Christmas gift suggestions
 

Best gift I've ever received and this is what I gave everyone last year - Tie blankets. You can make them in all sorts of sizes (for babies, for kids, a simple throw, a full length blanket for tall people, etc.) and colors / designs to fit the person's decor or personality. Instructions are super easy. It's just a little tedious to tie all those knots. I got my Nemo blanket 2-3 years ago and I shit you not, I use it everyday. Both me and my dog lol.

http://www.freewebs.com/cutetieblankets/a5_1.jpg

This isn't my blanket but the Nemo pattern is the same as mine. My liner is a lighter blue shade that's in the pattern. Machine washable, super warm and cozy, everyone can benefit from one of these.

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Ohh, and price? Depends on what and how much fabric you choose. I'd say anywhere from $10 - $30 max. I averaged about $15 / blanket last year.

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Monkey Bread - great to bring to parties or dinners. And works great as a cheap and easy holiday gift for a family.

MONKEY BREAD
1 (1 lb.) loaf frozen bread dough
1 stick butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Thaw bread dough. Melt butter. Mix cinnamon and sugar in bowl. Dip rolled pieces of dough into melted butter (I make various sizes - some bite size - some a bit larger,) then in cinnamon / sugar mixture. Stack alternately in bundt pan. Cover and put in warm place; let rise until double in size, 1 to 3 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Immediately after baking, turn out on a plate (something decorative) while warm.

TIPS: Frozen dough may be purchased in a package containing 5 (1 pound) rolls of dough. This bread may be baked regular, without the cinnamon mixture, or you can make more batches of monkey bread. Monkey bread freezes well; wrap individual servings in tin foil to heat at a later date. Serves 8 to 10.

http://www.about-recipes.com/imgrec/...nkey-bread.jpg

http://www.dailyolive.com/images/baileys.jpg

Good for both men and women alike. But it can get pricey depending on the bottle size. Btw, the caramel is to die for.

Monkey bread and Baileys sounds like a good combination to me. :thumbsup:

We give Christmas cookie plates. Everyone loves the toffee bars I make. The recipe is somewhere in Tilted Cooking; I'll try and find the link in the morning. We usually also do Russian teacakes (Mexican Wedding cakes, snowballs) for the plates, frosted sugar cookies, and cream wafers (thin buttery melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookie with buttercream frosting in the center) in Christmas colors along with chocolate truffles.

Actually it really does lol. Didn't even dawn on me.
Some monkeh breadz and a lil Bailey's on ice mmmmm.

Chex Mix - savory or sweet.

Cheap. Fast. Easy. Always a winner. :thumbsup:

You can pull up fancy-type hot cocoa recipes on Google. Pour all ingredients in a cool glass jar (powders only, of course,) and voila. You can also do this with certain cookie recipes. Layer the ingredients so it's appealing to the eye and you got another gift. El cheapo and useful.

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This is quite middle school'ish, but with close friends / family members, throw together a mixed cd of 'Songs That Make Me Think Of You.' It really is a pretty thoughtful gift.

These cookbooks:

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/79/canx.jpg

'50 Great Guy Meals'

It looks like there are 4 in the series:
Amazon.com: David Joachim: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

I've flipped through one - If anything, they're really entertaining to read :).

i like giving alcohol - for the most part, you can't go wrong (obviously there are major exceptions here, just not among those that I associate with):thumbsup:

1. a good bottle of whiskey for the older gentleman.
2. maybe a pamper hour or a perfume or a nice blouse for the older lady.
3. pj's or care packages with lots of goodies (nuts, dried fruit, choccies, etc) for the grans.
4. big, bulky, beady jewellery for the sisters or shoes or whatever the latest craze is, eg. cook books, scrap booking materials etc.
5. or the latest best seller novel for what ever kind of book they enjoy reading.

i dont have grand daddys anymore or brothers. we're a whole lotta women in the family.

A Christmas card with a scratch-off lottery ticket inside.

Gift for a Guy to give a Girl:

- cashmere sweater
- a weekend get-away
- lingerie that is sensuous and not slutty (if it was slutty then it would be like giving the gift to yourself, guys :)
..........something like satin, lace, robes, camis, babydolls, slip dresses, bras, panties
- something inscibed by you...like a book (inscribing it makes it romantic and personalizes it)
- engrave something...anything...even an ipod
- broadway show tickets or tickets to a favorite concert, ,play or ballet...whatever is her favorite
- something vintage or like an old antique frame that you insert a photo of the two of you
- Subtle, delicate jewelry....maybe with her birthstone in it


Gift for a Girl to give a Guy:

- any gadget...like a Piranha Pocket Tool or a Railway Spike Bottle Opener
- a cool knife...like the Anniversary Heritage Knife by Swiss Army
- any tool...like a superior quality Axe by "Best Made Axe"
- "Cigar of the Month Club"...or any other appropriate Club you find at AmazingClubs.com
- tickets to a Gun Show or Sport Event
- a Train Ride through Napa Valley's wine country...includes a gourmet meal and wine
- anything techy...like iPhone Apps like "Trapster", "Deer Hunter 3-D" (well, at least it's not really killing anything), or the now politically incorrect "Tiger Woods PGA Tour"
- a Fjallraven Vintage 13L Backpack...rugged and unique

Good ones ^^ :)

For a woman or gay man: Tart warmer gift pack

You can get the warmer at Walmart or craft stores for $3-$6. Fancier warmers at candle specialty shops. This is a basic warmer:

http://www.skycandles.com/images/war...marble_ne.jpeg

Throw in a few tarts in the gift bag. I recommend sticking with the Yankee Candle brand as opposed to dollar store junk or what not. You can find these at Cracker Barrel restaurants or candle specialty shops:

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/5469/multitart1.jpg

Throw in a few unscented tea light candles or a pack of them:

http://www.skycandles.com/images/tealights.jpg

The tart warmers can also be used for warming oils.
I've given this sort of gift numerous times. It makes for a really nice one. Total cost: Less than $10 unless you go with a pricey warmer.

How To Use:
Unwrap a tart and place in top of warmer. Trim wick on tea light, fire it up and place underneath. Tea light will heat warmer, melt wax and scent room. To switch to a different tart / scent, DO NOT pour out wax. It needs to harden first and it can be used 3-5 times before losing scent completely. Putting in freezer will help harden tart and will also help it pop out easier.

Please note: DO NOT pour wax down sink. A recipient of my gift did this once. Not wise.

Done.

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This would qualify for a higher end gift mainly for Canadians, as the boutiques seem to be scattered throughout the area. They're also in other countries, but not like Canada - click on 'Our Boutiques' on the top taskbar to see if there's one near you, as ordering by mail to receive by Christmas is too late ---

This line is so wonderful: Fruits & Passion US

Scroll towards bottom to view all products. The scents are fantastic - all of them. A friend of mine goes to Canada once a year and brings me back stuff from my wishlist lol. The Lime Zest and Cypress is a great scent as well as Coriander and Olive Tree. I use the fragrance oils in warmers, the hand soaps in my kitchen and the fragrance sprays all over the house. Really - all the scents are wonderful.

http://us.fruits-passion.com/data/prod/cucina73_b.jpg

http://us.fruits-passion.com/data/prod/cucina80_b.jpg

http://us.fruits-passion.com/data/prod/4034127001_b.jpg