1. A less expensive lookalike:

It’s not always possible to give the best when you can’t afford the best, which is why copycats are so pervasive. I can’t afford the Herman Miller Eames reproduction, but I can afford this Eames-inspired cradle rocker at 24% off with free shipping. Not everyone is cool with designer furniture knockoffs, but if you are, this chair isn’t a bad deal.

2. A little DIY inspiration:

We all know someone who manages to have kids (or dogs), a house, a full-time job, and 15 hobbies, none of which get neglected. Me? I don’t have much time for projects these days *sniff* but I’d still love to get some books like The Big-Ass Book of Home Decor, Real-Life Decor: 100 Easy DIY Projects to Brighten Your Home on a Budget, and DIY Art at Home, which are all on sale at 25% or more off the cover price.

3. Something to cuddle:

Too many throw pillows? Not so great. Just enough throw pillows? Great. I love little pillows because they’re such an easy way t add some fun color to a space without a lot of commitment. What’s on my gift giving list? Some of these, definitely: a Owl Nature pillow (a steal at $18), a Union Jack pillow, and a gold sequin pillow. Don’t they look fun and cuddly?

4. You can’t go wrong with:

… aLe Creuset 5-piece cookware set at 34% off! All right, so it’s kind of a big, probably for someone special on your list.

5. Quickie gifts:

Who hasn’t found themselves scrambling for a last-minute gift for someone friendly but not exactly a good friend? The Martha types will keep a store of small gifts around for just such occasions. Here’s a trio of good keep-around gifts for emergencies: a sure to please Burt’s Bees gift set, a Feng Shui gift set (under $20!), and a cute rainbow utensil gift set.

6. A way to keep your books in check:

As recently discussed, book lovers with lots of books can end up with books falling off of every conceivable surface. To keep books in check, give the gift of fabulous bookends, like James the Bookend, adorable Polar Bear bookends, and these neat Arrow magnetic bookends.

7. Gifts for the wintertime green thumb:

Indoor gardening requires the right tools. That’s why I love my Threesixty indoor gardening tool set, which was just $19.99. And I wouldn’t mind receiving a Smith & Hawken mini greenhouse so the cats would stay out of my herbs. Or a pair of toasty, dry Bogs Classic Hi Fern boots, for that matter, when I do have to go out in the muck.

8. A tasty treat or two:

Sweet treats to eat, drink, and prepare make always appreciated gifts. Who wouldn’t want a Bodum coffee press or a nice big package of King Leo peppermint bark or even a Sierra fondue set for those mid-winter get togethers that aren’t precipitated by any particular holiday?

9. A quick fix for almost anything:

It goes without saying that homeowners and apartment dwellers will need at least some must-have tools. Give the tool deficient recipient on your holiday list a Denali 115-Piece Home Repair Tool Kit and you’ll have the comfort of knowing they can deal with all the little mishaps of modern life.

10. Something to bank on:

And finally, for the little ones on your list who are hopefully saving their pennies, piggy banks are in again. My faves are the clean white Cilio Piggy Bank, the silly McPig Posh Piggy Bank, and the awesome Pink Piggy Pirate!

Now that you know about toast lovers, here’s a little something that they might just love:

Namely, these Toast It trivets designed by Patricia Naves for Design Studio OITI. Cute, no? It just kind of works out so perfectly that the cork most trivets are made from happens to be a nice toasty brown!

Designer Peter White remembers his dad bringing mom a delish homemade breakfast in bed and the crystal bud vase toppling over into the pancakes. Quelle horreur! In response to the memory, White whipped up this charming breakfast in bed tray with a built-in bud vase. The price tag is a little high at $99, but breakfast is cheap, right? How do you show mom you really care with an inexpensive omelet if not by serving it on an absurdly overpriced breakfast in bed tray?

Note: If the above link doesn’t work, look this plastic tray up on TWEAK directly. For some reason, it’s labeled in the url as “chalkboard-stickers.”

And normally, this soap moratorium doesn’t weigh heavily on my mind. In fact, I can honestly say I hadn’t thought of it at all until, that is, I came across Soapylove. Soapylove, created by Debbie Chialtas, began as a hobby and evolved into a line of soaps, a shop and an Etsy shop, a magazine for soapmakers, and a book! But as cool as the Soapylove story is, the Soapylove soaps are even cooler!

Oh. My. Gosh. Or should I say SQUEEE? Makes you want to hop right into the shower, right? Except when soaps are that awesome, how can you possibly think of using them? (Especially that retro robot soap, which would drive The Beard right out of his mind.) It’s a quandary! But at least it’s a fun one!

