Whether a person is tall or short, miserable or merry, young or old, no one can escape the Christmas cheer come December. Some people bake warm gingerbread cookies topped with icing. Others put up a tree, hanging ornaments on the branches to the sweet sound of Christmas carols on the radio. But, the one Christmas tradition that most people celebrate is the art of giving gifts to loved ones. For those out there that do not buy gifts for Christmas because of stinginess and greed: quit being a Scrooge. There’s nothing like the giving spirit of Christmas. Gift-givers come across the same two painfully nagging questions each and every year: What should I get them? How much should I spend? There are endless possible answers to these questions, but no one is really right or wrong. Should the gift be cheap or expensive? Should I give gifts galore or a single, thoughtful one? Should it be personally hand-crafted or store-bought? Such thoughts puzzle even the most inventive minds during the Christmas season. The reality of the situation is that as high school students, students don’t have a ton of cash to spend on Christmas gifts, so we tend to lean toward the cheap side. With so many friends and family to remember, tons of gifts for any one person is usually out as well. Creative, home-made gifts are always appreciated for all the time and hard-work put into coming up with such great ideas. Personalizing gifts for the receiver shows how much you pay attention to their personality and how well you really know them. It can also help you stay on a low budget, too. One of the greatest homemade gifts are baked goods. Cookies, candies and breads made from the heart are fantastic presents to give to your family and friends. Nothing could be better than biting into a warm, soft, homemade chocolate chip cookie. You can just taste the love and can’t help but appreciate it! Baking is a cost-effective way to cover almost all your Christmas gifts. Some other imaginative ideas for couples to give each other could be organizing a surprise movie night, a walk through the woods or even jumping in the car and riding around the neighborhood looking at all the lights on the houses. These are all relatively cheap or free options that make memories, and memories last a lifetime. Clothes and technology just won’t give you that same effect. The exception to this rule is when creative gifts and store-bought gifts intermingle to be the same thing. For example, if the person you are buying for is really passionate about a class, sport or a type of music, buying them something personal that relates to that subject is usually a hit. It may only take a few bucks and some searching the web to find the perfect item. For example, if someone loves Spanish class and the Steelers, this year they are offering Terrible Towels in Spanish. It’s low price and says how much you know about their interests. The best thing to keep in mind is that no matter what you get a loved one, it is likely the recipient will love it because it came from you. The saying “it’s the thought that counts” really is true. So don’t fret the gift decisions, give with your heart and enjoy the holiday season!