Shopping for adults sucks. Seriously. If they need something, they’ve probably bought it already. And nobody knows what they want until they want it. What the hell, right? Why can’t this be easier?
Don’t worry though. Your Secret-Supplier-Santa James is here to save your Yuletide cheer.
Most of these are low cost, anywhere from $10 to $35. Whether you’re a poor college student, a frustrated friend of another adult, or looking for stock stuffers, here’s a few ideas to let them know you care about them. Or at least tolerate them.
Bones Coffee Company Sampler Packs
A pound of beans is a commitment. If folks don’t like it, congratulations! It was a shameful waste. But Bones Coffee Company, with their goofy commercials and wide-range of flavors, has the solution with their flavor packs.
There are several sets with flavors like cannoli, s’mores, dark chocolate… the options just go on and on. If you’re giving someone a present early enough, you might want to look at the unique holiday flavors. Although $35, each set comes with five flavors in individual bags. So you could just divide it among your friends, you clever devil you.
Bombas Socks
Teenagers roll their eyes at socks or underwear. And although giving an adult panties or boxers might send the wrong message, we can never get enough good socks.
I’ve heard good things about Bombas, enough that I figured giving a pair to a friend would be a fun experiment. Oh, and don’t get plain jane white or black. Get them something fun! Colorful. Something for the gym or just banging around the house.
Bath Toys for Toddlers
Easy mode ends for parents once their newborn becomes a toddler. Some days, parents luck out and the kid’s fine with a bath. Other times, we’re thankful they don’t bash their head against the ceramic in their tantrum. We get to roll these dice almost every night for the next four years or so…
If you know new parents, anything that makes bath time easier is appreciated. Novel ideas like Crayola Bathtub Finger Paint Soap sets, Bath Bombs for Kids, or a bubble blowing Bath Toy might be the difference between agony or fun. Or a stinky kid.
Electronic Cleaning Kits
Here’s a quick and easy idea for the office mates or those who are computer-bound. Sooner or later, that keyboard is going to get gross. Solution? Easy. An electronic cleaning kit. There are a variety of vendors to check out and many of them are just as useful for keyboards and other small objects. It’s hard to go wrong with this one.
Flexbar Therapy Bar
Chances are you know at least one adult who is trying to stay in shape. Unfortunately these dedicated folks might encounter a little thing called lateral epicondylitis, better known as “tennis elbow.” Spoiler: it’s common, and it sucks.
But there’s a simple solution. For roughly $20, you can pick up the FlexBar, an elastic bar used for strengthening the tendons of the wrist. The color represent levels of difficulty. Just caution people that it’ll take several weeks of application to see results, and to watch tutorial videos for a few techniques.
Japanese Treat Box
For the adults who like an adventure, or different varieties of sugar, a Bokksu Japanese snack box is a great way to surprise and (hopefully) delight them. Subscriptions can be as little as one month ($50) or a whole year ($40 a month). If that’s a little rich for your taste and/or wallet, their boutique has a variety of options for far less.
Oh, and Bokksu is not the only game in town. There’s also Sakuraco, who is not so pricey. Don’t forget to look for a holiday discount code before checkout.
Pet Toys
You can’t forget the dogs, man! In my particular case, a chum made the decision to get a Pit Bull. Wonderful chap. Destroys any toy he sets his teeth to, an artist if you will. So I decided “What the hell!” and gave Bullymake tough dog toys a shot. If it survives, fantastic! If not, we’ll know better. Christmas is the season of mad science.
What about cats, you ask? Sigh, I hadn’t thought about that, but there’s a good friend of mine with three. So I may check out this KitNipBox.com so his felines can feast.
Disclaimer. I didn’t get paid jack for writing this, nor is it AI-generated. Someone is actually giving away gift ideas from the bottom of his heart.