"One Week to Go" Gift Guide 2011

Eight days until Christmas so the crunch is on to finish (START?!) the shopping. Even if you start with a plan, sometimes it is difficult to execute and there are still those on the list who are just plain enigmas when it comes to gifting. I offer these suggestions to continue to help in your quest to find great gifts for the ones you love and exchange. In addition to the previous gift guides available on Chief 187™Chatter, this one, when printed out, can be a valuable resource for the holidays and for any gift-giving occasion. As always, I wish you luck, enjoyment, and ease with your shopping!

Gift Guide


Food

The gift of food is usually appreciated as long as dietary limitations are taken into consideration. People need to eat, usually enjoy eating, and like the gift of food because they do not need to find more than a temporary spot in which to store the gift! To get creative, gift a recipe and include a few ingredients and a pot/pan/cookie sheet or whatever would facilitate the recipe coming to fruition. If you are giving funnel cake mix, include a new Teflon pan and a plastic spatula; great gifts and a fun end result! If your giftee is not a cook by any means, simply get them prepared food or a gift card to a restaurant!


Stocking Stuffer ideas: Gourmet mustards and/or mayos, fancy pickles or olives, canned nuts, homemade candies especially chocolates, Jerky (any variety), salsa, jellies/jams, mints, honey, dried herbs/spices, canned fish like sardines, caviar, wasabi, sprinkles, box of animal crackers, specialty crackers or cookies, dried soup mix, oyster crackers, cheese, Kosher salt, pepper

Kitchen Finds

Along the lines of food, since people need to eat and most cannot afford to eat out every meal, having a kitchen with amenities is a goal for many. Some ideas are waffle irons, electric fry pans or grills, Panini maker, stock pot, Dutch oven, serving platters, flatware completer sets, salad tongs, barware, glassware, air-tight canisters, blender, mixer, toaster oven


Stocking Stuffer ideas: Seafood crackers & picks, chopsticks, wasabi bowls, spoon rest, whisk, egg timer, grater, micro-plane, pasta spoon, salt & pepper grinders



Garage Items

Tools are a necessity in any home to fix items needing minor repairs. In the garage, if one tinkers on cars, then a larger tool kit (war wagon) is needed as well as a creeper. From wrenches to ratchets, screwdrivers to drills, hammers to pliers there is always some tool that needs purchasing, either as a welcome recruit to the tool shed, a replacement, or a spare! With tools, you get what you pay for so find a trusted name and buy the best you can afford.


Stocking stuffer ideas: Nuts, bolts, nails, screws, electrical tape, duct tape (all colors), Leatherman tool, flashlight, headlamp, Lava Soap, paper towels, wheel cleaner, leather cleaner, gift certificate/gift card to the person’s favorite fix-it store, protective eyewear

NASCAR Gifts

Gifting to someone who adores this sport or to someone you WANT to adore this sport? These suggestions will help enhance or convert your chosen giftee. An article of clothing officially licensed by NASCAR like a t-shirt, baseball cap, or team jacket helps set the scene; try to match personalities for the fan you are trying to create – wild and punky, suggest Kyle Bush, nice guy family person, Jeff Gordon is the one, eternal single person, set their sights on Dale Jr. Movies, documentaries, docudramas, and fusion videos are all great forays into the sport as well as terrific entertainment during the off-season. Check Amazon for titles (and order through my link here). Finally, consider some fantastic reading material, also available on Amazon (order through my link here). Names like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Darrell Waltrip are great places to start your search and the recipient’s education.

Stocking stuffer ideas: “Parking for {Your Favorite Driver Here} Fans Only” sign, cooler, clear backpack, tickets to a race, flag of driver, the product that sponsors the driver they love (i.e. a ton of M&Ms for Kyle Busch fans), a tailgate chair, pit pass holder on a lanyard, cool sun glasses like the driver wears, anything and everything with the driver’s number, sponsor, and driver’s likeness


Hopefully these Gift Guides have helped to inform, entertain, and delight you. As a group the Gift Guides from 2011 and 2010 here on Chief 187™Chatter can continue to serve you for this holiday season and beyond. Feel free to utilize them for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and any gift-giving occasion. And, never fear, when the ideas come, I will continue to post more Gift Guides.