Holiday Gift Ideas from Treehugger and Cool Mom Picks

Research & Insights, Trending & Social Media,

December 2, 2010

As we get into the holiday spirit – and start to panic just a little about what to get that hard-to-shop-for person on our gift list – TheMotherhood asked CoolMomPicks and TreeHugger to share some of their best gift ideas and inspiration. Moms came to the Talk and shared dozens of great ideas. The highlights are below, but check out the rest of the conversation for even more inspiration!

Gifts Don’t Have to Be Things

– My favorite gift this year is to my parents. They don’t really NEED anything, but since they’ve just moved to a new city, we are getting them season tickets to the symphony. I think this will be a great way to introduce them to the community, and it’s not another tie or sweater that will get packed away with all the other gifts from Christmas past…

– If you think about it, what we really treasure are memories as opposed to stuff someone buys in a store!

– Buy someone new to an area one of the discount coupon books for their city or region. They can get restaurant meals for half off, discover new stores to shop, get discounted sports or recreational opportunities, etc.

– My parents love getting gift certificates to hotels near our house – it’s a little reason to “vacation” near us, and the kids have fun seeing them, playing in the pool and getting room service.

– My one gift for my mother this year is decorating her house for the holidays.

– A friend of mine painted her roommate’s room as a Christmas gift one year – it was something the other girl had been meaning to do for months and didn’t have time for!

– We typically give my in-laws a gift certificate to a nice bed and breakfast or winery cottage so they can escape and enjoy some time away.

– There’s a service called smartbox.com that actually gives your recipient the gift certificate so they can pick their own b+b, or other experiential gift: http://coolmompicks.com/holidaygiftguide/

– One of our favorite Christmas gifts was a surprise trip to Disney with the entire family.

Turn the Kids’ Artwork or Memories into Gifts

– Gifts that bring tears to my eyes are the children’s artwork or poems that come framed and ready to hang and enjoy!

– I have been working on a DVD project for my parents which includes video and photos from the past year.

– Create a custom coffee table art book using your kids’ art – make your own by scanning the artwork and turning it into JPG files, or have one made: http://dreamsakes.com/gift-shop/coffee-table-art-books/

Toy Ideas for Toddlers

– Plan Toys: sustainably made wooden toys. Their website lets you browse by age, and they have lots of toddler options: http://www.plantoys.com/products.php

– Citiblocs: http://www.citiblocs.com/

– EcoKids EcoTown: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2010/11/green-gift-guide-the-kids.php?page=2

– Sprig Toys Dolphin Boat: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2010/11/green-gift-guide-the-kids.php?page=3

– Bugabike: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2010/11/green-gift-guide-the-kids.php?page=4

Gifts for Teachers

– CoolMomPicks has a bunch of great under $15 gifts on our holiday guide: http://www.coolmompicks.com/holidaygiftguide/

– Here is a post we did for National Teacher Appreciation Week – some great ideas here too: http://www.coolmompicks.com/2010/05/its_national_teacher_appreciat.php

– Besides gift cards, teachers love items for their classroom, books, and plants. A gift card to Target, Walmart, and other such stores are always great!

– Put ingredients for cookies, brownies, hot chocolate, etc., in a jar with the recipe tied to the top with ribbon so the recipient can use your homemade “mix” to bake them later.

Gifts for Dads and Husbands

– I had one of these one-of-a-kind keychains made using one of my kids’ drawings: http://www.coolmompicks.com/2009/06/key_to_an_awesome_fathers_day.php

– “Pocket briefcase” from Levenger.com

– Small luggage scale from REI and a Grid-It to organize cords and electronic accessories in his bag

– F Rock Bags are pretty cool for guys: http://www.frockbags.com/

– I got these great “collar stays” for his dress shirts. You can choose romantic or suggestive sayings on the stays. Practical yet personal: http://www.signals.com/signals/Item_Secret-Love-Letter-Collar-Stays-Sentimental_HK2266_ps_srm.html

Photo Gifts

– Here’s a great round up of photo books: http://www.coolmompicks.com/2010/05/mothers_day_photo_book_round-u.php

– For a pricier option, try jewelry or a key fob/chain – we’ve got a keepsake version in our guide: http://www.coolmompicks.com/holidaygiftguide/

– A photo tie tack is a good option for men who need to wear a tie to work: http://www.tjandco.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=85&zenid=ea1578428484b68117f0b77aaadd84c7

– I purchased a gift from http://chiccanvas.com/, where they take a photo and print in onto a large canvas. The coolest part is that you can have something printed – a special date or a name, say – on the side of the canvas.

– Another fun idea is doing something with silhouettes: http://www.coolmompicks.com/2009/04/another_way_to_hang_your_kids.php

Green Gifts

– Green gift ideas from the City of New York: homemade items, entertainment (tickets), learning (lessons), time/talent (babysitting, home repairs), fitness, pampering, and greater good (charitable donations).

– Supporting a nonprofit organization like the Fresh Air Fund is a great gift to give! To find out more information about The Fresh Air Fund visit http://www.freshair.org.

– My parents do Heifer International and give the kids pictures of the goats or chickens that they “donated” in their names to a village. We then find it on a map:
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.183217/

Cool Wrapping Ideas

– Take your kids’ piles and piles of paper from school from the past few months and have them use it as wrapping paper for the little things. Not only are they giving a cute little gift, all of their tests, drawings and practice papers get new life.

– If you have brown packing paper hanging around from packages that were shipped to you, use it to make potato-stamped wrapping paper. http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/14/potato-printing-with-design-mom/

– You can also use the colored comic pages from the Sunday newspapers for kids’ gifts. Wrap Dad’s gifts in the business or sports pages and Mom’s in the Living or Home section of the newspaper.

– Reusable gift bags from CoolMomPicks: http://www.coolmompicks.com/2010/11/wrap_it_up_to_go.php

– Buy some holiday kitchen towels at the dollar store and use them to wrap hostess gifts.

For More Inspiration

– Groupon

– Etsy

– CoolMomPicks Holiday Gift Guide: http://coolmompicks.com/holidaygiftguide/

– TreeHugger Holiday Gift Guide: http://www.treehugger.com/giftguide/?campaign=top_news

THANK YOU to TreeHugger, CoolMomPicks and all of our fabulous co-hosts for a wonderful, idea-generating conversation!!!

Meaghan, Treehugger

Kristen Chase, Cool Mom Picks

Liz Gumbinner, Mom101 and Cool Mom Picks

Caryn Baily, Rockin Mama