American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson

In The Late Late Show host’s newest book, the Scottish comedian writes about his journey from Glasgow to Hollywood in search of the American dream. No topic seems to be off-limits to Ferguson, whether it’s his struggles with drugs and alcohol, his aborted suicide attempt, or his failed attempts at punk rock, construction work, bouncing, and modern dance (?). Luckily, it has a happy ending.

Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn

If the bookworm in your family just can’t get enough of Jack Bauer and his “any means necessary” approach to stopping bad guys on 24, they might also like the adventures of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp. When a series of explosions devastate Washington, D.C., Rapp must track down the terrorists responsible, all while schooling politicians on the realities of national security.

Starbucks Gift Basket

Nothing helps a reader stay up into the wee hours saying, “Just one more chapter!” better than a dose of caffeine. So, why not give them a Starbucks gift basket? It doesn’t matter if they’re a coffee drinker or a tea drinker; Starbucks has you covered. For under $25, you can give someone a basket with their favorite coffee blend, or a sampler of different teas, and a holiday-themed Starbucks mug. And if you’re not sure which coffee or tea is their favorite, a gift card never hurts.

Audible.com Gift Membership

Audible.com’s Gift Memberships are a good gift idea for people who prefer to listen to their books while on the go. Starting at $45 for three months, the memberships provide access to Audible’s large library of audiobooks, as well as a free subscription to The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times. It also gives access to exclusive member discounts and promotions. Audible is compatible with all iPods, along with hundreds of other MP3 players, PDAs, and smart mobile devices. Want to know if a certain device is on the list? Look it up in Audible’s Device Center.

Snuggie

Yes, it’s cheesy. But that’s the point! If you’re looking to give your literary loved one a good laugh this holiday season, or you’re looking for something to bring to that wacky company Secret Santa gift exchange, consider the kitschy Snuggie. The subject of many aparody , this fleece “blanket with sleeves” comes in three colors and even includes a free book light. The Snuggie can be found at stores such as Target, Walgreens, and Toys “R” Us.

The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health

In the Moosewood Collective’s latest cookbook, they’ve assembled over 200 vegetarian and vegan recipes that are local, environmentally sustainable, healthy and, above all, delicious. The book includes gluten-free and raw food options, and each recipe comes with a detailed nutritional analysis, as well as menu and serving suggestions. Give this book to the socially conscious cook in your family and then offer to “taste test” the results!

Under the Dome by Stephen King

If the sheer size of this book doesn’t scare the horror fan you give it to, the all-new tale from the King of Horror inside it probably will! When the small town of Chester’s Mill is trapped inside an invisible force field, it’s up to a motley crew of protagonists to figure out the mystery behind the dome, while also fighting the local politician and drug lord who uses the town’s sudden isolation to his advantage.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking Box Set

The perfect gift for fans of Julia Child, this box set includes the 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking and its sequel, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume Two. Both seasoned cooks and beginners will find something to love among the more than 700 recipes in these two volumes. Pair the box set with Meryl Streep’s recent portrayal of Julia Child in Julie & Julia and really get your loved one into the cooking mood!

Gift Cards

The go-to gift for doubtful holiday shoppers everywhere. Sure, it’s not the most original idea but, in a pinch, nothing beats a gift card. Some stores, like Borders, even offer e-gift cards if you’re looking for a gift to send across country.

Send Handwritten Holiday Cards

Whether you are spinning a dreidel or waiting for Santa to come down the chimney most people send holiday greeting cards during this time of year. In fact thousands upon thousands of cards are sent every holiday season. This year, instead of sending the impersonal standard greeting cards, take a moment to hand write a personal note in each card, or even design and print your own custom greeting cards for everyone on your mailing list using desktop publishing or greeting card software.

Adding a personal touch gives much more warmth and depth to your holiday greetings than merely sending the same generic greeting to everyone that you know. You can also add festive touches such as snowflake stickers to the envelope to use as seals and to give your holiday greetings that little extra touch that lets the people on your list know that you were thinking about them and took the time to put a little extra effort into it.

