Tired of giving the same old presents? Need new stores and sites to browse? Don’t ditch your holiday spirit just yet. Below is a list of places you might have forgotten to look at or perhaps never heard of, offering everything from fashion items to home furnishings and toys. Get excited, and go crazy!
For the fashion-lover:
Check out ASOS for an infinite selection of fashionable clothing and labels that you can actually afford. We promise you won’t be able to get off the site once you get on.
If you’re looking for Top Shop-esque label that won’t kill your wallet, this is the place. You’ll find everything from racy cutout dresses to sheer tops and bold jewelry.
Membership is required, but the free sign-up is worth it. Loads of gorgeous, trendy, and high-quality clothing—all at shockingly affordable prices.
For the home-maker:
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp
Painted plates and mugs, French cheese cutters, handcrafted jewelry boxes—check out Anthropologie for quaint home adornments.
http://www.containerstore.com/welcome.htm
The name sounds silly, but you’ll be surprised by what you can find here. For the person who likes little knick-knacks and big organizers, this is your one-stop store.
For the person with expensive taste:
http://www.gilt.com/sale/women
Gilt boasts a small but high-quality selection of discounted designer items, from clothes and jewelry to purses and beauty sets. Fit only for the very best.
For the inner-kid:
The name says it all: Fun, quirky gifts for that someone who’ll always be a kid at heart.
For the artist:
http://society6.com/ has a seemingly infinite supply of chic, artistic prints for iPhone cases and MacBook skins. You can also use their prints to make stylish t-shirts, totes, canvases, and more.
Other ideas:
Want to send a gift to someone long-distance? Have a friend with a sweet tooth? Check out http://www.crumbs.com/ and http://www.sprinkles.com/cupcake-bakery-locations/chicago/bakery/ for cupcake delivery services.
http://www.giftsthatgive.com/ has a great selection of gifts, but more importantly, everything you buy goes back to charity.
What’s more valuable than things? Experiences. http://www.groupon.com/chicago offers everything from cooking classes to concerts to skydiving.
http://givetu.me/givetu/pages/home is an extremely helpful gift generator that will crank out unique items based on person and price range.