This year I came up with some out of the ordinary gift ideas that are really fun & hopefully help inspire your gifting for those that are hard to shop for!
I'll start with man gifts since those are the hardest for me to come up with.
What guy wouldn't appreciate a SNUGGIE! Let's face it most men are still little kids at heart, you know when left alone they'll throw that football SNUGGIE on & pose like the dude in that pic in front of the mirror, the awesome ones will bust out a selfie even! Get the team of his choice or be evil & get the team he despises? Don't be deterred by the price of you see there, they're less then the one pictured (these screenshots are all just examples to give ideas).
Gopro is also an awesome man gift! They can get pricey for the newest & latest models but there are tons of different options to choose from including all the strange mounts you can gift along with them.
Other great man gifts & stocking stuffers:
Tools- literally ANY tool or set, no matter how many they already have of the exact same one. Those mini torches more commonly known as "weather proof lighters" will knock his socks off, you've no idea how fun those Lil things are! For like $8 his eyes will light up with every flick of that button.
Pocket Knife- my personal favorite brand is SOG they make a black carbon one tiny enough to go on your key ring. Guys use pocket knives like we use chapstick or tweezers. Multi tools rock too, you never know when he'll need a pair of pliers that doubles as a wine opener?
Soaps or Cologne- whether he's a mountain man or a total metro, men like to primp more than they let on. Really anything in the Hair or Deodorant aisle that is black, blue, red, or green will be appreciated. I always gave my big brother a tube of "Groom & Clean" and he LOVED that stuff for his hair. My husband really likes the "Hempz" line of lotion (I like to follow him around after he puts it on, smells great!
Writing material- my husband's a welder so he goes through thick sharpies like TP. When you think about it most jobs require your man to write at some point. Carpenters pencils are great for a man that works with wood (so hard not to to Beavis & Butt-Head out right now) I'll keep it clean. Nice pens & a good medium sized notebook are great for any guy to keep in his truck to write down random measurements or whatever they doodle when bored. Or when they're trying to draw you a diagram of the most complicated thing ever. Options are endless, you can find sports teams or his spirit animal. Calendars are also great! Don't forget to circle important dates FOR him, so you 2 don't forget your aniversary again this year~
Reading material- books may seem boring but figure out a subject he's into & give the bookstore a chance. There's a magazine for everything and when he heads into the bathroom with a low battery on his phone, he'll thank you for that hard copy of "Big Foot, Legend or Real?" to save him from utter boredom.
Toys- The innocent kind, that evoke your childhood memories of playing superhero or cowboy. Our Ace Hardware store has bins of nostalgic toys ranging from "Jacob's ladders" to switchblade combs & mini cap guns.
Phone Cases- from the funny to the rugged. Most men are bafoons at not killing they're super expensive phones. For the hard worker, or those whose phone seeks out toilets & other watery graves an Otterbox case is perfect!
Drinkware- not talking booze, although that's always a winner. Insulated water bottles, travel coffee mugs. Lunch boxes or neat coolers are all great. For my husband's buddies at work we bought plain coffee cups and sharpied funny sayings on them. They all weld & it's hazardous so we did "But did you die?" With a stick figure guy falling down stairs and "welding dust is man glitter). Then I sprayed them with clear coat hoping the marker stays on but if not it'll make em smile either way.
Food- man; simple creature. Requires feeding and loves to eat most amything. Canned cheese & crackers, summer sausage, flavored sunflower seeds or corn nuts, jerky, chips, energy drinks, flavored coffee creamer.
Keychains- I've seen some impressive ones & guys dig em. There's the moving motion ones like a piston, or gear shifter to the heavy metal ones of oil field drill bits. A way for the guy in your life to showoff everywhere he goes, in his most prideful asset, his ride, because HE'S A MAN ;} get some "new car smell" air fresheners to pair with it.
Next hardest person to shop for in my oppinion, the male teenager.
