Oh, I Love It!

Giving presents and the “real meaning of the holidays” don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Here are 10 gift ideas that show you put some real heart and thought into it.

By Nick Burry
Illustrations by Sally Vitsky

The arrival of the gift card did wonders for holiday shopping. Stores never run out of them, and recipients no longer have to struggle to smile at awkward presents. But while promising utility and ease, they fall a little short in terms of meaning. If the true purpose of gift giving is to improve the lives of loved ones and show how much you care about them, then consider the following gift ideas that express your thoughtfulness.

1] Agility classes for pets

FOR: DOG- LOVER

FOR DOG OWNERS with energetic pooches, a game of fetch may not be enough excitement. Agility classes may do the trick, though—and they aren’t just about teaching old dogs new tricks. “Agility is great exercise, builds confidence, helps with problem- solving skills and strengthens the dog-human bond,” says Renee Payne of Walk This Way Canine Behavior Therapy (www.doggiecouch.com) in New York City, which offers group classes, private lessons and follow-up advice. The Seattle Agility Center (www.agilityfun.com) also offers classes, starting with Puppy Pre-Agility, all the way through the jumping and slaloming of competition levels.

2] A fishing experience

FOR: YOUNG RELATIVE

THESE DAYS, it’s more likely that a child knows how to play a fishing computer game than how to tie a hook onto a line. Teaching a niece or nephew to fish is not only a great way to spend time with them outdoors, it’s also an opportunity to teach them patience and respect for nature. Bass Pro Shops (www.basspro.com) has retail locations across the country with gear for anglers of all ages. The stores also offer workshops (from fly-tying to casting) and demos in their in- house live tanks. Once you’ve got the necessary gear, their experts can point you to a local fishing spot that’ll get any kid hooked on the sport.

3] Personalized stationery

FOR: DISTANT RELATIVE

E-MAIL IS FAST and free, which makes it great for doing business. But a quick e-mail punctuated with LOLs and emoticons is no way to keep in touch with loved ones. Personalized stationery encourages more thoughtful correspondence. From classic stamps and embossers to quirky letterhead and note cards, companies like FineStationery.com have robust selections of customizable items to suit anyone’s style. Also a thoughtful gift for a friend or relative who has recently relocated, personalized stationery may encourage both of you to keep in touch in a more meaningful way.

4] Public service vacation

FOR: WHOLE FAMILY

ANYONE WHO’S PLANNED a family vacation knows the perils of trying to please everyone. Choose an amusement park destination and the adults may just grin and bear it for the kids’ sake; choose a cultural destination and those kids may bemoan the lack of chicken fingers and high-speed thrills. Give your family a lasting gift by taking the emphasis off each member’s individual desire, and plan a public service vacation instead. Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org) coordinates volunteer efforts with the goal of eliminating homelessness from the world. With local affiliates in all 50 states, you can give your family the gift of adventure and accomplishment, as well as foster a lifelong sense of duty to help those less fortunate.

5] Home eco-renovation

FOR: GRANDPARENTS

FOR OLDER PEOPLE living on fixed incomes, simple renovations can benefit both their pocketbooks and the planet. Check out GreenCulture House Wares (ecohousewares.com) for ideas on how to give your grandparents’ house a facelift. Start simple: Oscillating tower fans are energy-efficient and cool large spaces. GreenCulture also has a range of attractive Energy Star light fixtures. Fit them with compact fluorescent bulbs, which use about a quarter of the energy and last 10 times longer than normal bulbs. You don’t have to be all that handy to further increase savings by installing weather-stripping (available at home improvement stores) around doors that lead outside. If you’re at ease holding a hammer, replace standard windows with insulated ones that can reduce heating and cooling costs. Put on the finishing touch with decorations like bamboo rugs.

