Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide & Tips- Blogmas Day 18

December 18th 2017

It isn’t how much you give, it is how much love you put into giving~

A little confession, I am a terrible holiday shopper. It is not that I buy bad gifts or anything, I am just the most indecisive person in the world. In my mind, giving a gift that has some level of sentiment behind it means more to me than just giving a gift I think someone will like.

With this being said, I have become proficient in last minute holiday shopping and with less than 10 days until Christmas and half of Hanukkah already over, you may be feeling the pressure. So here are just some of my favorite last minute gift tips and ideas for people who you are struggling to find gifts for:

1. What have they been complaining about?- I know this isn’t exactly a specific gift idea, but this is something that has helped me shop for people many times. What have they been complaining about? If your friend is complaining that their earbuds don’t work unless you jiggle them and spin them around in the aux port a hundred times, a new pair of earbuds are a super meaningful gift. If your significant other’s wallet is tearing at the seams, a nice durable wallet could really make their day. Sometimes the best gifts are found by not only thinking about what they want, but what they need.
2. Gifts don’t need to be tangible- My best friend and I have been friends for about 8 years now and sometimes we just don’t know what to get each other for occasions. So, on many occasions, instead of getting each other something, we give each other the gift of experiences. Whether one of us pays for the other’s concert ticket to a show we both want to see or we plan a day to drive somewhere new and enjoy the sights, the gift of good memories means just as much as anything that could be wrapped (and you can avoid the lines at the mall)
3. Think outside the box- Sometimes, the biggest hurdle I need to get over is not having any idea of what to get someone and feeling uninspired by my options. That is usually when I turn to sites like UncommonGoods or Etsy because they offer unconventional gift ideas that I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of on my own. For example, I have a friend who is going to be a teacher and for her birthday, I found an adorable stamp on Etsy that was personalized and said “From the library of _________” to stamp in books she would let her students use in class. It was completely unique and I definitely wouldn’t have thought of it on my own without a little push in the right direction.
4. Ask for help- My brother is one of the easiest and hardest people to shop for. I know what he likes, but not specifically. For example, he loves records and video games and clothes but I don’t like shopping without his opinion. So every year in his cards, I ask him to help me buy him gifts. I pretty much say IOU whatever you want if you come to the store and choose it. I think with close friends, family, or significant others this is a great idea because not only do you get them exactly what they want, you also have the memory of picking it out together.
5. DIY from the heart- If you don’t know what to buy and you’re running short on time, make something! I’m not crafty in the slightest, but even making a nice card and a jar of candy is a good way to give someone a little gift that is more personal than just buying it from the store. Plus, making something is not only special because it is from you, it is also the only one of it’s kind making it a one-of-a-kind gift for the special person of your life.
6. Bundle up- When I don’t know a gift to buy someone I don’t…. I bundle gifts instead! If I have a friend who likes baking, I would buy them a cute bundle of something like an apron, cute cooking utensils, and maybe one of those cookies in a jar things! If I have a friend who deserves a pamper evening, I would grab them a candle, cozy pjs, and a few face masks. If I have a guy in my life who I don’t know what to get for, I will usually bundle a gift card, maybe some men’s grooming products, and their favorite snacks or games to create a man cave in a box! Creating a bundle of small things can be a lot more creative than buying one larger gift!

Overall, it doesn’t matter what you give as long as you give from the heart!

Jess~