Bake Don’t Buy Your Holiday Treats

Just as adding that handmade touch to a greeting card can let someone know that you cared enough to make the extra effort just for them, so to can making time to create a tasty treat instead of just picking one up at the local market. Bringing a freshly baked item to any party or holiday dinner is always a nice touch and a warm thank you to the host of the event. You can also deliver homemade goodies to the neighbors, local nursing homes, or local firehouse as a way of showing your thanks and gratitude and make someone’s holiday season just a little sweeter.

And if you’re not a natural in the kitchen, you can buy several simple packages for cakes and cookies and other treats that you can make in only a few easy steps. You can also find reduced sugar or no sugar added options for those who want to make a holiday treat that is a bit more health friendly.

Decorate With Handmade Ornaments

Ornaments are another widely spread tradition during the holiday season and they come in all shapes and sizes from glittery balls to playful snowmen and delicious candy canes. But all of your ornaments do not have to be family heirlooms or fancy glass in this year’s latest colors. Making handmade Christmas ornaments for your tree is a great way to add a personal touch to the holidays. You can also make good use of the time making the ornaments for some quality family time and since the kids are home for the holidays it is the perfect time to plan family craft activities that will build memories to last you far longer than the holiday cheer.

Most craft stores carry wooden and ceramic ornaments that you can hand paint and add to your tree. You can also choose to make something a bit more original such as a sparkling sequin Christmas ball which can easily be made with a little super glue,straight stick pins, sequins, and ribbons on a Styrofoam ball for a wonderful hand made touch to the holidays.

Go Caroling

Caroling, a time honored tradition of going from door to door or out and about in your community singing the traditional tunes of the holiday season, is a great way to put a little of yourself into the holidays while getting together with your family and loved ones to spread a little personal holiday joy around your neighborhood. It would be a delightful surprise for your friends and neighbors and a lot of fun for you as you create memories that your family will cherish for years to come. You can even use photos of your family caroling to make great personalized photo greeting cards for next year.

Scrapbook

Scrapbooks also make wonderful holiday gift items, especially for parents and grand parents. You can make fun themes with cut outs and stickers to decorate the pages filled with photos of their nearest and dearest that tell a personal story just for them.

This is also a fun idea for a project that you can share together with your family and even younger kids can help add some special touches to the scrapbook project to make each gift a unique treasure. You do not have to include just photographs but hand prints of the little ones, brochures from a special place you went on vacation, rose petals from a wedding, a movie ticket from the first movie your kids saw with their grandparents, or any number of other things could be added to make the scrapbook special. And do not forget to leave plenty of blank pages in the back of the scrapbook so they can continue to use and enjoy this precious gift for years to come. Use your imagination and create a one of a kind gift that will be cherished much longer than any thing you could have had gift wrapped at your local department store.

Family Cookbook

Remember that special recipe that your grandmother received from her mother and handed down to you or the unique blend of spices that always made her holiday dressing just right? Nearly every family has a collection of recipes handed down from one generation to the next or that they have picked up from friends and added their own special touches to it and what better way to collect those memories for your entire family to treasure and enjoy than compiling them in family cookbook.

You can collect recipes from everyone in your family and put them together in cookbook that you can give as gifts to your family, friends, co-workers, or anyone who enjoys the art of cooking. You do not have to be a book publishing whiz to create a beautiful and professional family cookbook since there are several companies out there that can help you do this easily and affordably using either existing desktop publishing software that you may already have on your computer or through proprietary software that you can download directly from the book publishing service that you can use to print your Family Cookbook.

You can find several great choices of online companies that can assist you in making your family cook book project a reality this holiday season including LuLu, Blurb, and The Heritage Cook Book company. What a better way to make the holiday season personal than giving a gift that shares your passion for cooking with your own unique family recipes that can not be found anywhere else?

