Last Minute Gift Giving
No matter what holidays you celebrate or traditions you observe, winter is a magical time of year. The weather gets cold and the nights get longer. It is the perfect time to reflect about life and show small acts of kindness and gratitude towards those around us. Whether you are making holiday treats for your neighbors or searching for the perfect last-minute gift for one of your loved ones, we’ve got you covered. You can always find some awesome electronics, clothes, purses and shoes or you can grab some simple housewares to piece together the perfect gift basket. Showing you care doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. This week we’ve got some easy going last minute gift giving inspiration for everyone on your list!
The Christmas-y Cookie Tray
Need to whip up something perfectly festive, fast? We grabbed some cute mugs and paired them with some christmas-y plates, a simple mason jar, And then piled them high with some scrumptious holiday treats.
Want to make this gift extra special? Make up some of your family’s favorite cookies and pair it with some Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix. You could even add in a children’s book for a family friendly treat tray that’s fit for the jolliest of elves!
Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe
Grab a thrifted mason jar and fill it with your own Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix, the quintessential winter drink! It’s the perfect addition to your holiday treats to give as a gift or just to keep in your pantry for cold winter nights. Add a beautiful handwritten recipe card for a personal touch.
Create the Mix
Mix together equal parts unsweetened cocoa powder and granulated sugar and store in a resealable jar.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of Hot Chocolate Mix
- 4 cups of your favorite milk (oat milk works great for a replacement)
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
Directions for the BEST Hot Chocolate
Add the milk and mix to a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently until warm. (Do not boil!)
For extra rich hot chocolate, stir in the chocolate chips and whisk constantly until evenly distributed in the milk. Whisk in vanilla extract. Serve immediately while hot.
The Caffeinated Collection
Know someone that absolutely loves coffee? Grab a basket, some mugs, and one of our new goods hand towels and you’re well on your way to The Ultimate Coffee Lovers Gift Basket. We found this awesome “Keep Calm and Drink Coffee” mug and tin set.
Those items would make a great gift on their own, but we decided to kick it up a notch and filled the tin with holiday goodies and stuffed the basket with some awesome fair-trade coffee and chocolate; topped it all off with a jar of our homemade hot chocolate mix and a bow – and there you have it! A quick and easy coffee lover’s gift basket.
The Philosopher’s Gift Basket
In our technical age, many people don’t consider how great of a gift idea a book can be. However, there’s nothing like cozying up in your favorite thrifted PJs and reading a good book on a cold winter’s night. There’s no shortage of great books at Triad Goodwill. Everything from children’s books to young adult novels, to your favorite mystery or thriller – even reference books – we have it all!
Books really are THE PERFECT quick and easy gift for the intellectuals in your life. And it’s not hard to find something for even the pickiest of readers on your gift list. We found this copy of Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse along with The Four Agreements Don Miguel Ruiz. This super ornate, unique buddha incense burner was a really unique thrift score from one of our stores. Find some great incense to go with it. Nag Champa is a great go to or you could shop for some incense from your local eclectic shop. As you may know, we love to find new, fun, and interesting ways to use glass and ceramic wares. So, we selected this beautifully delicate, gilded demitasse cup and saucer and planted an adorable, miniature succulent.
There really is no limit to the fun you can have mixing and matching the elements for this type of gift. You could add in a candle or two, or even a cozy sweater to this cute little basket – or skip the basket all together and go with a mini-library for the bookworm in your life. Let yourself be inspired by the endless supply of interesting, gently used items on our racks and shelves. It really is that simple to come up with the perfect gifts for just about anyone when you shop with us!
The Holiday Cheer(s) Basket
This last gift basket idea is quite possibly the easiest, quickest, and cheapest way to add some instant cheer to the end of the year. We found this adorable wicker basket and these two festive hand-painted, holly and ribbon-adorned wine glasses, threw them into the basket with a bottle of wine and some savory holiday snacks. We topped it all off with a bow and in under 5 minutes we had a gift basket that would make anyone jolly.
This idea isn’t just limited to the winter holiday season either! It works for almost any celebration. Give this basket as the perfect housewarming gift, or bring it along on your next a romantic date night!
If you need another reason to shop with us, remember that 85% of every purchase you make at Triad Goodwill goes towards our mission of improving lives and enriching communities through the power of work. Your purchases help us to provide FREE educational and job opportunities, and skills training to people in our community. Visit one of our stores, Shopgoodwill, or our New Ebay store to shop for gifts that you can feel really feel good about!