Our family is really excited about our plans for this Christmas: time together playing board and card games, working a jigsaw puzzle, making music and, most importantly, taking the focus off of giving gifts no one can afford. We look at this not only as a way to remember what the holiday is really about, but as our way of making a statement about how empty and materialistic Americans have become. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the stories about Walmart employees who are trampled to death by Black Friday shoppers. Truly, this is the ugly side of American capitalism and I want no part of it. It only proves to me that our decision was a good one to make. This crap has to stop, so here are some suggestions for gifts under $10. Hope it illustrates that showing our loved ones we really care is not about how much money we spend on them, but that we remember them.- Gourmet coffee with a personal coffee cup
- A "blank book" and pen
- Teacup with a bag of tea samples
- Deck of cards and book of card game rules
- Homemade cocoa mix in a homey jar (wrap the lid with gingham and tie with a ribbon)
- Collage of special photos
- Gel pens and stationary
- Bottle of sparkling cider
- Inexpensive bottle of wine
- Home baked bread, include recipe
- Basket of deli cheese and fruit
- Holiday serving bowl or platter
- Christmas tree ornament (paint 2008 on it, something like, 2008 - Friends for 10 years!)
- Scented candles
- Decorative napkins and napkin rings
- Funny bar napkins, swizzle sticks, or shot glasses
- Fancy chocolate bars tied with a ribbon
- Gardening gloves with a plant, or flower seeds
- Hand decorated photo album
- Herbal soups tied in lace and ribbon
- Makeup tote
- Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking
- Special coffee cup filled with candy
- Vintage dish, vase, or pair of wine glasses from a favorite thrift store
- Vintage costume jewelry from the same thrift store
- Gourmet popcorn and flavored oil
- Locally made barbecue or steak sauce with basting brush
- Pancake or waffle mix and a bottle of real maple syrup
- Old book from a used book store. Classics and poetry are especially nice.
- Board games
- Jar of pure honey with biscuit mix
- Note cards
- Picture frame with a meaningful photo
- Glass jar filled with candy
- Muffin mixes with muffin pan
- Set of dish towels and dish cloths
- Nail polish kit
- Pretty night shirt
- Basket filled with kitchen gadgets from a dollar store
- Video rental gift certificate
- Pepper mill and fresh peppercorns
- Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes
- For the pets, gourmet dog biscuits or cat treats
- Small clock or radio
- Decorated shoebox for keepsakes
- Colorful Post-It notepads
- Address book
- Puzzles
- Sewing supplies
- Favorite quote embroidered on a nice handkerchief
- Makeup brush set
- Cozy socks
- Home baked cookies and/or fudge
- Sets of special chopsticks
- Basket of Christmas cookie cutters
- Holiday guest towels
- New calendar
- Coasters
- Incense and holder
- Small figurine from an antique store
- Aromatherapy essential oils
- Emergency cell phone charger
- Silly tie for Dad, with the purpose of being silly
- Hand cream
- Massage oil
- Fleece throw
- Slippers
- For musicians: guitar picks, sheet music, note pads
- Something geeky
- Tasteful fridge magnets
- Sample box of chocolates from a chocolatier
- Classic oldies CD
- Sealing wax and seal
- Pound of roasted cashews
- Scarf
- Mittens
- Sketch book
- On-sale gift book
- Nature gifts
- Bird feeder
- Table scarf
- House plant
- Glass paperweight
- Candle holder
- Trendy costume jewelry
- Decorative padded jewelry box
- Bubble bath or bath salts
- Small pail of electrical tools and tape
- Garage dads always need note pads and shop pencils
- Gag gifts
- Golf tees
- Mustache trimming kit
- Travel sewing kit
- Money clip
- Desktop calendar
- A homemade book of "naughty" coupons
- A homemade book of coupons for a massage, foot massage, hairbrushing, etc.
- Desk supplies
- Roll of pretty fabric. Buy remnants and tie with ribbon
- Wall decor that's on sale (check places like Hobby Lobby)
- Antique miss-matched silverware from a thrift store. Not an entire set, four teaspoons are nice
Happy shopping! And remember, there's no need to trample other people in celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace.
I like these ideas!!! Having survived some truly mean snd lean Christmases, I frankly like them better than the "consumer" Christmases because no matter what your credo is, Christmas should not be about shopping. It should be about hope and love and caring.
ReplyDeleteThese are the best gifts! I'm giving these neat little backpacking keychain flashlights - they are only $10 but they have adjustable brightness and different flashing modes, including morse code for sos, and they can be seen at more than a mile. I think they are neat little gifts and very useful, too. The other little things I'm giving are these pocket-size backpacking first aid kits. They are only $10 too, and are also very useful.
ReplyDeleteI like little gadgets better than big gifts.
How is Joel doing? Is he home yet? Tell him I said get well soon, because it's hard to fly when you're sick.
These are lovely ideas, they remind me of many of the gifts I've given/gotten over the years.
ReplyDeleteBest gift ever? A big big set of colored pencils in a metal tin that I got when I was 11 or so. I used them to make paper dolls and to color and make graphs for school reports. I was still using them for making exploratory data analysis graphs when I was in graduate school...