Gift giving is one of my favorite things of the year. I love the holidays/celebrations in general because I get to show my love and appreciation for friends and family through gifts. Stocking stuffers, holiday gifts, secret santa, white elephants, birthdays, anniversaries, or even small gifts every now and then – it is my time to showcase my love language.
A lot of people find the holidays stressful for the exact reason I love it – finding the perfect gift. There’s so much pressure behind selecting the perfect gift for someone you love to a coworker. I totally get it!
Here’s how I handle the pressure of getting the perfect gift: think about someone’s hobbies, a necessity they have been talking about, gift cards they may like, what kind of jewelry do they wear (if they wear any at all), what brings them comfort (blanket, tea, stuffed animals, fuzzy socks, oversized sweatshirts, slippers, etc.) or their favorites (article of clothing, tv show, movie, scent, food, book, music, sports team, etc.).
Tips
Tip #1: Gift Cards
Think about what stores they like to shop at or buy things from and consider getting them a gift card for that place or service. I promise you can never go wrong with a gift card. Here are some ideas for places that almost always work:
- Starbucks or your local coffee shop
- Restaurant certificate (check if the restaurant offers these or another gift option)
- Massage/facial certificate
- Local nail salon
- Barnes & Noble
- Sephora
- Lululemon
- Bath & Body Works
- Dicks and/or Scheels
- Amazon
Tip #2: Unique Gifts
ETSY ETSY ETSY! I promise you that you will find almost exactly what you are looking for on Etsy. If I ever feel stuck on what gift I should give someone I just scroll through Etsy. I add a lot of options to my cart, and then I decide what would be perfect for someone.
They offer the perfect unique gifts for everyone with items custom made to order with specific movie posters, unique bookmarks, or a picture you select with a song engraving underneath.
Another website perfect for a unique gift would be Uncommon Goods. What I really like about Uncommon Goods is that the website has a “gift finder” section on the homepage where you answer questions like “Who are you shopping for?” with given options and “What are they into?” to give you personalized gift recommendations from their products.
Tip #3: Giving gifts to people you don’t know very well
This to me is probably the most stressful part of gift giving. For a secret santa in a big group of people with some strangers, family members you don’t really know, or roommates you recently began living with, my best piece of advice is to stick to the basics.
My favorite items to give people I don’t know very well are:
- Starbucks/local coffee shop gift cards
- Mugs
- Cute candles
- Throw blankets
- A snack basket (either store-bought or homemade – either are perfect)
If you pick something that everyone would enjoy and pair it with a cute holiday card, you are golden. It shows thought, effort, and it’s festive!
Tip #4: Use YouTube, Tik Tok, and Pinterest as resources
YouTube, Tik Tok, and Pinterest are my favorite social media tools to find out what other people think make good gifts. What I love about using these resources is that they all are very relevant to what trends are occurring during the holidays, so they give you very trendy ideas that your gift recipient may love.
On YouTube, I look up “Christmas Wish List 2023” to find out what people my age or around my age would like and it’s applicable to a lot of younger people. I also enjoy watching “What I Got For Christmas” videos as well because it broadens my scope of ideas.
On Tik Tok, I look up “Gift Guide 2023” or “Christmas List 2023” and my search results are videos for teenage girls, partners, dads, moms, bosses, co-workers, best friends, siblings, etc. I don’t always take my ideas straight from the video, but it definitely helps me start brainstorming in the right direction.
Pinterest has amazing gift compilations created under names like “Gifts for Her”, “Gifts for Him”, “Gifts for Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend”, “Gifts for Dad”, “Gifts for Mom”, etc. Pinterest also has the perfect guides for whatever DIY gift you are thinking about making.
Tip #5: Don’t overcomplicate it
If you give someone a thoughtful gift, they are going to appreciate the thought behind the gift and the effort you put into it, not as much into the gift itself. Gift giving should be fun! It should be a way for you to communicate your love and appreciation for someone through a gift card that you know they’ll love, an item that they’ve mentioned they would love/need, or through experiences they would love. When you boil it down to the basics, gifts are the way of showing your love and appreciation for someone. It’s not so much about the gift itself but the effort and thought behind it.
