December 16, 2025
A Guide to Gifts for the Hard-to-Please
Let’s face it: we all have at least one person in our lives who doesn’t always enjoy the gifts they receive. Maybe it’s a sibling who scoffs at anything “off-the-rack” or your friend who’s tired of the latest gadgets before you even hear about them. If the words “difficult to shop for” have become part of your holiday vocabulary, here are some Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa gift ideas that might delight even the impossible-to-please loved ones on your “nice” list.
1. The Experience
Who wants a gift when you can get an experience? A lived memory is impossible to re-gift, and harder for even Scrooge to hate. For the critical curmudgeon in your life, consider gifting a virtual cooking class, an online dance class, or a live-streamed concert. Check out Airbnb Online Experiences—where you can impart pasta tutoring with a grandma in Italy or salsa instruction from a pro in Havana. Just don’t blame us if they expatriate.
2. Subscriptions for the Win
Let’s be honest: everyone loves mail (well, as long as it’s not a bill). A subscription is a regular reminder that says, “Hey, I care about your weird interests.” For the culinary explorer, check out a Try the World snack box. If your loved one is obsessively curious, The Mysterious Package Company will send them cryptic treasures and stories to explore. To hone skills in everything from leadership and interior design to acting and photography, give them a MasterClass, taught by a celebrity expert. For a literary touch, Book of the Month keeps their nightstand fresh and their mind sharp and it was the “best gift tested” by Reader’s Digest!
3. Tech Gadgets They Didn’t Know Existed
Gadgets are risky… unless you go off the beaten path. How about a self-heating smart mug for the perpetual coffee sipper, or a UV smartphone sanitizer for the germophobe? For the music lover, these Bluetooth sleep headphones are literally a dream come true. Bonus: all available online, no human interaction required.
4. Fresh and Delectable
Sweet tooth or salt craver, you can gift both types with certificates from the award-winning Poulette Bakeshop or La Baguette de Normandy – YELP-rated 4.5 and 4.3 stars respectively – are BELOVED bakeries in Parker.
Weekends are very busy and things sell out quickly because items are made fresh. With both sweet (Poulette’s rich, flaky, sugary decadence) and savory (La Baguette’s quiches and crepes), there’s something delicious to please every palate on your list.
5. Personalized Perfection
Custom gifts show you’ve gone the extra mile—without actually going anywhere. Personalized socks with your face? Sockprints has you covered. A custom-made portrait of their pet as a Renaissance noble? Crown & Paw will paint the royal treatment. Engraved gadgets, monogrammed robes, even custom puzzles from that photo of everyone making weird faces — if you can imagine it, someone online will sell it to you an maybe even send it by Christmas.
6. Gifts for the Philanthropist
Sometimes, the hardest people to please want nothing at all. That’s where charitable contributions come in—give to a nonprofit in those folks’ names and watch them try to return it. Want to better the life of a fellow human? Donate toward emergency food packs, hygiene kits or baby medical care through Compassion International. Prefer something closer to home? DonorsChoose supports classrooms in need across the U.S. It’s the gift that keeps on giving (and never needs dusting).
Shopping for the hard-to-please isn’t about finding the perfect gift—it’s about expressing love and affection. Whether you pick an experience, a quirky subscription, or a custom masterpiece, remember: giving rewards the giver – as much as the givee!
Holiday Shopping from Looking Glass
It’s easy to shop from home in the new homes of Looking Glass in Parker. Sure, you can drive 15 minutes to the Park Meadows Mall – which we do regularly. Or you can head to Southlands for an outdoor shopping stroll. But Dream Finders Homes offers some of the most up-to-date floor plans and design styles that you can call your own – and shop at any hour of the day or night. Check out the models and more than 13 options in the master-planned community of Looking Glass.