Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Panic of Last Minute Gifts


LUCY BURDETTE: We’re trying to cut back on gifts, because who needs more random stuff? But maybe it would be a good idea to share ideas for items for the hard-to-buy-for but necessary people on our list? First (of course) would be books written by the Jungle Red Writers! Or maybe gift certificates to independent bookstores?




But I have a few small things to suggest. On NPR a couple weeks ago, I heard a poet interviewed about his new book LOVE POEMS (FOR PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN) by John Kenney. The poems are so clever and so much on target that I ordered four copies for the young people we know.



And then there are gifts from Rancho Gordo, because who doesn’t need more heirloom beans?



Reds, any quick recommendations for those who haven’t finished shopping?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: None. NO idea. None. I used to do magazine subscriptions, but, shrugging, people probably wouldn’t love that anymore. Although my relatives give me The New Yorker every year, and I truly adore it and rely on it.  I gave my editor Beer of the Month club once, and she was very happy with that!

(Please don’t send me heirloom beans.)

Oh, though, I DID find the most amazing pencils. Truly. They are “First World Problems” pencils. And they have slogans stamped on them, like : “There’s no Pamplemousse.”  “This pencil is not the color I wanted.” “My Ripped Jeans are now too ripped.” “OMG the line at Chipotle is sooooo long” and “My Netflix won’t load.”  Those are the ones I can remember. How funny is THAT? I was laughing out loud in the bookstore. 

HALLIE EPHRON: I just bought my son-in-law, SO hard to shop for, tickets to a hockey game. I’ve given my kids museum memberships. Tickets to shows. Restaurant gift cards. And you can’t go wrong with homemade candy or cookies… but you have to make ‘em and mail ‘em. I give myself The New Yorker.

Lucy that book looks like a great gift.

RHYS BOWEN :  John and I give each other experiences these days. A trip, fancy restaurant or theater. My daughter gave me Hamilton tickets last year, which was fabulous. I can never get too many bath products or nice pens/ journals etc. But cookies? Not when half the people I know are gluten free/ dairy free, animal cruelty free. 

JENN McKINLAY: See’s Candies. It’s my go-to gift for hostesses, my postal people who mail my endless book giveaways, my hair guy. Plus, they give you samples when you shop in the store :)  I also like to hit museum gift shops for small unique and unusual gifts. My favorites are the Desert Botanical Garden, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Musical Instrument Museum. It’s a treasure hunt and there’s always something unexpected!


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Jenn, I shop museum stores as well - and folks, if there’s not one near you, many museums have theirs on-line. Interesting and unique gifts, and something will spark your imagination. Like Hallie and Rhys, an experience instead of a thing is always a good idea, especially for anyone over fifty who undoubtedly already has too much stuff and is trying to get rid of some! Theater tickets, pre-paid massages, gas cards - who couldn’t use a tank of gas?


For those of you who are shopping for teachers, I have an easy suggestion: a gift card to your local independent bookstore. (Or chain store, or Amazon, if you don’t live near an indy.) High school teachers like to read, middle grade and elementary teachers buy books for their classrooms - it’s a welcome, practical gift. I say this as someone whose husband brought home SO many apple-shaped ornaments/ candles/ note pads/ pencil holders, etc, etc...


DEBORAH CROMBIE: If you don’t have a museum shop handy and don’t have time to online order, check out your local Homegoods for last minute gifts. But don’t go at lunch, or after work, or on the weekends! I am going to try nine-thirty on a weekday morning--wish me luck! 


If you want something a little different in the chocolate department, check out Kate Weiser Chocolate, made right here in Dallas. They are edible works of art!

LUCY: Okay, Reds, your turn! Any suggestions for last minut gifts? or things that YOU would want?

39 comments:

  1. A restaurant gift card . . . but we also call and simply invite them to join us for dinner so we get the pleasure of their company and they get a night out as well as a gift card to use another time.

    Books are always at the top of my list . . . the poetry book sounds lovely, Lucy.

    I do make cookies . . . and cakes . . . and bread, too. [I get little reminder calls around Thanksgiving asking if I'm baking again this year, so I guess I won't stop any time soon.] :)

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    1. Tamales! Now that’s a gift that we would adore. Where do they come from?

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    2. I buy a brand here in Houston but they don't ship so I settled on an outfit in Ft Worth called Texas Lone Star Tamale Co.

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    3. Nothing like the bite sized homemade but Trader Joe’s has some awesome dinner sized in the freezer. It’s a staple here

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  2. It’s hard. Our friends don’t want more stuff either. Edibles are good. I try to send regional goodies to my Ohio friends. This year they’re getting an assortment of tamales.

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  3. Hank, I want those pencils. They were making me laugh so hard!

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    1. Aren’t they hilarious? I was laughing and laughing in the store…

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  4. Experiences always work. This year I enlarged a lovely picture of my son smiling with my two-year old great goddaughter on his lap for him and for the little one's mother. The photo is on a tablet thingy so it doesn't need a frame. I did the same for our two cats that were originally Hugh's, both of whom died this year. And for the adult kids - yes, gift cards to an indy bookstore near them in DC.

