The procrastinator’s holiday gift guide

I’m a procrastinator. I usually finish shopping on Christmas Eve and desperately try to finish wrapping gifts then, too.

This year, thanks to an awesome hubby who shopped for everyone we buy gifts for, I’m done! I finished up Kelly’s shopping on the weekend and now just have to wait for a few online purchases to be delivered.

For any other procrastinators out there, here are a few gift ideas from budget friendly to extravagant.

For the vegan

Budget

• Go vegan for a week or month. But only do this if you know you can stick to it!
• Test out vegan blogger recipes. Compile the best ones and make something sweet to go with the recipes.

Mid-range

• Etsy has awesome vegan purses, bags and funky wallets.
• Subscribe to Veg News or buy some cookbooks.

High-end

• Adopt a farm animal from Farm Sanctuary. For Kelly’s birthday, I adopted a goat for him. He absolutely loved the gift of Miss. Hattie! The coolest part is you can visit one of their three shelters and even visit your adopted animal.

For the outdoorsman/woman

Budget

• Dehydrated food for their long trek, or make them granola or energy bars
• Maps of your favourite trails or trips
• Sunscreen and mosquito repellant

Mid-range

• A headlamp and case
• Trekking poles
• Gorillapod tripod

 High-end

• A SPOT Satellite GPS messenger. Kelly got one of these before going on a back-country avalanche training course. Phones didn’t work and the internet was down the entire week he was gone. Thankfully, he sent me a SPOT message everyday so I knew he was safe. It also would have allowed him to contact emergency services if required.
• Winter sports gear, like snowshoes, cross-country skis, downhill skis, or a snowboard.

Photo taken from http://www.findmespot.ca

For the runner, cyclist, or triathlete

Budget

• Offer to go running, biking, or swimming with them.
• Watch their kids so they can train without feeling guilty.
• Cook a couple freezer meals they can quickly heat up during peak training.
• Volunteer at a local race, or one they are participating in.
• If you know how, offer free bike maintenance. If you don’t know how, find a free maintenance class offered at a bike shop and take it with them.

Mid-range - Gear of any kind! Look at their active clothes to find their fave brand and size.

Mid-range Runner

• Subscribe to Runner’s World, Women’s Running, or Trail Runner.
• Buy a good running read like Bart Yasso’s My Life on the Run, Kara Goucher’s Running for Women, or Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn.

Mid-range Cyclist

• A cycling computer to measure distance and speed.
• A new helmet, cycling pedals, or shoes.
• Subscribe to Road Bike Action, Mountain Bike Action, or Bicycling.

Mid-range Triathlete

• Buy an inspirational book, like Chrissie Wellington’s A Life Without Limits or Chris McCormack’s I’m Here to Win.
•  Subscribe to Triathlete magazine,
• Buy a gift card for a sporting store so they can stock up on what they need most.

High-end 

• A GPS watch. I got the Garmin 910xt last year and it’s incredible.
• A bicycle trainer
• Registration to a race (bonus points if it’s a destination race).
• A treadmill
• An annual gym membership

For the traveller

Budget

• Offer to watch their house, water their plants, mow their lawn, or shovel their snow while they’re away. (No complaining about how much it snowed!)
• Drive them to and from the airport.

Mid-range

• Get them a cute luggage tag made from a map of their favourite travels.
• Buy a durable phone case, iPad cover, or laptop case.
• Donate to a charity at their favourite destination.

High-end

• Research the best activities at their destination and buy a tour package or admission to an event.
• Sponsor a child in their name from their favourite country.

We were in Florida for my birthday a few years ago and went on the Beluga Interaction!

Have you finished your holiday shopping? What’s on your wish list?

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