Ok, so we know that you’re not going to circle the parking lot over and over looking for a place to park and then have to fight the mobs to actually buy something.  No. It’ s just too late in the season to do that.  So sit back and look at a few carefully chosen gift ideas–and a few of them are so unique they might just fit that hard-to-buy-for person in your life.

I know you have a bestie. Or maybe a few of them.  This gift is for them: stories about friendship that will warm them on a cold winter’s night. Or, make them laugh, as in the case of the Essay #95, because I wrote it. It’s called 50 Ways I Love His Mother and is about one of the dearest people in my life. And it should make you laugh. It even made her laugh.  “Oh, I’m glad you didn’t get all inspirational at the end,” she said to me over lunch.  Oh, and I have already gotten my first fan mail. Ok, so it was from Saudi Arabia, but it was definitely not spam.

But seriously, this is a great gift for a girlfriend. Or a sister. If yours talks to you. Mine doesn’t, but I do have a few sisters-in-love and they either have already gotten this book or will open their package on Christmas and find it. (Oh come on girls, you knew you were getting this, right?)  Available at all the usual places.

Riley is pawing at me, because he wants me to tell you to get the dog lover in your life a subscription to Barkbox.

Our dogs’ favorite day is BarkBox day!

High-quality treats and toys beloved by our two boys. (Nothing made in China) What a fantastic gift! Go to Barkbox.com. You can say I referred you if there’s space to do that.

Ok, then, we all have friends who are a little…different, right?

 Yes, this is a tea leaf reading kit. You can find it at Uncommon Goods, HERE.

They sent me one and I am giving it to someone who definitely has the magic touch for readings. She is an uncommon woman, so it’s only fitting.  Yeah, you know who you are.

You will want to browse around Uncommon Goods for uncommon gifts…you won’t be disappointed.

And then, who among us hasn’t channeled our inner Martha Stewart?  I am fairly certain Martha has one of these:

This, my chickadees, is an herb keeper, and any home cook worth her salt has one.  Affordable, too. Also from Uncommon Goods, HERE. 

Interested in some others? Try these:

 http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/pick-punch

http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/aquafarm

http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/kinetic-sand

Here’s a super-original gift for a woman of that certain age: nightwear for the menopausal women.  And cute nightwear. These would have been a godsend years ago, but they weren’t available. They are now, and offered by my friend, Haralee, who is a rockin’ cool woman.  Find them HERE.

And then:

I found cute little holiday cupcake liners, and I do mean little. For mini-cupcakes.

I also found some peppermint sugar sprinkles in red and I had some green sprinkles on hand.

So I had to make some mini-cupcakes for the neighborhood kids –and kids at heart.

I found some cute plates on sale. Wrapped everything in a little cellophane with a bow and there you have it–a cute little holiday gift, made myself with the assistance of Sahib. Yes, some of our friends have begun calling him that.

So that’s it. That’s all I’m blogging on gift giving this year, unlike years past.  That’s because I am obsessed with India.  More on India tomorrow. I want you to have time to order all this good stuff.

Thanks to Uncommon Goods for sending me these fun ideas, to BarkBox for making my boys happy and to Chicken Soup for the Soul for buying my essay and putting it in print.