Not sure what to get for your family, friends, or teachers this year for the holidays? Shop for all the people in your life with tips from this gift guide without spending every dollar you own.
Friends: Bake your friend’s favorite sweet. This is perfect for new friends, best friends, and anyone in between. Presenting your friends with a plate of chocolate chip cookies or a pan of brownies will surely show that you care and put a smile on their face. Do not be afraid to be creative: add ribbons or a “Happy Holidays” note. Take advantage of one of the 100 best holiday cookie recipes, as listed by myrecipes.com.
Consider doing a Secret Santa exchange with friends rather than buying for everyone. It can be fun to do a few smaller gifts that lead up to the larger gift, still keeping the presents under a set limit. There are options in every price range, including gifts for under $10.
Teachers: During the holidays, don’t forget your teachers. Thank your teachers for their hard work with school supplies such as whiteboard markers, erasers or pencils. Sometimes the supply closet doesn’t offer staplers or hole-punchers. Keep an eye out and your ears open if there is something in your classroom that the teacher needs or might be running out of. Also, you can just purchase a gift card to Staples or other supply stores, so that your teacher has the freedom to purchase what they want. Teachers love personalized gifts as well. You might be surprised, but as Buzzfeed mentions in number 18 on their “24 Awesomely Thoughtful for Teachers,” something as simple as a note from the whole class goes a long way.
Parents: Even if you are extremely close with your parents, they can be challenging to shop for. Often, parents just want time to relax, eat food not cooked by them, and for chores to be done. A thoughtful gift for your parents is a cookbook: let them choose a dish that you can cook for them while they unwind. For Mom, you can buy a gift card for a spa day or manicure.
A great idea for Dad might be to buy a Phillies or Eagles gift card that could go towards the purchase of tickets to a game. Often these “experience” gifts where you can spend time with your parents doing something together are the most meaningful. If you have extra funds to spare or you’re joining with other siblings to purchase a larger gift, check out sites like LivingSocial and Cloud9. Both companies offer a wide range of experience gifts from a day trip for fishing to a hot air balloon ride.
Siblings or other family members: If you are looking for a cute gift for your sister, young or old, purchase a bracelet. Alex and Ani bracelets are extremely popular and offer a variety of personalized options. Most bangles are under $30, and they make a thoughtful choice. If you’re a girl, find or make matching bracelets that you both can love and wear.
For your brother, buy him a pair of Nike Elites or if he isn’t the sporty type, get him a cool winter hat or beanie.
All of these sibling gifts work well for age-appropriate cousins as well.
Anybody else: Looking for a simple gift for your bus driver, coach, or favorite custodian? Everyone loves a gift card from Wawa or iTunes. Thank all the people in your life for all the small things they do for you.
Good luck with your holiday shopping!
