Gift Guide Part #8: The Impossible-to-Shop-For Crowd (You Know Who You Are)

I guess cash works great for people you barely know, but for family members or friends, I think cash is a bit tacky. It kind of says “I couldn’t be bothered to click ‘order'” and it’s especially awkward when you’re exchanging gifts with the recipient in question. What if they got you cash too? If they gave you more, will you make up the difference, thereby rendering both of your “gifts” pointless?

Love this!

While I completely understand the sentiment of giving cash so that the receiver can get themselves whatever they’d like, personally whenever I’m given money as a gift I can never convince myself to spend it on a gift for myself and it always goes towards rent and groceries instead. I’m in my fifth year of university and have a hard time buying nice things for myself without feeling guilty about it, so when someone else gets me a gift it’s even more appreciated! Maybe a way to avoid this if you’re worried about getting the recipient the wrong thing is to give the money with a little note that it’s intended for something particular, like “For a new sweater I know you’ve been wanting!”

Love the idea of that reversible tote. Just thinking how if I flipped mine inside out there would certainly be cheerios, goldfish and a panty liner stuck to the outside of that poor bag.

I love your gift guides so much and always look forward to them! I love this guide — people hard to shop for. My family and I just posted a gift guide for someone who is grieving – another hard person to buy gifts for especially if it’s fresh. http://www.ikeepdancing.com/blog/holiday-gift-guide-for-someone-who-is-grieving

Our sister died last year and we didn’t want to really face the holidays at all — these gifts were all very touching and healing in a way. Our friends and family somehow knew what we needed before we did! They brought joy to an otherwise really hard time. This and making new traditions helped us through the whole season. Hope this helps anyone having to face all that this year.

Joanna, Thanks for making this a space to share and love one another!

Shake Shack burger patties?! YES.

http://objectsicantafford.com

Love this year’s gift guide so much! Thank you, Joanna :)

I do want to reiterate the suggestion of giving teachers classroom supplies or gift cards since that is what we do need the most (plus the bulk of our paycheck goes to food and things for the classroom). I completely understand that you probably don’t have as much of a relationship with your child’s teacher as you do the other people on your gift guide, but we’re not the date-night teen babysitter- it’s our full time job to take care of and teach your children- so I would hope that we’re not lumped into the same category. I think this lack of relationship might be why we’re just seen as “helpers”, not constant, caring people in your children’s lives.
I think what you said you do for Toby’s teachers is a lovely idea, but there’s also nothing wrong with handmade cards from kiddos too. Those are the gifts that will never “clutter” my house or ever have too much of :)

I’m stumped on a gift for my tween nephew. I don’t know what 9 year old boys like these days! I don’t want to be that aunt that just sends clothes.

There are so many good ideas here! I only wish you had posted it earlier, as I already got gifts for the people I could have used these ideas for. I’m bookmarking them now, and hoping they are still around next Christmas.

Hi,
I am a teacher – gifts we love the most are self made ones from our class (es) – I prefer even self made cards with their names on it ;)
I’m teaching teenagers and I think it’s easy to find a gift for teenie girls – they’re a bit like little women and love similar things: nice shampoings, little chocolates, a shopping card for their favorite store… and if the teenager is your son/daughter/nephew/niece – how about a “voucher” for an activity like Climbing together or something like that?

Here is a challenge for you … teenagers.

Teenagers! Please, please give us some ideas for gifting to teenagers! There are a million gift guides out there for the under 12 set, but I have five siblings-in-law, four of them in their teens! Also, a stocking stuffers guide would be great as well. Loved the expanded gift guide this year!

I admit (head bowed) that I am the impossible person to shop for. The gold cuff is exactly what “I NEED”. The store, Belmto, is super affordable and has wonderful trending jewelry. I found a scarf too. I will report back when my order arrives. Thank YOU for the suggestions!

money or a gift card, while boring, are always a good bet. or a candle- but that reminds me of this funny skit-https://intothegloss.com/2016/12/snl-christmas-candle-video/

xo, brittany
http://www.notablob.com

Once again, your gift guides for the win! I was totally stumped for my father-in-law, but thanks to this guide he’s all taken care of. Thank you!

Dang, woman. You know what you’re doing. THIS, I can use!

Hah, what a good idea for a gift guide. Thank you!

As someone that knows a bunch of educators, I want to offer a boring BUT really easy idea–a gift card! Teachers and secretaries and all those people who make your day easier and work so, so hard deserve so much! If cash sounds too crass or thoughtless, choose a giftcard from a close-by coffee shop, bookstore, or even Target! Extra points if you choose the giftcard because you’ve noticed how they always seem to be holding a coffee cup from that particular place.