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Gift Certificates
Gift Baskets for Graduates
May 19th
With the graduation season upon us we thought we would create a list of gift ideas for the high school and college graduate. But as you know we don’t just give you regular old ideas here at GiftStumped – we give you unique gift ideas.
We have put together some ideas for creating gift baskets your graduate will not only like but actually use.
For the High School Graduate
Going into college you think you need a ton of stuff. I had everything under the sun my freshman year but by the time I was a senior, I took about about half of that with me. Here are a few gift basket ideas featuring the things your high school grad REALLY needs:
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Laundry Basket – One word…Quarters. Doing laundry while in college can be a huge pain in the rear. I remember searching for quarters in our couch cushions and having to use my roommate’s detergent cause I was too lazy to go to the store. No fun.
To create: Buy a laundry basket and fill it with the things you know your grad will need – detergent, dryer sheets, hangers and of course quarters. You may also want to throw in there towels, flip-flops (for the shower) and some bath goods. |
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Keep-in-Touch Basket – While traditional letter writing has gone the way of the 8 track it is still nice to send mail every once in a while and your grad may appreciate it.
To create: Buy a file folder/organizer and it fill it with stationery, envelopes and stamps. You could also add cards for different occasions (birthdays, just for fun, Christmas, etc). A great personal touch would be getting a matching address book and writing in the addresses and email addresses of loved ones and friends. |
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Medicine Basket/Kit – Perhaps some of the most underrated products we as kids take for granted when living at our parents houses are the medicines we use. Need a BandAid? Which size? Cold medicine? Day or night? A medicine kit is a GREAT gift that will definitely be used.
To create: Buy a small plastic container (Artbin’s work great) and fill it with the things your grad will need – Advil, Tylenol, Band Aids, Tums, Pepto Bismol, Cold & Flu, cough syrup, etc. Add a gift card to Target or some cash for an additional treat. |
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Gift Certificate Basket – Yes, gift certificates aren’t typically unique…but they can be. Create a small basket featuring gift certificates to places like the college bookstore, fast food restaurants and the local grocery store. Fast food was a 2-3x week staple for me and not having to pay made it even better.
To create: Get a small basket and fill it with a few gift cards to places you know your grad will go. Buy some candy and snacks to fill the basket. |
For the College Graduate
When you graduate and move into your own apartment you realize a few things…Those three plastic plates you used for four years don’t really seem as great as they once did, the one pot you have isn’t conducive to cooking an actual meal and having a matching set of towels for the bathroom is kind of nice. Here are a few gift basket ideas to help the college grad get started in their new life:
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Kitchen Basket – A kitchen basket has endless possibilities. Have you ever walked into Williams-Sonoma? That place is amazing! The kitchen section at Ikea? Plates galore! Get your grad a few things you know they will need – plates, glasses, silverware, dish towels, a couple of pots and pans, tupperware, etc.
To create: Buy a laundry basket or something that you know they can use and fill it with some kitchen goods. A great finisher would be a gift card to the local grocery store. |
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Food & Drink Basket – Want to know one of the best gifts I have ever receieved? A cooler. A simple cooler that I can take with me camping, to concerts or anywhere else. They are cheap and one of those gifts you don’t realize how much you will use.
To create: Buy a cooler from Lowe’s or Wal-Mart and fill it with some food and beverages your grad likes. There are also these personalized party tub coolers that might be a nice touch. |
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Cleaning Basket- I didn’t know just how much went into cleaning a small apartment. Don’t get me wrong, I had cleaning chores as a kid but like the medicine, everything I needed was just there. Windex, Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles, Mr. Clean, the list goes on and on.
To create: Get a plastic bin and fill it with cleaning products for your grad. Sponges, dust clothes and paper towels are also a nice addition. If you are feeling crazy consider a Swiffer or vacuum as well. |
Well, those are my gift ideas for high school and college graduates and I hope you find them useful. Of course you could always be unoriginal and just give them money…
Update: I came across a couple of other sites with some nice ideas so I thought I would include them.
Related:
Help Them Get Organized! (or pay a pro to do it)
Apr 17th
| Sponsor: |
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Know someone who can’t find anything in the mess they created for themselves? Then, a great gift idea is to treat them to a gift certificate for a professional organization session! |
There is even a trade association, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), that can help you locate a professional organizer in your area through their searchable online directory.
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 Search NAPO’s online database for a professional organizer near you. |
Not only can you search for organization consultants by location, you can also search by area of specialty. Some of the specialties that you can use in your search include:
- Closet Design and Installation
- Closet Organizing
- Estate Organizing
- Feng Shui
- Financial/Bookkeeping
- Garages/Attics/Basements
- Garage/Estate Sales
- Home Office
- Kitchens
- Moving/Relocation
- Other Rooms
- Photographs/Memorabilia/Collections
- Time Management
Of course, you can always offer to do it yourself. But, you run the risk of ruining a perfectly good relationship!
