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Letter to the editor

Still need gift ideas? Here are 25 to try

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF, Times Correspondent
Published December 23, 2007

So, shopper, you've waited until the last minute and you have a real home or garden aficionado on your list. The usual holiday fare won't do - no electronics or department-store gift certificates - for this homebody. When the person on the receiving end would rather putter in the garden or re-arrange the living room than glam up in new clothes or jewelry, holiday gift-giving might prove a bit tricky. Here are 25 quick ideas from my home to yours that you can rustle up in a few hours and make all the homebodies on your list happy.

1. A thriving Florida-friendly plant in a beautiful glazed ceramic pot.

2. A birdhouse, birdseed and binoculars.

3. A stack of the latest home and garden books or a few good ones you find on sale.

4. A gorgeous pillar candle and hurricane lamp -great for breezy Florida nights on the deck. Arrange shells, stones or other natural or glittery treasures in the bottom.

5. Bars of handmade garden soap (or a big bar of lavender soap for the kitchen). Present it in a handsome basket with matching lotions and home fragrance.

6. Subscriptions to several home and garden magazines. Tie a bow around a pile of current issues or present them in a pretty magazine storage box.

7. A lovely throw that works well with any decor.

8. Bookends, reading lamp, and a big, attractive magnifying glass that looks cool on the coffee table.

9. Just about anything from your favorite local museum store. Museum stores are treasure troves for wonderful small home accessories.

10. For the coffee drinker, a set of four fun mugs suitable for display. Tuck in a pound of the recipient's favorite java or a fragrant holiday blend. For the tea drinker, a set of four teacups and saucers - they can be antique and mismatched - with a tea towel and a sampler of good teas.

11. Garden stepping stones, birdbath, gazing ball, garden statue, wind chimes, sundial.

12. A truly meaningful Christmas tree ornament.

13. Luxurious hand towels and English soaps for the powder room.

14. A well-designed teakettle that looks good displayed on the stove when it's not in use.

15. A garden hat, garden clogs and attractive gardening gloves.

16. Place mats and matching cloth napkins (that don't have to be ironed!)

17. A year-round wreath for the front door or garden gate.

18. A decorative ceramic garden stool (these can also be used as little tables indoors or out).

19. Kitchen canisters.

20. A great-looking dog bed for an interior-design conscious Fido.

21. A beautiful frame for a recent photo from a family trip or gathering of good friends.

22. An attractive garden fountain. (Choose one that can be easily assembled and plugged in.)

23. Pillow shams, high-thread count sheets and a luxurious neck roll pillow for the bed.

24. A fragrant rosemary tree. They look beautiful and one small tree scents an entire room. Plus, they come in handy when grilling lamb chops.

25. A sincere promise of a day's worth of help around the house: Offer to take down and pack holiday decorations, mow the yard, weed the garden, wash the windows, clean screens or make small repairs, if you're handy. Put your promise in writing and slip it into a holiday card. This may be the gift homebodies crave most.

Elizabeth Bettendorf can be reached at ebettendorf@hotmail.com

[Last modified December 22, 2007, 21:47:33]