It’s that time of year when I start hassling loved ones for wish lists for the holidays. Several also have birthdays during the winter months, and it can be a real challenge to come up with ideas for people who usually respond to my request with a “Oh, I really don’t need anything” or who purchase for themselves half the things on the list they give me.

One of my secret weapons for gift-giving, though, is Global Traveler‘s monthly Technology column. I myself am not much of a gadget gal, but Alexandra Kirkman always presents interesting items that simplify life, make business and travel easier, broaden one’s entertainment options and, usually, do so in a compact, easy-to-take-along form. Literally every time I sit down to proof the text for an upcoming column, I find something there which I immediately identify with someone I know. There might be a nifty smartphone camera lens ideal for my daughter, a fitness app for my nephew, headphones for my husband or a luggage tracking device for my sister. The beauty of it is, I don’t have to bug them for ideas, and they won’t anticipate in advance what I might be getting them. Perfect!

I really shouldn’t complain about the difficulty I have getting ideas from others as to their wants and wishes because I’m not so helpful in that department myself. What I have figured out over the last several years is that I don’t need much in the way of “things,” but I really do enjoy the gift of experiences. Generally, I’d rather get tickets to a concert, play or museum exhibit than another pair of earrings or a scarf. What’s more indulgent than a massage or facial (and something I’m less likely to buy for myself)? My daughters have embraced this idea fully; this year one is treating me to a massage when we visit Chicago at Christmastime, and the other is taking me to the opera Carmen in Portland in February. I (and you, too) can extend this idea to those hard-to-please folks on our gift-giving lists, and it’s even more fun if you take their travels into consideration.

For instance, my sister travels often for business and often is up in the middle of the night on press checks. I can gift her with a spa treatment at her hotel to help counteract the wear and tear of those long hours. Another sister, planning a trip overseas, would appreciate a multiday transit card in one of the cities she’s visiting, or perhaps a museum pass would be, pun intended, just the ticket. And I can always check to see what performances will be available in Washington, D.C., this spring when daughter Jenny plans to spend a week there; she might enjoy a performance at the Kennedy Center.

Yes, maybe I’ve finally figured out an easy way to check names off my gift-giving list while providing others with ideas that really work for me, as well. Happy shopping!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor