Top Ten Good Christmas Gifts ($20 or Less) for Bad Gift Givers

We all know them; those people who just can't give a good gift. The aunt who always gives you socks . . . the cousin who wrapped a bag of pretzels in tin foil for your birthday . . . the friend who presented you with a ball of yarn at graduation. Yes, we must all deal with that potentially awful gift giver whose gifts always pale in comparison to our own. And let's face it, there isn't much more disappointing than having forked out forty bucks for a beautiful gift, twenty minutes worth of gift wrapping, and an hour coming up with the perfect holiday greeting for the card you spent two days hunting down, only to find yourself rewarded with that same old awful gag gift year after year after year.

And so I'm sure I don't have to tell you that it's even worse when you are that bad gift giver. Just think back to the last gift you gave. Did the recipient grimace, scowl, or even scream when they saw it? Did they actually just ask you, "This is a joke, right?" Did you find yourself mumbling through your ever-intensifying blush, "I kept the receipt, so, you can return it . . . if you want . . ."? If so, this guide is for you.

Let's start at the bottom of the list and work our way back up to number one.

10.If anything proves to be a perfect gift at Christmas time, it's a Christmas music sampler. Walk into any of your local music or entertainment stores at the holidays, and you'll be sure to find a displayer chop-filled with great holiday music. Some favorites that are also often on sale are collections from artists such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and even the Jackson Five. Let's face it; nothing says "We wish you a merry Christmas" like the song that sings it!

9.The next best thing to music is always a movie. Of course, at Christmas time, it's always easy to find a good old-maybe even new-Christmas classic the whole family can enjoy. Find one that could easily become a holiday tradition, such as "It's a Wonderful Life" or my personal favorite, "A Christmas Story". Or, for the friend or relation who loves a good laugh, find a Christmas comedy, like "Elf", that can tickle the funny bone all year 'round!

8.Books also make fabulous gifts. Besides being almost unbelievably easy to wrap, they are thought provoking, and a good page-turner can be read over and over again; we call these "the gifts that keep on giving". Find out what the recipient's favorite genres are. Or, if you know they've started a series, buy them the next book in the series.

7.Another gift that could keep on giving is a camera. Everyone loves pictures, and I can't even begin to count the number of holiday parties at which someone inevitably calls out, "Wouldn't that have made a great picture?" Sets of two disposable cameras can be purchased at local drug stores for anywhere usually starting at around $9. If you don't think a disposable camera quite says how much thought you put into it, go for a film camera; these can also be found at low prices at local drugstores, though you will also have to pitch in for film.

6.Speaking of pictures, another great gift for the holidays is a scrapbook. Especially at Christmas time, the end of the year, a scrapbook of memories from the past year could be a delightful addition to any gift recipient's pile of gifts. Designing special pages can be fun, allowing you to stretch your creativity and bring back all the pleasant memories you and the recipient have shared. Though homemade gifts are sometimes frowned upon at the holidays, scrapbooks and photo albums are always a wonderful gift idea.

5.This one might not sound so great, and in fact might have been placed earlier in this list, but a magazine subscription is another one of those gifts that keeps on giving. Not only does the recipient get the initial gift (which can be wrapped quite easily, since it will most likely be either the first magazine or a certificate indicating the subscription), but for at least a couple months, they will continue to get gifts from you, with such little effort on your part. Save yourself and the recipient money by getting them a subscription to their favorite magazine to buy off the rack. (Note: a great way to get a good deal on a subscription is stealing one of those subscription cards from the magazine itself; but please, only take it from a magazine your friend/relative has already purchased . . . gift giving under $20 should never mean plain old thievery)

4.Back to pictures once more for number four. A nicely framed picture is always a nice addition to someone's home or office. The great thing about this one is, you can frame just about anything you'd like; it doesn't necessarily have to be a snapshot. Some other great things you could frame are: typed up inspirational messages, post cards, greeting cards with an amazing message or a thought provoking picture, graduation tassels, album covers, rewards/certificates, and so on. Nice frames can be purchased starting at around $5 from your local drugstore, art supply stores, or other shops.

3.Yet another simple yet in the end wonderful gift for Christmas time is an ornament. Finding a beautiful ornament to help your friend or relative decorate their tree is always fun. And even better still is the potential for even more creativity. A Christmas tradition my mother started for my brother and I was buying a box of blank white ornament balls and decorating a new one each year for us to mark special occasions throughout the year. She has also developed quite a knack for making my dad a different Penn State ornament each year. Design an ornament based off of things your gift recipient loves. If the recipient doesn't have a Christmas tree, you can still buy a nice ornamental hanging piece for their door, window, fireplace, etc.

2.A whole lot of stocking stuffers! This probably should not be number two, but then there's not much better than opening a box at Christmas time and finding a whole bunch of gifts inside! Finding small useful items like gloves (simple pairs start at $2), earmuffs, a scarf, lip glosses, a small bottle of the recipient's favorite perfume/cologne, a mixed cd, etc. inside one big box could present quite a thrill on Christmas morning. Have fun choosing items that the recipient will be able to use throughout the holiday season and/or the year, or even items that are quite useless but also quite fun (like a yo-yo)!

1.Of course, some of you probably saw this one coming: When all else fails, the number one best gift for that person who seems impossible to buy for is a gift card. Find out the recipient's favorite stores. Do they love iTunes music? Buy them an iTunes gift card. Do they love movies? Several movie theatres have movie coupons and/or gift cards available for purchase. Don't quite know what the person likes? Some credit card companies like American Express have created gift cards that the recipient can use anywhere he or she would like! A gift card is the perfect way of saying, "I love you enough not to mess this up."

Most of all, remember; Christmas time is a time of being together, sharing in the holidays, and showing how much you care for those you love. Taking the time to find that perfect gift can be one of the most rewarding experiences of any occasion. And if all else fails, there's always gift receipts!