My new friend Marja recently gifted us with some homemade gingerbread men that were devoured almost as soon as I opened the container. (I actually had to hide the one you see above to ensure that I’d be able to get a photo.) Not only was the tininess of the cookies adorable, because they were so small, they were softer and chewier than gingerbread men usually are. Marja said that she decided to make tiny gingerbread men when it was just plain tiring to make the larger version — she and her husband kept running out of dipping chocolate and dough trying to make enough to give as gifts. She says that she increased the ginger spices in the cookies slightly because it tastes better with the chocolate. I can attest, they are all gone — this one was eaten as soon as I hit “save.” — Mary T.

Yes, the holiday season is the appointed time for feel-good gifts and our credit cards remind us of this daily. But, for a “just because” moment throughout the year, look no further than etsy seller All Jarred Up, who has capitalized on the notion that the only happy-maker better than a mason jar or homemade pie is, well, homemade pie baked into a mason jar! Stop by her shop to browse an ever-changing array of pies, cookies and dessert sauces all packaged in adorable jars perfect for personal portions, starting at just $6. –Sarah C.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are almost here. Will you be the person who pops a bottle of convenience-store wine into a gift bag, or will you take things to the next level of greatness? — Mary T.

Floppy Basket — This nifty basket by Josh Jakus ships flat, is available in recycled rubber and a rainbow of wool felt versions, and would look lovely holding bread, utensils or party napkins.

Women of Mad Men Ornaments — Joan and Betty throw great parties, no doubt, and even Peggy could pull off a bohemian get-together.

Santa Lucia Snowflake Ornaments — I first spotted these at West Seattle’s Click! Design That Fits, and have since seen them in other places around town. And no wonder — this is high style for a low price (A little under $20 for a set of 12 in a great looking birch box.) Look for them in your local home decor store or art museum gift shop.

Gourmet Sea Salt — I like the varieties from local favorite Secret Stash Sea Salts, but I’m betting you can find varieties infused with great flavor in the gourmet shop or natural foods store near you. A sweet (or, rather, salty) little luxury.

NotNeutral City Plates – I adore these plates by NotNeutral with graphic maps of cities from Las Vegas to Dubai. I found some at Design Public for $50, or you can find a retail store in your city at the NotNeutral site.

Umbra Wine Perch — Wine charms are so ten years ago. In fact, they’re probably downright unnecessary, but I find it hard to resist the, um, charms of the Umbra Wine Perch. So cute, so colorful, and just $4.88 for six! I found mine at a local paper and party supply store.

Patch NYC Stag Candle — Our friend Christen of Knows Perfume recommends the Stag candle from Patch NYC (You can find it online here or check a specialty perfume or candle store). Christen says, “Stag from Patch NYC comes in a votive for $14, and a full size candle for $32. It’s the holiday fir tree scent, and it’s gorgeous! People are snapping them up.” Looks and smells good, too. And so will you!

If you can’t get her to spend less time at work, at least you can help infuse her day with a little fun. — Mary T.

Anthony Burrill print – Okay, I’ll be honest: there’s no way you’ll get this in time for Christmas. So print out a photo from Burrill’s website with an “it’s on it’s way” note, and have it shipped to her office for a near-future day brightener.

Clients from Hell Invoices – Does someone complain about her clients? These Clients from Hell invoices for “day ruiners” might make her feel better.

Old School Stickies Set — Argh! Huh? We all need sticky notes to get us through the workday, and few express our feelings as succinctly as this set.

Graphic Lap Desk — Working in bed? Guilty as charged. Take away the sting with a graphic “desk” from the Container Store.

Magazine Files — Piles of magazines and papers get gussied up fast with simple magazine files. If you can brave IKEA this time of year, you can get a pretty set like these Lingo files, just $2.99 for four. Or check the stationery section at a big box store.

Bento Box — A stackable lunch box can add interest to your day even if you can’t get away from your desk. I love this super-colorful version from PLASTICA. Find more at your local Asian supermarket.

Gardeners can be a picky bunch (I know — I fancy myself one). You run the risk of buying a tool they already have or a plant that’s difficult to grow. Maybe these ideas will help — I wouldn’t mind getting a few myself. — Mary T.

Vintage flower pot — Pick a cheerful pot like this Etsy find and you’ll give the gardener a pretty inspiration that makes her think of spring. The best part is, you might score a couple on a trip to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

The Weekend Garden Guide — This is the book that got me into gardening, a chunky paperback with beautiful photos for inspiration paired with a no-nonsense approach to gardening for people who have things like jobs and lives. It’s out of print, but you can find many copies at Alibris for just 99 cents!

Rosemary tree – I picked up one of these at Whole Foods last week for under ten dollars, and I’ve seen them at a few other supermarkets as well. Not only are these extremely cute on the table or countertop, the recipient can pop them in the ground and use the fragrant herbs year-round.

Classic Pruner – Did I say we can be picky about tools? You really can’t go wrong with a pruner like the Felco #8. It’s the kind of tool you need for everything, so an extra comes in handy. And the festive red color is a happy bonus.

Raised bed kit — A complete raised bed kit with fancy composite wood can be pricey. How about some joists that will run you about $30 and a few small cuts of lumber? You can sweeten the gift by offering to help assemble it come spring.

Rosemary tree photo via The Kitchn.

