Gift Baskets

For the most part, Christmas shopping for the girls is easy and fun. They are at a great age where they truly don't care about the price tag, and they know what they like. Reagan has been asking for Fash'ems. Literally, if this kid could sit around and open blind bags and boxes and Fash'ems and Mash'ems and Pops all day long, she would. She gets one every Friday for good behavior during the week, and she spends the next six days strategizing about what she'll choose yet. It's kind of awesome. Madison isn't quite that easily impressed, but she's truly happy with everything.  I really like shopping for them.

It's everyone else that I find myself struggling with.

With the exception of the kids, this year has been the year of the gift basket for us. I can't believe I didn't embrace this idea sooner. Rather than searching for the one perfect gift at the perfect price point, making sure it's that combination of practicality and whimsy and thought, I can pick a theme and run with it.

Coffee lover? Wine lover? Puzzle lover? Pet lover? Cooking? Gardening? Coloring? The list is endless.

I had a Secret Santa exchange not too long ago. $20. That can be a tough one. Wine feels boring and overdone. A candle or trinket feels so generic. I ended up putting together an adult coloring book basket, and it was a hit. For that $20 I got two adult coloring books, a set of colored pencils, and a sharpener. And instead of using a generic gift bag, I picked up a cheap but cute magazine file that would store everything.

It's easy to budget. It's fun to assemble. And it's a lot of fun to get. Check out this car basket I put together for some of the men in my life that are very difficult to shop for.

What would your perfect basket look like?