Happy Holidays: Fun Holiday Gifts for Family & Friends
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I am going to take a break from the closet makeovers series simply because it is the holiday season! I want to talk gifts, parties, frigid cold weather, and the new year!
The first thing I want to talk about is great gift ideas for your family and friends. I actually changed my major last year to retail when I realized how much I love Christmas shopping. I take pride in my insane love of Christmas and my ability to come up with creative gift ideas.
So here are some of my favorite holiday gift ideas for everyone on your list!
For your best friend:
The gift for your best friend should be personal. Ask what do they love? What do they hate? What do they need terribly? My go-to ideas for my best friends always reference our inside jokes and cute movie quotes. Here are a few other ideas that I have had over the years for my best friends:
- Turtle Doves: If you have ever seen Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, you know what I am talking about. It’s the line that Mr. Duncan says when he gives the turtle doves to Kevin: they are a sign of friendship and love. I gave these to my best friends a few years ago and we still talk about what a great gift it was.
- Snuggies: Probably the funniest thing ever. The idea here is not the actual Snuggie, but getting your friend a gift that will make them laugh. My best friend and I got each other Snuggies for St. Nick last year.
- Scrapbook: This is a personal favorite for my older friends whom I have known for almost a decade. We have so many pictures that it’s great to see them all together. Also, a scrapbook is a cheaper present. Walmart has such a cheap photo development process – I highly recommend it!
For your mom:
My mom is the easiest person to shop for. I literally walk into her favorite store, buy her a cute top, and go on my merry way. However, I get that not every mom is this easy to shop for. Here are some questions to ask when standing at the mall wondering what to get your loving mother for Christmas:
- What is her favorite store? If you buy her something from there, you probably can’t go wrong. And at least if she wants to return it, you know she can exchange it for something she’ll love.
- What is her favorite piece of jewelry? This will give you a picture of her taste, and you can go from there and buy coordinating pieces.
- Does she collect anything? Collectibles can make fun gifts.
- Is she handy in the kitchen? Moms love gifts that are useful, so a great cookbook or new kitchen gadget could be the perfect thing.
- Who is her favorite author? Books always make good gifts, especially if your mom is not the type to buy them for herself.
- What is her favorite line of makeup? Tread carefully here – some people are very set in the products they like to use. That said, if your mom is experimental with makeup and loves trying new things, why not get her some fun new beauty products to try out?
For your dad:
So Dad is usually a little harder to shop for than Mom. My dad is picky when it comes to clothes and stuff, so I try to stay away from that. Also, I think he has every tool and tie ever made. However, my dad collects random college t-shirts, so that is always a go-to gift for me.
For Dad, just ask yourself what his favorite things are and go from there. Is he a fan of history? The History Channel has lots of great DVD’s he might love. Does he enjoy any particular activity? You could always get him something to aid in his favorite hobby. Finally, what does he need that he wouldn’t buy himself? Think about the time that he grew up in too. Is there anything that can remind him of when he was our age?
For your older siblings or cousins:
So in my house I am the youngest so I always have to do some brainstorming for my older brothers. For brothers, sports tickets are always a great gift. If I were to get my brother Milwaukee Brewer tickets, I would get four so he would have the choice to double date, go with his good friends, or take his favorite sister.
I love to get my older sister gifts that involve us spending the day together. Something like a gift card for a pedicure or a day at the spa can be a really great bonding experience for both of you!
I also like to get clothes for my older siblings because who knows them better than me? Not to mention, my brothers could always use the extra help with style. I WILL get them in argyle one of these days!
For your younger siblings or cousins:
I am so excited because I got my younger cousin this year when we picked names in our gift exchange. She just started college, so I’m going to get her a college “care package.” A care package is a great gift for any of your friends or siblings.
- College Care Package: Shot glass, ping pong balls, instant coffee mix, new planner, cute going-out top, and warm mittens with their college logo.
- High school care package: Garter for prom, school spirit clothes, SAT/ACT prep book, cute undies, a bunch of #2 pencils (for all those AP tests!), cute pencil case, etc!
Grandma or Grandpa:
My grandparents don’t want fancy gifts – they just want to spend time with their grandchildren. I feel like most grandparents are like that as well. So get them a gift that involves spending time with them! Treating them to lunch or a shopping date is something that will make them smile much wider than a new candle would.
Another great idea is to get them tickets to a musical or the movies – then Grandma and Grandpa can have date night!
Also, one year, a few of my cousins and I got our picture professionally taken and gave it to my grandma framed. She loved it so much, I think she cried a bit. Grandparents love this type of stuff – pictures of you are the BEST.
However, if you really want to get them something that they can unwrap, I say check out the Hallmark Store. They have so many cute little gifts that you are bound to find something they will love.
