The Forum's Holiday Gift Guide

The season for giving has arrived and if you're anything like me, you leave your holiday shopping until the last minute. If you're stumped for ideas, take a look at some of our suggestions for this winter. Luckily, I've found some stores with special deals for holiday shipping so you might get those presents just in time!

Slim Custom-Fit Weathered Polo - RalphLauren.com, $45 Sharpen your dad’s closet with a bright colored long-sleeved polo. He’ll appreciate being complimented by the caddy -- even if he still can't break one hundred. Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi, $14 Gift your dad with what New York Times Book Review called “A first-rate sports memoir [and] a genuine bildungsroman, darkly funny yet also anguished and soulful.” With the Tiger Wood's mistresses piling up, your dad might need a new athlete to support. Whiskey Stones, $20 These Whiskey Stones won’t dilute your dad’s single malt. All you have to do is put them in the freezer for a few hours, pop them in a drink, then rinse and reuse. Drinking has never been this cool. Mo's bacon choco chip pancake mix, $15 Chicago’s noted chocolatier, Vosges, presents a wonderful combination of sweet, savory, and pancakey. Make sure your dad makes enough for the entire family  eat!

Diptyque Baies Candle, $60 Nothing brightens a room like a beautiful candle. I consider myself a connoisseur of fine candles and Diptyque is definitely my favorite. For the untutored nose, $60 for a candle may seem extravagant, but trust me, your mother will thank you for it. Banana Republic Plaid scarf, $40 Make sure your mother keeps warm this winter with a beautiful scarf from Banana Republic.  Get the scarf in a classy beige so your mother doesn’t look like a middle-aged hipster. La Maison du Chocolat Quatre-quarts Lemon, $28 They say food is the way to a man’s heart but it is definitely the way to a woman’s too. Bring a smile to your mother’s face with a yummy cake from one of France’s best chocolatier. Make sure you buy their truffles too—always a great gift to give to dinner guests. Lux Life Ceramic Travel Mug, $20 Does your mother go to Starbucks everyday for her morning coffee? Show her you care about her and the environment by getting her an oh-so-chic ceramic travel mug. Also, the Breast Cancer Site will fund 1.0 % of a mammogram for each Lux Life Ceramic Travel Mug purchased. Rescue Beauty: Smitten Nail Varnish I was introduced to the Rescue Beauty Lounge when I was working in New York last summer. The tranquil vibe of their NoLita branch was the perfect after-work getaway. The lounge’s own nail varnish line is one of the best I’ve ever used—my nails stay unchipped for a week (whereas Essie chips in three days for me).

Pleather Grey Moccasin Slipper, $24 Tired of seeing him walk around in those heinous Nike sandals or beaten up flip flops? Keep his feet warm this winter with this animal-friendly pleather moccasins lined with Sherpa. This Is Why Youre Fat by Jessica Amason by Richard Blakeley, $9.99 Buy this warning disguised as a joke gift. All that Holiday cheer can make its way to the waist line if you're not careful. Panama 'Wine Memoranda':, $71 Want your brother to be more refined at the dinner table? Give him this beautiful leather bound wine memoranda for him to jot down all the delicious wine he consumes. Maybe it’ll encourage him to bring back a bottle or two next holiday season. Strand Sticky Note Book; by Studio Strand, $4.98 Encourage your favorite guy to do his homework… with style. In a super chic book, these sticky notes won’t fall apart in his backpack.

Pamela Love for Opening Ceremony Ira Tree Scratch Ring, $575 Inspired by Spike Jonze's interpretation of Maurice Sendak's vivid and iconic drawings in Where the Wild Things Are, this ring is sure to bring back happy memories from her childhood --not to mention at a fantastic sale price. Forget me knot ring, $54 Have a girlfriend back home that you only see during breaks? Give her this ring as a cute memento. If she asks why don’t you have one to remember her, answer: I don’t need a ring to remember you. You’re always in my heart. Flip Ultra Camcorder., $119 Apparently, they are all the rage. Ask her to record fun moments at the New Years party this winter so you’ll have some clips to bring back to school to show your friends how dysfunctional your family is. Fat Witch Bakery Brownies, $15.25 A friend of mine sent me a box of these bite-sized brownies during midterm week and I cried—partly because I was touched by her gesture but mostly because it was just that delicious. How to Take Over Teh Wurld: A LOLcat Guide 2 Winning Everyone loves LOLcats, ergo everyone would love to receive a LOLcat book. I also recommend the Magic Cheezburger—a magic-eightball  cheezburger that gives you answers in lolz. Both are sure to be holiday wins.