6] Dance lessons

FOR: SPOUSE/PARTNER

THE POPULARITY OF televised dance competitions has suddenly made “quickstep” and “cha-cha” household terms. Treat your spouse or partner to a series of dance classes, which make a perfect present because you can spend time together while getting fit and increasing your confidence. “Right now the salsa classes are really popular because that’s what seems to be popular in the clubs,” says Suz Kreps of Cinema Ballroom & Latin Dancing (www.cinemaballroom.com) in St. Paul, Minn., “but we also get a number of people interested in the classic ballroom styles they’ve seen on TV.” Cinema Ballroom, housed in a retrofitted 1920s movie theater, features group and private classes with professionally ranked instructors. Depending on your level of experience, it could take as few as four or five private lessons to get you and your partner out twisting the night away in public.

7] Create a family tree & a family quilt

FOR: NEXT GENERATION

YOU MAY HAVE dabbled in genealogy in grade school, creating a family tree that only branched out as far as your grandparents. With instant access to databases and registries, the Internet has revolutionized genealogy, and hundreds of Web sites devoted to reconstructing family trees have sprouted up. A membership at Ancestry.com, which is easy to use and provides hints on how to to fill in blank branches, would be an ideal gift for an inquisitive child. The best part is not the satisfaction of spreading the branches, but rather the bond that results from interviewing older relatives.

While a family tree unravels the past, you can also design an artifact for your family’s future by creating a family quilt. From Native American works to today’s do-it-yourself crafts revival, quilting has played an important role in American cultural and artistic history. Check out the American Quilting Society (www.americanquilter.com) for articles and links to books, supplies, events and online classes. It will equip you to work with young relatives to create an heirloom.

8] Sporting trifecta

FOR: DAD

FOR MANY DADS, a vacation is a time for spectator sports, but ticket and concession prices may restrict fans to their armchairs. You can, however, still treat your dad to tickets to see independent and minor league franchises. The Milwaukee Admirals (www.milwaukeeadmirals.com) heat up the ice of the American Hockey League with tickets starting at $16. Also, for as little as $16, you can watch the Milwaukee Wave (www.milwaukeewave.com) try to recreate their 2005 Major Indoor Soccer League championship season. Plan ahead for the spring when the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (www.timberrattlers.com) take the baseball field as the Class A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. General admission is $5. You might also consider a more extravagant treat: Big League Tours (www.bigleaguetours.com) offers first-class tours of Midwest ballparks.

9] Spa treatment

FOR: MOM

IF IT’S MOM that organized the dinner and did most of the shopping and gift-wrapping this holiday season, she most certainly deserves more than just a “Thank you, the turkey was delicious.” Treat her to a relaxing spa experience at Natural Body Spa (www.naturalbody.com) in Atlanta. The Natural Body Signature Massage is specifically designed to melt away the kind of stress that often coincides with the holiday season, while a variety of herbal Friction Massages combine massage with aromatherapy to induce an even deeper sense of relaxation.

If mom prefers a dose of excitement in between deep tissue massages, consider the 65,000-square-foot spa at the Bellagio (www.bellagio.com/spasalon) in Las Vegas. The Bellagio’s Spa Splendor package—a head-to-toe tension-destroying routine—is sure to erase the stress of a last-minute gift scramble at the mall.

10] Culinary boot camp

FOR: BACHELOR

PICTURE THE CLASSIC bachelor’s kitchen: cabinets overflowing with take-out menus, a stack of pizza boxes obscuring the stove top, a refrigerator devoted to condiments. This scene is neither nutritious nor sanitary, and it certainly does nothing to change the status of bachelorhood. Consider a gift of beginner cooking classes for the uninitiated chef. The Classy Gourmet (www.theclassygourmet.com) in Omaha offers a Culinary Boot Camp series for beginner cooks. Chef-owner Colleen Cleek describes it as “five days of basic training, starting with an intro to the kitchen and pantry, then on to dry heat versus moist heat cooking methods, and finally, depending on the instructor, either an ‘Iron Chef’- style cooking competition, or a relaxed dinner with the other participants.” Class times are flexible, so as to fit into work schedules. There are also “culinary basics” classes, broken downby technique, and private classes for busy professionals. Before long, your favorite bachelor will finally know his Asiago cheese from his elbow macaroni.

This holiday season, graduate beyond the obligatory exchange of novelty items and gift cards. When you’re trying to find a present for a loved one, consider a gift that will convey the true meaning of the holidays.