We have entered in to my favorite trimester. Come October every year I automatically go into celebration mode. Not only because is it my birthday month but also because planning and purchasing for thanksgiving and the holiday season has begun in all earnest. I thoroughly enjoy scanning the market for new, appropriate and innovative products. I have a huge family; their yearly gifting happens now. I also work in Human Resources, so the boss requires us to research and recommend appropriate products for gifting. This year is no different and we have already received the guidelines and budget, the team collectively decides on appropriate gifts for the season.

Vendors have already started their sales promotion, the sales pitch getting louder and fervent with every passing day. Though the team has met a couple of times to discuss the various samples collected there has been no consensus on the product to be gifted to all the employees. The area of difference being either the practicality or utility of the item and often the quality and aesthetics. Choosing a gift that will be appreciated by 120+ families is no mean task.

Last night we had roast chicken and lamb chops for dinner and as I stepped up to remove the dish from the oven a thought crossed my mind. I was mentally cursing myself for having only one tray. It would have been so much easier if I had two trays, the marinated pork chops could have gone into the oven simultaneously. Now some waiting was required as the chops took their turn at roasting. The thought of an additional tray stayed with me, I made a mental note to study the purchase.

On my head sits two hats, one of a home- maker and the other of a human resources employee. I had decided on my recommendation for the gifting this year, it had to be a roasting pan. I was convinced that this recommendation would meet everyone’s approval as I had meticulously covered every guideline given to us on the list. My vote went for the roasting pan with rack.  Research shows that 98% of households have ovens and so the utility of this product was not under question. Even if the household had multiple pans it would never be wasted. With no fear of breakage or an expiry period to make it a temporary gift or a fear of fast diminishing battery life, the roasting pan met all the parameters for our gift. As I presented my recommendation with the exhaustive list of reasons I saw heads nodding in approval. The vote for the roasting pan was unanimous.