I consider myself a comrade to all ani-pals. From tiny and scaly to huge and slobbery, I love all my four-legged friends. If it squeaks, sheds, or slithers, I want to cuddle it. Everyone has at least one cat-hair-covered animal lover on their Christmas list and, just in the nick of time, here are all my picks for them. Read on and set your phasers to cute! –Katie D.

From the nerds at ThinkGeek comes the Mechanical Kitty Coin Bank ($30). Probably inspired by everyone’s favorite boxhab (rehab for cardboard box addicted cats) frequenter Maru, the Kitty Coin Bank features a thrifty tabby who nabs the coins left on her box top with a heart-melting “mew”.

If the animal lover in your life has a green thumb, kill two (proverbial) birds with one stone by stuffing their stocking with Dog and Cat Friendly Seed Bombs ($7) by visualingual via etsy. Each bag contains five seed balls specially picked to appeal to your furry companions including cat grass, wheat, oats, and rye.

Some people say it’s the clothes that make the man- so how does that apply to man’s best friend? Loyal Luxe wants to make your doggie dapper with their Pedigree Bowtie Collars ($18). Prefer pocket pets? Get your ferret a bow tie ($5) from etsy user iamjewel.

Upgrade your kitty’s scratching post with a Catemporary Car Corner ($249) from The Refined Feline. Ditch the ugly, rope-covered variety of cat furniture for the sleek, sculptural look of this modern cat tower. The shelves’ cushions Velcro to the platforms and unzip for easy cleaning and the tower itself comes in four different finishes to match your kitty-friendly home.

If there is only one present you can afford to get that animal lover in your life, I guarantee they will adore my last pick! Consider sponsoring one of the animals from Best Friends Animal Society - a no kill shelter in southern Utah that on any given day is home to over 2,000 cute creatures. Choose from hundreds of ani-pals including cats, dogs, bunnies, pigs, birds, wildlife, or barnyard pals. Opt for a one-time donation (starting at $25) or be a guardian angel with a monthly recurring donation (starting at $5 a month). Once you pick out a lucky pet to sponsor, Best Friends will email you a downloadable photo and story from the animal who’s life your gift helped change.

1) Some pet toys are just as much fun for us. The Cats Attack! Scratching Post is one such item. Kristi says: “Oh my goodness, I want a cat just so I can see him play with this.”

2) Bonsai trees offer a fun alternative to traditional Christmas decorating. We love Martha Stewart’s take on the idea and we’re not alone. ModFruGal says: “I have a small one and just added 3 vintage birds to it…no baubles and it looks festive without being fussy.”

3) Elf on the Shelf is a fun but work-intensive tradition. Moving the elf every night is a tall order, but keeping him on the tree during the holidays seems to be a manageable solution. Aimee says: “My family has an elf tradition dating back to when my mother was a child. Only this elf resided in the tree and didn’t move every night. When I was a child, it was the same-stuck in the tree. Now that we have a family, it’s the same. I’m not hiding it again every single evening.”

4) A tech support care package is a welcome addition to many inboxes. Google’s got’em and we can’t say it’s a bad idea! Ginny says: “Do they have an option for sending a tech support dude to live with your parents? I think I would need that option.”

5) Architectural tableware has appeal. Katie D. spotted Seletti and Selab’s Palace Stacking Tableware and it’d make a fine set in your dream china cabinets. Brianna says: “While, I still absolutely adore my china pattern these would be really cool to own. It would be great to register for a wedding, honestly 6 place settings for around $600 isn’t that bad of a price. Well, if your thinking wedding set… Compared to my everyday Target plates, now that’s another story.”

Paola at mirrormirror makes homemade mincemeat, and it sounds and looks oddly amazing. Mmm… suet…

Make a functional wall mounted folding table just about anywhere with this tutorial at ReadyMade.

Pack your special holiday tea blends or cocoa mixes in a beautifully aromatic cinnamon bark box, spotted at Remodelista.

Get a load of this gingerbread house we’d love to live in at Whorange.

Craft some cute and cozy felt mug wraps with this tutorial at NotMartha — perfect for those last minute hostess gifts!

Groovy stocking stuffers, all at $15 or less. Oh Yeah! At CasaSugar.

ModFruGal’s got her own fantastic budget-oriented gift-guide at Pinterest.

Looking for something fabulous to serve at your holiday fete? David Lebovitz has got you covered with his holiday recipe roundup.

It’s so very unsexy, but for the longest time I have wanted a garment steamer — maybe this one from Jiffy. Or perhaps the commercial version. Or should I say, I wanted a steamer until I started reading about the Xbox Kinect, and now I have the overpowering urge to revel in controller-free gaming — and I have never owned any kind of gaming console or device, ever. (Hmm, which photo above looks like more fun? Hmmm…) Maybe all this seems a bit crass — I do think the holidays are about giving, not getting. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think about it. Anything on your wish list yet? — Mary T.

If you follow Shelterrific on our Facebook page, you may have seen my post about getting a behind-the-scenes tour of Rejuvenation in Portland, OR on Monday. I’ll have more on that soon – totally loved it, incidentally – but here’s a quick look at an in-store display that caught my eye. It’s a vintage elevator door hung with a selection of lightbulbs from Rejuvenation’s stock. They’re not even plugged in, but as you can see, it’s funky and industrial and kind of fun. I can imagine hanging on to a lot of lightbulbs as they burn out, and then stringing them up around one that’s still lit – kind of like this DIY chandelier at Remodelista, only with lightbulbs. And adding a colored lightbulb or two would make this even more fun. Watch for more fun photos and ideas from my Rejuvenation tour, coming soon! – Mary T.