The eternal question. The only question.
The ultimate question, to which '42' cannot be the answer. What gifts should I buy?
If you're like me, picking a Christmas gift falls into one of three categories:
- I know the perfect gift - unfortunately, only for one relative. Who is dead.
- Controlled procrastination - I will wait until the final week and drip-feed my mall visits.
- Absolute panic - it is now 5pm on 24th December and I haven't bought a thing.
So this year, while we're all repeating the "don't panic don't panic" Christmas mantra, here's some ideas to make your gift buying a little easier.
Ideas list:
- Food, drinks, socks and underwear. Classics are classics for a reason.
- 3-in-1 wireless charger
- Bluetooth beanie - a cool hat with bluetooth speakers.
- Chromecast dongle
- Hair dryer / straightener - Fair warning, don't buy it without asking first.
- Bags. Seriously! Laptop bags / backpacks, gym bags, luggage - we all need it and we need it all!
- Manicure & grooming kits
- Camping / tramping stuff - do they like the outdoors? There's so many cool knickknacks people use!
- Kids Smart Speaker Player - a great alternative to the Amazon Echo, which literally has ads. Just 'why?'
- Colouring or Painting books for Adults - increasingly popular, intricate and fun
- Fitness minibands
- Video shooting kit for phones and cameras
- Beanbags
- Kobo eReader
- Gift cards
And OBVIOUSLY you could get us to show up with instruments and song, and present a personalised rhyme to your special someone(s)! CLICK HERE and check out what we do!
"I don't want any more lists! I want to come up with something but I need help."
Okay, start with this:
Where do the following two questions intersect -
What do your people like, and
what would enhance the things they like?
Example: They like hosting dinners. You've noticed their placemats are a bit skody (skoty?), or they don't have a cast-iron frypan. The conclusion is easy, right?
Or, they like tramping. Try a self-cleaning water bottle, or portable campfire. (Yes, those are things. The second one comes in a little tin.)
Whether they're outdoorsy or not, a wood burning fire pit is great for the backyard, and surprisingly cheaper than you might think. Additionally, you might consider a little flask filled with their favourite whiskey / tea / drink of choice.
Another great question: what's bothering them?
My wife's phone is in a perpetual state of slow. Short of buying a new phone waiting to become her next old phone, I could get her a bigger SD card. (Which I now can't get her, because she will proofread this post.)
Finally, the whole idea is that we're celebrating the people in our lives, right? So have fun with it.
Merry Christmas!