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    1. Years ago I blew up photos from our childhood of my brothers and sisters and gave them out at Christmas when we were all together. There was a lot of laughing.

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  5. This year Julie and I have decided to forego presents for each other. We both have more of everything than we need. On a side note, at the Labor Day family picnic, my favorite kitchen spoon got left at a brother's house. It's not been retrieved, and I can't tell you how many times I've reached for it. So Julie did an online search and ordered me the same one, still available although mine was more than twenty years old. It arrived yesterday. But in her search she'd going to the local kitchen store and bought another one, different brand. When she went to pay she discovered that we had a fifty dollar credit there. Who knew! So after Christmas we are going shopping at Cook's World and probably spend way more than fifty bucks but what fun.

    Once this current storm passes, we are going shopping for children's coats. It's going to be a long cold winter, and kids need to be warm. So far they've collected about three hundred, need three times that much. Gloves and hats too. That will be our Christmas gift to each other.

    I sent all the children and grandchildren money. It's always the right color and fits. And it costs almost nothing to send. Not as much fun as buying gifts and wrapping and waiting for Santa, but ...

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    1. Ann, my mother-in-law always bought for all her grandchildren. (And with eight kids, that was a LOT of grandchildren.) But I thought she was wise in her gift purchase plan. When they were little and wanted some specific toy, she would give the parents the money and ask them to make the purchase for her. But as soon as they were teenagers (maybe even pre-teen) it was an envelope of money. Because she knew that at that age, buying something for themselves was the biggest treat.

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    2. My grandparents also bought for their many grandchildren, as long as Grandpa was alive. They spent the middle of Christmas Day going from family to family, handing out presents. They had nine children, although only five of them still lived in town at the time.

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    3. I love that you are buying children's coats. For many years, our Quaker Meeting "adopted" a social services family. We were given a list of kids's sizes, their parents' wish list for them and for themselves, and one thing each child wanted. We divvied up the list among our congregation, and I always tried to choose a young girl (I raised two boys and never got to buy PINK until they were older and I bought them each a pink Oxford shirt...). I loved getting a couple of outfits, a warm winter coat, hat, gloves, and so on for a little girl.

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  6. In my family, a bottle of wine is always a favorite gift. Or a gift card to a favorite restaurant. I love the gift of an experience idea too. Maybe an airline gift card? (Hint, hint.) Just kidding. Sort of.

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  7. Gardening gloves. I have a shoebox in the garage with new ones. Every March, when I sally forth, tool bucket in hand, I'm wearing a new pair of gloves. Two styles: tightly fitting with leather palms and all leather gantlets for pruning the roses.

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  8. To Lucy, I'm not much of a poetry reader but I'm sure the book would be appreciated.

    To Hank, a magazine subscription would be awesome. My mom gave Yankee magazine to a couple of people and I read an issue that had some interesting articles in it (once). For me, a subscription to the British music magazine Classic Rock would do the trick!

    To Hallie, yes restaurant gift cards would be a hit! As for show tickets...I'll send you a list of the concerts on my 2020 plan LOL!

    To Rhys, I like the idea of trips as a gift but the travel budget is in arrears these last few decades so I'll have to pass on that idea. Plus I don't know anyone that I'd want to spend that much time or money on.

    To Jenn, I do like the idea of giving candy but I don't get fancy like you. Usually if I'm giving candy it's those goofy plastic candy cane tubes filled with M&Ms or peanut butter cups. I do treat myself to a few bags of the Brach's Holiday Mix hard candies each year though.

    To Julia, much like my answer to Hallie...I'll send you my concert list for next year. HA! As for the teacher idea, though I don't have to shop for any teacher, one of my former players is a kindergarten teacher now and if I was going to give her something it would be a gift card to Barnes and Noble so she could buy some stuff for her classroom and take advantage of that educator's discount they offer.

    To Deborah, I don't need anything from Homegoods, but some Texas BBQ would be great.

    Now that I'm done being maybe an iota of funny, I give books for the most part as gifts, last minute or planned. Two of my co-workers are getting books or book gift cards. The other two are getting store gift cards.

    My nephew got books, Hot Wheels cars, a baseball cap and a gift card.

    Two cousins got books.

    My trivia team partners got books, gift cards or something related to a beer one of them drinks plus I'll buy him a beer at our next trivia night.

    I received a book and some bags of Brach's Holiday Mix for Xmas gifts from others, though I wasn't expecting either or expecting anything really. I gifted myself a new jacket (saved 75 bucks off the regular price, yay me!).

    Thankfully, I don't find myself in a position of having to come up with a last minute gift very often but at least with everyone's suggestions I can have options to choose from if I ever do.

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  9. My sisters and I are in that demo that doesn't want any more stuff, though I might make an exception for Hank's pencils. Each year we do charitable donations in their honor. This year it's Heifer. Then we make up for it by spoiling our two grandkids.

