Christmas Gift Giving Ideas with Aloha from Hawaii

I live in beautiful Hawaii and the holidays are coming up very soon. There are always moments of panic when I try to find that perfect gift for my siblings, parents, children and grandchildren. Long gone are the days when I would spend several hours to find the perfect gift for one person. So an aloha shirt for one brother, usually means one for all the males in the family, especially when you can get them at buy one, get fifty percent off the second.

With an ever growing family, and the present state of the economy, I have learned to budget. I usually start in August scanning for appropriate gifts for the holidays. Hopefully by November I have covered all the bases so I don’t go into panic mode and blow a wad at the last minute. The main problem with shopping over a time period of half a year is that usually I forget what I have already purchased and end up buying everyone two or more gifts. However, that is not so bad when you consider you have birthdays also coming up next year.

We have lived in Hawaii for over ten years now and I am running low on ideas. One year I purchased folding fruit baskets for everyone. I still see them in some of the family homes. Another year I got everyone woven baskets and they are always useful but wear out quickly, especially going from a very wet climate to a dry one. Then there was one year that everyone received Koa wooden items, like jewelry boxes and frames.

Some years ago I gave family members bottles of Hawaiian style salad dressings like papaya seed dressing, creamy oriental, Maui onion and other gourmet treasures. I thought they had been appreciated until a few years later I found the dressings at my mother’s home. She said she never figured out what to do with them. I guess you have to live in Hawaii to appreciate some things.

Another thing I give often are chocolate macadamia nuts in all their varieties, but then I got a bit discouraged when I found some unopened boxes stacking up in some of my family member’s cupboards. What to do, what to do?

With fragrances from Hawaii like plumeria, gardenia, pikake, ginger, and orchid, to choose from, soaps, perfumes and lotions make very nice gifts. But then they remind family members that you are in Hawaii while the rest of them get to enjoy the snow drifts. Then there is a problem if they have allergies.

I wish I had all the money in the world to purchase a luxury item and then get one for each person in the family like a car, a boat, or a house. Probably someone wouldn’t be happy with that either, or be jealous of the other guy.

So, if you have some great not-too-expensive ideas of what I can surprise my dearly loved relatives this coming holiday season, I would greatly appreciate any and all suggestions.