We are officially in the T-minus x number of days until Christmas and I’m sure you will all agree with me that this is the period of the year where time seems to bend beyond it’s limits and zoom by in what seems like a moment! It’s as if one second you’re Christmas shopping, the next you’re wrapping presents, and then whoosh– you wake up and it’s Christmas! I began my Christmas shopping in the middle of October and had this game plan that I’d have 75% of the bulk of my shopping done by the middle of December. Well…I do! For those of you that are still in the beginning period of holiday shopping, I have searched around the internet to extend the original 20 Unique Gifts for 20 Unique Lifestyles from the 20 Unique Gifts for 20 Unique Lifestyles: Part 2 and Brand New into the latest addition, 20 Unique Gifts for 20 Unique Lifestyles: Part 3 and Christmasy; just in time for the holiday season! As I always have said and will continue to say, it’s not about the amount of money that you’ve spent on a gift or the quantity of presents that you give– rather it is the basis of the spirit of giving and spreading some holiday cheer by letting someone know that you put a lot of thought into giving them something that they will have for the years (and of course, it will remind the recipient of you!).

A little of thought goes a long long and will definitely be reflected in your gift, especially if you show some personality and pizazz into it! If you’re stuck on someone on your list and just can’t seem to figure out what to get them (and don’t really want to go down the Gift Card alley), use my Contact Section and tell me about your situation; maybe I can help! I hope that you’re enjoying the holiday season and braving the malls like a trooper! Just a note: If you plan on doing some of your holiday shopping online, I strongly urge you to do it as soon as you can to ensure that your gifts arrive before Christmas! A lot of websites will have Christmas Shipping Deadlines, so make sure that you place your order in time for Christmas!

1 It’s difficult to clump teenage girls into one big category because this is the ripe age where girls begin to figure out who they are and what they like, including their interests and hobbies. It was not too terribly long ago that I was a teenage girl myself, so I would like to think that I still have a fairly general idea of what it is that teenage girls like! First and foremost, any teenager will always graciously accept a gift card to anywhere and everywhere. But, if you want to show that you put a little more thought into it than that, then take heed of this advice: give them a practical (but cute) gift. This includes but is not limited to cosmetic bags, luggage (it will be useful even if they don’t realize it at the time), or even a cute umbrella like these Rain Parade Umbrellas found at Fred Flare, which is always a safe bet because it is a wonderland of cuteness (not just teenage girls but any adorable person). These umbrellas are useful, adorable, and are sure to get your teenage recipient a bunch of compliments! You can find these and many more great gifts at: fredflare.com.

2 Same goes for the teenage gents as it does for ladies, it’s difficult to group them all together as a category due to the very teenage nature of individuality, but…this is just based on one idea and what I think a teenage boy would appreciate as a gift. I should also mention that the gift card rule can also be applied for teenage boys, think of places like Chipotle and fast food restaurants so it will last them up through many meals. If you want to put a little thought into the gift, I highly suggest getting them one of the many classic movies or series of Monty Python. Basically, any teenager who can understand British humor is a-okay in my book and these movies reach across a wide-range of audiences (and they’re pretty damn quotable). Monty Python is timeless comedy that is still to this day considered to be a cult classic; you can start them out with one of the more popular movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If they appreciate humor, they should like Monty Python and if for nothing else than to at least have a one up on all of their friends as being the cool kid that into something that’s “vintage” (1975! haha). You can browse all of the Monty Python movies, box sets, etc at: Amazon.com.

3 Sticking with the theme of teenagers, you could always consider the fact that they are new drivers and could always use some safety gadgets to keep in their cars in case of an emergency. I was fortunate enough to receive a road side safety kit from work and it’s actually proven to be quite useful to me! One option is to put together a road side safety kit complete with jumper cables, flares, a flashlight, batteries, etc. AAA has some great kits available at different price points that are complete with different levels of preparedness from the most basic (which is what I have) to a very complex case of all of the essentials. Take for example this 63 Piece Kit which comes complete with the cables, a flashlight with batteries, a first aid kit and even an Emergency Car Care Guide! You can check out this kit and many more at: Amazon.com.

