By Hailey Boehme
We all know the classic gifts that everyone resorts to for Christmas: candles, scented lotion, gift cards, stuffed animals, or candy. While all of that is great occasionally, I have more KitKats than I know what to do with.
Please listen to me when I say that my stockpile of random facemasks has never dwindled. Not once.
Now you may be asking yourself “What do I even get anyone then??”
Have no fear…Allow me to present to you Hailey’s Ultimate Guide to the Best Christmas Gifts!
Coming from a teenage girl, I feel a lot of pressure to get my closest friends and family the best gifts as a token of my appreciation for them. Over time, it has occurred to me that no one is expecting the most “perfect” and expensive gift.
Sentimental Gifts:
Personally, my favorite gifts, both to give and receive, are those that have sentimental value.
In order to come up with a meaningful gift, I first take time to consider the things I know are most important to that person. To put this into perspective, it’s time to dive into the examples.
Those who are close to me know that I never miss out on an opportunity to appreciate the sky. In honor of my passion for admiring the beauty of sunsets, I was gifted a framed collage of my friend’s most awe inspiring (and personally captured) sunset images.
Another passion that I’ve found to be shared amongst a wide variety of people is for mental health. There are ways to get creative with mental health in mind, and the ones I happen to be most fond of include bracelets, shirts, stickers, pins, and room decorations that focus on promoting positive messages. If tangible gifts aren’t your thing, coming together to help a non-profit organization that advocates for change is an out of the box way to show support for a loved one.
The last thing that I will mention holds a special place in my heart: DIY gifts. Painted picture frames, handwritten notes, photo albums, tie blankets, beaded or thread bracelets, etc.
For a Significant Other:
Not everyone tends to agree with my ideas for this topic, BUT HEAR ME OUT!
My first controversial point is that you should not need to spend a lot of money. There are many small things that can go a long way.
- A clothing swap. If you’re anything like me, you love things that remind you of the ones you love, and wearing their clothes is the perfect way to do that.
- Signature scents. If clothing does not work out, perfume, cologne, or any scented spray is a great way to have a piece of someone with you, even if they can’t be there physically.
- Open when…. letters. This idea is popular on the internet because it is a cheap, yet meaningful, present. These letters come sealed with specific instructions on when to open each one. Some examples of this might be “open when you miss me” or “open when you need a good laugh”.
- Activities to do together. Anything from Legos, puzzles, movies, video games, baking ingredients, and gift cards to your go-to restaurants can work for this idea.
- Matching is adorable. The most common matching items are stuffed animals, pajama pants, shoes, and jewelry. It can be as subtle or obvious as you want and is a fantastic way to show off your relationship.
For Parents & Other Adults:
This is something I have struggled with my whole life. Mom- if you are reading this: STOP BUYING YOURSELF THINGS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS TIME! Anyways…
As for all the other sections, the best thing to consider is personal interests and ways to help them with things they frequently complain about. For example, my mother enjoys Hallmark movies, walking our dog, unironically cheesy shirts, and reading. On the other end of the spectrum, she despises cold weather, my dad listening to videos at full volume, and coming up with things to make for family dinner.
To satisfy her movie obsession (yes, I do mean obsession), I planned a movie marathon night. This night would be complete with popcorn, candy, a candle, fuzzy blankets, and heartwarming holiday Hallmark movies.
As for walking the dog, my mom needed some upgrades. The leash was breaking, her coat was not ready to withstand North Dakota chills, and her mittens… well… they have been chewed up a few times.
After returning home from her walks, she usually starts to cook for our family. In an effort to make things easier for her, I have created a recipe book. With the help of recipes, I can not only lend a hand for cooking, but I can also avoid saying “I don’t know” when she asks me what I want to eat.
Using my mom’s claim of my father having horrible hearing abilities (I am convinced they are entirely selective), I came up with a present my dad would actually enjoy.
Instead of buying him random shirts that he shoves under his bed, never to be seen again, my sister and I pooled our money together to purchase AirPods. This saved him from blasting YouTube videos that you can hear across our house and allowed him to work more efficiently at home by being able to take work calls on the go.
Additionally, my dad LOVES to experiment cooking food on an open fire, smoker, and grill. For as long as I can remember, we have been getting him new tools to try out, and it never seems to get old. From customized spatulas, grill covers, a smokeless firepit, cleaning brushes, and various food items to cook, he loves it all.
In the end, the thing to take away from all of this is to make time to spend with those who are important to you. No gift is better than that of community and coming together. The holidays are ultimately about taking time to reflect on the things you are most grateful for.
No matter the gift you end up giving or getting, it is truly the thought that counts. Happy holidays, Mustang Post!
The Mustang Post 