Holiday Gift Guide for Family and Friends

Giving and receiving gifts is something that many people love to do, but what can you do when you need a gift at the last minute?

Be prepared all year long with a variety of gift ideas for the family and friends in your life. With a prepared list of gifts you could give, you won't need to go crazy trying to think of something last minute.

You would think that you would know exactly what gifts to buy for family members, but often, they are the hardest people for which to buy gifts. Why? If we get the wrong gift, we may hear about it, especially from immediate family members. If we get them something they already have, we haven't been paying attention much.

Get a gift for family members by showing you care enough to know about them and their likes or dislikes. Here are some things to consider when buying gifts for family members:

• Know their hobbies or interests. If you know what hobbies or interests they enjoy, you can make a list of items that compliment or go along with those hobbies or interests. For instance, if a family member enjoys Star Wars, you could get them anything from figurines, DVDs, games, clothing, accessories for electronics, etc.
• Know what brands they prefer. If you're going to buy a clothing item or accessory, make note of what brands your family members purchase the most. Maybe the newest Vera Bradley bag or accessory would be an appropriate gift, or the latest clothing design from Calvin Klein.
• Know their rate of returning items. Spend time finding a gift for a family member only to find out they have exchanged it for something else? Consider giving a gift card. It could be to a store, a website, a restaurant, or a general Visa/Mastercard gift card.

Instead of buying an individual gift for each family member, you can also choose to make the gift something the whole family can enjoy together.

Here are some ideas:

• Family vacation
• Pet
• Big screen/flat screen TV
• New gaming console
• Day trip/ road trip
• Season tickets to sports games
• Family membership to fitness club or YMCA
• Tickets to a Broadway play
• Subscription to a video or game rental service
• Family dinner at an expensive restaurant

While you can use the same tips for gift giving that you would use for family, you may want to think a bit more with friends when buying gifts. Here are two things to consider when buying gifts for friends:

• What made you become friends? Did you meet in grade school or college? What brought you together: a similar hobby, a life changing event, sports team, or a job ? Giving a gift that brings back the memory of why you are friends can help keep that connection alive.
• What is something that only you know your friend treasures? Being friends with someone often means that you know all of their secrets plus anything that will make them smile. Find that special gift that shows you were really paying attention all these years!

Kids can surprisingly be difficult to buy a gift for since they change their likes and preferences so often. Depending on the age of the child, these changes in likes and preferences can change daily! Another thing that can make them change their minds in an instant are the constant barrage of toy or electronics commercials aimed at their young eyes, especially during the holiday season.

Here are a few things to consider when buying holiday gifts for kids:

• Age appropriate gifts. Consider a child's age when buying a gift, especially toys, movies, or games. Try to find a gift that they will like and use for a few years to get your money's worth.
• Popularity of gifts. Just because a gift is 'popular' doesn't necessarily mean it's a great gift for your child. Case in point: my son begged for a Zhu Zhu pet when they were popular. He did receive some as gifts, and quickly lost interest as they did nothing but make noise and bump into the furniture. In my view, it was wasted money.
• Pets as gifts. Your child may beg for a puppy, but is he or she ready to take care of one? Consider carefully before buying a pet for your child.
• Gifts of fun and gifts to challenge the brain. While most kids will beg for toys, it would be great to think of gifts that are both fun and challenge their brains to think. Puzzles, building sets, arts and crafts, or models to put together can be engaging and fun for kids of all ages.

For birthday gifts you can use all of the above tips, but here are some ideas for those special birthday milestones:

• Gifts with the birthday age, such as frames, clothing, keepsakes, gag gifts, etc.
• Gifts associated with the stage in life, such as car key chains for 16th birthday, a shot glass for 21st birthday, or an over-the-hill gift for anyone 50 or older.

If you're creative, you could think of or make some great gift ideas, such as:

• Gifts in a jar. Capture memories, prepare a cookie recipe, or give various candies in a jar.
• Gifts in a basket. Fill a basket with a variety of small gift items based on a theme. For example, if the gift receiver likes to cook, fill a basket with kitchen gadgets, spices, and recipe cards.
• Homemade gifts. If you're crafty or handy, you could make a variety of homemade gifts, such as candles, lip gloss, blankets, framed photos, paintings, doll clothes, ornaments, items made of recycled materials, etc.
• Scrapbooks or photo albums. Create a scrapbook or a photo album filled with special memories.
• Homemade coupons. Create a booklet of coupons, such as 'One free car wash', 'Dinner at your favorite restaurant' or 'Good for a hug'.
• Photo with hand prints. Take a photo of your child and make hand prints using finger paints. Great for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or Grandparent's Day!

Who doesn't like having something with their name, initials, or sports number on it? Here are some gift items that can be personalized:

• Blankets
• Mugs
• License/ car plates
• Hats
• T-shirts
• Paper weights
• Frames
• Bracelets
• Necklaces
• Key chains
• M&Ms
• Decorative plates
• Clocks
• Figurines
• Plaques
• Jackets
• Plush toys

Christmas is one of my favorite gift giving times of the year. Here are some Christmas related gifts to give to family and friends:

• Christmas cookies
• Nativity scene
• Stockings
• Christmas dishes
• Advent calendars
• Ornaments
• Snowman kit
• Candles
• Homemade decorations
• Christmas pajamas
• Wreath
• Christmas socks, shirts, hats
• Christmas music cd

Have fun choosing the right gifts for the loved ones in your life!

©ThePracticalMommy