Ten Highly Unusual Gift Ideas for Your HUGs (Highly Unusual Girlfriends)

Usually chick friends are easy to shop for. Get them slippers, a French manicure kit or a nice sweater and be done with it. Yet suppose you have a HUG or highly unusual girlfriend to shop for, what do you get a woman who can be creative, resourceful , adventurous or a combination of all three? The answer - one doozy of a gift! The guide below should help you or at least inspire you to create a memorable gift package that will be talked about for years to come.

Consider these:

1) The Lady Writer - a good gift package for the romantic and sometimes sharp witted gal.. Start with a leather bound journal , perfect for writing essays, poems, and even opinions. Throw in a really nice pen like the Waterman or Mont Blanc. (trust me, writers do their best work using good utensils). If you can't afford those, there are a variety of interesting and neat pens to choose from such as plumed ones with sparkle ink, five color barrel ones or ones with classic word games attached to their ends.. If Lady Writer is suffering from writer's block, then throw in a subscription to any writer's magazine or how to books. Also you can add the works of famous women writers such as, Jane Austen, Louisa May Allcott, Mary Shelley and her mother , Mary Wollstonecraft as well as Christina Rossetti, You can also mix in the works of modern writers such as Dorothy Parker, Harper Lee, Joyce Carol Oates or Eudora Welty. Remember to include writer fuel, either a bag of coffee (whether exotic or Dunkin Donuts) or a box of tea (anything from Earl Gray to Chamomile).

2) Tool kit Tilly. This gift idea comes in different variations along with being created by women for women. The most popular are the kits designed by home guru Barbara K, however you cam make up your own by buying individual tools. Make sure that the kit includes the essentials such as measuring tape, Philips screwdriver, needle nose pliers, utility knife and wrenches. Depending on how handy your HUG is, you may want to throw in more complicated tools such as hex wrenches, sockets , associated terminals and fasteners. Of course also add a roll of prettily wrapped duct tape .

3) The Time Traveler This is a perfect gift if your HUG is into history or those gooey romance novels. Let her travel back to her favorite era. If she's into the Tudor period, then give her movies about Good Queen Bess. There's a few choices out there ranging from Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson and/or Cate Blanchett . Further create the mood with spicy beeswax candles ( way popular back then) and Sting's salute to 16th Century lute music, "Songs From the Labyrinth". Also there are various costume companies that feature reasonably priced outfits if you really want to carry on with the theme. If your HUG is more into the whole Regency drama, then give her Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility" or the more recent "Pride and Prejudice." There is also a costume company in Australia that not only sells Regency era clothing but also dress patterns that are easily adoptable to 21st Century fabrics and sewing machines. HUG more into the 20th Century? Then visit any antique or vintage clothing store. Here you can find the decades from the early 1900's to the Disco Era Seventies,. Include music, books and even magazines from the era as well to really give it that true time travel feel. Remember to choose garments and items that are still of relative good quality. Look for any major rips, splits chips or cracks before buying.

4) The Hiker Chick - Tell your HUG to take a hike - literally. Arrange a trip that you both can take. You can plan for a country or city trek if the weather isn't too frigid,a country hike is wonderful in late December or early January. The air is crisp and clean then. If there's snow on the ground you'll feel like you've just stepped into a Russian fairy tale. Take to the main roads if you're both a tad leery of hiking in the country during snowy or icy weather. Country towns are not only picturesque but also interesting. There are numerous churches, cemeteries and shops that tell fascinating stories. If your HUG is a city dweller then consider hiking through steel canyons. There may be a point of interest or a neighborhood you both may want to visit. With this gift, also include comfy but thick socks, as well as a backpack full of gourmet trail mix, bottled power drinks and a good , well made thermos.

5) The Jade Jagger Wannabe. Your HUG may want to design her own line of cool jewelry like Mick's daughter does. Give her jewelry making classes or just a fun "girl's only" afternoon or evening at your local bead store. Most of these shops not only have great how to courses but also sales help who have a good eye for putting together stones and beads. Jewelry making is not only fun but addictive. It's also a good way for your HUG to launch her own line of neat earrings , necklaces and bracelets which can later be sold at local flea markets.

6) Little Miss Do Everything Good- Think about signing you and your HUG for some charity work. If she's nuts about animals, then volunteer her time at the local shelter or sign up for PETA membership. Joining any animal rights group is a plus because she gets to save endangered species. If your HUG looking to expand others' horizons, then sign her up for a literacy volunteer program. Go along too. You'll both make new friends whether with children or with adults. There are also soup kitchens who always need extra hands to help with assembling meals and cleaning up. You can research various charities via the Internet.

7) Ms. Indiana Jones the Adventuress - if your HUG loves chills and thrills then give her an adventure. Snowboarding lessons are great because they can bring out that daredevil mentality. If you live in less chillier climes, think about kayaking and canoeing. She'll not only get to have an adventure but get to see various breeds in their natural habitats - that in itself is a priceless gift. For the more adventurous there is also ice kayaking and ice skiing. If not those then try white water rafting (although this is only popular in the UK during the winter months)

8) Ms. Citizen of the World - if your HUG has a sophisticated, international air about her or she's just simply a renaissance woman, then give her language lessons. No, not those easy French or Spanish courses you two shared in high school or university but more exotic ones. Wouldn't it be more challenging and fun to learn Mandarin Chinese, Scots Gaelic or Modern Greek (as opposed to ancient)? Choose one you both can enjoy and study them together for an added plus. Google the local area for colleges or language schools that offers a good and varied choice. Also you can buy her language immersion tapes where she can dive into the language and speak like a native within eight weeks time.

9) The Next Docudrama Queen. - a camcorder or a web cam can bring out your HUG's hidden artiste. Forget the home movies. She can make mini documentaries about subjects she's passionate about, or produce skits to be shown on youtube (or even make how to videos for Associated Content!) remember that there are a lot of pre-holiday sales going on right now. Some name brand camcorders are going for as low as $200. Also keep in mind to get sturdy equipment just in case she has one of those "oops!' moments while filming.

10) Dreamgirl - yes, dreams can come true for your HUG and you can be the fairy god person to grant them. If she dreams of being a top chef, then have her cater your next party or event, from the meal planning down to the actual preparation.. If she wants a new her, then treat HUG to a day at the spa followed by a make over. You can even get her a date with her favorite celebrity. There are star look alike agencies in the big cities that can bring Brad Pitt or Ben Affleck to your HUG's doorstep for a dinner out. Whatever her dream is , you can grant it, thanks to a little ingenuity and the Internet.

Let's face it, when you have a highly unusual girlfriend, she deserves highly unusual gifts. Don't settle on those slippers or French manicure kit.

Not unless you want them thrown at you on Christmas day.