Anyone else:
Every year, there is always someone on my list that’s really hard to shop for. If you pick names amongst your friends and you get someone you are not super close with, think about what you do when you guys hang out. I picked one of my guy friends this year and we always go to the hockey games together, so I am going to get him a Badger hockey T-shirt.
If this person is a random relative that you are not close with, a book is actually a good option. Last year my aunt got me a History of Fashion book because she knew I was taking a trip. It gave me a really good read on the plane.
I strongly caution against the gift card. I do not think it is very personal or creative unless you know it is one of their favorite places to go. Be creative – gift cards should be a last resort!
What do you think?
What is the best gift you have ever given? What do you usually buy your family members for Xmas? Where do you go when you are not sure what to get someone? When do you go Christmas shopping?
Posted on on November 28, 2009 / Filed Under: College Life / Tags: Christmas, Gift Ideas, Gifts, Holidays, Ideas, Shopping, Winter
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Jess
Great tips. The hardest person in my list to shop for is my younger brother. I think the college care package is cute. I even got ideas on what to add to the package.
I think you should also add to personalize the gift wrapping. I usually make it into a theme. For example, for my nephew I made it into a car theme. I bought green wrapping, glued some cars and trees with snow, painted a road.
I also did a Las Vegas casino theme for my sister in law.
I think it makes the gift a lot more personal and it helps you get creative.
I am going to do a post on my Blog on how to personalize your gift wrapping, if anyone is interested :)
Mars
My mom doesn’t like to have extra clothes or knickknacks cluttering up her house, so for Christmas each year I like to find a charitable organization to donate to in her honor. Last year I donated to our local community food bank. Kiva and Heifer International are a couple others I’ve given to–and there are so many more options that can really make this gift personal. I think this is a good suggestion for anyone on your list who doesn’t need anything for themselves!
Becky
My boyfriend is the hardest to shop for because he has a lot of stuff already and I tend to try really hard to find something good within a small budget :). In the past I gave him a leather messenger bag and astronomy books, but this year I’m clueless so far.
Clara
For real! What about shopping for my boyfriend?!
jimmy
i don’t know what your boyfriend is into but i don’t like getting clothes for a gift as a guy. definitely not the messenger bag, not my style, lol. anything electronics is good, stuff for the house, tools, or booze, haha.
Vivi
ditto Clara :/
ads
a boyfriend is the only thing missing from here!
or…a guy you’re sort of seeing? should you or shouldn’t you get him anything
Emily
Great list! I’d suggest being careful buying kitchen gadgets for Mom though. My mother has a very strict “no cords” policy for gifts, so it’d have to be something AWFULLY special to circumvent that. I would definitely use the other ideas, though. :)
Sarah
For the ladies with boyfriend issues.. does he like sports? music? This year, I’m getting my boyfriend Cavs tickets and making him one of those blankets that are fleece, half cavs logo and half dark blue. I’m not sure what else yet but I’d key in on sports, music, books, or even get him a dvd of his favorite tv show!
Lottie
I love the turtle dove idea! thats so thoughtful! Could anyone help me on ideas for my father in-law? I thought of a book token with something else but now you’ve said against tokens! haha. Im normally alot better at gifts, but this year i’m stumped!
lola
What about great gift finds to get from relatives for yourself? I need ideas!!!
m
my sister’s in art school so i got her an expandable artist tube with an adjustable strap. she says she uses it a lot & it’s great for carrying her drawings around campus, even when it’s raining (it’s made of plastic & therefore waterproof!). her roommate liked it so much that she got one for herself.
now i need to think of something to get her this year – i like the college care-package idea, though!
m
forgot to mention this in my last post, but for those of you who have friends & family with a kind of nerdy sense of humor, try the unemployed philosopher’s guild (http://www.philosophersguild.com/) for some great gift ideas. they also make fun presents for professors too.
Natalie
I’m actually glad I’m single right now, because other than my dad, boyfriends have always been the hardest to shop for. There’s always that uncertainty of what would be considered ‘too much’ with a boyfriend, and I hate it! I guess the longer you’ve been in a relationship the less of a problem this would be though.
Anna
What about a NEW boyfriend? Like if you want to get him something but not have it be too intense?
Vanessa
I tend to note down what my friends will complain about not having, like my best friend was complaining about not having anything to store and display her earrings on. For christmas I bought her a gorgeous earring display from etsy that was basically a picture frame with an appropriate metal sheet that had holes to store her studs, drop earrings, etc. I also feed into people’s hobbies and fetishes like buying italian vin santo, absinthe and brunello for my father who is an avid wine collector or buying small unique art pieces for my artistic friends. Function and fit are the two things I pay attention to the most. If you really have no idea, I don’t think it hurts to ask people for wishlists so that you don’t totally miss the mark with gifts. Wishlists I’ve asked for have ranged from people offering me very specific suggestions of things they like, or things they know they DON’T want.