This is a giftee who can be tricky, they like clothes but you'll have to get a handle on sizing. Really study your subject, what are they're likes & interests. My nephew loves "The Walking Dead" (so do I) I love chatting up the shows drama with him so I got thinking, whose the coolest character? Duh! Daryl Dixon! I'm not gifting a crossbow, too deadly. Instead I found this poncho-esque woven jacket that has his high school colors on it from Journey's.com, who also had some bad ass socks that he'll love to go with it. Sweat pants are also a great option, they're comfy and can be dressed up or down.
Other teenage or young men gifts:
Odd or rare flavored candy (dollar stores and Cal Ranch never dissappoints) the stranger the better. Food gift cards since boys like to eat- a lot.
Socks- you can seriously never have too many & the personalizing possibilities are crazy! To go along with a sweet pair of socks how about a pimpin "Heffner" style robe? From there a cool gym towel that no one can mistake for theirs, party foul!
Cold Hard Cash- money walks, it talks, it makes the world go round. Fold some bills (maybe the amount of his age) into fun shapes or make a graduation style Lei out of them with his favorite candy.
Pens- from needing them in high school to later in college, or not, can't have enough writing utensils hanging around. Speaking of, eating utensils rock too! Sets of chopsticks make everyone feel like a ninja. Or for a laugh go to Sportsmans and get the fanciest "spork" they make.
Liquid timers- remember those cool things with the colored oil that drips and then you flip it over... mesmorizing! Any toy that reminds them of being a kid, my nephew was big on Pokémon and it's made a huge comeback. Also cool Lego guys or figurines are awesome.
Accessories: boys these days are different from the past. Any color goes now. Leather bracelet sets are great, hats-duh. Sunglasses. Headphones, wrist sweat bands.
Shower gel- I don't know of any teenage boy whose mom doesn't say "that kid showers 4 times a day". Get a cool loofah to go with it, guys love tools if you can combine any bathroom tools or personal grooming ware you'll be a rockstar gifter. All boys and men spend A LOT of time in the bathroom, or as my husband calls it "his office" so think like a guy and imagine all the fun things to do in there, like read magazines. Heads outta the gutter folks, I'm talking about Men's Fitness or Motor Trend. Speaking of bathrooms, air fresheners are a good one, for his ride. That aisle is so fun now there's every shape & scent you can imagine!
Next on the list, women! Go us! We are really easy to shop for I think. This goes for teenage girls & women cause we love everything!
Seriously chick's are so easy to shop for but to really stand out here's some funny options. The adult coloring book about unicorns makes me giggle. Anything with a unicorn or narwhal is always a great option. For the 70's, 80's, or 90's kid the plastic flash charms have made a comeback (apparently at Michaels crafts) the Garbage pail kid cards I found at Hot Topic are ultra amazing because they're stickers! I line my tackle box with them, people think it's awesome! The pics on the bottom are of the Narwhal wish bracelets I make myself that's a screenshot of my actual Etsy store PinkCosmo (gotta self promote). Check out my YouTube to learn how to make them yourself PinkCosmoCrafts. Which leads us to the Cricut Explore Air for the scrapbooker, I don't have one yet but I've yet to hear any negatives about it. That's one amazing machine. Also for the crafter, I LOVE and strongly recommend the Fiskars Procision paper trimmer or any sharp cutting tools. My favorite sewing scissor brand is Gingher!
If you're not a crazy cat lady, you know someone who is, or used to be til she married a man allergic to them. My sister is a dog lover, she has a Boston terrier and that decal is going to make so many drivers smile as she goes by with it in the window! That rug is adorable, frenchies are really popular right now. Expect a tutorial on my blog soon to make a mini dog Keychain plush, it's pretty stinking adorable! Also I make air dry clay cell phone or tablet stands on my YouTube channel that are easy and cheap to create, any animal- for the crazy rabbit or ferret ladies like myself.
More can't lose options for girls/women:
Chapstick- from bacon to cotton candy flavored we can't wait to obsessively smother it on our lips 20 times a day!
Lotion/perfume- Duh....it's a given if it has a scent we'll adore it. Again the Hempz line is grand! I really like the OGX argan oil products.
