Black Friday is a distant memory. Trekking through the Galleria, Chesterfield Mall and St. Louis Mills is just a blur. You're just about shopped out and yet, you still have a few more people on your Christmas list. So, what's an exhausted shopper to do with limited time, energy and money left?
If you're still looking for the perfect Christmas gift for that friend or relative, but the funds are dwindling, check out some of these ideas that could keep you out of the doghouse and the poorhouse at the same time.
The gift of memories - You can't go wrong with a photo gift. Whether you insert a photo of the family's newest baby, cutest kid, sweet grandma or most adorable dog, everyone on your list will cherish a photo of someone they love. No photos? No problem! Just check out your friend or relative's Facebook page and skim a photo that you already know they love. Right click the photo, hit Save As, and then print it from your own hard drive. Once you know if the picture is tall or wide, run over to Michael's Crafts for a beautiful selection of photo frame Christmas ornaments for just $4.99. Plus, when you visit Michael's website, you can get additional savings through their weekly coupons.
The gift of warmth - St. Louis winters can leave everyone wanting to stay inside and snuggle up under the blankets. So, help your friends do just that with a winter warm up gift bag. Check out the fleece throws at Dollar General or Family Dollar, both for under $5.00. Then add a coffee mug from Dollar Tree, a box of hot cocoa from Shop N Save and a box or two of movie-style candy such as Junior Mints or Sno-Caps from Walgreens. All in all, your friends will be ready to enjoy a warm night cozied up on the couch and it won't cost you that much to give them the gift of togetherness.
The gift of practicality - If you'd rather take winter in a more practical direction, you can throw together a winter survival gift bag that includes a small ice scraper, Chapstick, hand lotion, Hot Hands and maybe even that box of hot cocoa all for $10 or less. Target, Walgreens and Dollar Tree should have everything you need.
The gift of helping hands - Dollar Tree can help you throw together the perfect gift for your college-bound nephew, your newly married friends, your bachelor brother and lots of others in between. For $10, you can put together a nice kitchen helper's collection made up of utensils, glassware or towels. Perhaps you want to put together a soup and spaghetti basket. Pick up some large ladles, spaghetti scoopers, long-handled plastic spoons, a pot holder or towel, a strainer and with a quick run to Shop N Save, even a box of spaghetti. Or, for those who prefer to bake, you could go with spoons, an oven mitt, measuring cup, spatula and cookie cutters. With Dollar Tree's large selection of kitchen utensils, scissors, chip clips, storage containers, hand towels, mugs, glasses and more, you could easily tie a bow around some food-based fun.
The gift of elegance - If someone on your list loves to entertain in their home or has the knack for beautiful home decor, add to their home's brilliance with the gift of crystal. A sparkling crystal candy bowl, canister, candlesticks or other decorative items can be found at Old Time Pottery for between $7 and $9.
The gift of laughter - Is there a movie or stand up comic who made you laugh? Chances are your friends and family could use a good laugh to help them de-stress after all the holiday prep work. Run by 7-11, Dollar General or Walmart and look through the "old movie" bins. There are tons of funny bone-ticklers from years past or skits by comedians such as Jeff Foxworthy that might just make someone's Christmas a little merrier. Throw in some fun candy such as M&Ms in an airplane shaped container complete with spinning propellers, Pop Rocks that fizz in your mouth or Gushers fruit snacks for an evening of smiles.
Though your time and money might be getting short, there are still plenty of nice gifts you can round up before Christmas day is upon us. While you're at Dollar Tree or Dollar General, be sure to take advantage of the inexpensive wrapping paper, gift tags, tape and basket wraps as well. With so many discount stores in St. Louis, gifts under $10 are still completely doable before Christmas!
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