Start a Family Tradition

Whether you are celebrating Chanukah or trimming the Christmas tree, the holidays tend to be all about traditions, so why not make it personal by creating your own family tradition. There are several great ideas that you can work with for creating unique family holiday traditions, here are a few possible ideas to get you started:

• Create a theme for each year: Before the holidays season begins, having a family meeting and decide on a specific theme for the year and then all of your holiday gifts or decorations, etc. will relate to that specific theme. For example, you could make winter sports your theme for one year and give gifts related to skiing, snow boarding, ice skating, etc. then take the family to a great winter location to celebrate the holidays. Or have a arts and crafts theme where everyone makes some of the ornaments and decorations and gifts can include painting supplies or craft kits etc. Get creative and think of ways that you can use a theme to create a unique holiday experience.
• Personal Ornaments: A simple tradition than can hold a lot of memories for your family is to create a special ornament for each member of the family with their name on it and on Christmas Eve or whatever day that you choose, each member places their ornament one at a time before you light the tree. The same idea could be used for creating Chanukah decorations that you place before you light the first candle on the menorah as well. 

These are just a few ideas for ways that you can make the holidays personal and more meaningful this year and create memories with your family that will reach far beyond the holiday season. So this year, instead of finding your holidays in the department stores, give a part of yourself to make the holidays joyous.

Start With a Plan of Attack:

Too many people seem to wander aimlessly through the department stores and malls of endless possibilities with out any real sense of direction and lack an actual plan before they go shopping which means they spend twice as long trying to find what they need, end up settling for something less than ideal, while spending twice as much money as they might have otherwise.

So, before you even head out to begin any of your shopping, get out a pen and paper and start some planning. To design your plan you will need two lists, one for the people that you want to really go all out for like your spouse, your children, best friend, parents, etc. The second list are for those friends and distant relatives that you want to pick up a single item for.

Under each name, jot down 3-5 words or phrases that come to mind whenever you think of that specific person. This can include hobbies they have or special interests that they may have mentioned, their favorite colors or musical interests, etc. Is your sister an artist? Does your brother love jazz? Maybe your spouse has been eying the latest “gotta have it” gadget or your daughter is way over due for a new jacket. Make a couple of simple little reminder notes next to their names so that you can make a plan of attack and know which recipients that you will be able to take care of quickly and which will require a bit of creative thinking to find the right gift for.

Get a Wish List:

Have your family and friends take some of the leg work out of shopping for you by making out a wish list of items that they have been wanting. This can be useful because it gives you ideas for things that you know the person will actually want and enjoy yet gives you enough things to choose from that the present can still be a surprise since the object of your holiday gift giving will not know which item(s) on the list you actually purchased.

Many online shops from large retailers like Amazon.com to specialty stores such as ThinkGeek now have an easy to use wishlist feature that will allow users to create a wish list of their favorite items and share the list with friends and family. Create one for yourself and encourage everyone on your list to do the same to dramatically reduce your shopping time and help you avoid the over crowded stores. This is also a great way to insure that you get the right sizes when buying clothing, jewelry or other size specific items.

Assemble a Custom Made Gift Basket:

If you are having trouble finding that perfect big item gift for someone, or several someones, on your list you might want to opt for a custom made gift basket full of several smaller items instead. These are great for those hard to shop for friends and family. If you know what that special person on your list is really into you can make a themed basket that is tailor made just for them with simple items that will not have you running all over town. Here are a few great examples:

