I cannot picture, it is simply unimaginable to me that any 29 y o would refuse to have more money. Money, money. lots of money, cannot go wrong with it, the best present in my eyes!
I wouldn’t give my sister money. It one thing for a parent to give a child money as a gift but strange, IMO, to give a sibling money - unless they were in a financially precarious situation.
I don’t buy lululemon as gifts because of their draconian 14 day return policy. Maybe the people in the know could tell me if that changes for the holidays. Also lulu sizing is small so it’s hard to decide what size. But I agree that it’s something nice to get.
In the same vein, athleta and Lucy are two other fitness clothing stores that make nice workout clothing. Athletic clothing is VERY popular right now and I can’t see where you could go wrong with a nice jacket or leggings.
Does she like coffee? My coffee snob nephew had a cool 8 cup pour over pot with a coffee grinder and locally sourced organic beans. Might be a cool gift for a coffee snob.
I like l’occitane Shea hand creams and they have great gift sets right now. I also like Jo Malone cologne (you can get it at Nordstrom) and she has a 4 piece cologne set for $115 if she’s into that sort of thing.
I will second deb’s suggestion of Athleta. I just bought a pair of sweatpants there that are so soft it is amazing! They would be perfect for lounging at home and are not bulky so would be easy to pack for travel.
How about some pug related Etsy items; like this: https://www.■■■■■■■■/listing/54226922/zen-pug-dog-buddha-garden-art-statue?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pug&ref=sr_gallery_1
And you could add this to it: https://www.■■■■■■■■/listing/156603118/pug-pug-bag-pug-tote-pet-tote-pug?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pug bag&ref=srgallery1
“I wouldn’t give my sister money” - Why? Are you afraid that she would use it in a wrong way?
For the food, try Harry & David. You could do a fruit of the month club and/or gift basket - their fruit and chocolate truffles are quite good. You could also take a pic of the pug and use a program (they are easy to find) to convert the photo into a painting type image (you can usually choose pop art style, impressionistic, drawing, etc. on the program) and then have it printed on a canvas (lots of companies do that - even Costco). Makes a great gift and she can remember her aging pup forever!
There is an Athleta at Briarwood Mall and the Lululemon is across the street from Whole Foods on Washtenaw (not that I frequent them or anything…) - I think you are in the AA2 area!!! Maybe I’m wrong…
How about tickets to a theater series in her town??? An experience is nice for those who don’t need “things”.
Know what type fitbit she’s getting? Some have interchangeable bands as accessory items.
Lol Abasket! There’s a lululemon, athleta and Lucy at twelve oaks also. How I wish I had a reason to get downstate… Not in the cards.
Take a cute photo of her dog with your phone; buy a frame; get the photo printed at Walgreens or CVS; put photo in frame; wrap and give.
Thank you all for the suggestions- especially the pug related ones 
As for money- my sister neither wants nor needs money. She has no debt (she didn’t go to college so no student debt, her condo is paid off, her cars are paid off, etc) and makes way more in a night at her job than I could give her. Money is not an appropriate gift in this case.
“I don’t buy lululemon as gifts because of their draconian 14 day return policy. Maybe the people in the know could tell me if that changes for the holidays.”
Any gift bought now is returnable until Jan 15 or within 2 weeks, whichever is longer. That’s plenty of time to make up the mind.
I’m following this thread with interest. D1 is bringing her 29 y/o boyfriend home for Christmas, and I have no clue what to get him. I’m liking the earbud idea or local theater/music tickets perhaps. Keep these ideas coming.
Something that my parents really appreciated was a digital photo frame. You can get a 10" for around $100. If you feel enterprising, you can even ship it to yourself first so you can pre-load it with pics of sis and her pug before wrapping it up. We have one that’s been sitting on our kitchen counter for years and still love it every single day as it cycles through about 100 family photos, including baby/kiddy pics of D.
@anomander, my digital photo frame also is one of my favorite gifts ever, even more so because yds took the time to load it up and have it ready to roll for us. He’s such a sweetheart.
What about a nice pair of sheets for her bed. It’s one of those luxuries that most live but don’t want to spend $100 on!!!
Maybe it is time to rethink the whole gift giving tradition. She has all the stuff she needs or wants. Maybe it is time to scale things back.
How about the gift of time or companionship?. Take her to dinner. Plan a day together. A day trip to a museum, spa, park or whatever you two enjoy. Something that you can share as sisters. If you are like most people, life has gotten busy and you probably don’t see her as much as you like.
A donation to a charity that she is passionate about.
FYI, I like the digital frame idea. Especially if you load some pictures in it.
If she likes to travel what about a scratch map? I’d never heard of it before but my daughter asked for one for Christmas and when I googled it I liked it. Just got her one from Landmass. It’s good for both the US and world wide travel … you scratch off the states/countries you’ve been too. You could also get a nice frame for it if you want to.