Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Holiday Gift Guide For Friends and Neighbors

When I first starting adulting I had a hard time coming up with ideas for friends and neighbors. Facebook and daily meetings keep us up to date on each other's daily lives, so just a holiday card seemed a bit pathetic to me. Over the years I've come up with some gifts that have been hits with our friends and neighbors. Bonus that most of these are things my kids can do or help out with too.
1.) Homemade granola bars. This is my go-to granola bar recipe* Please note that this recipe does contain honey. Children under 2 should not consume honey.
2.) Birdseed ornaments. Easy and great activity for the kids to help with! (we use a recipe that does not contain peanut butter as some people are allergic) 
3.) Coffee gift cards, coffee, or K-cups. Great for working neighbors, your coffee loving friend, or your parenting friends and/or neighbors.
4.) Homemade Irish Cream.  This recipe is easy and delicious! 
5.) Ornament(s). Make your own or buy one that you know they would like.
6.) Painted bird house. We have a few neighbors who are retired and enjoy bird watching. One year I had the kids paint small bird houses and we delivered them with bird seed. The neighbors thoroughly enjoyed watching the birds feast through the snowy winter.
7.) Fruit basket. Buying a pre-made fruit basket can be fairly pricey, but making your own can be simple. Find varying sizes of baskets at Michael's or other craft stores and fill it with fruit of your choice. In the past I've filled them with apples (and caramel and/or chocolate dipping sauce), nectarines, pears, plums, and kiwi. 
8.) Homemade salsa (and chips). This year we're spoiling our neighbors with homemade salsa and a bag of chips. It's a small thank you for putting up with the insanity of our household year round.
9.) Bottle of wine or favorite drink ingredients. This is a favorite among our friends, especially when we follow up our gift exchange with a round of Cards Against Humanity.