4 Not quite a teenager, an individual at the age of 21 is considered to be a young adult and many times, a college student/soon-to-be/college grad. Obviously, the first thing that many people think of with the age of 21 is booze as it is the legal drinking age! Given my personal background with a family that is heavily involved with the alcohol industry (family wine store and sister works for a distributor), I obviously don’t have a problem with drinking alcohol, but I do have an issue with newly turned 21’s who go head-on into their 21st year by binge drinking or excessive drinking. I do not promote this anytime or any place, it’s incredibly dangerous and it’s a behavior that has serious repercussions in the future. Having said that, I believe that it is important to show a 21-year-old the responsibility and privilege that comes with drinking alcohol. One way to do this is to teach them about wine and you can do that by giving them a nice bottle of wine; this will allow them to embrace being 21, but to also maybe gain respect for wine and alcohol in general. Depending on your price point, you can get them a nice bottle of wine from $40- and up. One recommendation that I have is Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Cabernet ($40) which is a great bottle of wine at a price point that won’t break the bank! You can always go to a wine shop and a get a recommendation, or check out the top rated lists and recommendations at: wine.com.

5 Whether you are a professional blogger or you just like to do it for fun…it’s always nice to promote your website and to get people to stop by and read what you have to say! I consider myself to still be fairly new to the art of blogging and even though it’s not even been a year at it, I enjoy doing it and I hope that I have provided someone out there with something entertaining to read or even given some inspiration to gift ideas. I am very happy to know that I’ve spread the word on some great websites out there and I will continue to do that in many more Shoutouts to come. If you are shopping for a fellow blogger or a friend who spends a lot of time doing things to their blog, you can always fuel the flame by getting them a Personalized Check Out My Blog t-shirt, complete with the web address! I probably wouldn’t wear one of shirts for my own blog, but if you know someone who would– give them the gift of personal advertising! These are available in long-sleeved and short-sleeved shirts and you can check them at the Signals website at: signals.com.

6 Well, you know what they say…”Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned!” That’s the damn truth! If your female friend has recently been burned by a brutal boy, allow them to vent and be reminded of their fierceness by giving them a gift that will make them laugh, smile, and love ya forever (while of course loathing the ex)! There are so many gifts out there that specialize in fueling a woman’s independence and that whole, “I will Survive!” mentality. Though this knife holder is a little bit on the expensive side, ($69.99), it is such a conversation starter and is sure to get a smile out of your friend! The price includes the bunt of the joke holder and the knives, “The knives include an 8-inch chef’s knife, an 8-inch bread knife, an 8-inch carver, a 5-inch utility knife, and a 3-1/2-inch paring knife.” Give the gift of practicality and a smile year round by giving The Ex Knife Holder! You can take a look at this style and the other one in black at: Amazon.com.

7 I personally believe that all of us have a small degree of being easily amused in our interest and personality. There are those of that will watch a clock tick on the wall for awhile and then there are those of us that simply cannot turn away– for those who find easy amusement in the simple motions of life, cater to their nature by giving them a Bubble Calendar that looks great on the wall and provides some entertainment every single day! How, you may ask? Well, by simply providing the recipient with a bubble to pop everyday! I’ve fallen guilty to having the urge to pop bubble wrap and with this calendar you can give into that urge every single day! The Bubble Calendar is huge and takes up the entire year of 2009 in one poster size of 48″ tall x 18″ wide! Perfect for home or office, give the gift of entertainment everyday with the Bubble Calendar available at: wishingfish.com.

8 There are surprisingly a lot of gifts out there that are occupation specific, even for a police officer! Instead of picking one of these gifts that simply screams “I am giving you this gift because you are a police officer!” I decided to find one that hints to this, but would be appropriate for anyone regardless of their occupation. This gift would be appropriate for a police officer or even for a forensics specialist, or really anyone for that matter. Though it’s a little expensive, it’s incredibly unique and interesting and that is why it’s on this list! The gift is available from DNA 11 and specialized in DNA, fingerprint, and kiss artwork. Basically, they make artwork out of your DNA pattern and it looks really cool! (If you’re wondering how…they send you a DNA kit and then use a machine to print out art). There are security blurbs all over the place about how all of your information is secured and it is a reputable company that is often featured in national magazine publications. These prints start at $190 and go all the way up to $490, so this is obviously a very special gift for a very special person. There is also free holiday shipping up until Dec. 22nd! You can get more information on these prints at: dna11.com.

9 I firmly believe that being a professional mover is maybe one of the most difficult jobs out there. It’s physically demanding, it’s stressful as you have to deal with people and their sometimes fragile and expensive items and it just seems to be like a lot of hard work. Having hired professional movers in the past, I can say that in my experience they have nothing but big-ups from me! Granted, the service that we used was fantastic and our movers were wonderful. If you have a professional mover in your life, you can show them some love and maybe even a glimpse of their daily life by giving them this CD Man (though I’m not sure if the CD man’s stance is protecting his back). This CD cube holds 12 cds and features a stylish design of a man lifting it up to seemingly carry it away! You can check out this gift and many more at: signals.com.

