Merry Giftmas: HC Presents Our ULTIMATE 2011 Holiday Shopping Guide!

Mom and Dad have always taught us the all-important Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And when it comes to the holiday season, following that Golden Rule becomes completely essential –if you want to get all the great gifts on your list from family and friends, you’re going to have buy them some awesome presents too!

Of course, it’s easier said than done, particularly on a collegiette™ budget. So to help with your Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa/etc. shopping this year, HC Wake Forest has put together a list of gift ideas guaranteed to please even the pickiest of recipients. We’ve included items at a range of prices that accommodate just about any budget. Read on for present ideas for  Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, BFFs, the boyfriend  — and even some you may want to pick up for yourself!

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For Mom:

L’Epice Jars, Anthropologie, $4
These adorable spice jars are perfect for any mom who loves cooking – or even a mom that just likes having a cute kitchen! The colorful ceramic containers are numbered and printed on them “Plein de Bonnes Choses,” meaning ‘full of good things.’ And they’re dishwasher safe! At such a great price, you can get Mom just one or a whole bunch.

Missoni iPad case, Target, $59.99
Remember when the Target website crashed the day Missoni for Target launched? We’ll take that as a sign that the Missoni for Target line is all super cute and would be very much appreciated by mothers this holiday season. These Missoni-print iPad cases are perfect for a trendy mom – and Target’s website is having a free shipping special right now! Buy ASAP!

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For Dad:

Club Cooler, SkyMall, $24.99
Featured in SkyMall (that magazine that makes every plane ride more fun) this Club Cooler is a great gift for a dad who golfs at any level. Whether he’s a serious scratch golfer or just likes to have fun on the course, he’ll love this dual function gift: the detachable golf bag cover instantly converts into fairway cooler! Made from sturdy, double-stitched material, the snug-fitting club cover will keep Dad’s clubs safe on the way to the course and then easily converts to an insulated cooler to keep his beers cold while he plays. Fill with ice to hold up to 10 beverages – and it’s under $25!

Silk Print Tie, J.McLaughlin, $65.00
It’s a classic gift, and one that will never, ever get old – a gorgeous silk tie. J. McLaughlin’s printed silk ties come in a variety of colors and patterns, so pick whichever style you think suits Dad best. This gift will be a great addition to any fashionable father’s tie collection.

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For Sisters:

Throw Pillow, Dormify, range $20-160
Help your sis decorate her dorm room, apartment or bedroom at home with one of Dormify’s adorable throw pillows. With a million styles to choose from at a range of prices, there’s bound to be something that’ll help spice up your sisters’ space. One option I love? The trendy pink “Keep Calm and Sleep On” pillow. At $25, it’s a total steal, and it has that adorable British crown motif that everyone’s into right now.

Crystal Brûlée Bracelet, J. Crew, $45.00
A great piece of affordable jewelry that works for a sister of any age, this J. Crew bracelet is so sweet and easy to wear. According to J. Crew’s website, “Our designer placed faceted glass stones in tonal enamel settings (like a string of tiny crème brûlée ramekins) for a brightly colored twist on the classic crystal bracelet.” The bracelet comes in two equally gorgeous colors: crystal and rouge.

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For Brothers:

CandyMan Motion-Activated Candy Dispenser, Brookstone, $39.95
Looking for a unique gift for your bro this year? This action-sensor candy dispenser is a totally original gift that’s perfect for a brother with a sweet tooth. Fill up the candy dispenser with 12 cups of your brother’s favorite treats, then watch his face light up as he waves his hand under the dispenser, and the perfect amount of candy pours out. And the touch-free dispenser helps prevent germs – ‘cause let’s face it, boys are dirty.

Reef Draftsmen Sandals, Reef, $55.00
Just because it’s too cold out for flip-flops in December doesn’t mean your brother won’t still love these sandals from Reef. The Draftsmen flip flops are a masculine, durable sandal, and here’s the best part: built into the bottom of each shoe is a patented Reef bottle opener. As the Reef website explains, “With the built-in thirst quenching technology, you will always be ready for the party.” Enough said.

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For BFFs:

Victoria’s Secret PINK® Panties, Victoria’s Secret, 5 for $26
There is nothing more fun than getting together with all your best girlfriends to do Secret Santa and exchanging funny/sexy/silly/cute lingerie! And with the 5 for $26 deal from Victoria’s Secret, you can get gifts for so many of your friends at once. Or if you’re pretty broke right now, buy just one pair for your bestie – they’re all under $10! Especially after watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show last week, these gifts are all anyone’s talking about right now. And we love the PINK® collection best – these panties are all so girly, they’re a collegiette’s™ favorite!

Greek Desk Set, Dormify, $22.00
Looking for a great gift for a sorority sister? Help her show sorority pride every time she does her homework by getting her this set of desk accessories! Available in 11 different sorority prints, the set comes with five magnetic clips, a 50-page notepad and a tin pencil cup, all decorated with symbols from your sorority of choice. As Dormify puts it so perfectly, help a sister “make study time a lot less ugly.”

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For the Boyfriend:

Big Pony Coffret Set, Ralph Lauren, $45.00
As I mentioned in a previous HC article, Ralph Lauren’s Big Pony collection is made of four wonderful colognes, each more delicious than the last. Any one of these scents would make a great holiday gift for your guy, but then comes the hard part: choosing which one. But with this gift set, you don’t have to choose! The collector’s coffret set features mini versions of Ralph Lauren’s four signature Big Pony scents. And trust us: this is one gift you’ll end up loving just as much as your BF does—no matter which of the four scents he wears on any given day, he’ll smell extra good!

“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” by Tucker Max, Barnes&Noble, $10.51
If you know your guy hasn’t had the chance to read Max’s popular book yet, you’ve got yourself the perfect gift right here. Even if you’re boyfriend isn’t much of a reader, he’ll definitely love this hilarious, uber manly bestseller, which inspired the movie of the same name. As said best by the author himself in the book’s introduction, “My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole. I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable and just generally act like a raging dickhead. But, I do contribute to humanity in one very important way: I share my adventures with the world.” If just that paragraph sounds like something that would make your guy LOL, he’ll love the rest of the book too!

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For yourself:
As you’re spending your days busily shopping for other people, it’s perfectly acceptable to pick up some great things for yourself as well! You’ve earned it! Or, you can print out this page and give it to your parents, siblings, friends or boyfriend as little hint of what you’d love this year:

Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection, Best Buy, $49.99
If you’re a huge Harry Potter fan (like me,) you spent the wee hours of the morning of 7/15/2011 in a movie theater full of people wearing their graduation gowns crying over “the end of the era”. The only positive thing about the end of the Harry Potter movie franchise? Now you can add all 8 HP DVDs to your collection at once with the 8-film multipack. This is one item (or should I say ‘eight’) definitely on my Christmas list this year!

Murfette Scarf, Lilly Pulitzer, $78.00
This Lilly Pulitzer scarf is so special – not just because it’s Lilly (a collegiete™ favorite) – but because it comes in Lilly’s nine wonderful sorority prints! The cashmere/silk scarf in Lilly’s signature vibrant colors is the perfect accessory to show off sorority pride all winter long. Grab one for yourself in your sorority’s pattern, or at least be sure to put this one on your wish list!

*Photography by Elise Wallace and from stock