There’s no better way to make a gift truly personal than to give something that’s been personalized with the recipient’s name or a message that helps them remember a special event in their lives. We all have those sentimental gifts that we hang onto because they remind us of our past-perhaps a ceramic figurine that commemorates a first piano recital, or an ornament dated with the year you were expecting your first child.

An ordinary photo album can become extraordinary when it’s engraved with a name or a significant date. Things Remembered offers dozens of unique engraveable photo albums and frames. They’re a bit more pricey than a plain wedding photo album you might find at a department store, but the engraving turns it into a keepsake. Photo albums make excellent gifts for any event where a lot of photos will be taken, like a graduation, birthday, wedding, or anniversary party.

Another item that can easily be personalized is a Christmas ornament. You can buy personalized ornaments for nearly any occasion, like a birthday, graduation, wedding, or first day of school, or use them to celebrate the more traditional Christmas memories with a baby’s first Christmas or family ornament. Personalized ornaments can be purchased at mall kiosks around the country during the holidays, or year-round at web sites like Santa’s Ornament Shop.

To find a perfect personalized gift for a businessman, check out the Executive Gift Shoppe, a web site that sells briefcases, desk accessories, cigar cases, and many other professional gifts that can be personalized. These would make great employee gifts as well, because the personalization factor really shows that you put thought into getting the recipient something they would like or find useful.