It can be hard to shop for people, especially for the dads who have everything, the moms who say they don’t need anything, and the friends and siblings who are hard to shop for. When researching for places to buy good gifts, the majority of the websites have the same products every year, so finding something unique can be challenging.

“My favorite place to shop is either Amazon or Target. I like Amazon because I don’t have to go out and I can buy anything. And I like Target because you can find any gift there not only for a good price but also trendy and cute,” said sophomore Grace Harris. She noted that there are also local places to shop for unique gifts. “One of my favorites would have to be Jefferson Pharmacy. They have really cute stuff, especially if the person you are shopping for likes jewelry or candles.”

Parents can arguably be the hardest people to shop for; they already have everything they want, so you always need to figure out what to get them. However, it can be helpful to hear from someone who is a parent and has been receiving gifts from their kids and might have some advice.

For example, FCHS teacher Jason Barnett has the following advice for students. “When it comes to giving gifts, be creative, don’t just give a gift to say you gave a gift. Just like dads showing off their kids to others and their unique talents. Dads also love showing off unique and thoughtful gifts from their kids…It is easy to find the ‘big thing’ and just give that, but I always appreciate the gift where someone took the time to think about why they thought of me when they found the gift,” he said.

Esch has this advice for those buying gifts for their moms. “Think of something that will make her smile. Do not worry about spending a lot of money–or any money at all. What she wants is to know that you know her well enough to make her smile and warm her heart,” she said. “I know personally, my favorite gift to receive as a mama has been anything involving my children’s handprints or fingerprints. When my crew was smaller, they had an amazing sitter who helped them create the most original gifts. I have flower pots with fingerprint flowers, Santa’s sleigh, and reindeer where the sleigh is a green footprint and the reindeer is a handprint–priceless and special,” she said.

Here are some ideas of affordable gifts suitable for parents which you may not have considered.

• For travel-loving parents, consider a scratch-off poster of every place they’ve visited, or things related to travel like Yeti mugs, a new backpack, or hiking shoes.
• For book-loving parents, get them a Kindle. They are easy to travel with, and you can read any book of your interest.
• For active parents, consider new workout gear, like clothes or hand weights.
• For all parents, something related to their hobbies or a custom-made gift from Etsy can make a memorable impression.

When it comes to buying gifts for friends, I like to plan a themed gift for all of my friends to save money. But you have to know what things are trendy and what everyone would like.

“Usually I try to spend around $20-$30, but if it’s someone I have known for a long time or I’m close with, I sometimes spend up to $50,” said sophomore Emma Sample. “Thoughtful gifts are always the best. If you’re a crafty person like me, I tend to make something and then make a little gift basket with a bunch of the person’s favorite things in it. If all else fails, though, gift cards always make a great gift too,” she added.

Common gift ideas for friends include jewelry, skincare, face masks, hair products and tools, blankets, water bottles, and gift cards. But if you want to have more fun with it, consider a gift relating to an inside joke you have with that friend. For example, my friend loves the show “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” so when her birthday was coming up I got her a “Team Jeremiah” t-shirt. She loved it because it was an inside joke, and ever since then she wears it all the time.

Overall, the best advice I could give anyone regarding gifts is to show them that you notice and that you care. For example, a few years ago I got my sister new makeup brushes from TJ Maxx because I noticed her talking about how old her brushes were. She loved them.

Similarly, a gift that gives someone an experience that means a lot to them can be a hit. Examples could include tickets to a sports game, an escape room, or a theme park like Kings Dominion or Busch Gardens. Or you could give them tickets to a holiday-themed event, like holiday light show at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond.

The bottom line is that whatever you purchase, you can’t go wrong with something that brings friends or family together.

“One of my favorite things about Christmas is when me and my family go to the mall in ShortPump every year to shop for each other’s gifts,” said Harris. “I love going because there are so many stores and it’s fun trying to hide what we’re getting from each other while we’re shopping. Christmas shopping and the season in general is one of my favorite things and I love making memories and traditions with my family every year,” she added.