The 12 Days of Christmas Countdown: Day 3 (Gifts for Your Friends)
We're counting down the days and double checking our list of chores pre-Christmas. Follow along and add your own tricks to keep this holiday on track. Today, we peruse a few inexpensive, but thoughtful gifts for friends.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, gifts for my friends, ways to spread the love and a little time reserved just for me.
According to a wise man by the name of Elbert Hubard, "Your friend is the (one) who knows all about you, and still likes you." That in itself is reason enough to make a select few worthy of some holiday trinket.
Whether it's a Secret Santa exchange, or simply a price limit to keep the giving fair and friendly, a gift swap among friends doesn't have to be an expensive, arduous process. A little creativity and the know-how of where to look are all you need.
Believe it or not, stores like ACO Hardware, Walgreens and Target are great stops to shop these trinket treasures. Carrying a variety of candles, soaps, candies and adult beverages, it's fairly easy to pick one item to dress up or several to create a themed basket of fun.
The first step, of course, is to narrow down the "nice list" among your friends–lists make every shopping excursion easier and nine times out of 10, you spend less.
With list in hand, divide your friends into arts and eats. The "arts" get the scented candles and iTunes gift cards, while the eats get all that's sweet, salty and delicious. If you have a really diverse set of friends you can mix and match–chocolate-scented candle, 12-ounce jar of Sanders Hot Fudge. Win-win.
Here are a few ideas and the spots around town where you can find the necessary items to wrap things up:
- Cookie Mixes in Mason Jars – Find all the ingredients you need to assemble these treats at the grocery store closest to you. You can pick up a tray of jars at stores like Kroger, Meijer and Walmart.
- Michigan-Made Gift Baskets – Fill with Better Made chips, Faygo, Sanders and the colors of a favorite sports team, or two. Morley Candy Makers on Hall Road is your one-stop shop for Sanders treats.
- Christmas "Spirits" – Put together a small basket of your friend's favorite adult beverages or dress up a single bottle with some ribbon and holiday wrapping. Stores like B&B Liquor, Bella Liquor & Wine Gallery and Palace Liquor offer a wide variety of liquor types and brands.
- Candle Extravaganza – From ACO Hardware to Bath & Body Works in The Mall at Partridge Creek, there are dozens of places to pick up scented candles.
- Tee for Two – Buy a round or two of golf at Cracklewood Golf Course, Hickory Hollow, Sycamore Hills or Bello Woods.
- An Evening Out – It may not seem like much in the wrapping, but a restaurant gift certificate never goes to waste. Not sure of your friend's favorite restaurant. Play it safe. Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse are all owned by the same company, so their gift cards are interchangeable.
In This article
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ACO Hardware
16752 21 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI -
Walgreens Pharmacies
21828 23 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI -
Target
20877 Hall Rd, Macomb, MI -
Kroger Food and Pharmacy
15251 23 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI
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B&B Liquor
16712 26 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI -
Bella Liquor & Wine Gallery
50978 Romeo Plank Rd, Macomb, MI -
Palace Liquor
15429 21 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI -
Cracklewood
18215 24 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI -
Hickory Hollow
49001 North Ave, Macomb, MI -
Sycamore Hills Golf Course
48787 North Ave, Macomb, MI -
Bello Woods
23650 23 Mile Rd, Macomb, MI -
Longhorn Steakhouse
15340 Hall Rd, Clinton Township, MI
Jenny Whalen
12:06 pm on Thursday, December 15, 2011
Do you do one gift per friend, or Secret Santa/white elephant?
Jenny Whalen
2:16 pm on Thursday, December 15, 2011
P.S. If you're leaning toward candles as a gift, I was just emailed this deal by a reader: Grab this Yankee Candle coupon for Buy 1-Get 1 FREE Signature Reed Diffuser (Exp. 12/24). Online shoppers can also enter code H1111 to get the same deal. http://www.couponmountain.com/Yankee_Candle-coupons-deals.html
Also, Dec. 16 is FREE SHIPPING DAY for many onlines stores. CouponMountain will post the list at midnight Thursday: http://www.couponmountain.com/blog/