10 Concert going is expensive, not to mention going to concerts avidly! I have been to my fair share of concerts and like any good concert-junkie, I have kept all of my ticket stubs. I know that as a medium-level concert-goer, I have a pretty good size collection of concert tickets that just sort of sit in my photo box. Brett displays some of them on his corkboard and I have kept the others in a box, not really knowing what to do with them but planning to do something with them someday! I have, however, found something that is the perfect gift for the Avid Concert-Goer by providing them with a way to showcase and file all of their concert ticket stubs! This Ticket Stub Diary provides 118 ticket sleeves in 52 pages and allows you to showcase the ticket on acid-free paper while still allowing enough room for you to jot down some memories! You can see this gift and many more at: uncommongoods.com.

11 Depending on the point where they are currently are in life, a person who has just moved into life may need just a few finishing touches….or absolutely everything. No matter what point they are in, you can definitely find the perfect addition to feature in their home! Obviously, before you buy something for someone’s house you have to consider two things; 1) what do they need and 2) their individual taste and style. Focusing in on point #2, try getting them something that is decor neutral and doesn’t push your own personal style on them. One thing that I have found in almost every design magazine that I get is a neat-looking fruit bowl, such as this Satellite Fruit Bowl from Uncommongoods. You may recognize that design from other places and that is because it’s commonly used and widely featured. Because of it’s popularity, it would definitely be a good way to go when you’re buying a new decor item for your recipients house. You can check out this Satellite Fruit Bowl as well as many other great housewarming gifts at: uncommongoods.com.

12 While this isn’t exactly a lifestyle but more so a thing that people say when asked, “What would you like for Christmas?”…it still qualifies in my eyes because it’s a challenge! On one hand, I can appreciate people who celebrate Christmas in it’s true meaning of a spirit of love, caring, and giving and not exactly material things; but on the other hand, if you already intended to spend money on someone and they won’t tell you what they want– it’s frustrating! If a person insists that you don’t give them anything, then take the money you were going to spend on them and donate it to a charity. This could be a charity that reflects some of their interests (like education, animal awareness, environment), or you could just pick one and give it in their name. If you want to shop for a good cause you can visit Just Give where you can select a category and then find a charity based on the cause. You can also visit The Hunger Site where you can buy items that will help different causes such as breast cancer. poverty, child health, literacy, rainforest, and animal protection. Each item you purchase funds a donation to the corresponding charity, an example being this Winter Trees Votive Candle Holder. Each purchase of this candle holder will fund 25 cups of food. You can shop their store and get more information at: thehungersite.com.

13 Again, not really a lifestyle so much as a response to the question, “What would you like for Christmas?”. Obviously, you cannot achieve Peace on Earth in one effort (it takes time) for Christmas, so you can do one of two things: 1.) you can donate to a cause that promotes peace in different areas of the world, such as Amnesty International, or 2.) you could do the tongue-and-cheek approach and play off of the whole…peace thing. Give them a Peace on Earth ornament, or give them the ability to make peace in the form of Cake! Take for example this “Peace of Cake” which you can find at many online retailers. Did I mention that this gift would also be perfect for all of the Hippies on your Christmas list? You can get more information on this cake mold as well as many, many others at: popdeluxe.net.

14 Let’s say that you’re going to a holiday party this year and you have no idea what to bring to the hostess! Well, first of all– kudos on your etiquette for thinking to bring the busy hostess a gift. Secondly, like with most of the cases on this list, you can do one of two things; 1.) you can buy them a personal gift, or 2.) you can give them something that will assist in the party. I guess a third option would be that you could technically do both, but one or the other would definitely be appreciated. Before you go, ask if there’s anything that you can bring and if you’re told that all is covered, consider bringing a bottle of wine or one of these Midnight Bar Mixes available at Crate and Barrel. These mixes come in different cocktail juice flavors such as Lemon Drop, Bloody Mary, Apple Martini, Mojito Mix, Cosmopolitan, Margarita, and Pomegranate Martini Mix. Pick up one or two of these bottles and give them to the hostess to either use them that night or later! You can check out these and many other gifts at: crateandbarrel.com.

