Gift Ideas for the 12 Days of Christmas

This year, why not start a new holiday tradition and give gifts on the 12 days of Christmas? This unique idea allows you to get creative and spread out the gift-giving fun. You can just give a different number of individual items on each day or you can get really creative with it. Here are some ideas of different categories you can use to plan a creative gift giving season.

Individual Items. This is the easiest way to do the 12 Days of Christmas. Give 2 DVDs on the second day, 5 paperback novels on the fifth and 8 candy bars on the eighth. Any gift the recipient would want more than one of works perfectly with this method.

Dollars/Cents. Who doesn't love to get cash? You could give $4.04 for the fourth day, or 3 $5 bills for the 3^rd day.

Ounces. A 12-ounce soda can, 8 ounces of the recipient's favorite jelly beans, 3 ounces of expensive bath salts - the possibilities are endless with this category. Anything sold by weight counts.

Pages. Why not write your sweetheart a 3-page love letter for the third day of Christmas? Or have each of your children draw her a picture.

Inches. Necklaces and licorice both come in inches, but you can measure any gift and give it per its length.

Minutes. A 10-minute foot massage would be a nice treat on the tenth day.

Petals. Give a bouquet of 5-petaled tulips for the fifth day - or any other corresponding flower.

Hours. A coupon for 2 hours to herself would be welcomed by any mom. Or how about a 1 hour massage certificate to a local spa?

Days. Give a coupon offering your services for a specified number of days, whether it be shoveling snow or washing the dishes. You might even want to plan a 2-day getaway. Why not?

Get clever with it. Use anything with a number in the title. Maroon 5 concert tickets or a CD or a DVD of Three Men and a Baby or The Three Stooges. You could buy a book with a number in the title or a book in a series - the seventh book in the Harry Potter series for the seventh day, for example.

By the numbers. Now that you have the general idea, here are some ideas for each number to get you started.

On the First Day of Christmas... Do something for the first time together. Go skiing or try a new restaurant.

On the Second Day of Christmas... A pair of anything. Two earrings, two socks, two shoes, a salt and pepper shaker set.

On the Third Day of Christmas...The Three Musketeers on DVD.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas... Golf lessons ("Fore!").

On the Fifth Day of Christmas... 5 pieces of fruit - to fulfill the 5-a-day fruits and vegetables requirement.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas... Hide 6 notes around the house.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas...An 8-ounce steak dinner.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas... A book with 9 chapters.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas. A pedicure for the recipient's 10 toes.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas... A CD with 11 songs.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas... A dozen roses - or doughnuts!