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Your search is over: unexpected gifts that work for any occasion

By Claudia Savin

Gift-giving is a time-honored way to show esteem and affection for your loved ones. Nothing beats the wonderful feeling of finding just the right item that compliments the recipient’s personality and expresses how much you care. But between birthdays, anniversaries, housewarming, and holidays, finding the right gift for a picky recipient can also be a bit of a brain teaser. Stress (and search) no more: we’ve compiled a list of unexpected and creative gifts that will suit nearly any occasion.

This giant wooden dice set will knock the socks off almost anyone on your list, and inspire everyone to head for the yard or the nearest park. Pets may get into the spirit as well when they see these dice tumbling across the lawn. This fab set comes with a lidded carrying container for easy storage, and it’s also collapsible so the recipient can maximize their play area.  They may even decide to store the container itself and keep their giant dice out all year round as a pair of striking paperweights. The kit also comes with reusable game cards and dry erase markers to keep the fun going. As warm weather draws near, we can think of no better way to motivate everyone to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.
$30 from Amazon $55 from Walmart

We all know someone who constantly seems to be on the go and as busy as a bee. That person may often be rummaging in their purse or pockets for their wallet and phone, juggling first one, then the other. This stylish cell phone case puts an end to all that, while also protecting their phone. Keep everything at your fingertips with this case from Gear Beast and see what a difference an efficient and well-made wallet and phone combination can be. It may just become the tool they didn’t know they needed but now can’t live without.
$22 from Amazon

When in doubt, give the gift of a stylish bed and a glorious night’s sleep. This impossibly soft sheet set is a “sleeper agent” of a gift. It may seem a little less than thrilling, but isn’t there that person on your list that tends to put others first, who forgets to treat themselves, and who uses items a bit past their prime? That person seriously deserves gorgeously soft new bedding. Everyone deserves to be treated like a King or Queen now and again.
$0 from Amazon

Voila: he perfect gift for the glamorous, sociable one on your list who loves to entertain. This kit has everything the expiring mixologist could need or want, all attractively displayed in a wooden holder that keeps everything at the ready. With this gift, they can learn to mix fabulous cocktails or mocktails that will be the talk of the next party. Nothing is more festive than the sound of an icy cocktail shaker getting ready to serve a lovely and fresh libation. Next year, you can treat the budding mixologist to an exciting new drink recipe book.
$24 from Amazon $22 from Walmart

Speaking of entertaining, consider this impossibly chic cheese serving board to wow the friend or relative who loves to host. This helpful board makes serving everything from fruit, bread, cheese, deli meats to chocolates into a mini celebration, and a hot photo opportunity. You’ll be surprise what a splash a simple serving board can make, and the new combinations of snacks and treats. In between parties, it can even be hung on the wall for a rustic touch.
$69 from Amazon

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Gift giving is a deceptively simple art that may seem at times to be very complicated. At the end of the day, it’s about celebrating the personalities of the people you love and making them feel special. It can be hard to think outside the box, but with these unique and thoughtful gifts, what once seemed difficult can become a snap. An unexpectedly giant set of dice can bring the whole family together and get them outside. A chic new cheese board or mixology set can encourage the entertainer to fire up their talents once more, and a sleek phone case can give the busiest person you know a helping hand. Crisp new sheets can help make over the look of an entire bedroom and send your hardworking loved one to dreamland. The gestures we make say quite a lot, and they can do even more.

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Claudia Savin
Contributor
Claudia is a fragrance enthusiast based in the Pacific Northwest. She has a passion for exploring unexpected and overlooked…
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