The holiday season is truly the most wonderful time of the year. While it can be said that the holidays are a time of hospitality and warmth, gifts are also an inevitable staple of the season. While there are a myriad of ways to properly show your love and gratitude for a special woman in your life, finding a meaningful and suitable present for your gal can be a simple and fun way to show you care. Below are a few item suggestions for the lucky ladies in your life to inspire you into grabbing that perfect gift.

Mom

Day Spa Trip:

More than anything in the world, every mother needs a little bit of relaxation. Because some of us can’t exactly afford to foot the bill for a maternal getaway trip to Hawaii, a day spa would serve as the perfect way for our mothers to get this extra dose of calmness. Ojai and Santa Barbara are day spa hotspots and provide a wide array of services and rates, from exotic facials and massages to tension-relieving mud baths. A comprehensive list of Santa Barbara area spas can be found at http://www. santabarbara.com/lodging/spas.

Cookbooks:

As a college student in a fast-paced world, it can be difficult to get in that extra quality time with family members. It can usually be said that the first person in the world who would want to spend that time with you is your mother, and this holiday season, we think you should oblige her. For a fun activity that would combine a gift and an experience, invest in an interesting cookbook and spend the afternoon creating new experimental dishes with mother dearest. A great buy this season is Santa Barbara native and renowned chef Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One which runs about $40 at local bookstores or can be found at www.amazon.com for the reduced price of $19.

Sister

Winter Clothing:

It doesn’t matter how old or young your sister may be, as a female, she is naturally and fatally attracted to clothing. While taste and style choice may vary, all women could afford more scarves, coats or other winter-appropriate clothing to get them through the season. A fine and fashionable selection of coats, sweaters and scarves are available at www.jcrew.com, with sweat¬ers discounted at 20 percent as of now. Hats, scarves, sweaters and gloves are on sale at www.gap.com and come in at an average of $20 per item.

Jewelry:

Jewelry, like clothing, has a way of being entirely appealing to nearly all women of all ages. A beautiful necklace is a thoughtful way to remind your sister of the connection you two share as siblings and will likely be the final step to seal your growth past sibling rivalry. A gorgeous sterling silver and mother of pearl sibling’s pendant is available at www.redenvelope.com for a fair price of $60. A wide array of distinctive and interesting necklaces and pendants are available at www.macys.com at discounted prices and with free shipping for any item over $99.

Girlfriend

Wine Tasting:

Although many of us have resided in Santa Barbara for years on end, it does not necessarily follow that we have had the time to explore the Santa Barbara Wine Country. For a romantic getaway with your significant other, plan a few trips to local wineries and enjoy each other’s company in a relaxed and scenic environment. The Santa Barbara Grapeline offers winery tours and a “Vineyard Picnic Tour,” which includes wine tastings at various wineries and a gourmet picnic lunch for two. Rates and details can be planned at www.gogrape.com.

Perfume:

Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory, and if you play your cards right, you may just have your girl thinking about you every time she goes out. A nice perfume will last for years and leave your lady feeling luxurious and sexy whenever she dabs on a fragrance hand-picked by you. For a fun selection of scents, head into Sephora, where samples allow you to imagine what would be the best scent to buy. Otherwise, head online at www.sephora.com or www.perfume.com to complete your purchase. Some favorites are Marc Jacobs Lola for $42 and Prada Intense Deluxe Eau de Parfum, coming in at $140.

Best Friend

DVD Sets:

Contrary to what some may think, girls don’t have to talk at all to bond. Sometimes, they can be content plopping down on a sofa with a martini in hand and watching the lovely lives of the “Sex and the City” girls. DVD box sets are a wonderful way to show your best friend that you care, and although they can run a bit pricy, box sets are truly the gift that keeps on giving as you can borrow them again and again once you send them off to your friend. The complete season of “Sex and the City” can be found at www.bizrate.com for $118.99 and is sure not to disappoint in terms of drama, sex and laughs.

Magazine Subscription:

A surprisingly economical and fun gift to give, magazine subscriptions are a great gift for all BFFs. If your friend cares more about world issues than the color of a stiletto, go ahead and grab her a subscription to The Economist, available at www.econo¬mist.com and running at $95 per year. If your best buddy is more of a fashionista than a news tracker, a subscription to Vogue is certainly in order, available at www.vogue.com and going for the cheap price of $29.95, with a second subscription thrown in for free. Magazine varieties and deals are limitless, so search online for the most suitable present for your pal at www. magazines.com.

Roommate

Picture Frame:

Whether you’re planning on living with your roommate for years to come, or the two of you are going your separate ways, a nicely put-together picture frame can remind her of the wonderful memories you shared together. A beautiful collection of picture frames can be found at www.pictureframes.com, stretching anywhere from $15 to well over $100. The site offers every¬thing from bamboo to black satin picture frames, so it is ensured that the perfect frame will be found!

Key Chain:

This rather simple item typically gets overlooked as a desirable gift. Stunning key chains can add an interesting flair to even the plainest set of keys. Though it’s a small touch, a key ring can make something as mundane as a pair of keys fun. Gorgeous jeweled and sterling silver keyrings can be found at www.coach.com and run at a fair price of $40.

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