15 Depending on where you are in your relationship, you may know everything about your boyfriend and have very little problem in getting him a gift or…you could draw a blank when it comes to the perfect gift to get him. Guys are typically pretty good at giving enough ideas as far as what they want for Christmas, but if they really don’t have any idea– stick to what’s been tried and true: sleepy pants. Pajama pants, “special pants”, lounge pants, or the name given by my family, sleepy pants are always accepted by the gents! The beauty of sleepy pants is that you can get themed ones to match their personality or you can get them the basic black or gray. Even if they don’t wear pants to bed (ehem), you can still get them some comfy pants to lounge around in. I love The Gap and their line of lounge pants which come in different colors and sizes and are incredibly comfy (ladies, you can definitely steal…I mean borrow…these). Many stores will have sleepy pants on hand, but I highly recommend The Gap. Check them out at: gap.com.

16 One thing that I have learned about architects is that they usually have a wide collection of books about a little bit of everything. Obviously, they have books about architecture and also art, history, science, etc. This may not be the case for all architects, but I’ve known four in my life and they’ve all followed this trend. So, to add to the collection, get them the book that will allow him to relate and reminisce back to a period of time where they were drowning in blue prints and equipped with a scale ruler in hand– a book about architecture school. The book is, “101 Things I Learned in Architecture School” by Matthew Frederick is a book that will perfect their art no matter how involved they are in the practice. “Architecture graduates—from young designers to experienced practitioners—will turn to the book as well, for inspiration and a guide back to basics when solving a complex design problem.” You can find this book at: Amazon.com.

17 I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be friends with a weatherman, or even better…to have a meteorologist parent! I’ve already expressed my feelings about weathermen in previous blogs, and I’m sure I will continue to do so in blogs to come…but for the most part, they provide us with important information that can help us dress for the weather and prepare for inclement weather conditions. Give the meteorologist in your life a break by from telling the weather by giving them this Weather Man Weather Station available at Signals. The Weather Man Weather Station shows a little weatherman that changes his clothes based on the weather and also gives you the time, date, indoor/outdoor temperature, humidity, moon phase, and sunrise/sunset times. You can find this and many other great things at: signals.com.

18 These are the lovely individuals that provide you with optimistic, the glass is half full sayings for the different road bumps that you encounter in your life. They give you words of wisdom and encouragement that help to get you through the hard times and bring you out a better person in the end. These are also the individuals that have inspirational quote-a-day calendars, an inspirational bumper sticker, and of course– inspirational coffee mugs. Add to their collection of encouragement and wisdom by providing them with this Inspirational Wall Plaque that is perfect for the home or office. The quote says, “If you stumble…make it part of your dance”. Who knows, they may even use this exact quote to make you feel better someday! You can find this along with many other inspiring wall plaques at: bibelotshops.com.

19 We all know someone who manages to use random things for multiple uses and that would definitely kick some ass if they were to ever go on a show like Survivor. I enjoy calling these individuals, “Everyday MacGyver” for this ability and I’m sure that there are many other names people call them. One idea for this individual is to give them the information and resources on how to use more items in different ways. You can give them one of the many books from the series, “Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things”. This book tells you how to turn a calculator into a metal detector, carry a survival kit in a shoestring, make a gas mask with a balloon, etc. etc. Your Everyday MacGyver is sure to find something that will help him use everyday items into different things and maybe even get the ball rolling on the entire collection which consists of three books. You can find this book as well as the others at: Amazon.com.

20 The rules of Secret Santa are different for every group and you don’t always get the luxury of having a recipient that writes down what they’d like in the gift exchange. In this case, you can use the knowledge that you have on that individual to get them a gift (assuming your knowledge isn’t so limited that you only know their name and that they’re a co-worker). If you are that limited in your knowledge, give them the gift that is always appreciated and that is the gift of grub my friends, the gift of yummy goodness– food! There are so many different routes that you can take when it comes to giving food from Godiva to Pepperidge Farms. One of my favorites is Cheryl&Co which was founded in my hometown and is still one of my favorite cookie shops out there! I could list out all of the differet cookies, cakes, and cupcakes that they have…but I strongly encourage you to go to the website and see for yourself! Visit them at cherylandco.com.

I hope that you are having a ball shopping for your friends and family and braving the holiday shopping crowds (not to mention the traffic). If you are still stuck on someone on your list and haven’t the slightest clue what to get them, send me an e-mail and I’ll see if I can help you out! There are so many different gift options out there and sometimes all that it takes is a little bit of creativity and a lot of online searching to find the perfect one.

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Here’s to a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends, laughter and many jolly moments,

-M.