So in the post present Christmas world, where shopping malls are full of people exchanging gifts in and out it made me think, "Are there fail proof presents?" I think that is perhaps over ambitious but I thought I would start a list of my go-to presents for Christmas and other occasions:
For the cook:
Le Creuset enamaled cast iron ware. Le Creuset is the best in this category. They make great enamled (translate easy to clean) cast iron (translate efficient heat, great for cooking) items in a variety of fun colors. Just shoot for something they don't already have!
For the girlfriends and close office mates (female): Nail polish or Lip Gloss.
Cosmetics are a great gift because they seem so personal, but don't take a lot of work or planning. As far as nail polish goes, American Apparel has a line of especially fun sparkly topcoats that are great for even conservative friends since they can go over a solid for a more understated shine, or stand alone as a bold metallic pop. The gold flake especially has a cool look and is fun without being too teenager-y. OPI is another great choice. They have a wide array of colors, and at Target and ULTA have a smaller size bottle that is perfect for the friend who changes their mind or color often.
Lip gloss is great for much the same reason, it is both very functional and fun... it also read very personal, but does not require a lot of effort. I am a huge proponent of Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush lip gloss, as the flavors are great and the gloss is not too sticky. I also love the EOS lip balm ball that is super easy to find in a crowded bag (think unique shape when rifling without being able to see). Lastly, a great go-to is the Smith's Rosebud Salve by the Rosebud Perfume Co. While the smell is not quite as appealing as the Victoria's Secret glosses, this gloss is great for many reasons... top in my opinion: it is super easy to glide on, the small tin will last you forever, and the product is multi-purpose, it can double as a creamy blush or help with dry irritated skin on the hands.
For the "less close" office mates or other friends:
The go to here is food. No one feels slighted by something delicious they can eat. If you like to cook I think a homemade snack is great. An easy one that I love is a Rolo Pretzel Turtle. Simply melt rolos on top of normal twisted pretzels then smush (yes that is the technical cooking term) a pecan down on top. Let cool, then package and serve. I am not much of a baker but even I can make these and the prep time is negligible, in fact you can buy 90% of what you need at a gas station! An example recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pretzel-turtles/
If you do not want to cook however, there are still a lot of great options. One of my favorites is the Nothing Bundt Cakes Bundtlettes which are a perfect individual size for gifting.
For the in-laws:
I think for in-laws, when you have no ideas, go with something comfy. An incredibly soft throw is never a bad thing. Food is always a great idea here too.
For the boyfriend or husband:
I think the safest way to go is to get gaming items they don't already have... a new game, PS3 Move if they have PS3 or the Wii Motion Plus if they have a Wii. If they are absolutely not a gamer, as in no DS, Wii, Xbox, computer games or PS3, my next go to gift is tickets to a sports event. Tickets are fun for you both and you don't have to get great seats to be really fun.
For the Techie:
There are a variety of fun tech cases out there that make great gifts. Etsy sellers have tons of fun pouches, covers, bags and cases for everything from iPods to iPads, Kindles, Mac Books, Laptops and more. The Apple store also carries a huge selection of cases. This is a fun gift because even if you have a case it is fun to change them out.
Another great option for the techie is unique headphones (both in look or sound type/ quality). Skull Candy is a great starting place when looking for variety. Lastly, an easy but always appreciated standby is an iTunes or Amazon giftcard. These are great for buying apps or songs, as well as even more tech stuff!
For the person who has everything:
I am always jealous of people who have earned this title... I hope to be one of these someday. I think for these folks a personal recommendation combined with a gift is the best way to go. A book you like for example with a note telling them to give it a try. A great recipe with the tools and ingredients to fix it. A restaurant you like, with a gift card to try it or a TV show you like with the first season on DVD. The recommendation helps it to seem personal and be something new. It is also way easier then trying to figure out what they like, just share what you like and hopefully it becomes a shared interest.
So while I won't make any claims about these being fail proof, I do think these work pretty well across all my gift giving experience. If anything hopefully it prevents you from having to make that post Christmas or birthday trip to the mall to process a pile of returns.
I love gifts, so today the idea of gifts is my Bright Side of Blue!
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