If time is your most precious resource, consider each item on this list a luxury gift.
There's no need to spend money on holiday gifts this year when you can get creative instead. Give your loved ones a thoughtful gesture designed just for them. For your busy single mom friend? Offer to make the purchase for them. Is your brother obsessed with dogs? Walk Fido for a week. Your would-be monologue friend from art school? Offer to attend all of his one-woman shows this year, with a date, of course, to help fill the seats.
Make the presentation cuter with a hand-drawn redeemable coupon or use a digital template to create a fill-in-the-blank coupon. Then wrap it in an oversized box for fun or slip it into a pretty card.
They will appreciate the novelty and the effort that went into planning. And for those non-planners who may have missed the holiday gift-giving festivities, save these ideas for upcoming birthdays and anniversaries. They are evergreen. In the end, it's much more fun to open your heart than your wallet.
Take them to LAX
Navigating through Los Angeles International Airport, whether departing or arriving, tops the list of frustrating experiences in Los Angeles. Treat your friend or family member to a hassle-free round trip to and from the airport. Insider Tip: During peak departure times, use the arrivals level when dropping off. Are you feeling especially generous? Show up with a hot coffee in the car on the way to the airport. Or add an Italian dinner at Jame Enoteca in nearby El Segundo after pickup. Even a basic trip to LAX (just braving the infamous U-shaped route through the terminals) is a worthy treat in itself. Bonus points for getting them to especially early flights on time.
Cook them a meal
Cooking a meal for a loved one (yes, feeding them) is the ultimate act of caring. Invite them to your house for a Christmas or post-holiday dinner and pamper them with their favorite dishes. Or bring them one or two pre-cooked meals that they can enjoy later at their leisure. Or maybe the gift is an event. Years ago, when I was considering catering as a career, I gave some friends, a couple, a personal chef experience: a dinner for up to six people. We create the menu together. Then I bought the food, cooked the food in their kitchen, and served the group at the dining table. But I joined them for every course, of course.
Hear your sad breakup story, with no time limits
Listening is a skill. Listening to that long, repetitive breakup story is a skill that also requires patience. If those are skills in your toolbox, and you have one of those friends who has a story to tell, give them an open ear for as long as they need it at once. (But maybe just once!) It could be during a quiet dinner or a long walk; or by phone, until the wee hours of the morning, if they live in another city. Try not to inject too much advice; simply listening and being empathetic is beneficial. Feeling heard and understood is a first step toward healing.
Train with them: their favorite exercise
You hate cardio. We understand it. That's why accompanying your best friend to that high-octane trampoline fitness class is an even more valuable gift. Or whatever they want to do for exercise. Maybe training camp at 5am? Are you there. Circus training? You are a game. A trip to the gym is always more fun with a partner and your “workout buddy” offer can encourage your recipient to try new things since being in a group is safe. Bonus: You'll burn calories in the process.
Take care of them
This is a classic in the annals of loving gestures. Date nights are expensive. Even more so when you factor in $25 an hour for childcare. Offer your favorite couple a night of free babysitting. It's probably been a while since you earned extra money babysitting the neighbor's kids. So remember: come prepared with games or other planned activities. If appropriate, bring snacks or treats. Just avoid the big “Babysitting Adventures” (if you've seen the movie, consider yourself warned).
Accompany them to the doctor.
I once took a friend to a consultation at 4 in the morning, waited for her at the hospital and then took her home. She still thanks me years later. Taking a close friend or family member to the doctor and, if necessary, attending the appointment with them to help ask questions or process information is a generous and intimate gift that they won't soon forget.
Read your manuscript
This is a gift that, depending on the manuscript, could require a lot of time and effort. Give wisely. But for the right friend (and you probably have a friend in Los Angeles with an unpublished novel or screenplay) this gift could be a game-changer. Offer to read their manuscript and give feedback. Remember to be specific with your feedback, offering a mix of positive notes along with your suggestions for improvement. And hey, as a result, you might get a seat at a future awards ceremony.
Go with them to that horse sound bath they secretly wanted to try.
There's no shortage of weird events to explore in Los Angeles, but you have to admit it's easier (and more fun) with a companion. Which can be difficult if adventurous friends are few and far between in your social circle. If you're up for it, offer your company on your best friend's next “alien abduction excursion”; just come home afterwards.
Pet care for a week.
A reliable pet sitter, especially at the last minute, is as hard to find as a free street parking spot in Koreatown on a Friday night. Offer to feed your gift's dog or cat for a week when they suddenly have to leave town. Or during a long-planned vacation. Just knowing that your offer stands, even before they've planned that trip, will give them peace of mind that will make the gift worth it.
Turn them into a personalized, uplifting playlist.
This one may seem a bit retro (albeit cheesy), but it's also timely. At a time when the world feels more chaotic and uncertain than ever, take the time to make your gift recipient a carefully curated playlist of feel-good music tailored to their tastes. Mix genres and decades. Introduce some songs that are new to them. And don't underestimate the power of good music to improve your mood: the best gift of all.