• Have an artist on your list? Make an art supply gift basket full of brushes, paints, sketch pads, pencils, or other supplies for their medium of choice. You can also get creative with the
  “basket” itself by using a unique container that you decorate yourself or even by arranging all of the supplies in a handy art box that can also become part of the gift.
• Luxury Bath Gift Baskets are perfect for those overworked moms or stressed out college students on your list who would appreciate some relaxing time for themselves. Fill your basket with wonderfully scented bubble baths, luxury soaps, moisturizers, candles, and relaxing CD’s to help them create a wonderful spa like escape right in their own bathtub.
• What about the cook on your list? You can make a great gift basket with exotic spices, recipe books, or the latest cooking gadgets and a custom apron assembled in a handy carry all to give your favorite cook some useful and thoughtful items under their tree this year.
• Gift baskets just for bookworms- Sometimes the bookworm can be one of the most difficult people to shop for because while you may know that they are really in to books, if you do not know what genre they are interested in or which books they may already have you could end up buying a duplicate book or one that they simply do not find appealing. So, if you are not sure which book is on your bookworm’s wishlist this holiday season throw together a great gift basket designed just for them with bookmarks, a book light, a reading lap desk, and even a gift certificate to your local bookstore.
• Gifts for Geeks: If you have a computer addicted friend or self proclaimed geek on your gift list this year you may be at a loss as to what to get them if you can not afford the latest high tech gadget of the year, but fear not, there are still a lot of great items that you can use assemble a gift basket made just for geeks! You can assemble a gift basket full of flash drives, unique pencil sharpeners, and quirky t-shirts that any member of geekdom would love to have.
• Unusual Gift Basket Ideas: Is there a vampire lover on your list or someone with more of a dark gothie side? Get creative and you can come up with some great and unique gift basket ideas for those who walk on the darker side. Make a gift basket filled with gothic purple and black (or red and black) candles, stylish gothic jewelry, or even a unique bottle of vampire wine.
• Need a gift for the health and fitness buff that is near and dear to your heart this holiday season? Throw together a gift basket filled with a pedometer, dumbbell weights, a great pair of tennis shoes, an assortment of health food snacks, a yoga mat, jump rope, inflatable gym ball, or other great health and fitness gear that that special person will enjoy while getting rid of those extra holiday pounds.

Think Outside of the Box…or the Planet:

There are several unique and novelty gifts that you can give for a fun and non-traditional sort of surprise to make this holiday season more interesting such as naming a star for your loved one or buying a tiny little spot of land in Scotland for your beloved who can then hold the title of Lady or Lord. These novelty sort of gifts can be a fun and interesting way to let someone know that you were thinking about them for the holidays and give them a great conversational piece for years to come.

Plan for the Holidays for Next Year:

Once all of your regular holiday shopping is over, do not forget to return afterwards for all of the post holiday clearance sales which can be a great way for you to stock up on holiday decorations, wrapping paper, Christmas lights, etc. that you will need for next year. By buying them during the clearance season you will not only save yourself quite a bit of money but you will also be a step ahead for next year and have all of those odds and ends out of the way before the holiday rush starts.

Regardless of what you choose for your holiday gift giving, remember to start early and have a plan before you start shopping. Be creative and let the personality of the person you are buying for lead the way on your gift giving scavenger hunt and you can get holiday shopping done in no time.

Confirm, Don’t Assume:
Be sure to double check on your plans and confirm everything instead of merely assuming that everyone else in on the same page as you. This is particularly important if your family is like so many who alternate locations every year for the big day. Do not just assume that everyone still remembers the plans that you had made last year, or even last month. If someone else is hosting the dinner and festivities this year, double check with them to make sure that you have the right time, address, etc. This is also a good time to get into the holiday spirit by asking if there is anything that you can bring or do to assist the host on the big day.

If you are the one hosting the event, send out an invitation to everyone on the guest list now to remind them of your location and what time they should arrive. This will help you by making sure that you do not have guests arriving too early and simply getting under foot while you are preparing your Thanksgiving dinner masterpiece, but it is also a nice way to set the mood for your dinner and to get people thinking ahead and remind those who may have forgotten about the location in time for them to make arrangements to travel if need be. And when in doubt about any of the plans, simply ask- it is better than worrying about being in the wrong place at the wrong time or dealing with the hassle of having to switch your plans at the last minute.

Make A List:
Whether you are traveling out of town or cooking dinner you need to plan ahead. Make a list of everything that you will need and keep it with you as you shop or pack. Doing this now before the hustle and bustle sets in will give you a chance to make a thorough list while you have the time to think about everything that you might need. Go back and revisit the list a few days before Thanksgiving to make sure that you have not forgotten anything.

Plan for Alternative Diets:
You may want to review your guest list for any obvious dietary concerns. For example, do you have family members who are diabetic, lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts, vegetarian, or who require a kosher diet? While you can not likely make a meal that entirely caters to every possible dietary conflict, you should be mindful of possible dietary concerns and try to make at least a few alternative dishes that will avoid any uncomfortable situations with guests who would otherwise arrive and be unable to eat anything during dinner.

