Gift-Giving Ideas

I am, admittedly, a sub-par gift giver.  It's not because I don't care, or because I'm uncreative, I just don't start thinking about good gift options far enough in advance.  Call it procrastination, a bad string of blond moments or just plain forgetfulness.  But here are some ideas that I've used or received in the past, and I hope you enjoy them!

Food!

I truly don't know whether I love giving or getting food gifts more - I love to bake and feeding people has always been an easy way for me to show people that I care.  Eating baked goods comes pretty natural to me, too.  :)  Always a classic for people you don't know well, the times when you don't have the spare cash for a pedicure set or maybe you're just tired of giving out candles that you're not really sure if they like.  My mom and I always used to make homemade chocolates accompanied by rhymes.  A note saying "You've been naughty so here's the scoop, all you get for Christmas is reindeer poop" attached to a bag of chocolate-covered peanuts was a favorite for many years.  This year, for my extended family we're making homemade hot chocolate mix and homemade marshmallows to hand out.  Other popular alternatives to the traditional cookie plate include muffin mix, breads or fudge.  Here's a link to my friend Amy's page for her Cranberry-Orange Bread that was delicious!

Cards

While this is something that I've only had the pleasure to receive, I can say it's a personal and useful gift.  Maybe it's just me, but I love receiving things that I can use day-to-day instead of sitting in a corner gathering dust (I already have too many of those  :)  Plus, having cute cards to send encourages people to write down actual words, which happens far too rarely in our society.  Just buy blank cards from a craft store and get creative with some leftover scraps of scrapbooking paper, a stamp or two and ribbon or stickers. 

Give to Someone Else

What do you give to the person who has everything?  Nothing!  One of the girls I work with had a no-gift Christmas last year and spent their money providing for a family in need - presents, a meal, the works.  Donate to a charity that they support, donate Christmas dinner fixings to a local food bank or check out websites that enable you to help a family earn a living throughout the year.  One of my friends from California always went through Samaritan's Purse, a a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world.  If you don't know of any families in your area, I can hook you up with some really amazing kids in Haiti.

Give Your Favorites

I have a really close circle of friends that gets together every Christmas for a great party with tons of food, laughter and gifts.  Because there are usually about 6 or 7 of us, it's usually easier to give everyone the same thing.  My good friend Kristin solved this one-gift-fits-all dilemma by giving everyone a Christmas tin filled with some of her favorite things - a great dark nail polish, hair ties that don't slip, the best lip gloss ever...you get the point. 

Give a memory

Not something I've ever done, but but I found this idea on Real Simple Magazine.  Go in together on a gift with (and for) your family. In lieu of presents, try renting a ski cabin for the weekend after Christmas or going on a beach escape together.I would love to do this with my friends from college next year (hint hint).

I hope this inspires you to give something outside of the usual!