Thanksgiving is upon us and then comes the mad rush of shopping for the holidays. For me it’s Christmas but it is also a time of giving for many faiths and cultures. If Christmas isn’t your holiday just fill in the name of the one that you celebrate. The important thing is to celebrate and pass on not only gifts but the real meaning of the celebrations.

I love Christmas, especially buying toys. However once the kids are taken care off I get stuck for what to buy the adults. This year I decided to look at what has worked well in the past and help others who have the same problem by writing this article. If you have someone on your list who is hard to buy for then I hope that this article will be of some help.

If you are looking for a gift for a comedy fan I suggest you check out the British Sitcoms on either bbcamerica.com or Amazon.com. My personal favorites are The Last of the Summer Wine, ‘allo ‘allo, Red Dwarf, Are You Being Served and the two Rowan Atkinson series Black Adder and The Thin Blue Line. If you have a police officer on your list he or she will get a kick out of The Thin Blue Line.

If you are looking for something unique try Etsy.com. This is an online marketplace for hand made items. You can find an incredible array of handmade and vintage products for everyone on your list including pets. Prices are very reasonable and you can find one of a kind items without breaking your budget. You may want to set aside a healthy block of time for checking out this site because I have to warn you it is addictive. My favorite shops are IVFor4 (jewelry), ThePlayRoom (ceramic), and Madart (paintings).

For the Science Fiction readers on your list you can’t do better then one of Scott Washburn’s books. War Among The Ruins, Pathfinder and Fires of Memory are self published books that can be purchased on Amazon.com. Since these books are self published they can not be found in book stores and therefore will be unique. They are well written, exciting and either of the three would make a great gift for the Science Fiction fan. For the mystery fan I would suggest any of Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow series, Murder With Peacocks being the first in the series. Rita Mae Brown combines murder and fox hunting in her Sister Jane series which will please the horse and hound person.

If “one of your hard to buy for people” is a Tea drinker I recommend that you check out Harney.com and Nativeamericantea.com. Native American Tea has some very interesting blends for the herbal tea drinker.

For the sports fans in your life you can’t get a better buy then Minor League Baseball tickets. Most teams sell packages for just about any pocketbook. You get to see the up and coming players, good baseball and it’s one of the few places left where you can take kids and let them yell and scream all they want. Double A and Short Season teams are great teams to take younger children to. Prices are low and the stadiums small enough to keep an eye on them if they run off after the mascot. The food is also cheaper (but less variety) which with kids will be the most expensive part of the day.

Some relatively inexpensive gift ideas: a DVD and a package of microwave popcorn, a box of candy, boxer shorts with cartoon characters on them, a package of their favorite coffee, or lottery tickets.

Don’t forget your local food cupboards and animal shelters. You don’t have to make a large donation, a small bag of canned goods or a bag of cat or dog food will be much appreciated.

The greatest gift that you can give is your time. If you have a friend or relative in a nursing home, hospital, or assisted living make the time to visit. If not go and make friends with someone who doesn’t get any visitors (ask at the desk they’ll be thrilled to introduce you) and you may end up getting more out of it then you expect. Volunteer one afternoon at your local soup kitchen. If you have teenage children take them with you and teach them the value of giving. We all complain about what we don’t have, this Christmas take a good look around at how many people have a lot less and do something to help out. It will make you feel good.

Happy Holidays.