Provide some vegetable dishes and perhaps one healthy alternative dessert that does not have any sugar added to it. This can be a great option for diabetics but also for any of your guests who are trying to count calories and watch what they eat which can be so difficult during the holidays, so this simple gesture of thinking ahead about other’s concerns can be a great way to help people feel welcomed in your home during the holiday season. Low fat and sodium dishes are also good ideas.

Shop Early:
This should go without saying, but you do not want to get stuck with a house full of hungry people waiting for someone to run around town trying to find one store that, by chance, may still be open because you realized at the very last moment that you did not get something that you really needed. So be sure to get to the store a few days before hand and get all of the shopping out of the way.

Have a Trial Run:
If you are hosting the grand event, go through the motions a day or so before and pull out everything that you will need for one last check to make sure that you do not need another run to the store. Doing this a day or two before will not only help you make sure that you have everything that you need, but can also give you an idea of how you need to pace yourself timing wise to have everything running smoothly.

Get a Pop-Up Bird:
When it comes to Thanksgiving, the turkey is often the crown of feast. Many companies now include a self timing pop-up indicator that will, well..pop up when the turkey has cooked at the appropriate temperature for the appropriate amount of time. This is a simple and easy way to know when it is ready without having to drag the entire thing in and out of the oven and test the temperature every so often since you can simply peek in the oven and see if the timer is up or down.

Of course, you will still want to double check once you retrieve it from the oven to insure that everything is properly done; however, this simple little tip can end up saving you a lot of time and hassle.

Place the Butter Rub Under the Skin:
There is nothing worse than presenting a dry turkey to a house full of friends and relatives on a day when it is taking center stage, but how can you keep your turkey tender and moist in a simple and easy way? Many cooks will prepare a mixture of butter and herbs and rub the turkey down with it before baking. This is great for getting the turkey golden brown but often the butter simply runs off of the turkey in the pan. So, here is a great little trick that I use every year, place a good chunk of that butter rub under the skin of the turkey where it can be trapped by the outer layer of skin and really permeate the meat beneath for a sweet juicy taste.

Placing the turkey in a baking bag with 3-4 tablespoons of water or broth before putting it in the roasting pan is also a good idea, just keep in mind that you may need to tear the bag open and let the turkey brown for the last few minutes of cooking.

Have Assigned Seats:
This may not be an issue for small crowds or if there are no obvious conflicts among the family circle, but if you know that Uncle Joe and Aunt Betty tend to go at each other then arranging the seating before hand lets you separate problematic dinner mates and place them with those whom they might share more common interest,or at least with whom they may not be as inclined to get into a heated tiff with. Sometimes you have ex-spouses and new spouses or old feuds that can make for a tense evening, but a little careful planning may help you to keep things civil.

Take Along Some Non-Essential Work or a Good Book:
Have you ever found yourself at a holiday gathering where everyone was off doing their own thing and you were bored out of your mind or where you found the points of view so opposite from your own that you were trying to dodge the conversation at all costs? Hopefully this will not happen this holiday season and you will stay busy and interact among other holiday guests, but if you should find that you are sitting somewhere twiddling your thumbs and looking rather uncomfortable while doing so, or if the crowd is one that you find yourself at odds with, here is a simple little fix for it-be too busy to notice.

Bringing along a good book to read or some “work” to catch up on will occupy your time while making you look busy instead of antisocial. Of course, do not bring along any work with you that you actually have to get done on a deadline because you will end up only feeling frantic. This is a tip just to help you cover those uncomfortable situations with the in-laws or distant relatives that you may not know or get along with that well so you can say “I would love to engage in this conversation (in which I think you are all arrogant buffoons) but I simply have to get this work done”. Peace of mind is the best holiday accessory.

Have a Back-Up Plan:
Last but not least, have a back up plan. Whether it is packing a back up suit or buying that extra easy to make dessert, have a back up for the essentials that you will need just in case something goes wrong. You never know when something will tear, get spilled, or burn and end up leaving you in a tight spot if you do not have a back up.

Hopefully your holiday season will start off smoothly with all of the warmth and joy of this special time of year but you can rest easy knowing that with these 10 simple tips you will be prepared for a stress free Thanksgiving season, and that is something to truly be thankful for.