<p>Thought this might be timely for lots of us.</p>
<p>Looking for your favorite/best or “go to” idea when you need to have a gift for someone - maybe a young person (I’m thinking little gifts for college roommates) or someone who has everything or someone you don’t know especially well but want to acknowledge with a small gift. </p>
<p>Especially something for the younger college age crowd. Want something that is not a gift card. Any mini-gift “basket” ideas.</p>
<p>$10 or less.</p>
<p>I have found a lot of nice inexpensive small gifts at some of our local museum shops. Small hand made paper notebooks,lovely portable bird watching guides and miniature illustrated books of poetry----that sort of thing.
Also, during the holidays, I keep a half dozen bars of Lavender Milled French soap on hand. I wrap each individually with some lavender sachet and some hand made paper. People seem to like that sort of little luxury item (I buy the soap at an outlet).</p>
<p>A pound of Starbuck’s coffee. Pepperidge Farm cookies–they are on sale now. For girls, nice nail files, clippers, polish.</p>
<p>If your gift recipients like weird stuff, I have two words for you: Archie McPhee. :)</p>
<p>[Inflatable</a> Fruitcake - Archie McPhee & Co.](<a href=“http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Inflatable-Fruitcake.html]Inflatable”>http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Inflatable-Fruitcake.html)</p>
<p>Absolutely the wildest stuff, and only costs 7 bucks!!!</p>
<p>I LOVE ARCHIE MCPHEE. I also find a lot of that stuff in Downtown Los Angeles Chinatown.</p>
<p>Check out the $1 section at Target for some fun stuff (silly putty, slinky’s, holiday pins/magnets/stickers, etc.) you can always go to their $5 videos and add some popcorn/couple of sodas for a movie basket, their holiday section also has a selection of small toys and candy/goodies that are fun. If you have a 99 cent store, sometimes you can find stuff there as well (pens, calendars, candy, etc.). Or the always popular - homemade cookies/goodies!!</p>
<p>Movie gift cards: Becoming near impossible for my college kids to attend the movies anymore, as they refuse to pay full price and Regal in our area has gotten rid of student discounts on weekends. They take it as a personal affront … and do a lot of videos in, but I know they’d like to go to the real theater ocassionally. Nov. 20th, in particular for my d and her friends … well, if she didn’t have a powderpuff game to play in. :)</p>
<p>zebes</p>
<p>Lottery tickets. Luxury chocolate bars. Used books. Nice candles. A bone for their dog. (I give homemade dog treats to my dog friends.) </p>
<p>Last year a friend gave me a tube of hand-smoothing scrub from Mary Kay. Love the stuff.</p>
<p>Someone just gave me a cute little $5 gift…a package of colored metal binder clips. I LOVE them…but I’m a geek. But on that note, stationary stores have some of the coolest little things that are great for anyone in school.</p>
<p>This is fun: Little umbrellas. Slippers. Earrings. Magazines. Coffee Mugs or bowls (esp if you have time to hand-paint them). Mittens. Funky staplers. Gorgeous file folders (they are getting VERY beautiful these days). Mini-fans. Magnetic mirrors.</p>
<p>Stainless steel water bottles are now appearing on sale at the stores. My very green daughter loves hers.</p>
<p>You can fill a coffee mug with candy like hershey’s kisses or hard candies. People seem to like these.</p>
<p>I would also suggest a coffee cup of a shape/size that can also be used as a soup/cereal bowl: college students can always use more of those. ( and you can fill it up with bacon and wasabi flavored gumballs from archie mcphees)</p>
<p>Around here a manicure is about $10. I know that my DD loves getting gift certificates for manicures! Different kinds of tea or coffee are good.</p>
<p>How about a pashmina? There’s a store in Houston (on Harwin Road) that sells beautiful ones for $4/each. I can’t find it as cheap online, but how about these for $9.95? [wholesale</a> pashmina, shawl, Cashmere, throw, silk, pashmina,](<a href=“Bridesmaid Pashmina and Wedding Wrap Shawls Scarf | Peach Couture”>Bridesmaid Pashmina and Wedding Wrap Shawls Scarf | Peach Couture)</p>
<p>Just thought of another idea…homemade sugar scrub - make a batch and buy some cute containers at the dollar store…I have a brown sugar scrub recipe somewhere…</p>
<p>My D likes Burt’s Bees stuff. And they can never get enough lip balm. Any brand, but they love those little tins.</p>
<p>The Container store on line or in person has some really useful fun stuff for less than $10. I just bought animal toothbrush covers ($5) and a computer keyboard vacuum ($5) for just about everyone in my extended family!</p>
<p>My D’s dance little sis took a glass ice cream soda glass, filled it with Reece’s Pieces and wrapped it in clear plastic with fun ribbons. Fun knee socks or slipper socks are great in the winter. My D loves “office supplies” like fun paper clips, etc.</p>
<p>Everybody loves pin art.</p>