Imagine a vacation for the soul, an hour or less from their doorstep; a day spa for the spirit; an adventure for the mind, body, and heart.

For some it will be whale watching in L.A., cruising along the coastal waters while these ancient beasts breach in the cold tides. For others it will be a culinary tour of their favorite food scene, food trailers in Austin or ethnic foods in New York City’s trendy NoLIta district. Still others would give up a limb to race a Sprint Cup stock car on the track, and maybe you yourself have always dreamed of flying.

All these things are not things at all, of course. They are experiences, the makings of memories that don’t fade, don’t accumulate in dust-proof clusters, don’t take up precious space in our cluttered lives.

They get us out exploring, testing ourselves or indulging our senses or falling in love all over again. (Witness the vineyard tours, the gondola dessert cruises, the kayak to dinner on the dunes at sunset.)

They are experience gifts. Adventure gifts, gift experiences, whatever you want to call them, the point is to get away from material stuff and give what matters in life–experiences, memories, new passions and old dreams come true.

With over 1,700 experiences in 40-odd cities across the country, from helicopter skiing in Telluride to chocolate-making classes in NYC, there’s an adventure gift for every adrenaline junky, homebody, budding artiste or golf fanatic on your list. Search by city, category, price or all three, without the risk of running out, getting stuck in a snowstorm, or a hesitant smile on Christmas morning right here: Christmas Experience Gifts.

And maybe next year, it’ll be you who’s so lucky.

This holiday season give someone you love a heartwarming childhood memory with this charming snowman frame.

Perfect for? The gal who has everything. The gal who wants nothing.  The gal whom you love, and who loves new experiences.  And it’s called an experience gift.

It’s an afternoon at the spa, pampered by expert hands, getting her toes rubbed, scrubbed and polished after sinking into an aromatic bath, before getting the kinks massaged from her weary body.

Or perhaps it’s a cooking class, a gourmet chocolate making lesson, learning how to temper, mold, dip, decorate and savor that exquisite blend of cacao and butter (and, sometimes, milk) with the guidance of a thirty-year veteran chocolatier.

Instead of a hand-blown glass vase (and for the same price tag), you could shoo her into a glass-blowing studio, the kiln glowing, lighting up an ear-to-ear grin as she blows her very own glass vase.

For the daredevil, it might be a guided trek through California’s Angeles National Forest, hiking her way to the famed Bridge to Nowhere–off which she’ll hurl herself–bungee jumping.  For the eccentric, Aerial Fabric Classes to loop herself in ropes of silk fabric, an elegant combination of gymnastics and dance.  For the foodie, a cultural food tour downtown; a champagne brunch cruise for her and her partner.

These are experience gifts, adventure gifts, gift experiences–a day in another life and the experience of a lifetime, perfect for the unique Christmas gift you’ve been searching for. No boxes, no ribbons, no bows (unless you’re so inclined), perhaps just a camera full of photos and a new sense of herself.

Now that’s a gift.

For the last 20 years PoetryGift.com has been creating special Christmas gifts for mom. The company is known for their one-of-a-kind real rose poetry domes. Another popular item is their musical picture frame that combines a song with a heartwarming poem.

Maybe you’re a poet and you just don’t know it! Use the “design your own poem” feature of the website to create a gift for mom that will have her showing it off for years to come.

Nothing says “I Love You Mom” better than a heartfelt poem that she can read over and over again. Oh yes – a hug to go with it makes it the perfect Christmas gift for Mother.

He tips his visor against the glinting sun, adjusts his cleats on the green, and with a PGA professional whispering trade secrets over his shoulder, he finally masters his swing with this golf lesson with a PGA pro.

Roll the crystal stem of a champagne flute between your fingers, glimpse out at the scrolling city skyline, and clink a toast with him on a champagne cruise.

Brace yourself for years of play-by-play recollections after you send him out to the local racetrack, professional teams suiting him up and strapping him into a bona fide Sprint Cup stock car for the ride, quite literally, of his life—as a racecar driver for a day.

Lounge away the morning with breakfast in a pillow-top bed, imagining your husband as he chips wildly in a world-class sand trap, over a weekend at a high-end golf resort like The Homestead.

Through the hum of the engine, over the rolling quilt of the earth, the certified pilot instructs your husband on maneuvering the air currents ten-thousand feet up, during his first flight—a flying lesson lifting him one notch closer to his dream of flying on his own.

These? Are experience gifts (a.k.a. adventure gifts or gift experiences), and they will rock (perhaps literally) his world—and maybe yours, too. Instead of a new watch ticking off the seconds, make him forget time itself. Instead of a pocketknife, send him packing on a white-water rafting trip through the Coloradoan (or Oregonian or Washingtonian or…) wilderness.

What you see is just a tiny fraction of what you get. These experiences last lifetimes, fulfill dreams, craft a particular brand of fade-resistant memories. They are Christmases not to be forgotten.

For what you’d spend on a box set of Clint Eastwood movies all the way up to the grand adventure of his lifetime, for the bookish types inclined toward terroirs and architecture and the thrill-seekers hunting down buddies on the paintball field, there’s something out there for your guy–and it doesn’t involve watching Clint make surly faces on grainy film for the next month.

And, of course, they aren’t just for men. At Cloud9Living.com, you’ll find thousands of gifts sorted by medium (water and snow, spa, golf, etc.) and by city for your perusal. San Diego photo safari, anyone?

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of Black Friday sales and ‘must have’ gift advice, but the truth is that gifts that are made for the masses generally fail to deliver the personalized touch that can make gift giving so special. As neat as a new iPad would be, it sort of loses its luster when you realize that everyone else you know has one as well, doesn’t it?