Gift Ideas
If you are looking to shop for the college girl in your life and are stuck without an idea, check out one of Her Campus CU Boulder team members – Katie’s – article on the ultimate college girl gift guide.
Free/very cheap options: coupons to spend the day together doing an activity they enjoy like going to a museum, thrifting, playing a 1v1 game at a recreation center or park, create a Spotify playlist, a coffee/lunch date, etc.
- Perfume/Cologne
- Dossier – luxurious well-known brands at a discounted price (one of my personal FAVORITES – it’s affordable, smells like the exact replica, and super cute packaging – I would highly recommend)
- Sephora – perfect for rollerball perfumes and expensive luxurious brands
- Bath and Body Works – perfect for affordable, cute, and travel-size stocking stuffers
- Jewelry – ask yourself: do they wear gold, silver, rose gold, or a little bit of everything?
One of my favorite stores on Etsy to find affordable, good quality, and adorable jewelry is Caitlyn Minimalist. Some other stores I recommend: Studs, Adorn, and En Route.
Jewelry pieces:
- Ear cuffs (look just like a cartilage piercing and you can find some super cute ones)
- Necklaces
- Earrings (hoops, studs, dangly earrings, fancy earrings, or huggies)
- Birthstone rings, bracelets, earrings, or necklaces
- Statement rings
- Matching rings, bracelets, or necklaces
- Bags – going out bags, travel bags, suitcases, gym bags, belt bags, backpacks, tote bags, and travel-size makeup or jewelry bags.
- Amazon
- Topo Designs
- Lululemon
- Pretty Little Thing US (mainly going out bags)
- Bottles – water bottles, travel mugs, tumblers, etc.
5. Home Gifts – blankets, throw pillows, coasters, wall art, candles, oil diffusers, a satin pillowcase, room sprays, a record player, coffee table books, a vase and flowers, etc.
Gift Category Ideas
Cooks & Coffee-lovers: aprons, cookbooks, mugs, a kitchen utensil set, a nice knife set, a set of plates/bowls, kitchen/tea towels, different specialty coffee flavors, coffee syrups, an espresso machine, a cold brew gadget, a milk frother, a spoon rest, mixing bowls, coasters, spice sets, BBQ sauce testers, oven/grill mitts, charcuterie boards, or a Danish Dough Whisk.
Places to shop:
Book-lovers: someone’s favorite classic novel, book posters/stickers, a customized bookmark, a series set they’ve been wanting to read, a Book Of The Month subscription, tote bags, a custom embosser/stamp for personal library books, an annotating set (highlighters, tabs, sticky notes, pens, etc.), or a gift card to the local book store.
Places/resources to shop:
DIY Gifts: color baskets (baskets with items following a specific color theme), cookie dry mix in a Mason jar (with baking instructions tied to it), open when… letters (when you’re sad, when you’re lonely, when you’re happy, etc.), matching bracelets, or a scrapbook.
I find the best DIY gift ideas on Pinterest for whomever in your life you want to give them something from the heart!
For the outdoorsy people in your life: hiking socks, hiking shoes, fanny packs, a belt bag, a fleece pullover, beanies, leggings, cargo pants, coolers, a tent, sleeping bags, travel mugs, coats, gloves, sunglasses, a hammock, snow boots, or baseball hats.
Places to shop:
Active recipients: gym bags, running/weight training/Crossfit shoes, barre socks, leggings, active wear shirts, yoga/flare leggings, shorts, sports bras, joggers/sweatpants, ankle weights, a yoga mat, dumbbell weights, a massage gun, headphones, or foam blocks.
Places to shop:
Just a reminder that everything that I listed above are merely suggestions. Make this a fun experience! Set the mood for yourself – play holiday music in the background while you’re wrapping gifts, baking cookies, or just because (I don’t judge).
I adore gift giving during the holidays because it is the best way for me to show the people around me how much I love and appreciate them. I realize that not everyone feels the same as me and I absolutely understand, so I hope the tips and ideas I listed above helped take away some stress around the holidays.
This is my gift to you.