Be A Family Woman! 10 Gifts His Clan Will Love
Buying gifts for his family? Here are 10 great, affordable ideas.
Ah, his fam. Whether you’re dying to impress his parents on your first holiday with them, or trying to win over his sister on your tenth, buying for his relatives can be nerve-wracking and complicated. These crowd-pleasing gifts are sure to make everyone happy—without breaking your bank account.
1. His opinionated mother. That gorgeous bag you bought her last year was "too extravagant"; the flowers for her birthday didn't seem to be enough. This time go middle of the road and guarantee your success with two things you know she loves: her family and her home. If you've been around long enough to have family photos on hand, fill each of these polished glass coasters with an image of someone she holds dear, photos from a vacation you all took together, or go crafty and use images you've created. No photos? No problem: let her handle that part herself. Either way, she’s sure to love this elegant set. And at this price, you might even give her two! (crateandbarrel.com, $16.95 for a 5-piece set)
2. His "I don’t need anything" dad. Whether he hums along to Sinatra, Bennett and Basie or prefers podcasts of talk radio or This American Life, he's sure to love the Orbit-M Portable Speaker. It's small, lightweight and has a long battery life, so whether he's performing honey-dos in the yard or enjoying a quiet afternoon in, he'll always have his favorite audio on hand. (dell.com, $25.99)
3. His bachelor brother. When he's not watching sports with the guys or hitting on women, he can often be found on the putting green. Enter the BrushPro, a nifty gadget with sturdy nylon bristles to keep his clubs scrubbed, plus a retractable spike to clean off caked mud. Tell him it'll improve his backspin and you'll win major cool points. (froggergolf.com, $19.95)
4. His hippie sister-in-law. The two of you have had a couple moments where you've almost bonded. And then she said something about how many cows died to make your favorite leather jacket. Show her that you, too, know that green is the new black by giving her this stylish, reusable and BPA-free water bottle. (earthlust.com, $18)
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5. His aloof teenage sister. As you know from your own teenage years, one surefire way to win her over is through fun with beauty. This lip color wand gives her six fun lip gloss colors to mix and match—you can choose from three different color palettes to get the colors that best suit her. If gloss isn't the way to go, try the posh Color to Go Palette that comes complete with eight eyeshadows, four lip colors and a blush. Or, if she's a bit of a rebel, try The Little Black Eyeliner Kit. She might even ask for a tutorial. (lip color: sephora.com, $10; palette: sephora.com, $15; eyeliner: sephora.com, $36)
6. The traditional grandparents. This sticky, sweet (with a little salty bite) Maple Honey Caramel Spread will rock anyone’s world. It's all organic and made in small batches, in an old-fashioned, grandparent-approved manner. And since there are endless possibilities for using it—from melting it over ice cream to drizzling it over pancakes—maybe it'll save Grandma a little time in the kitchen. Grandparents from the south? Give them a taste of home with a beautiful bottle of amber honey from Savannah Bee Company, and they'll never look at that plastic bear the same again. Midwesterners will go gaga over a jar of Minnesota-sourced spicy sweet ginger pear jam, and those on the west coast will get a kick out of decadent smoky blue truffles. That's milk chocolate with a hint of bleu cheese, a uniquely wild flavor they'll talk about for years. For more foods that will wow the grandparents, check out foodzie.com, where you can search by region for delicacies that will give them a taste of home. (sweetrevolution.foodzie.com, $15; savannahbee.com, $25; lucilleskitchengarden.foodzie, $6.95; lilliebellefarms.foodzie.com, $25)
7. His grammar-school niece. Remember the hours you spent dressing and re-dressing your paper dolls? Give that same "old-fashioned" joy to his adorable niece with these whimsical paper dolls, complete with a backdrop and wardrobes made from safe, reusable electrostatic stickers. If you're lucky, maybe she’ll even let you play with her. (toadsandtulips.com, $14.95)
8. His mischievous nephew. Your man's nephew is sure to enjoy the Spy Gear Laser Tripwire. Yes, that's exactly what it sounds like. The spy-in-the-making can arrange the two pods across the doorway of his room, treehouse or anywhere else, and an alarm will go off if anyone tries to pass through. This gift may not win points with his parents, but the little guy will love you for helping him keep sister out of his space. (shopwildplanet.com, $24.95)
9. His gadget-obsessed uncle. Uncle Dan always has a new toy you've never heard of. One thing you do know: he doesn't like to disconnect. Give him the MileHigh Charger (no, it's not as dirty as it sounds) and he'll never have to. This charger runs on AA batteries and works with just about any brand of phone, so he'll never be unplugged. (mile-high.net, $22.50)
10. His party-throwing aunt. His aunt's soirees are the kind you never want to miss. You wish you could cook like her, and she even makes setting the table seem like fun. These adorable wine glasses will be just her thing. Wine charms have pretty much run their course, but these colorful glasses each have their own design, so guests will always know which glass is theirs. Plus they add an air of old-world charm that just might get you an invite for some homemade pasta. (fishseddy.com, $33)
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