Relaxation Basket for Her – Most of us could use a little more relaxation in our lives. Give the special women in your life the motivation to do so with their favorite essential oil infused body butter, bath bombs, candles, body spray, and wine. Check your local and online sales as we get closer to the holidays and make a list of several people who may enjoy this. Take advantage of steep discounts, bulk purchases, and BOGO deals, and make multiple gifts out of your purchase. You may also be able to find a good deal at your local winery when buying multiple bottles. Add in a gift certificate for a massage for an extra treat! When choosing a basket, pick something that is practical and re-usable. Your basket may become a beautiful storage piece later. It’s like two gifts in one.

Snow Day Baking Kit- Let’s face it, when the weather outside is frightful, we crave treats that are delightful. So how about making a snow day emergency treat basket? Around the holidays it’s easy to find baking mixes, and all kinds of additional treats on sale. Find a fun recipe for cookies, buy the ingredients (minus anything perishable), and add a few packs of tea, cider, or hot chocolate to complete the snack. Don’t forget to write the recipe details on a flash card. You may even throw in a few utensils like a spatula, measuring cup, or wooden spoon, because who doesn’t need plenty of those. Check your local retail store for deals on mixing bowls, to use in lieu of a basket to pack it all in.

Relaxation Basket for Him- We rarely think of men needing relaxation time, but they need it just as much as women. Give your favorite guy the option to do so this holiday season. Epsom salt, fresh razors, shaving cream, after shave, and a great moisturizer would go perfect with this gift. You may also want to add in a deep moisturizing hand cream for those that work a lot with their hands. You can find deals on great razors online or at your local drugstore. When it comes to the shaving cream you may want to make sure it isn’t too strong and is hypo allergenic. Sometimes you can find these in bulk as well, so you can buy multiple and make several baskets at once. If you have stayed within budget, add a small gift card to their favorite hardware store, or better yet, a massage gift card. For this “basket”, you can use a travel case, or something that can be reused and doesn’t just take up space, like a small tool box.

For the Chef- For those in your life that love to cook, gift them a basket with their favorite ingredients. Throw in a mixture a spices, sauces, dried herbs, and marinades. You can get some of their favorite seasonings and then add a few they can experiment with and a small cookbook. You may also include a timer, meat thermometer, marinade brush, injector, or any other small utensil that may come in handy in the kitchen or at the grill. You can find great prices on spices in the bulk area of your super market. You may also want to check your local farmers market for locally sourced and homemade sauces. They’re usually super tasty and reasonably priced.

You don’t have to break the bank to spread joy to those on your list this season. Sometimes the most thoughtful gifts take us to our happiest moments with their simplicity.