That’s where this article comes in. If you’re looking for a gift that is truly unique this year – a gift that will undoubtedly get a ‘thumbs up’ from even the most reserved gift recipient – you need to put down the Sunday ads for big box stores and start thinking outside the box. In fact, you need to stop thinking about gifts as you know them.

Traditionally, gifts are things. Material objects. A gadget or piece of jewelry or a clothing item, for example. They can be seen, touched, heard, tasted, and felt. They are also subject to technology advances that make them obsolete, fashion trends, personal taste, and Father Time who often misplaces things, breaks them, or puts them away, never to be used again. This is where many gifts fail. People stop using them (or never use them). Things break. Stuff gets lost. And what was once a valiant attempt at giving the perfect gift becomes a thing of the past, forgotten like so much else. What did you get for Christmas 5 years ago? I can’t remember either.

So what is the solution? It’s simple and brilliant. Stop shopping for gifts that are things. Instead of looking for a material object this holiday season, consider shopping for an experience gift. Instead of giving the racing fan in your life a new jacket with his favorite driver’s number on it, send him to the track to drive the race car! Know a foodie that you were considering buying some fancy, destined to be used only once or twice, kitchen gadget for? Buy them an evening with a personal chef or a tour of their cities top restaurants instead. Experience gifts make incredible Christmas gifts for men, women, families, couples, or even yourself! There are experience gifts available across the country for people with nearly any sort of interest on any kind of budget. Go all out with bucket list items like flying a fighter jet or keep it simple with a day at the spa. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Today’s LED lights are magical. They are long-lasting and don’t get hot. And there’s no frustration should one bulb go out. The whole string will still stay on. Many companies now offer LED lights with battery options for wreaths and garlands where a plug may not be nearby. The choices are vast and the products are well-made. A LED lit wreath would make a great holiday gift idea too.

First, decide if you want clear or colored lights. This is your only big decision. Whichever you choose, there are benefits to each.

Clear Lights

When you choose clear lights, you’re setting a tone for elegance, simplicity, and understated style. You can find clear lights in every size from tiny globe lights to bigger outdoor bulbs. Clear lights are nice if you are going to light larger spaces. They do not overpower the room. They work well with silvers, greens, blues, and reds. Just about any color can be paired with clear lights, but a more selective design palate works best. If you are going for a candlelit mood, clear lights can help set the tone. Use them both inside and out for the full effect. Drape them on banisters and on mantels for a charming, old world feel. Clear lights pair well with candles as they complement the actual flame of the candle. They’re also fun to use with battery-operated flameless candles.

Colored Lights

If you are a colored light fan, you’ve got so many options at your fingertips. You can go for a multi-colored strand that blinks or stays stationary. Or you can choose a strand in all red, all green, or all blue. There are many different options with size as well. Smaller bulbs are perfect for tabletop Christmas trees and larger bulbs in the shape of candles are available for your main Christmas tree. The main benefit of colored lighting is that it sets the mood and anchors your color palate. If you choose red lights, you can accent with a red velvet table runner, red ornaments, and red bows. The lights will add a cohesive feel to the entire room. You can even set the tone by lining your walkway leading to your front door with red lights. Add red lights to the wreath on your front door. If you go with a multi-colored strand, it makes a festive scene that children marvel at. You can do your entire tree in multi-colored bulbs and then accent with homemade ornaments that tend to have many colors in them. They’ll also complement the packages under the tree as wrapping papers come in patterns and colors of every type.

Once you’ve chosen your lighting color, you can add strands of light to every room in the house. Wrap lights around mirrors and door frames. Windows look graceful decked in lights as do staircases and even bookcases. Don’t be shy with your lighting. The more you add, the more holiday cheer you will bring.

Did a friend or family member invite you to stay at their house? A Botanical Soap Gift Basket makes a fabulous hospitality gift.  The gift basket from Country Hill Farms contains six bars of all natural soap in lavender, apple, and sandalwood scents.  The host will be thrilled to let future guests enjoy these luxurious soaps.

Postal workers fight the elements to make sure we have our mail, so giving them a small gift is the least we can do to show our thanks. Biscotti from K-Delights make an excellent thank you gift for a postal worker. After all, we leave cookies for the delivery man in the red suit with the reindeer that comes by once a year; why not leave some for the delivery person who works hard for us everyday?

Last but not least, we must thank the people taking care of our most precious treasures. Child care workers deserve a gift to let them know how much we appreciate them.  Give them the one thing that they need the most, energy! Berres Brothers Signature Coffee Gift Baskets include eight different flavors of coffee to provide a delicious, quick boost.  Include a handmade thank you card from your child for that extra sentimental touch.

Can you imagine what life would be like without a friendly host, a reliable mailman, and a caring babysitter? Giving a thoughtful and unique gift will insure that the loved ones who helped you through this year will feel appreciated, and be happy to help again in years to come.

If you have got a certain mother in mind, you can try blissliving.com. This website has a huge selection of gifts and gift ideas, from gifts for new babies and gifts for moms to toy chests to gifts for kids. Blissliving.com even has gifts for Dads, like sturdy leather work gloves and personalized barbecue branding irons! This place excites me because there are so many new babies among my group of friends! I’m having so much fun browsing through all of the cute gifts, trendy diaper bags, personalized “Mom” jewelry and adorable baby clothes! Every page I click on, I find something I want, which is big because I normally spend hours in the stores, searching for the best gifts, and usually leave empty handed. I bet this year, my Christmas shopping is going to be fast and easy!

ChristmasGifts.com is just plain awesome; there is really no way out of that one. I like to look on the website randomly throughout the year to find gifts for every occasion and every budget. Why make Christmas shopping hard on yourself? Whether you are looking for health and fitness gifts, Christmas collectibles or religious Christmas presents, it is easy to find absolutely anything you want on ChristmasGifts.com.