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    1. Heifer Is such a great organization. We give to heifer also. And have received a flock of chickens from my sister already this year

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  10. Your local Audubon society and many nurseries have a great array of birdfeeders large and small, and the birdseed and suet to go with them. Especially here in the frozen north, our little flying friends need lots of food over the winter, and having a feeder or two in your yard is as entertaining as Netflix.

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  11. Not sure why that did not register as me. The birdfeeder suggestion is from Brenda Buchanan.

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  12. One year someone gave me a special gift of Turkey Joints candy. It was truly wonderful and now they come in several flavors. They are handmade in Rome, NY and can only be shipped during the cooler months. You have to try them.

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    1. https://www.turkeyjoints.com/

      Seeing is one thing; you just have to try them.

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  13. We're not consistent enough to do a bird feeder - I'm afraid the birds would get accustomed to the handout and then when I get brain freeze, die of starvation. A bird BATH is more up our alley.

    I love all these suggestions. My gifts are all bought and wrapped, and this is my week for baking and candy-making... and charitable (and non-charitable) giving.

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    1. Same here. I'd remember to put seed out once and that'd be it!

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  14. So many good ideas!

    Three or four years ago I gave each of my three daughters the initial cost of a monthly wine club. The first shipment was a dozen bottles of red, plus a beautiful Reidel carafe, and after that they could choose whether or not to continue the shipment. It is also possible to pass on each shipment, individually, if you don't care for the upcoming offerings. One daughter just stopped getting the wine, because their stash had built up quite a bit. This gift was a big hit.

    Chocolates are always good. Although we have now received chocolates from five different givers. It's a good thing I'm way past the zit stage.

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  15. I’m starting my shopping today! Pretty great, huh? Not a problem :-) and finally the sun is shining…

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    1. As I placed an online order for one item last night, I proudly told my husband, "Well, I have now officially started my Christmas shopping!"

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    2. Just you wait Hank. We have another hefty storm to sen your way

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  16. The Girl would love those pencils. :) Her brother still needs to buy a gift.

    I like "local" gifts. Chocolate from Sarris Chocolate, popcorn from Pittsburgh Popcorn Company, things like that.

    I wouldn't say "no" to a gift card for a massage, either.

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  17. Th planned blankets are in process for niece and nephew but will be late. Years ago my sister asked that we not send gift cards to her kids, they missed the unwrapping part so I've avoided them but this year, since the blankets aren't ready it was the suggestion, they are purchased and ready to mail. I'm ordered Maple Hot smoked salmon for sister and her hubby this year but I think I should have ordered the Scotch cured, oh well. Believe it or not, once the mailing is done, I'm done. This lack of extended family is still a bit new and weird but my checking account is happy and I can pay my rent without cringing. I hate last minute buying gifts for anyone but myself. Facing crowded shops for anyone but myself? ..brr. I even time my grocery shopping before Christmas. I'll take some ginger, not snap, cookies or bread or cake, please......

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  18. I'm hoping to get down to our town square to do a little local shopping, and we have a Christmas farmers market on Saturday. So many great suggestions today!

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  19. Lucy, while reading about last minute gifts, I am reminded of my current read. I am reading Christmas Shopholic by Sophie Kinsella. I try to avoid last minute shopping. Indie bookstores do offer online shopping too. And avoid shopping at lunch, late in the day or on weekends.

    What do I want for Christmas? Wonderful memories. Time with family and friends.

    Diana

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  20. I made a donation to St Judes for Mom's gift this year, and I made a gift to Shriners Hospital for Children for a gift for myself. LOL. Also gave myself a car rooftop waterproof bag for our luggage for the upcoming Christmas trip. I made 3 different kinds of fudge and 1 kind of cookies to share at our family gathering. I will be stuffing stockings full of Kind Bards, candy canes, poppers (the blow up when you throw them on the ground), reusable metal straws, and various other goodies. Giving my niece and her hubby 4 packages of home made jerky from our local butcher, and some beef sticks for the trip home after our family get together (they are doing keto so meat snacks are good LOL)...being with family is the best present of all.

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  21. A last minute gift that we've given (and not just for last minute) is a box of Kentucky Bourbon Balls candy. You don't have to like bourbon to enjoy this candy. "The creamy center of these candies are made with Evan Williams 100 proof Bourbon (maximum 5% by law), covered in chocolate, and crowned with a pecan half." This candy originated in Kentucky, created by Ruth Booe in 1938 for her candy store. There is still a Rebecca Ruth candy store in Frankfort, KY, and you can find this delicious Southern delicacy all over the state and online (even at Amazon). We like to give it as a gift because it's a specialty from our state.

    Another Kentucky original candy I've given at the last minute is Kentucky Cream Candy (Kentucky Cream Pulled Candy). Three old-time candy makers still in business in Kentucky offer this delicious melt-in-your-mouth confection. The already mentioned Rebecca Ruth's, Ruth Hunt, and Mom Blakeman. Anyone I've ever given this candy to has loved it.

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  22. I baked sugar cookies for my cousins and am giving my sister-in-law restaurant gift cards. Our church sells grocery gift cards so my friends are getting them. Who doesn't love to eat?

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