Brainstorming for gift ideas

[houseelf]

What are you getting for those hard to buy for people? I have some seriously difficult people to buy for. Let's brainstorm. I hate to buy meaningless crap.

OH YEAH CHECK OUT http://WWW.DISCOUNTCODES.COM before shopping online.

In the past, here have been some winners:

*Tuesdays with Morrie book
*Army Veteran Ball cap and coffee mug (soldiercity.com)
* Harry Potter "Muggle" t-shirt for us adult HP geeks and "Wizard in Training" t-shirt for the kids
*Running watch for the nutjobs amongst us
*Grandma Remembers or Mom's life story journals
*Photo Calendars made up at Kinkos of the kids (big hit)
* personalized pencils for school agers(Lillian Vernon.com)
*Personalized beach towels for kids (cheap at Lillian Vernon.com)
*Mother's bracelets that I have beaded.
*Copy of my favorite recipes for a new bride.
*Personalized Stationery for the boss
* personalized brass door knocker, picture frames, and housewarming signs
*"Our first home" and "First marathon" Christmas ornaments--many other occasions are commemorated by ornament, these typically are not.
*Reminisce magazine for anyone who from the Greatest Generation who lived through the depression, WWII, etc.
*Collegiate items of a particular alma mater always a hit.

Share with me here, especially with guy gift ideas. I'm struggling with the guys on my list and I *hate* to get them the default "home depot" gift certificate.

Kelly

[spotty_dog]

I hope to find something on etsy.com for just about everybody.

[planet]

if you have the time

The biggest hits I have with gifts are home made t-shirts. I don't make the shirts, buy them on sale for $2.50 ea at Michaels. Just personalize and print out the iron-on with the computer. Ironing them on is easy. For grandparents I do pics of the kids. I did a special set of sweatshirts for my bro's family a couple of years ago. It takes way less time than you'd think. Doing this over the last (I think 5 or more) years I have learned that it is best to put the date and occasion on the shirts. No other gifts I have given have ever been remembered, but I still hear out of the blue thanks for the shirts.

[DCJenn]

Hmmm.

I love stuff from Lush- http://www.lushcanada.com We have one here but even paying for shipping it's still cheaper to order from the Canadian site. I LOOOVE the Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo (and yes, it does smell like beer) and I love the Buffy the Backside Slayer massage bar. Doesn't do crap for cellulite but smells divine and does remove the icky dry skin.

I also like http://www.igourmet.com for those hard to buy for older people. All of the grandkids contributed one year and got my grandmother a "year of tea". she LOVED it.

My Pittsburgh based relatives are happy with anything 'burgh or Black and Gold. ebay is a great source for wacky stuff that no one else has. (I got my dad a hand that holds a beer can that has some old P-burgh beer ad on it. It's on display in the new family room, my mother's thrilled...)

That's it for now!

Jenn

oh, http://www.uncommongoods.com for fab and different gifts, too