It doesn’t matter whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or even Festivus (a holiday introduced into popular culture by an episode of “Seinfeld”), it is time to get into the spirit of giving.  As the holiday season approaches, everyone is looking for unique (and in this economy, affordable) gift ideas.  The holidays are about spending time with family and friends, and not about stressing over money.  So, here are a few gift ideas to help you pick out the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

DIY Gift Idea
One of my favorite (and easiest) DIY holiday gift ideas is the Cookie in a Jar. Layer your favorite cookie recipe in clean Mason jar and top it off with a cute label detailing the recipe instructions.  This is a wonderful gift idea for co-workers or even extended family members.
For more DIY gift ideas, check out www.pinterest.com. Warning: Pinterest is super addicting with so many unique ideas that it is easy to lose a few hours exploring this website.

For the music lover
Affordable: A cool and funky gift idea, I recently stumbled upon the Ticket Stub Diary. This gift is great for that special someone who loves going to concerts and saving their ticket stubs as a treasured memento. With the Ticket Stub Diary, they will now have the perfect place to keep all their music memories in a safe place.
You can find the Ticket Stub Diary at www.amazon.com for around $10.

Splurge: If you have the money to spend a little extra on that someone special, why not invest in tickets to one of the Deck the Hall Holiday Concerts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  The venue offers a beautiful environment and brilliant acoustics making it easy to get lost in the world of music.  Tickets for the holiday concerts start at around $30 and go up from there.
For more information, check out http://www.laphil.com/tickets/deckthehall-2011.cfm.

For the wine lover
Affordable: Stop messing with those pesky old, traditional corkscrews and upgrade to a super easy and functional electric wine opener.  Bed, Bath and Beyond offers an affordable electric wine opener for less than $20. This gift is perfect for the holiday season.

Splurge: For the wine connoisseur, a new set of stemware is always appreciated.  Williams-Sonoma is a great place to pick up so nice stemware. Although Williams-Sonoma can be a bit pricey (stemware sets start at about $40), they offer beautiful, quality pieces.

Gag gift idea
We all have that friend who makes the most inappropriate remarks all the time, but we have to keep them around because they are so darn hysterical.  The toilet coffee mug, while slightly disturbing would make a great gift for the amateur comedian in your life.
You can find this gag gift at www.amazon.com.