Articles: Christmas Ideas

The holiday season is almost here. Now, what are you going to
get your nieces, nephews, sibling-in-laws, parents and all other
members of the extended family? With all the built in excitement
of family gatherings comes the fun, yet sometimes stressful,
component of gift-giving. A common set of thoughts on all of our
minds revolve around how much we should spend on each family
member's gift. When it comes to selecting who to give gifts to,
it is important to make sure you have a little something for
everyone you will actually be celebrating the holidays with. So,
what do you get a baby, teenager or adult and how much should
you spend? According to recent studies and polls, the average
amount of money spent on gifts varies by age, but generally the
amounts tend to be around the $20 range.

Several parents submitted their thoughts about giving gifts to
children in the 3-5 year old range and suggested the range of
$10-15 as acceptable. These parents are all part of the Berkely
Parent Network and the majority of contributing moms and dads
stated that no more than $20 should be spent on such young
children who will probably only use a particular toy once or
twice before moving onto the next $20 item.

When it comes to purchasing presents for teenagers, $20-$25 is
an acceptable range, however aside from gift cards, it can
sometimes be difficult to find suitable presents in this range.
According to one Web site's findings, one of the top ten gift
ideas for teenage girls this season is "Stickr Frames." These
frames are perfect for mounting pictures without the hassle of
using nails, measuring or leveling; and they cost less than $20
for a set of eight. Other great ideas for teenage girls around
the $20 range include bath and body product gift sets and
perfumes. Teenage boys have been known to boggle the human mind
for years; what is an appropriate gift for a boy who's
personality just can't be read very easily? One interesting gift
idea that has actually made the "Top Ten Gifts for Teen Guys"
this season is a duct tape wallet. This gift is only $15 at some
places and is definitely a creative idea. I've never seen one
before, nor would I ever carry one, but I am sure my teenage
brother would get a kick out of it, as would his friends.

Adults are fun to shop for because there are so many different
routes you can take. If you are buying for a married couple, a
smart idea is to buy a "couple gift" instead of singling out
each individual and purchasing one present for both the man and
woman. Giving singular gifts may lead to a silent comparing of
each other's gifts and the thoughtfulness behind them. I know my
mom called me the other day to request what my husband and I
wanted as a couple for Christmas because she would hate for
either of us, more than likely my husband, to feel as if my
family bought me a more sincere or valuable gift than they
bought him. By giving a couple gift—one gift two people
share—you have a larger budget to work with and you can
still stick to the $20-$25 per person range. Some thoughtful
ideas could be giving a "Dinner and a Movie Date Night" gift;
this gift could consist of a $30 gift certificate for dinner and
a $20 movie theatre gift card inside of a real popcorn bucket.

Giving gifts does not have to be stressful and you do not have
to break the bank to make someone's eyes light up this holiday
season. And just remember, spending $20 is totally acceptable as
it is the current national average for not only holiday gifts,
but for birthday presents as well. Happy Holiday Shopping!

About the author:
Courtney Lewis is the manager of Sweetly You where you can find
unique bath
body products, and create custom href="http://www.sweetlyyou.com/giftsets.php"
target="_blank">bath and body gift baskets.