12 Days of Christmas {Day 3}: The Gift

Gift giving is part of the magic of the holiday season. Finding the right thing for that someone special can be so exciting (not to mention a big relief!). There is nothing better than the feeling of excitement as you present your gift clutching it with both hands.

Some of my favorites are:

colcasac

Colcasac

Help the techies by gifting a ColcaSac with thick sherpa fleece to protect their laptop. http://colcasac.com

nasher museum

Museum Membership

Make all your friend’s rainy days so much better! Give a membership to a local museum.

Consider a Design Lines favorite, the Nasher Museum in Durham

Cashmere Gloves

Cashmere Gloves

Worn short or long, these ridiculously soft Two in One gloves will help her weather the weather in style.

To buy: $49.50, delight.com. Use code REALSIMPLE.

carolina ballet

Tickets to the Carolina Ballet

This season has been particularly spectacular.  Consider a night out in Raleigh.

juliska soup tureen

Jardins Du Monde soup tureen by Juliska

Think of this as a serving piece they’ll have for a lifetime, and who doesn’t love a hot soup during the winter months?

homemade-vodka real simple

Home Made Infused Vodka (From Real Simple.com)

Makes: 2 gifts (1 liter in all)

Total time: 5 minutes (plus 1 week for infusing)

What You Need

  • 1 liter vodka
  • flavorings, such as 1½ cups fresh pineapple chunks, 4 vanilla beans, or 3 halved and seeded jalapeños
  • glass bottles with tight seals

What to Do

  1. Divide the vodka and desired flavorings among the bottles.
  2. Refrigerate until the vodka reaches the desired level of infusion, at least 3 days and up to 1 week. Remove the flavorings after 1 week or instruct the recipient to do so. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 months.

How to Package Your Gift

  1. Divide the vodka among glass bottles with tight seals. Try the Twenty-Ounce Spice Bottles ($10 each), Fishs Eddy, 201-420-8828.
  2. Tie a ribbon around the neck of each and attach a gift tag.

Over the years though, I realize that many times it is not the material gift that means the most but rather the gift of time or of yourself.  Create an experience that you and a friend or loved one can share. Those are the lasting gifts of love.

Let us know your favorite gifts to give and receive.