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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Dalhousie chapter.

Struggling to find the perfect gift for one of your family members this holiday season? I often find myself scouring Amazon and Etsy to find last-minute gifts for my parents. Gift-giving can be stressful, especially if you’re worried about finding something that your parent or sibling will actually use. Here are some ideas to help you avoid that holiday stress. 

Does anyone in your family enjoy baking? If so, these gifts would be perfect for them! There’s no better way to spruce up a batch of holiday cookies than with an embossed rolling pin. With affordable options on Amazon and decadent designs on Etsy, there’s quite a variety of extravagant rolling pins to choose from.  

Another option would be to give them some organic syrups to bake with. The company, Royal Rose Syrups, sells every flavour of gourmet syrup possible! They even have some delicious seasonal flavors, including cranberry spice and maple.  

If your family members are more of the adventuring type, there’s also some wonderful options for them as well. Foam rollers work as great gifts for anyone who enjoys exercising because they can relieve muscle tightness and improve range of motion. Find them on Amazon or at a local sporting goods store. Whoever you purchase this for will thank you for this one! 

Whether your adventurous loved one enjoys hiking or working out, a water bottle is always a great gift. Welly Bottles, a company dedicated to providing clean water access worldwide, crafts beautiful bamboo water bottles and traveler mugs. 

For those who love to garden, a gardener’s harvest basket is a great option to hold fresh produce or plants. Uncommon Goods, based in Brooklyn, sells all handmade goods and is an incredible place to buy a high-quality harvest basket. You could also buy them a gardener’s tool seat, which doubles as a seat and a tool bag for all their gardening tools. These can also be purchased at Uncommon Goods or Amazon. 

If any of your family members are readers then purchasing a newspaper or magazine subscription for them could be a great gift. Many news organizations offer holiday subscription deals so you might as well take advantage of these – and support a local news outlet.  

At the end of the day, anything that shows you care makes for a great gift. One way to do this is making personalized, handmade gifts. This could be a decked-out photo album, with pictures of your favorite moments with family. And if you’re up for it, you can even toss in a handwritten note.

Amelia St. John

Dalhousie '24

Amelia is in her second year at Dalhousie University, studying marine biology with minors in journalism studies and finance. She enjoys writing and loves fashion. After her studies at Dalhousie, she wants to pursue a career in science writing or financial journalism.