Kelly
Hey Anna. Last year I got my boyfriend (though at the time, we were just seeing each other) a sweater and a movie. He ended up getting me a scarf and nice mittens, because I didn’t have any. So it wasn’t too intimate, but still very useful. i hate extra knick knacks that you have no idea what to do with.
Trisha
I know it’s not exactly the most sentimental method, but my friends and I always tell each other what we want. We post up wish lists with things that we like, and that way we know that we will get exactly what we want. Plus we save on all the stress of figuring out what to buy!
A great tip for people who are low on cash–buy something really, really good, like an iPod or camera or something else that’s expensive, by pooling money together as a group. Then you can get an awesome present instead of a bunch of so-so ones. :D
Cas Spaulding
There is a great holiday gift idea for college students going abroad at
http://www.celebrationideasonline.com/index.html They also have some other ideas for Holiday Fun and unique gifts that won’t blow your budget.
Shelly
I’ve been stuck in my holiday shopping list and just wanted to say that this was an awesome post! First time I’m commenting on CF- and I’ve been reading for a long, long time! Thanks so much for the suggestions :)
Lydia
id prefer gift cards to materialistic gifts, plus ive given frames in the past.
gifts
With the festive season of Christmas closing in many of us take the calm organized approach in knowing exactly what your loved ones and friends wish for. The gifts are probably already wrapped, tagged and stored away, waiting for the 25th to hopefully bring a little joy and big smile to the recipient’s face. Others find this yearly ritual stressful and are probably too busy with their hectic life styles that for them the best way to cope is to do the mad dash for gifts on Christmas Eve. Whichever method of choice works best for you, there is still that decision in making your selection a fitting one for the lucky person in question. Once those gifts are purchased it’s just fingers crossed that duplicate items from other folk are not making their way under the tree. We all want to give and receive something special and different, not the run of the mill pair of socks that you mischievously rewrapped for your dad as an extra little prezzy.
Maria
i love this article! thanks for the ideas!
i’m always stumped on giving gifts, so i usually ask them straightforward: what do you want for your birthday/christmas/etc? the gift won’t be a surprise, but at least they’ll love it! and i absolutely agree with vanessa. always pay attention to their not-having and when they got it, it will be a surprise and something they want. i myself always try to give someone a gift that is useful so it won’t be sitting in their deepest closet.
and where’s the gift for the boyfriends?
Annue
I need something really special and personal for my boyfriend?.. Please help cause he is like Im gonna get you the best present ever. And Ive got no idea what that would be, so I don´t know how to match it up :(
Manniqween
I’ve just bought my boyfriend a really funky wallet from http://www.boreal.org.uk. It’s amazing, it’s canvas printed with artists work on and there’s loads to choose from. This might be good for brothers too! They have free international shipping aswell =D
Tamara
I love the College Care package idea! I’m totally going to do this for one of my friends who’s a freshman this year. Great tips :)
Adrienne
Any suggestions for shopping for your boyfriend?
Angie Marie
I actually really adore you, haha, for not including boyfriends! We don’t all have them, and the reminder that we’re single is not always pleasant around Christmas time. The majority of us “cute, fashionable” girls are expected to have boyfriends and asked about them by relatives/friends from home every holiday season. And, as you other single girls know, no matter how much attention we get from guys…when you’re holding out for a good one, it’s always tedious to be “expected” by magazines and the media to have a boyfriend just because we’re college-aged and cute.
Haha, that being said, great article (and, of course, this is in no way intended to disrespect girls who are in relationships!)
Kristen
My mom really likes musicals, so I’m going to get her one. I’m thinking either “Moulin Rouge” or “Chicago.” I’m thinking about getting my sister some footie pajamas, because they make CUTE adult sizes at Target! They’re so silly and amazing.
I won’t say what I’m getting my boyfriend for Christmas because he might see it over my shoulder. I was going to get him the new Madden video game, but he said he gets too angry when he plays it. Ha!
My step-mom is impossible to shop for and has very expensive taste, so I’ll have to keep thinking about her gift.
Melissa
boyfriend?!
Lia
Along with suggestions for boyfriend gifts (as I see was asked by previous posters), I’m just wondering if you have any ideas for a long-term boyfriend’s famiily? I find that group the hardest to shop for every Christmas, because they aren’t exactly your family or your friends, so you have to toe the line between getting them something personal (too intimate?) and presentable (difficult to ascertain what an appropriate $$ or gift should look like)…I mean, you want to let them know you thought about the present but not make them uncomfortable with an over-the-top gift that reeks of “sucking up” through presents…
Hope you have some advice! Maybe divided by the length of time in relationship or something? It would be so helpful.
Charlotte
Yes! I agree with Lia & Lottie. This year i’m so stuck on presents for in-laws! My fella is stuck as well, which really doesnt help lol! Any ideas would be so great :)
Online Shopping
I love the dad idea! DVDs from the History Channel works! I was also thinking about getting my dad Planet Earth! He loves that series.