We all try to be good little elves, but around the Christmas season things can get overwhelming. Suddenly, you may find yourself with argyle socks and Isotoners in your shopping cart, whether or not the person on your list needs any of these things. To feel less overwhelmed - and to cut down on the clutter of unwanted gifts - consider the following ideas, compiled with ease of buying, simplicity of giving, and general eco-friendliness in mind.
It's meant to be especially helpful for the requisite secret Santa gift at work, the neighborly mail carrier recognition item, and the yearly incident with the accidentally forgotten in-law (you know, where you find yourself purchasing a gift certificate at Walgreens because it's the only place open on Dec. 24 at 11 p.m.).
I'm not one for joining the hordes at the mall at 5:30 a.m. before the turkey is even cold. Personally, I think the weekend after Thanksgiving is best suited for turkey sandwiches and football. And by football, I mean a nap on the couch with the dog. So you know that this list is well designed to take the pressure off.
1. Baking
I do have a strange fascination with the traditional holiday baked goods like fruitcake. My fiancé's grandma actually bakes the fruitcakes in July and then stores them away. Then, she makes them appear under the tree all the way from Florida at Christmas time. Magic! As much as I'd like to share her recipe, she won't part with it, so either ask your own grandma, or head to Clasen's Bakery in Middleton, which bakes a good fruity cake in the European tradition (1 lb./$12.50, 2 lb./$19). Monroe's The Swiss Colony, www.swisscolony.com or www.ilovefruitcake.com, has several varieties of cakes and a fruitcake sampler that can be ordered online and shipped, of course, anywhere.
2. Experiential
Snow permitting, there's nothing better than the gift of the Wisconsin outdoors. For downhill skiers, there's Devil's Head Resort (devilsheadresort.com, 800-472-6670). Devil's Head offers various overnight weekend packages, including an enticing
New Year's event, starting at $239 for adults. All packages are available to children as well and include lodging, meals and ski tickets. For the cross-country skiers, Minocqua Winter Park (crosscountryski.biz, 715-356-1099) can't be beat. The park is situated in the gorgeous terrain of the very north of Wisconsin and is well worth the four-hour (or so) drive. Day passes range from $7-$10 (with a $12 ski rental) and make for an excellent and satisfying winter getaway (with plenty of lodging choices and supper clubs in the area; see minocqua.org or call the Chamber of Commerce at 800-44-NORTH). Lessons are also a terrific gift and are available from the park in ranges from $25 to $45 for group and private lessons.
3. Pampering
You can pay others to go that extra step for your loved ones. In the Madison area there are many choices for manicures, spa treatments and facials. A few favorites: a pedicure from Fancy Nails at Hilldale (608-251-2191).
At $30, this indulgence is a treat for your loved one that also happens to be a deal for you. A massage from Harsha at Satyam Ayruvedic (www.satyamayurvedic.com, 608-467-2661); various techniques range from $75-$160 for one hour. A native of India, Harsha is both enthusiastic and healthful in her work. And, for the man you love, a straight razor shave at Cha Cha (608-251-2191) just off the Capitol Square, just $10.
4. Liquor
At some point while we weren't paying attention, Barriques got very cool. Not just trendy, but the place to hang. The Monroe Street outpost is packed with a full spectrum of sweaty runners on Saturday mornings and hip wine drinkers winding down on Tuesday nights. A membership to the wine of the month club from Barriques Wine Cave (www.barriquesmarket.com, 608-284-9463) comes in three-, six- or 12-month options ($28 to $335). The key element is that your recipient can go in to the store to collect the wine. So, if nothing else, it gets you and/or someone you love out of the house and doing something in the Madison hipster social strata at least a few times per year. In the words of our (well, my) favorite socialite, "That's hot." Right?
5. The Gift of Eliminating Clutter
How about offering the gift of organizing your loved one's iTunes library or recording all those CDs from the '90s to a hard drive? What about throwing the vacuum in the trunk, stocking up on bio-friendly cleaning supplies, and working over your loved one's house on a Sunday afternoon? Or a reorganization and cataloging of the family recipe collections? This happens to be a top-notch "grandma" option, and remember, you can receive double clutter points if the recipes are produced electronically. If you have exceptionally well organized relatives, memberships to nonprofit organizations are a community-conscious and clutter-free option as well.
