This weekend it was unbearably chilly in Seattle--the temperatures were below freezing, but there just wasn't any precipitation so there was hardly any snow (the only good thing about cold weather in my opinion). And of course this cold-weather-with-no-snow is supposed to last all week :(The only good thing about the cold and snow over the weekend was that most people didn't want to venture out of their houses, and that meant this was a great time to do some Christmas shopping. We went to the mall on both Saturday and Sunday and both days the malls were unusually pleasant (not too crowded, and reasonable lines) and we were able to make a ton of progress on our holiday shopping.We got almost everything taken care of in our shopping and I am so proud of my gifts. I don't want to write about them as I don't want to ruin any surprises but I will write some about the good ideas that came up.  If you aren't sure what to buy, and you want to stick to your budget, here are things you may want to consider:

1. Cool Christmas Ornaments.  I know it sounds cheesy, but Hallmark has some cool ones that could work for everyone (fashion ones, star wars, fairy tales) and some have fun blinky lights and sound.  These make great stocking stuffers and won't break the bank (and who doesn't love an ornament, especially if it has a personal touch).
2. Stuff from REI (or another outdoor place).  Who doesn't need hiking socks (don't believe me, go peruse match.com--almost every profile has hiking listed as a hobby)?  They also had hand warmers, pocket knifes, winter hats, and gloves.  And most of that stuff is in the $5-$15 range, and is actually useful.
3. Sees Candies.  Forget Godiva and the other fancy chocolates, go old fashioned and pick up some chocolate covered molasses chips or egg nog truffles from Sees -- all under $10!
4. Children's Books.  Even adults love these these .  Almost everyone has read Harry Potter, so J.K. Rowlings' The Tales of Beedle the Bard would be a great gift.  For your favorite fashionista, check out This Little Piggy Went to Prada, and for your favorite couple how about the story of Rosalie and Truffle with a nice bottle of wine.
5. A nice candle and some bubble bath. Everyone deserves some R&R and in this day and age who makes new year's resolutions that don't involve less stress.  An easy gift is to get someone a cute candle and some sort of bubble bath (or bath bomb or bubble bar).  Put this together with a mix cd or some of your favorite relaxing songs (Norah Jones is always one of my favorites here) and it is perfect kit for a quiet night at home.

Hope this helps with your Christmas gifting.  Happy holidays :)