It’s that time of year again- holiday shopping for all your family, friends, co-workers, etc. I’ll be the first to admit that holiday shopping for others can be quite stressful… and expensive (yikes!) But I’ve come up with a short gender neutral list to appease almost everyone on your list. You’ll see that my inspiration stems from my foodie side, which will make for a delicious list! So, lets get started!
The Entertainer
Food brings people together and I absolutely love gourmet gifts that I can share. But creating a dish is just as fun as eating with your loved one. So why not hand-select colorful noodles or fun-shaped characters (for the kids of course :P) to accompany your favorite Marinara or Alfredo sauce. If you want to be extra fancy you could also add in a large festive bowl so that the entree has a new home to sit-in, wrap clear saran-wrap around the items and voila! Not only is this gift idea easy on the eyes, but also yummy for the tummy. I found these at my local TJ Maxx and Big Lots, but of course you can support small local mom n’ pop shops too!
Now you can always expand past the entrees and go straight into dessert realm as well. Recently I purchased two Sprinkles Cupcakes mix from the Newport Beach store and had it wrapped in a traditional Sprinkles Cupcake box sealed with their signature sticker. This special person has a sweet tooth for Red Velvet and her kids do too!
The Multi-tasker
I love multi-functional gifts that look and smell great, but are also practical as well. The Herb Garden from Trader Joe’s is just that (oh and it’s affordable too!). Can you believe this pot has 13 different herbs for less than 7 bucks. Craziness! These plants not only help liven up a kitchen counter top but also add so much flavor to your dishes as well. Rosemaries are my favorite, because they are just fragrant- they taste great with potatoes!
The Diner
If it seems that time is not on your side and finding the perfect gift is not something you look forward to perhaps you can consider treating your spe
cial person for a meal. Grab a business card from your favorite restaurant and on the back of it, write “lunch with your favorite _________” (ie. cousin, sister, daughter, foodie), and pop it into a festive card. Not only will this person fully understand your immaculate taste, but also get to spend some quality time with you.
If separate meals for all your family and friends seems unrealistic, perhaps picking your favorite family-style restaurant would do the trick. I absolutely love the Stimulus Packagefrom Stonefire Grill (Yelp Review) in Fountain Valley, the AYCE BBQ at Cham Sut Gol Korean BBQ (Yelp Review) in Garden Grove, and the enormous portions at Hash House A-Go-Go (Yelp Review) in Las Vegas. If you want ideas of other frugal but filling restaurant locations, leave a comment below 🙂
The Rich
The word of God is gold and giving someone a copy with their own name on it is really special. I especially love this NIV Trimline Snap Flap from Christianbook.com (Link) because it’s very sleek and the perfect size for many of my handbags. The online store also sells it in navy and black, which are classic colors for everyone. Though appearance aside, this truly is a transformational gift and out of all the gifts that I’ve mentioned this one will never leave you hungry again.
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 3: 35 (NIV)
What are some other great gift ideas?
XOXO,
Rockstar
Insider Irene 