Holiday Shopping

Click here for Imajin Books Winter Catalog
The Annual Gift Hunt

Every year it's the same story. As Christmas approaches I'm on a wild hunt for presents.The gifts I haven't bought are bad enough, it's the stuff I picked up on sale in August that really challenges me.

Where was that safe place I found? Did I really buy that? Who did I get that for?

Somethings get lost. I bought these cute salt and pepper sets for my nieces last year. I presented them on Thanksgiving. I'd found them while looking for a safe place to hide Halloween candy.

There's almost always one person who is super-easy to buy for. For the last few years that's been my son Sam. He loves books, games, clothes, toiletries (he's an Old Spice man at age 12) and he loves gift certificates. He's also not in the least bit shy about pointing out all the things he wants.

Then there's the person who is impossible. That used to be my Nana until I learned that the simplest thing was to buy her things you wanted because she'd almost always re-gift her presents back to you.

Now my daughter is the acknowledged toughest person to buy for in the family. Her birthday is just before Christmas, which makes it twice as tough.

The first rule is, no money or gift certificates for her birthday. She'll just spend them on Christmas presents.

The second rule is no clothes, with the possible exception of a T or night shirt. She's a teenage girl whose height and shape seem to change weekly.

Fortunately, it's perfectly fine to give her gift certificates for Christmas. Those she'll spend on herself--especially if they're for Amazon or Chapters. She's her mother's daughter.