Gifts of the Year: What's In and What's Out!

'Tis the season to be spendy, but this year, many of us must stretch our Santa spirit with a slashed budget! Make the most of your dollars by buying gifts according to interests and personalities instead of price and popularity. If you take the time to truly think about the person you're buying a present for, you can get away with a much less expensive but thoughtfully appropriate gift that your recipients will truly love. To shift your brain from wasteful holiday-themed gifts and impersonal, overpriced box sets, here are a few tips on what's in and what's out in different gift categories you might find yourself choosing from! Have some additional ideas? Let everyone know in the comments. Happy shopping!


For Gadget Lovers: Extended Battery Time!
Think Again: Unless they've been hinting around, don't buy gadget whizzes more gadgets - they probably already own all of the electronics they already want, or have a gadget that does what your specialized present claims to do.
Good Thinking: Allow your gadget-loving girl or guy to make the most out of what they already own with a backup battery they can keep on them at all times to instantly recharge their iPhone or iPad with a Mophie Juice Pack Reserve ($40).


For the Young Ones: Entertaining Educational Toys!
Think Again: Anything that can lead to destruction, especially if the recipient isn't your kid. No matter how excited they may be to receive a pellet gun or a chemical-filled kit that is for much older budding scientists, you'll really regret your choice once you get the call that something, or someone, has been hurt.
Good Thinking: Of course, video games are an easy, but often expensive gift. Keeping in mind the ages of the kids you're shopping for, looking for fun educational toys is your best bet to make the most of your buy. Little ones will love anything from Melissa and Doug, like this Pizza Party make-believe set ($15). Older kids will love learning and having fun with the hot Bananagrams ($25 and up) and you can make the present special by offering to play immediately upon opening!











For the Health-Conscious: Something Fun Yet Thoughtful!
Think Again: Anything scary and alarming is not a proper holiday gift. While your health-conscious recipient may love learning about lead levels and pesticide problems, opening up books about these topics on Christmas day would be a downer.
Good Thinking: Pick up a present that is a solution to a problem that you know that the person cares about. For example, if they try to stay off their cell phone as much as possible for health reasons, gift the Native Union Moshi Moshi Cordless Handset for iPhone, Blackberry and all Mobile Bluetooth Devices ($100), which eliminates 99% of radiation from cell phone usage! Or, if you're on a budget, gift them with a self-filtering water bottle ($50) so that they'll never need to buy bottled water again!



For the Beauty Obsessed: Promises of a Year-Round Glow!
Think Again: As much damage as tanning salons have been proven to cause, no matter how tan-obsessed your recipient happens to be, leave the gift certificate to the tanning bed alone - while she may love being bronzed, your gift would be no better than wrapping up a pack of cigarettes when it comes to her health!
Good Thinking: Get your girl glowing the healthy way with Beautisol's Gradual Tanning BeautiKit: All Seasons Glow ($55). It comes with a back applicator, a pair of exfoliating gloves, an instructional DVD for a flawless application, disposable latex gloves and a pump guide - all the pieces she'll need to protect herself from UV rays while glowing like she's been sunning all winter long!










For the Frequent Flyer: Something They'll Always Remember You By!
Think Again: If you're gifting a jetsetter, avoid buying local experiences and gift cards that can only be redeemed in person as they might not have a chance to use them if they're always on the road.
Good Thinking: Staying fresh and healthy when on the road can be hard, but gifting something that they can use and always remember you by is a great idea. A good travel pillow, like a Tempur-Pedic Travel Neck Pillow ($79) can help your traveler get some sleep. Also, you can keep them looking fresh by gifting them with travel-sized skincare like that in a DECLÉOR L'Art de Voyage Travel Set ($65)!



For the Workaholic: Protection for Their Efforts!
Think Again: Never gift a workaholic with trinkets, t-shirts, or calendars that poke fun at the fact that s/he is a workaholic - they don't need reminders of the long hours they put in each day to further their career and to provide for themselves and their families!
Good Thinking: Be supportive and smart by gifting the hard worker on your list with a portable external hard drive like this Iomega eGo BlackBelt Portable 1 TB External Hard Drive ($135) so that if disaster strikes, they won't have to ever waste a single hour searching for a file after an unfortunate computer accident. Make sure to pick one that is able to withstand a little roughing up! For a lower cost present, look into the Sunbeam Hot Shot Water Dispenser ($17) so that they can keep a stash of coffee and tea at their desk for a quick pick-me-up anytime, courtesy of you!



For the Culinary King or Queen: Efficient Appliances!
Think Again: Never cheap out on kitchen utensils and appliances when you're picking out a present for someone who loves to cook, unless it is a unique device that only comes in inexpensive forms that they can actually use.
Good Thinking: If you're on a budget, gift the chef in your life with something to help them take their plating and presentation to the next level, like Japanese egg molds ($3-7 in different shapes) so that they can shape hard boiled eggs into neat, edible shapes for decorative purposes. However, if there's room in your wallet to splurge some, if your cook doesn't already have a KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer ($280), gifting one is sure to put you on their favorites list for years to come, as almost every chef aspires to own one of these, especially if they do a lot of baking!











For the White Elephant Exchange: Something Small Yet Awesome!
Think Again: While a white elephant exchange is meant to minimize the amount of spending on Secret Santa gifts, the people who gift pure junk are missing the point - it's also an opportunity to have fun and celebrate the ridiculous stuff that ends up on our shelves!
Good Thinking: Get creative and come up with a present that will have people laughing and usually enjoying at home, like these Ininji Toesocks ($14-24) that are cute, unusual, and very comfy, or gift this No. 2 Poo-Pourri Toilet Paper and Deodorizing Spray Gift Set ($17), whose tagline is "Spritz the bowl before you go and no one else will ever know!" Consider pairing the poo drops with the Poo-Pourri Card Packs ($11) that are full of trivia for toilet time!

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