No matter how much you detest them, generic gifts can be so easy to give. As you pop open each chocolate-filled day on the advent calendar, the time to contemplate one thoughtful, awe-inducing gift fades away, and before you know it, it’s Dec. 24th and you’re standing outside the fluorescent glow of the local drugstore, determining which value-priced soap basket or As-Seen-on-TV product to buy.
This doesn’t have to be your fate, though. Sure, picking out gifts can be mind-boggling work (whoever made rocket science the idiom to symbolize a challenge certainly hasn’t tried Christmas shopping for Aunt Bertie), but we’ve compiled a bunch of food-related ideas to motivate and inspire you.
Shelf the “World’s Best Dad” mug
Give that hardworking padre of yours the thing he really needs — a travel minibar or coffee kit that goes anywhere he does. Business trips just got a heck of a lot more bearable. Coffee tote, UncommonGoods.com. $56. Mini Travel Bar, UncommonGoods.com. $42.
Mind your manners
Your mom taught you not to put your elbows on the table or slurp your soup, so why not show her you took those words to heart with a cheeky piece of wall art? Miss Manners would definitely approve. Choice of three prints, “Etiquette Collection,” Coulson Macleod wall art. £199.
However, if the price tag makes your head spin and you can’t imagine creating your own DIY version, how about this bright print to sass up her kitchen? My mother doesn’t drink, but even she can appreciate the sentiment. “When Life Hands You Lemons” print, Etsy user dearcolleen, $29.
Swap the Slap Chop for…
This sweet, uh, Foodpod. Not only does it look like the fruit of some futuristic, alien plant, giving it instant cool points — it makes boiling and blanching vegetables incredibly easy. Now there’s no reason for your timid friend to dodge the kitchen. Fusion foodpod cooking vessel, Amazon.com. $12.33.
The poor man’s Roomba
For the past few years, my best friend has fought through Black Friday crowds for a Roomba, only to turn up empty-handed (and beat-up) hours later. Since it’s hard to splurge on the real thing, this little desktop buddy is sure to whisk away any countertop crumbs. Mini Robo Vacuum, FredFlare.com. $20.
Upgrade those half-hearted BFF necklaces
It doesn’t matter how mature you are — there’s something irresistible fun about these whimsical stud earrings. It’s perfect for a friend (or roommate) who knows better than to take life too seriously. Smiley PB&J earrings, FredFlare.com. $12.
Move Over, Milton Hershey
Enjoying the gift of chocolate lasts about five minutes in my family — four to unwrap every bon-bon, truffle and Kiss, and one to inhale them all at warp speed. For a more enjoyable (and personal) take on sweets, try out this complete kit to making chocolate from scratch. (And if that weren’t incentive enough, each purchase pays for 25 cups of staple food for underprivileged families.) Ancient Aztecs Chocolate Kit, TheHungerSite.com. $14.95.
Let them eat pie
Even the Scroogiest, Grinchiest Hot-and-Cold Miser will crack a smile after laying eyes on the diminutive pastries the Pocket Pie Mold makes. In fact, you can even print these recipes for blueberry and apple pie, and include them as “starter” recipes. Lattice Pocket Pie Mold, Williams Sonoma. $9.95.
For good-humored Grandmas
Fair warning: If you wrap this for the elders in your life who aren’t into aging gracefully, this gift may go over like inviting vegans to a pig roast. However, anyone who enjoys a good round of “where’d-I-put-my-dentures” will have one gum-baring laugh over this one. Frozen Smiles Ice Cube Tray, PerpetualKid.com. $5.99.
Get organized
End “What’s for dinner?” debates with a cute, framed blackboard, which you can use to jot down the night’s meal, or keep a running tab of items to pick up the next time you head to the grocery store. Or, more realistically, leave cringe-worthy jokes and half-finished games of Tic-Tac-Toe for your roommates. Gold-framed Chalkboard, Etsy user sweetiepiesuite. $24.50.
For everyone’s inner Homer Simpson
There’s no better way to banish “d’oh!” moments with some homemade mini doughnuts, especially when they take only six minutes to make. Just make sure not to indulge too often, or your inner Homie will become an outer one. Sunbeam Donut Maker, Target. $29.99.