Although we don’t always admit it, we know a lame present when we get one: “Oh, what a lovely calendar. Twelve months of meatloaf recipes.”
Yes, shopping days are running short. But you don’t have to buy Aunt Milly another sweater, or Uncle Joe another pair of wool socks.
Here in Temple, there is still time to find gifts that likely won’t be tucked under the bed, or stashed in the closet, unloved and forgotten. After all, does Dad really need another bottle of Aqua Velva?
nRay Hennig’s Heart of Texas Music on South 31st Street has a few Fender Squire six-string electric guitars for about $100. It has a five-way switch and three pickups like a regular Stratocaster. Store manager Dennis Hardwick said it’s for beginner and intermediate guitar players. Ear plugs optional.
But if you don’t want to banish the kids to the garage, try going unplugged. Acoustic guitar packages cost about $120, which includes guitar, soft case, strings, picks, tuner, everything you need to start strumming.
Depending on what you can afford, musical gifts run from just a few to several hundred dollars. Spruce, mahogany and rosewood Martin guitars would make beautiful music for the serious guitar player, but they’re not cheap. Yet a simple set of drumsticks cost only seven bucks. Amps start at $60. Hardwick also recommends guitar straps, harmonicas and music books.
nPetco on HK Dodgen Loop offers gerbils, guinea pigs and hamsters from about $75-$125, a popular gift item, store employees say.
“You have to do maintenance. Clean the bedding, make sure everything is disinfected,” store manager Frank DeLong said. “It teaches the kids responsibility too.”
Ferrets are popular with older teens, DeLong said. “They are very playful.”
nHobby Lobby on HK Dodgen Loop offers warm and soft fleece that anyone can fashion into a throw blanket or poncho. Employee Jessica Krobot showed off all kinds of different patterns: lady bugs, kitty cats, dragons, camouflage, John Deere and Dallas Cowboys. Ms. Krobot said the blankets are great for cuddling up, watching movies or sleeping. They’re washable too, which is nice, since pets love them.
“What you do is you just get probably 2 yards of fabric and then you cut the edges and tie them together. There’s no sewing, nothing required. You tie it together by hand. My mom’s a Longhorn and my Dad’s an Aggie, so I did a house divided,” Ms. Krobot said.
nWanda’s Uniquely Yours sells hand-painted glassware - from wine and beer glasses to cake domes - from her shop at 1003 S. 23rd Street. Favorite themes include bull riders, bluebonnets and chili peppers. Wanda Lueck says if you drop off a set of glasses to her by Tuesday, she can hand paint your request, including personal greetings or initials, by Christmas.
Ms. Lueck also sells quillows - that’s a pillow that opens up like a quilt. Prices are in the $40 range. And she makes blankets in a bag. What looks like a large purse opens up into a full-size blanket - about $30. Probably the oddest item, and cheapest, is a small piece of red felt that you can hang on the tree.
“This is Santa’s underwear,” Ms. Lueck said. “You can use it as a money holder, or put candy in them . . . or a gift card.”
nEmporium Packaging & Spice Co. at 1104 S. First Street caters to the barbecuer and other cooks on your Christmas list. The company made its name with its chili, which is still available in a mix. Their products are in demand from such successful Austin restaurants as County Line Barbecue and Chuy’s, a Tex-Mex favorite.
Starting at $5.75, you can buy the Down South, an all-purpose rub, mostly for poultry or vegetables, and recommended for those popular, deep-fried turkeys. Special Blend is the big seller rub for barbecue brisket. They also sell fajita seasoning.
And the Bubba in your clan might like The Barbecue Buddy, a beer carton (six-pack carrier) with an oven mitt and tongs and three different seasonings.
A 12-ounce jar of tea - “Our flavor is sugar and spice and everything nice,” with a hint of citrus - sells for $4. An aromatherapy mix called The Sweet Smell of Christmas comes in a tin wrapped with a ribbon and sells for $8.