Tickets Are a Good Idea, Just Give Them a Choice
Apr 3rd
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OK, you have a sports fan, music fan, or theater fan you want to give a gift to. And it would be great to send them to the game or the show.
But, what if they’re busy that night?
If it’s too hard to figure out your gift recipient’s schedule, or if you’re not sure what kind of event they would prefer to go to – just them them a gift certificate to choose their own tickets!
| StubHub Gift Certificates |
Maybe they’ll bring back their ticket stubs for your collection…
Currently Available Theater Tickets & Show Tickets:
Cirque Shanghai Chicago Tickets
Description: Cirque Shanghai Chicago Tickets
Date: 2010-09-03 2:00 PM
Venue: Skyline Stage At Navy Pier
Location: Chicago, IL
Price starting at: $99.00
Numbers of tickets: 4
Maximum seats together: 4
Cirque Du Soleil Tickets – Orlando
Description: Cirque Du Soleil Tickets – Orlando
Date: 2010-09-03 6:00 PM
Venue: Walt Disney World Resort
Location: Orlando, FL
Price starting at: $249.00
Numbers of tickets: 6
Maximum seats together: 6
Bill Engvall Tickets
Description: Bill Engvall Tickets
Date: 2010-09-03 7:00 PM
Venue: Reed Arena
Location: College Station, TX
Price starting at: $45.00
Numbers of tickets: 12
Maximum seats together: 4
Cirque Du Soleil Criss Angel Believe Las Vegas Tickets
Description: Cirque Du Soleil Criss Angel Believe Las Vegas Tickets
Date: 2010-09-03 7:00 PM
Venue: Luxor Hotel and Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Price starting at: $199.00
Numbers of tickets: 2
Maximum seats together: 2
Larry The Cable Guy Tickets
Description: Larry The Cable Guy Tickets
Date: 2010-09-03 7:00 PM
Venue: IP Casino Resort and Spa
Location: Biloxi, MS
Price starting at: $50.00
Numbers of tickets: 2
Maximum seats together: 2
Cirque Du Soleil Ka Tickets – Las Vegas
Description: Cirque Du Soleil Ka Tickets – Las Vegas
Date: 2010-09-03 7:00 PM
Venue: Ka Theatre at MGM Grand Hotel
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Price starting at: $299.00
Numbers of tickets: 2
Maximum seats together: 2
Cirque Du Soleil O Tickets – Las Vegas
Description: Cirque Du Soleil O Tickets – Las Vegas
Date: 2010-09-03 7:30 PM
Venue: O Theatre At Bellagio
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Price starting at: $299.00
Numbers of tickets: 2
Maximum seats together: 2
Memphis – A New Musical Tickets – New York
Description: Memphis – A New Musical Tickets – New York
Date: 2010-09-03 8:00 PM
Venue: Shubert Theatre – NY
Location: New York, NY
Price starting at: $151.00
Numbers of tickets: 19
Maximum seats together: 6
Promises Promises Tickets – Broadway
Description: Promises Promises Tickets – Broadway
Date: 2010-09-03 8:00 PM
Venue: Broadway Theatre-NY
Location: New York, NY
Price starting at: $186.00
Numbers of tickets: 10
Maximum seats together: 4
Billy Elliot Tickets – New York
Description: Billy Elliot Tickets – New York
Date: 2010-09-03 8:00 PM
Venue: Imperial Theatre
Location: New York, NY
Price starting at: $125.00
Numbers of tickets: 12
Maximum seats together: 4
Is Giving an eBay Gift Certificate a Good Idea?
Mar 19th
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| eBay Gift Certificates Overview |
I hope it’s a good idea because I just gave one to MsGift for her birthday!
But, I thought about it a bit before I went ahead and purchased it. First, while I know MsGift very well, I don’t actually think she uses eBay all that often. At least it hasn’t come up in the last year and a half (and we talk Internet stuff every day).
So, why would I decide on that as a gift?
- It’s a unique gift
- If she doesn’t use eBay now, she might enjoy exploring it a bit (knowing she has some $$ to spend for free)
- You can buy almost anything there
- An eBay gift certificate can help you buy some pretty cool stuff that you wouldn’t see on Amazon or other shopping sites (like some of the items I talked about in my post about helping someone start a collection)
- Honestly, it was quick & easy (and I think I would have had a hard time figuring out what store to go to – although I bet I could have gone to someplace local and “funky” to get a fun/funny present)
The downside to giving an eBay gift certificate:
- The recipient might find it a bit of a pain in the… to buy something on eBay if they are not used to shopping there
- Like any gift certificate, it could just go unused
- Invariably, the $$ amount will likely either cause the recipient to pony up more of their own money, or there will be an unused remnant that will just sit there in limbo
I’m hoping that MsGift will someday share her experience on this site about receiving and using this little B-day present…
