5 Unique Gift Ideas For The Holidays

If even the thought of launching your Christmas shopping experience makes you dizzy, take a deep breath and pour a cup of tea. There are certain must-have items making the rounds of stores, websites and by word of mouth that practically guarantee your legacy as the person with the biggest heart on the planet if you choose them. Look over your recipient list, don your smart savvy shopper glasses, match the following hot products with the people you love, and voila! You’re a gifting star.

Isn’t this the year you stop taking the coward’s way out—sheepishly showing up at store cash registers with a fistful of gift cards in hand? Giving gifts everyone longs for shows you understand what the holidays are really all about.

Ok kidding that was a bit over the top, but the point is you can get just about anything on the internet so why not try make your gifts more unique this year?

1. Furniture

That’s right you read it correctly, furniture.Now you are probably thinking furniture may be a bit on the expensive side and your right if your thinking about a sectional couch or an entertainment center. I mean more along the lines of a cool coffee table or side table for a living room. Maybe a fancy office chair or a rug. But whats trending this winter is decorative furniture. My neighbor just bought some barn door sliding hardware. Pretty random right? Except for its cheap and totally transformed her house. This is the beauty of the internet, you won’t find unique cheap stuff like this at your local Wal-mart or Target.

2. Glasses

Yes you can get glasses just about anywhere locally but the selection on the internet is so much more vast. Instead of buying someone the same pair of glasses everyone sees visit a internet retailer to find those frames that are the perfect match. For example did you know that there are oakley sunglasses for women? Most people think its only a male brand, but they have a huge selection of frames that look just as fashionable as any big name brand for a fraction of the cost. There are a million glasses brands feel free to explore the possibilities but if you want another hint for decent priced glasses check out the brand “SPY”. Same sort of deal, traditionally a male brand, but with a huge selection of female frames and styles for very good prices.

3. Brag-worthy Appliance

Is it wrong to turn to the 2014 National Hardware Show to glean that industry’s prognostications for gifts that won’t be replicated? Of course not—because gadgets and small appliances are perennial requests made by both men and women, and while the “individual cup of coffee” craze that swept several Christmases are no longer list toppers (could everyone who wants one already own one?), that doesn’t mean retailers aren’t ordering tonnage of Ninja Blenders, panini grills–now known as “breakfast sandwich makers”–and oddities like stainless steel ice cubes, stainless steel beer chill sticks and beverage dispensers featuring stainless steel ice buckets. My personal favorite from this category is a totally is this Hamilton Breakfast Sandwich Maker. Its really not necessary, but man its so cool! Which makes it a perfect Christmas Gift.

4. Fitness Accessory

It’s the unisex gift that keeps giving—and it matters not what your budget may be, because this holiday’s must-have fitness gift comes in many price ranges. These wrist monitors act like a personal trainer and do everything but make coffee—they track run and walk distance, calculate calories, monitor perspiration, keep tabs on heart rates and even measure skin temperature. Top brands include Basis, BodyMedia Core2 (if your gift recipient never misses the TV show The Biggest Loser, no need to consider other brands!) and the FitBit Flex. The Jawbone UP interfaces with iPhones and Androids. Nike+ Fuelband and Larklife both get lukewarm reviews from USA Today fitness editors, so apply due diligence when you research fitness bands before you and your plastic dash out of the house with your list of recipients. When you wear these gadgets every day and travel with them, you may wear them out, break them, or lose them. If you need replacement bands or chargers, it’s easy to find them at Mobile Mob.

5. Brewing Sensation

Just about every year, a new coffee making kit appears in ads and feature stories recommending the season’s top gift pick. And although a pretty standard item in most kitchens people don’t understand how much better their coffee maker can be because generally they have been using the same one for years. The Moka Pot is my favorite but you can find a good starter point of fantastic coffee maker ideas here. Its a gift that the receiver may not be initially excited about , “Oh you got me a coffee maker…” but once they start using it and taste their new coffee they will realize what they have been missing out on.

{Bonus} 6. Vacation

This one is the most unique and unconventional. But the average person spends almost all of their time indoors. Adult’s often don’t remember how therapeutic the outdoors can be. Booking a lodge for the weekend at a national park isn’t as expensive as one might think. For example I am pretty close to Yosemite National Park and the lodges are very affordable for a weekend. Find an outdoor location near you and look into a weekend getaway. Almost nobody is going to expect a gift like that.

These are just 5 ideas to get your started, with the point being the internet is full of cool stuff. So take 30 minutes to do some web surfing instead of settling for a gift card and a note.

More Holiday Resources

This post was written by Paisley Hansen.

Paisley is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, beauty and fashion. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym.

Original Image Credit via Creative Commons: Janet Ramsden