Jewelry- be careful here. Some women only prefer certain metals & colors & wouldn't be caught dead in the ones she hates. I love gold but have friends who can't stand it (like my husband who also has no taste) I kid, I kid. I love bracelets but don't wear earings or nexklaces. Do some research on her before you drop a fat bill on jewelry.
Make up- gotta make sure your not sending any mean messages here. Don't get her concealer or wrinkle cream unless requested by her (in writing) but do get her shimmering eyeshadow palettes or blush. I'm loving all the Pysicians Formula lines this year (with sexy corset or bows packaging) my sis is big on the Urban Decay Naked Palettes and yes they are worth the $50 plus.
Drinkware- those fancy insulated tumblers with straws are every where. Who doesn't feel fancy drinking out of a cup that states "I'm a rockstar". Oversized coffee mugs are cool too! We all need our very own pimp cup!
And lastly, kids! Shopping for kids is fun!
There are too many options here but, my daughters 5 years apart BOTH adore they're hooded towels. As you can see Daisy takes a while to get out of hers & into clothes she loves it THAT much! Plus they're so cute to watch as your mini human runs around. Minecraft is big lately, that pic is some of the wish bracelets I make which are perfect to gift to grandkids or nieces and nephews when you get old enough like me to have an army of them to shop for. Small gift with a huge impact! Every mom I've talked to whose kid has that torch says they take it everywhere and no one regrets spending the ridiculus $20 after seeing the joy it brought their kid. Honey sticks are so fun, found these at our local health food store. You can make or sew pushies of any theme, I made those Minecraft ones with hot glue, very easy I'll add a tutorial soon.
Other kid gifts:
Marble runs- you can find elaborate build it yourself plastic ones or have grandpa or your husband bust out an old school wooden one.
Boardgames- do you know how hard it was to find Hungry Hungry Hippos in stock this year? Tells you something, kids LOVE that game.
Blind bags/boxes: now these seem stupid price wise but lemme tell you, kids are bananas for them. When I was young we went to swap meets & the anticipation of ripping into my "surprise grab bag" was always the height of my week! Before buying, look up & write down the codes (usually on the bottom) they're stamped on & this will prevent you & your kiddo from the dissapointment of buying a dup for the 3rd time. Everybody's making these now, from Lego to MLP to LPS to Minecraft, even Imaginex. If you haven't yet, get on board.
Clothes- as a kid I thought opening up clothes was so lame! Back then it was. But NOW they make hoodies with cat or pony ears, Minecraft ones that zip up over the face to make a Creeper, sounds safe eh. My 3 year old daughter refuses to change out of her fave ponies shirt, sometimes for days. Funky slippers are so cool too! Dinosaur feet ones or fluffy cat monsters make kids laugh out loud everyone they put em on. Parents will thank you getting a functional gift of clothing rather than 50 tiny plastic sharp edged toys to trip over & vacuum up ;)
Accessories: sunglasses, there's some really funny ones & kids love a picture taken of them in em to remember they were always that cool when they grow up. Mini backpacks, for the kid that needs you to carry the 20 ponies that HAVE come along EVERY car ride. Or the older kid who wants to take the 3DS and can't keep track of where all those expensive Itty bitty games for it went.
Honey sticks/Weird Candy: this doubles for parent in laws as well. Any old fashioned candy or funky flavored jams are fun. If they don't have a sweet tooth, shelled roasted pine nuts are awesome! I love the pastel mints with white sugar on the bottom from Hickory Farms. Or the coffee suckers from See's Candies.
$- seems impersonal but to kids a roll of quarters can be memorizing. They love to count it, save it, and spend it. You can never go wrong being lazy and letting them shop for themselves. Be really fun and give as many ones as they are old.
Craft kits- perler bead sets let the child make anything they want & get to carry it around with them. Air dry clay or Play Doh. Parents will never forgive you but the child will be over the moon!
Hopefully this helps someone out there! Happy holidays y'all!
