# Original Christmas gift ideas **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476 "2006-12-09T16:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mojito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mojito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojito)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/1 "2006-12-09T16:11:41Z")
Got any? I don’t want to opt for the traditional sweater and scarf gifting. We’re doing the Secret Santa thing this year, and I chose my sister. Thing is, she has everything she needs. What to do? She’s a chartered accountant. In her mid-thirties. One heck of a goof. What do you guys suggest? What have you guys gotten friends/family in the past that have induced “ooh and ahh’s”? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/2 "2006-12-09T16:56:34Z")
-Handmade gifts, if you have a particular skill (I once got a cute handmade pillow, with an applique of a horse on a background of silver holly, at the time I owned a horse named Holly.) -Candy, if the person is not known to swear off such things (a box of fancy/boutique chocolate, or homemade if you like) -gifts for their pets, if they have any -gift certificates for spa services: massage, manicure or whatever (got this for my mom once, she dug it bigtime.) ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/3 "2006-12-09T16:58:18Z")
I don’t think that I’ve ever given a gift that got oohs and aahs, unless it was a gift I already _knew_ that the recipient wanted. With a couple exceptions, now that I think about it, but all of those could be classified as gifts of time. I took my parents to dinner and a show at the Pantages; I took my sister to San Francisco for the weekend for Cirque du Soleil; I’ve taken friends to concerts. Those were all well-received, and for me, the best part was getting to spend some time with people I love. For your sister, you could do something of the same – maybe plan a dinner for you and her at her favorite restaurant (or tell her to invite a couple friends), or maybe do a spa gift certificate. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/4 "2006-12-09T17:11:27Z")
ORIGINAL Christmas gift ideas? Sure. -gold. -frankinscence. -myrrh. ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/5 "2006-12-09T17:47:56Z")
My son got the whole family the Pee-Wee’s Playhouse boxed set one year. Being a buncha goofs, we went wild for it. This year, he’s giving us all tickets for Blue Man Group. We’re going as a group on New Year’s Day. ---
**Author:** ![mojito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mojito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojito)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/6 "2006-12-09T18:39:18Z")
funny! ---
**Author:** ![mojito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mojito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojito)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/7 "2006-12-09T18:40:28Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup] ORIGINAL Christmas gift ideas? Sure. -gold. -frankinscence. -myrrh. ::d&r:: [/QUOTE] sorry, this is what I meant was funny. Thanks for all your suggestions. keep 'em coming 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/8 "2006-12-09T19:28:37Z")
I went to a (semi-)local outlet mall which had a Harry & David’s store and bought a bunch of soup mixes, some scone mixes and some other stuff for various relatives this year. Even if that specific place is not accessible, the idea of given something which is meant to be eaten–especially eaten in the next 6 months, but not neccessarily the next 6 weeks-- is often popular. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/9 "2006-12-09T19:46:49Z")
Well, your sister probably won’t want her own [mini catapult](http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/warfare/8530/) but I just saw this and so want to get one each for TikkiDad and his buddy. Picture a couple of old coots firing at will in the local donut shop hangout. Knowing them, they probably would too! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/10 "2006-12-09T19:47:16Z")
For handmade gifts, I recommend [Etsy.com](http://Etsy.com). The site has everything and you’ll get the satisfaction of supporting small businesses. Plus, you can find really cool, unique things. I’m thinking about getting something like [this](http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5092762) for people. Handmade-by-you would be extra special, but sometimes handmade-by-someone-else can be just as good. For really unique, what about a [shiitake log](http://shiitakemushroomlog.com/)? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/11 "2006-12-09T19:53:55Z")
I think one of the best gifts we ever gave were calendars. Yes, calendars. We took 48 family photos to a print shop and had four calendars made up, with a different picture for each month. The cost I think was under $100 total, and each family got a gift they could enjoy all year. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/12 "2006-12-09T21:46:35Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I think one of the best gifts we ever gave were calendars. Yes, calendars. We took 48 family photos to a print shop and had four calendars made up, with a different picture for each month. The cost I think was under $100 total, and each family got a gift they could enjoy all year. [/QUOTE] I just gave one of these to my dad for his birthday, and he loved it. You can email the photos via Yahoo! and you’ll have the calendar within a week or so. They do a beautiful job. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/13 "2006-12-10T06:18:51Z")
A **bonsai tree** will have ‘em oohin’ and ahhing’ like crazy. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/14 "2006-12-10T06:49:00Z")
If she’s a person who has everything, how about giving her a goat or a pig, in her name, but donated to a village in a LDC via one of the major charitable groups? Personally, even though I have lots of material wants, such a gift would tickle me pink. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/15 "2006-12-10T06:50:49Z")
Might help to know how much you want to spend, and also what other interests your sister has. I mean - an airline ticket to some neat location would be fun. Tickets to a hot concert/game/theater could be cool. But if you are talking about $10 gifts, well, the selection gets a little harder. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/16 "2006-12-10T06:51:00Z")
[QUOTE=Peanuthead] A **bonsai tree** will have ‘em oohin’ and ahhing’ like crazy. [/QUOTE] One of my kids got me a bonsai one year, and all I could say was, “Oh SHIT”. I just knew I didn’t have the expertise nor green thumb to look after the bugger…it did the right thing and died on me. The bonsai, not the kid!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/17 "2006-12-10T07:28:45Z")
[QUOTE=kambuckta] One of my kids got me a bonsai one year, and all I could say was, “Oh SHIT”. I just knew I didn’t have the expertise nor green thumb to look after the bugger…it did the right thing and died on me. The bonsai, not the kid!! 😃 [/QUOTE] Most real bonsai trees are meant to be outdoors and experience the four seasons. They are real trees, just tiny…people don’t realize this and keep them indoors, thus killing them. Of course, it depends on the actual tree, and if your four seasons are the same as the typical four seasons of the tree in question. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/18 "2006-12-10T09:07:27Z")
Even before I was a member of the SDMB, I used to give out Straight Dope books. Obviously, one needs to take Cecil’s salty language into account here and not give the books to anyone who is likely to faint should she happen to read the word “fuck”, but if she has any sort of sense of humor, or is curious about the way the world works, she might like the books. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/19 "2006-12-10T09:20:55Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] Most real bonsai trees are meant to be outdoors and experience the four seasons. They are real trees, just tiny…people don’t realize this and keep them indoors, thus killing them. Of course, it depends on the actual tree, and if your four seasons are the same as the typical four seasons of the tree in question. [/QUOTE] I admitted I was inept at looking after a bonsai…what do you want me to do now? Self-flagellate with the little dried-out branches?? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476/20 "2006-12-10T10:25:47Z")
[These](http://www.wildhibiscus.com/category3_1.htm) are making up part of the gift my fiance and I are getting his parents. They’re hibiscus flowers - you pop one in a glass and pour champagne over it and the bubbles stream off, opening the [flower](http://www.wildhibiscus.com/images/in%20glass%20300h.jpg). They start at about $7 USD plus shipping but it looks unlikely that you’d get them shipped in time. If she has a beloved dog you could book a pet photography session. That will probably run you about $100+ If she loves luxurious little things, perhaps a Diptyque candle (the cinnamon scent is beautiful). I think they’re $30-35 in the U.S. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-christmas-gift-ideas/383476.md?page=2)