Gifts for Grads

Its that time of the year again-celebrating our grads. Hold up, its May already? Oh my! For the past few weeks I've been searching for the perfect gift for my favorite grad. I hit snag after snag because I realized I was shopping for a person who has everything (or so I thought). When shopping for a gift I try to picture the moment when the recipient opens the gift to uncover a perfect little treasure courtesy of yours truly. On top of that I'm always apprehensive about whether they will like my gift or pretend to like it to spare my feelings. My goal is to chose a gift that they genuinely like and will continue to treasure for eyars to come. Since I anticipate some of you may need ideas for a grad *cough* *cough* [May 14, 2011], here are a few great ideas I came across in my quest for the perfect grad gift.

1.Personalized gifts. Personalized gifts are great for any occassion and graduation is no exception. Whether your grad is finishing pre-school or getting their Ph.D a personalized gift is a great way to show you went the extra mile in thinking of their gift. Places like personalizationmall.com or Things Remembered offer great gifts with the added touch of personalization. Among the things you can choose to personalize is clothing, plaques, jewelry, mugs, cups, bath robes and much more.


Click here for a list of the best selling personalized grad gifts.

2. Electronics. Although ipods, ipads, macbooks, iphones and everything else Apple sells gets most of the press about electronics dont believe the hype, there are other amazing electronics. For starters, your grad may appreciate a Kindle from Amazon which gives them the freedom to download books in 60 seconds or less.  Also, a new smart phone could be in order. It will help your grad become more organized and many of them have useful apps that make your life much easier. Smart phones are less bulky than a planner and you can back the information up on your computer.You may also choose to give your grad a video game. The nintendo wii is a great option as is a PS3. They provide a family friendly option to relase steam and have fun while doing so.


3. A Book (or 2 or 3). After years of studying and reading books for school work, it would be a pleasant surprise to get a book your grad can read for leisure. You may choose to get a how-to book or a cook book. or an urban fiction book. Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a good read as well as Caught Between a Dream and a Job and Millionaire Mindset (google them). Please take Sistah Soulja's books off of your list of favorite books and expand your library. You may also choose to recommend a book club to your grad so they may resist the urge to become a total couch potatoe throughout the summer. Reading is fundamental.

4. A vacation. There is nothing like a nice getaway to really let your hair down and kick your feet up after you've reached a milestone. Especially if you're doing it on someone else's dime. Whether your grad is 10 or 30 they will both appreciate a getaway all the same. Vacations can be as unique as your fingerprint so you have the opportunity to make the gift personal to your grad. You may choose to send them to their favorite tropical destination or their favorite hotel for a few days or on a rock climbing adventure. For an added bonus, you may get together with the parents of your grad's friends and send them off with a few friends. If you choose this option try to keep it as simple as possible. Be sure to line up lodging, transportation to and from the destination in advance to ensure your grad's vacay is a success!


5. Benjamins! *Queue the music* "Its all about the Benjamins baby!" Ok enough of that. If you can't decide on what to buy, there's nothing like handing your favorite grad a few Benjamins! Give your grad money and allow them to spend it themselves. Whether they choose to invest or splurge it but there is nothing like several crisp $100 bills in your hands.



What say you people of HUSL Today? This list is by no means exhaustive so share what you will get your grad? What is the best graduation gift you've received?