So let’s do this thing, yeah? Because Father’s Day is just around the corner!

For the new dad and the dad-to-be:

The DJ Diaper Bag is designed with all the amenities of a great diaper bag while keeping a sophisticated style. While The Beard is happy enough carrying my gigantic Beatrix Potter themed hobo that I sewed myself, I know that there are some dude dads that are just not as comfortable with girlie gear. DJ bags are one way to get papa excited about lugging around dipes and wipes.

For the dad who’s happiest cooking with FIRE:

The Grilled by Dad Platter embraces the widely known concept that dads believe that they are the “kings of the grill.” So it’s not exactly PC – we know and dads know that ladies can be kings of the grill, too, so let’s let dad have his fun.

For the who gets his drink on:

Whisky Stones can be used to cool down your favorite spirits just enough to take the edge off without “closing down” the flavors. Designed by Andrew Hellman (a big fan of malt scotch) and milled in Perkinsville, Vermont, (in the oldest soapstone workshop in the United States) these natural stones won’t flavor or odor your beverage. They also won’t break your glass!

For the gearhead dad:

Not your ordinary alarm clock, the Modern Gears Table Alarm Clock is ideal for the bedroom or anywhere in the house where you require an alarm that is a bit unique. Take a peek of the inner workings of time and watch the gears of the clock move while the clock runs. Extraordinairement manly!

Neat, right? But don’t forget to give dad the greatest gift of all: A phone call to tell him that, yeah, you love him.

The examples above all came from Amazon and can be had with a click. For the gift giver, puzzle boxes are a little bit of harmless sadism. For the gift recipient, they’re as fun as they can be frustrating, especially when there’s something like a gift card, a spot of cash, or a piece of jewelry hidden inside.

In that spirit, here are some sweet holiday gifts from Atypyk that are playful and reasonably priced. It’s almost like you made them yourself, but you didn’t. You picked them out yourself, though, or you can tell people you did. They’re holiday gifts for the quirky and forgiving loved ones in your life, not those recipients expecting a boc from Nordstrom. I guess you could package any or all of these in an old Nordstrom box, thus confusing your recipients.

Why waste a whole plate on a slice when you could put your slice on a pizza slice plate? Less space, sure, but also less to wash.

Quench your flowers’ thirst in eco-friendly containers. Drink beer first, though. Or soda. You give a little to get a little to give a little with a six pack vase.

Bananas are good for your health, and no-slip bananas are no exception. Step one: Peel off bananas. Apply them to the bath floor, bathtub or shower stall. Step two: No slip-and-fall anymore.

Who hasn’t used a wine bottle as a rolling pin, in a pinch? I’ve done it plenty, and I actually own a rolling pin. Give bakers without rolling pins something chic in the form of a wine bottle rolling pin.

Silver and soil, a little TLC, and some water are all it takes… a green thumb doesn’t hurt, though. And $179, which is how much your personal plot will cost you. Hey, it’s cheaper than real estate!

Zippers are used everywhere… in our clothes, on our bags, and now on our mugs? Ohay, so the zipper on these zipper mugs doesn’t actually open and close, it does keep your tea bag tag from falling into your cup. A holiday gift that prevents burnt fingers? Sign me up!

Simple and graceful lines make these koi pitchers seem so elegant, but when you pour, things get playful. The pitcher actually gurgles when you serve your favorite beverage and it’s one of those sounds people can’t get enough of. Of course, you can also use these fresh fish as vases or art objects instead of kitchenware.

A 1980s icon — writing that makes me feel so old — finds a new place on the dining room table! Classic Rubik’s Cubes become colorful salt and pepper grinders that have the same feel and make the same sound as the toy/puzzle they’re paying tribute to. A great holiday gift for the 80s enthusiast, no?

Forget the ugly Tupperware that’s been scratched and dinged by the dishwasher. These snap and shut bowls put a little art in your lunchbox, with designs by emerging artists Matte Stephens, Amy Ruppel, Emily Martin and Catalina Estrada. Yummy.

Did I mention that all of this stuff is $42 or less? The economy be damned, let’s get gifty!

There are pre-fab silhouettes to choose from, but what fun is that? Especially when a custom silhouette ornament will only set you back $40. The deets:

Each ornament is crafted by hand by Paloma’s Nest utilizing fine pure white clay which has been fired and then finished with a special protective surface treatment. Silhouettes are hand painted to perfection with the finest black ceramic paint.

Don’t think that you have to use these hanging silhouettes as holiday ornaments. We’re planning on having one made of our daughter’s silhouette and it will be displayed in the hallway all year long. They could also make fun (albeit slightly pricey) gift tags, no?