needed oil. However, due to my busy schedule at the time, I wasn't able to prepare some for her.

Good enough, this time around, I have enough time to prepare the oil and some bucks I could even spare for it.

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Three days later, I had bought about fifteen pieces of mature coconut from the local market nearby, and about twenty-four hours later, the coconut oil was ready to be delivered, just three days before Anike's birthday.

Stored in three 200ml airtight containers, and ramped in a gift box I had earlier bought from a gift store in the market. My mind was at ease knowing that I had something special for her.

Her birthday came, and though the celebration was minimal, it was a beautiful day. Just a few close family and friends and some of Anike's friends from school and their neighborhood were invited, there were plenty of different cakes presented to her and some baked by my cousin.

Some perfect songs that rhyme with the tone of the day were played throughout, and at the end, everyone had loads of fun.

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The following morning it was my cousin who woke me up from sleep, she was truly happy with my choice of gift for Anike, in her remarks, this means so much to me, thank you sis, but I'm jealous though my hair also needs some oil you know. Hmmm, your birthday comes up on January 16. Let's see what the universe will direct me to give to you as a gift, was my response and our conversation on the phone came to an end.

With the size of the oil it will last Anike for at least six months. I'm glad that even with a tight budget I could come up with something meaningful and useful for her as a birthday gift.

_{This is my entry into this week's #creativenonfiction Prompt#64 In The Inkwell Community}