Holiday shopping got you stumped already?

By megret | November 12, 2007 at 8:04 am | 7 comments | rants, raves and recommendations

I know, I know….many of you may be in denial when it comes to the fact that Christmas is just a few weeks away. That does not deter the rest of us from starting to plan this early in the game, myself very included, who, as a matter of fact, starts thinking about what to give as gifts the NEXT Christmas upon waking on December TWENTY-SIXTH.

Anyway, I decided to help a few of you out, those of you who might need a little bit of creativity when it comes to what to bestow upon others this year (even if the recipient is THE MOST uncreative person on the planet….you can’t help that. But you can choose what they’ll get!).

I’ve found that the best way I pick out gifts for others is to refer back to my list in my Book of Lists. (Oh, yes. I have made a book full of lists of all kinds. It really does go deep.) I made a list of all of the gifts I’ve gotten that were creative, extra-sentimental, or thoughtful….as well as the gifts I have NOT received yet but think it might be nice to someday. ;0)

So, here is a small snippet of ideas from my book, as well as a few tried-and-true gift ideas from my past gift-giving repertoire. Hope these help get you started.

Oh, and did I mention that this was not my idea? It’s all a part of the Christmas Shopping Extravaganza held over on Don’t Try This At Home. There are TONS more ideas over there today (Monday), so you might find it wise to check those out while you’re at it.

1. For the young (and young-at-heart, or design geeks, if you will, even), there is an excellent tee-shirt company called Threadless. Graphic designers submit ideas and they’re voted on to be made into tees. And may I say that the tees are made of very high-quality, pre-shrunk, perfect-fit knit, not the cheap stuff. And that they’re just plain cool. Some are SO cool that I don’t even GET them.

2. For you crafty folk, here’s a neat stocking stuffer idea (or grandparent’s gift): Marble Magnets. We made these as favors for our son’s first birthday party, attaching photos of him, and they were a big, big hit. So cute you could pinch them. You could make some generic ones, too, or even fabric ones in cool retro tones. All for just pennies.

3. For the kid folk, you can’t beat IKEA. The European company boasts real wooden toys that are in no need of batteries…just an imagination. We’ve bought the extension tracks for our son’s train set and a few stacking toys, bead mazes, and other things to give as baby gifts. And the PRICE!?!? You can’t go wrong. The only thing is their lack of online shopping capabilities. Most big cities have one, though, so it may be worth a trip.

4. The people closest to me are sick and tired of hearing me rave about “chocolate this,” and “chocolate that….” But seriously, guys, it IS good for you. If you’re going to go, go all out, and by all means, go with Joseph Schmidt. From the first box of truffles my honey gave me when we were newly dating to the last box I had sent secretly to my doorstep from a very special friend, these confections will forever remain on the top of my list. Go treat somebody. (Or yourself.) Now. You heard me. GO.

5. For the tea lover, or for the person who thinks it’d be cool to be a tea drinker but has no clue as to how to begin, the top two picks in our world would be Stash and Tazo. Many gift suggestions and assortments to be found here.

6. Maybe you have a cook in the family. If you think they’ve got everything, think twice. Maybe they would enjoy adding an angel food cake knife to their collection….or a salad spinner…..or a Kitchenaid silicone spatula set (awesome)….or a crank cheese grater.

7. And then, there are these. I’ve never given OR received one of these, but I’m dying of curiosity about them.

8. Know some new parents? A gift basket full of “night in at the movies” supplies or even some restaurant gift cards would be very much appreciated. (I say this because I’ve been there. :0)

9. For the mother or mother-in-law….what about a TasteBook? I’ve only just begun to delve into the wide, wide world that is TasteBook, and I’m instantaneously smitten. I feel the need to share the news with everyone.

10. And last but not least, sometimes the best gifts are the gifts your children make from scratch. Some of the past favorites at our house have been framed first fingerpaint art, a garden stepping stone with handprints and footprints, and gifts from Picture People’s SmileStore after a photo shoot.