If you’re looking to find a special something for a housewarming party or just an all purpose Christmas gift, there are plenty of ideas to fit any budget range in the area of indoor plants, the vast majority of which can be found in any home improvement or pet store. Indoor plants are a trend among gift givers, as they require little maintenance, have lovely designs, and can be used for any occasion. Three specific types of plants are among the most popular, and will typically fit in any price range.

Bonzai tree

One common plant for gift giving is the Japanese Bonzai tree. If you’ve never seen these miniature trees in person, check an online image to get a sense of how tiny and intricate they truly are!  Bonzai trees are often less than a foot in height, so they can be placed practically anywhere in the house to bring color and focus to a particular part of a room.  These trees are most often used on coffee tables, kitchen shelves, or bathroom fixtures to attract attention from guests or neighbors. There are many species of these miniature trees, and though some are hard to find, the most popular can be easily found at any store or online from direct retailers, and usually for under fifty dollars. Like any other tree, Bonzai plants do not require frequent watering, as they can retain large quantities of water in their trunks.

Venus Flytrap

A more exotic indoor plant, and one that will enthrall younger guests, is the predatory Venus flytrap. These carnivores need very little nurturing to grow, as they will snap up their meals from the air rather than from fertilizer.  Although Venus flytraps work too slowly to rid a house of pests, consuming only one or two flies per week, they can be a source of amusement as you watch an irritating housefly that’s too fast to catch with a swatter be captured by the waiting jaws. Venus flytraps are a bit on the expensive side, at nearly a hundred dollars.

Cactus gifts

Perhaps the most common indoor plant is the cactus, especially for those who have little ability to grow plants! A cactus is not only easy to keep, requiring water once a month at most, but also produces beautiful flowers in spring, most of which are only rarely seen by human eyes. Cacti are also very very cheap, and can be purchased for only ten dollars.

With the advent of summer comes the appeal to millions of Americans — get off the couch and into the great outdoors!  At this time of year, countless families escape into the thousands of beautiful natural parks across the United States to get away from the stress of everyday life and reconnect with their family.  Whether you are considering going camping or just know someone who is, there are an unlimited number of products on the market to help them out, and camping gear gifts are welcome for anyone who appreciates the outdoors.

Coleman tent

Certainly the most helpful camping gift is the most important piece of equipment — a tent!  The quintessential camping piece, tents can range in sizes from one man to nearly a dozen occupants with multiple rooms.  Though the larger tents are usually quite expensive, sometimes as much as a few thousand dollars, there are plenty of budget friendly options that can comfortably fit two or three persons.  Coleman tents are among the market leaders and have been for decades, as they offer few frills but come in very affordable models.  A Coleman two person tent can fit two occupants with enough space for backpacks or cooking equipment.

Sleeping bags

Aside from a tent, a sleeping bag can be the best gift available to campers, especially cold weather enthusiasts!  Sleeping bags have evolved from the days of two blankets connect with safety pints into surprisingly complex products, with a wide spectrum of comfort and temperature ranges.  Some sleeping bags are nearly as thick as a mattress and provide incredible padding against even the thickest stony mountain slopes.  Other sleeping bags are, in fact, engineered to provide the resistance to cold necessary to camp out in sub zero temperatures and at high altitude.  While your friends may not be hiking Mount Everest, a sleeping bag with function up to negative forty degrees will cover almost any condition of camping.

Camping gear T-shirts

Some campers are not so hard core that they venture deep into the woods, but simply have a family outing at a recreation park, lake, or near an ocean.  For this, a great gift idea is customized camping gear T-shirts, so that the memory of a family reunion can be preserved through your wardrobe!  T-shirts can be purchased in bulk for cheap, sometimes as low as twenty dollars for a dozen, and then brought to a graphic designer who will add logos, names, or other designs in uniform onto your families’ regalia.