By Darcy Gervais
Staff Writer

The holiday gift giving season is here. People of all ages, genders, and religions are eagerly waiting for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday they may celebrate to come around to engage in traditions and exciting festivities with friends and loved ones.

Everyone knows that this is the time of year when family and friends shower one another with presents of all shapes, sizes, colors, prices, and genres. With such a broad spectrum of gifts to give, and such a wide variety of stores to purchase gifts from, finding the right gift at the right place can be a challenge.

“I don’t like to ask people what they want for Christmas. I like to surprise people so that they don’t know what they’re in for,” senior Ashley Livorsi said.

With so many amazing gifts to give this holiday season, it’s hard to pick the perfect one for that special someone.

“It’s hard to shop for guys because no two are the same. Almost any girl loves jewelry so that’s a given, but with guys, you never know,” senior Nicole Messina said.

Though no two guys are the same, the majority of them aren’t picky either.

“It’s definitely the thought that counts,” twenty year-old Pepperell resident Justin Strickland said.

When it comes to thoughtful gifts for guys, most prefer comfort over anything else.

“I would love it if my girlfriend bought me some comfy pajama pants or slippers to wear around the house,” Strickland said.

A good place to go for unbeatable deals on all men’s outerwear and apparel is Kohl’s department store. Kohl’s is a great place to find diverse, affordable Christmas gifts for people of all ages and personalities.

One hot gift to give this holiday to that special man in your life whether it be your dad, boyfriend, grandfather, or uncle, is a Croft&Barrow long-sleeved polo on sale at Kohl’s with prices starting at just $14.99. It’s a great gift to give any guy on your list who likes to stay warm and still be fashionable this holiday season.

Top 5 Gifts to Give Your Boyfriend:
1. Fleece Pajama Pants/Dearfoams Terry Clog Slippers (comfort beats all)
2. Scrapbook filled with pictures of you and him (shows thoughtfulness and creativity)
3. Mix tape/CD (shows interest in his taste in music, he can upload it onto his iPod)
4. Hoodie/Sweat Shirt (go to his favorite store and pick out something you know he’d wear often and like a lot)
5. Rolex/Fossil Watch (pricey, fashionable gift)

When shopping for girls, there’s a lot more thoughtfulness to be put into the purchases. Most of the time, girls expect their boyfriends to give them meaningful, more expensive gifts that have had a lot of thought put into them.

“Shop at some place you know that she likes and get something that you know she will enjoy,” senior Anna Raboin suggests.

Bath and Body Works is a popular store, easily accessible at the Pheasant Lane Mall right off of the Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua, NH. Teenage girls, especially in high school, visit there often.

Hot gift items to get that special girl in your life include numerous body lotions and fragrance mists from their ever changing holiday collection. One new and delicious smelling body lotion and fragrance mist that has arrived at all Bath and Body works locations for a limited time is their ‘Secret Wonderland’ body lotion and mist. This concoction of conditioning shea butter, protective vitamin e, and fast absorbing jojaba oil leaves your skin feeling smooth and silky as well as smelling delicious.

In addition to Bath and Body Works, most teenage high school girls tend to gravitate towards the American Eagle Outfitters store, also in the Pheasant Lane Mall. This immensely popular store is now offering 50% off all AE sweaters and hoodies for the holidays. It’s a great thing to get any girl on your list who likes American Eagle apparel as well as the warmth, comfort, and excellent quality of their clothes.

Top 5 Gifts to Give Your Girlfriend:
1. Pandora Bracelet/Charms (romantic, thoughtful, expensive gift she’s sure to love)
2. Body Lotions/Fragrance Mists (make sure to pay attention to a particular scent she wears often and mimic it or get something similar)
3. Fuzzy Socks/frilled scarves (fun, comfortable gift)
4. Spa Gift Certificate (pricey, luxurious gift any girl would love)
5. Bouquet of Roses with Gift Certificate to favorite restaurant inside (romantic, thoughtful gift)

When it comes to gifts for teachers, especially those who have taken the time to write a college recommendation for any senior student, the thought put into the gift is what counts above all else.

“I would never expect or ask a student to get me a gift of any sort for Christmas, but, last year a student made me chocolate covered pretzels and I really liked that because it showed a lot of thought,” multimedia teacher Gina Mustoe said.

Thoughtful gifts for teachers are most of the time personalized by the student, incorporating something that they enjoy into the gift. For example, if you have a talent for cooking or baking, cooking or baking one of your specialties for a teacher who has impacted you in a positive way or has taken the time to write you a college recommendation, can add that extra something special to a present.

Also, gift cards go along great with a ‘thank you’ note for any teacher. Visa gift cards are great because of their diversity. The teacher that you give it to can spend it on anything they want, anywhere they want, wherever Visa’s are accepted so you won’t have to worry about getting them the wrong thing,

Top 5 Gifts For Teachers:
1. Baked goods (meaningful and delicious)
2. Visa Gift Card (can’t go wrong because they can spend it on whatever they want)
3. Christmas Ornament (seasonal, fun gift)
4. Scented Candle (make sure to pick up on what scents he/she likes)
5. Christmas Card with heart-felt letter attached (express to teacher how much they mean to you and the impact they’ve made on you as a student)

Gifts for loved ones, teachers, and anyone else that you care about enough to buy a Christmas gift for, should come from the heart and be thought out and sincere. Really taking the time to figure out what someone enjoys and would be happy with, can pay off in the long run and make a big difference in how someone reacts to their gift. This holiday season isn’t about receiving and being greedy, it’s about sharing the holiday spirit and thanking someone for making a positive impact on your life.