Gift Giving Guide

Is it just me, or did the holidays seem to come out of no where? But there’s still a little time left to finish shopping, and as gift boxI’ve been wracking my brain for the perfect gift for everyone on my list, I figured I might not the only one. So I put together this little gift idea list so you might all benefit from my labors.

Books

Obviously I think all of the books I’ve published would make excellent gifts for every person on your list. You can find our full catalog here. But I also like books I haven’t published. Such as:

Better Behavior Ages 2-10: Small Miracles that Work Like Magic, by Dr. Tara Egan. This is a guidebook that provides pre-emptive strategies for parents to set the stage for good behavior. Even though its written by a Dr., it’s not full of jargon and abstract theories. Dr. Tara is a mother of two children under the age of 10, and she uses all of the strategies she advocates, making the book easy to read and apply immediately.

Untangled: Contemplation and Entanglement, by Henry Sienkiewicz. This book is an attempt (by a very smart guy), to introduce the idea of using contemplation as a way of addressing the complexities created by the ever-increasing entanglements found in the volume, variety, and velocity of the sensory inputs in today’s world. A lot of books have been written about finding balance between the real world and our electronic worlds, but this is the first one to come at it from a philosophical angle, using both eastern and western philosophies to set up contemplation as a management tool.

Founding Farmers Cookbook, by Founding Farmers and Nevin Martell. Full disclosure – Nevin Martell is a recent addition to the Possibilities Publishing family, but regardless, this cookbook is a must have for any foodie in your life. The Founding Farmers Restaurant in Washington, DC serves traditional American fare using fresh ingredients from family farms, ranches, and fisheries across the country. Now you can create delicious farm-to-fork dishes in your own home!

*For instructions on how to give e-books as gifts, click here. *

Art/Accessories

I’m a big fan of supporting small businesses and finding unique or unexpected gifts. Which is why I really like these next two options:

Braddave. Everything from T-shirts to holiday cards to wall art, this talented artist offers quirky and adorable images and messages for every occasion and person on your list. Especially dog lovers.

A Literary Thing. Created by a librarian, these unique pieces of jewelry are  created using the actual pages of vintage books. These would be a perfect gift for anyone who is either a book lover or a lover of unique and creative jewelry.

Experiences

The New Year is often a time of new beginnings or turning over a new leaf, and gifts like the following can be a great kick-start for that change:

Time for a new look? For a true make over, it’s always best to go with a high-end salon with highly trained stylists. For those in the Washington, DC area, you can’t go wrong with the Michael Anthony Salon, on Capitol Hill.   But the key is to make sure that the stylists are experienced and well recommended.

Classes. Giving a gift certificate for a class is a great way to offer someone a new experience in 2014. Look for fitness studios like GEM Martial Arts, for a variety of options under one roof. For more creative (and less physical) classes, look at organizations like SpeakeasyDC or Better Said Than Done for storytelling classes, or DC Improv for improvisational comedy classes.  All of those organizations also offer performances, which can make for a fun gift as well. You can also look at places like Stub Hub, or GoldStar for discount tickets to concerts and shows.

Doing Good

Charitable donations are like giving two gifts in one. A few suggestions:

SpeakeasyDC is a non-profit arts organization in the DC area, dedicated to the art of true, first person, oral storytelling. They provide classes, shows, and a community for people who love storytelling or want to study the art form. You can donate to their end of year campaign, OR you can also buy their book Sucker for Love, and 100% of the profits go to them for the month of December.

Kiva – this is a micro lending organization, and its a personal favorite for me and my family. You pick an entrepreneur in a developing country and loan them money toward their venture. You’ll then get updates on the progress of the project and each payment toward repaying the loan. Once the loan has been repaid, you can choose to reinvest in another venture, or withdraw the money. The organization has changed millions of lives around the world, but be warned – it can be addictive!