Christmas time – the time of year for great food, good drinks and gifts. Mainly the gifts though, right?

It’s the most festive time of year, but it’s also one of the most stressful! Since when has shopping for gifts ever been an easy job? If you’re anything like me and leave your shopping till the last minute, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say that I hate buying presents.

I know it’s meant to be fun, buying gifts for your loved ones, but when you’ve got people who are impossible to buy for, it gets real serious. You end up scouring the shops for hours, giving up halfway and then looking online. 3 hours into online shopping, you’re almost through a bottle of wine. Plus, you’ve just bought yourself four more house plants and new pillows for the sofa that you really didn’t need.

I’m guilty of it, trust me. I’m also guilty of being the person that I’m struggling to shop for. So, I’ve decided to compile a list of things to get that person who you’ve been failing to shop for, without breaking the bank.

(I’m not responsible if they don’t like it, I’m only giving ideas!)

Alright, here we go:

• Mug Warmer

Almost everyone enjoys a hot drink any time of the year, but we all know that one person who always forgets their mug! Then, they find it hours later when it’s stone cold and their only option is to microwave it or start fresh. HOWEVER, with their new portable mug warmer, they don’t have to worry about even moving!

• Card Games

When I say card games, I don’t mean a deck of playing cards, because that’s just lazy buying. I mean the funny or crude card games, like Cards Against Humanity, Slash, or maybe even What Do You Meme? or Pitch Deck – A good card game never goes unappreciated and gives an excuse for everyone to play together and, trust me, these games do bring on some good laughs.

• Sheet Masks

So, not everyone has successfully implemented the 10 step Korean skincare routine into their daily lives, but a good sheet mask (at least once a week) does wonders to the skin and is a worthy gift for someone. A pack of sheet masks are always a great gift! For anyone! Skincare is the one thing a lot of people forget about when gifting, but it’s one of the more important. Trust me, it’ll bring a ‘rejuvenating’ smile to their face.

• Candles

Who doesn’t like a good candle? (No seriously, who doesn’t like candles, I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t) – A gift that people don’t really think of, romantic, and those huge candles are something you know will be used for a while. What’s not to love, they smell amazing and there’s so many different scents to pick from!

• Wine Preserver

On one of my late-night shopping endeavours, I came across this gadget that preserves your wine to prevent it from oxidising. It’s a gift for that friend or family member you know loves winding down in the evenings with a bottle.

• Bag Sealer

Speaking of unfinished things, if you know anyone who’s a notorious snacker (and doesn’t always finish those huge family packs they open), a bag sealer might be a good gimmick present. Sounds kind of unnecessary, but you’d be surprised how useful it is. I’ve seen some people in uni dorms who open a pack of Doritos, leave it on their desk over the weekend when they visited family, and when they got back on Monday, just continued as if they never left!

• Electric Blanket

First: WHY has no one ever gifted me this?! An electric blanket is honestly such a good gift, especially with the coming winter! Instead of racking up the heating bill, an electric blanket has the exact same benefits and you can take it with you anywhere! Cold at home? Blanket! Cold at the office? Blanket! (I’m going to buy myself one at this rate…)

• Wallet/Purse

People usually buy themselves a nice wallet/purse once in a blue moon, and then just continuously use it, not really thinking about replacing it. It’s a smart and extremely practical gift idea because it could have been something they’d been meaning to treat themselves to and just never got around to it.

• Headphones/Earphones

Everyone uses headphones (or earphones, whatever you want to call them.) Everyone knows just how easily they break. Buying a new pair for someone as a gift would be a quick way to get in their good books, because it means you saved them the trouble of doing it.

• Wireless Charger

A wireless charger is a smart gift idea. It is easy to carry around, and you don’t always need a plug! It is handy to use somewhere where they’ll be spending a lot of time and haven’t got the time to rummage and battle through wires. Win-win!

Okay, so those are my top gift ideas! I’m not giving you anymore because I need to keep some ideas for myself. However, I’m telling you, in case anyone has a sour face after getting gifts from the list above, you can’t please everyone! (Although these should, what a grinch!)

Happy shopping! Let me know how the Christmas gifts go down!

By Afsana Uddin