Gimmebackmybrain's lists are chock-full of fun and interactive finds—which is why we're absolutely stoked that she is one of our Holiday Shopping Scouts this year! Here a few of her secrets for giving the perfect gifts:

What's your favorite sentimental gift that won’t break the bank?
"An old photo in a nice frame always makes for a nice gift. You can get them blown up at Walmart for under $5 and you can get a pretty nice frame to resurface from a thrift store for next to nothing. I blew up an old photo of my dad holding me when I was a baby and gave it to him for Father’s Day. It made him cry!"

What’s your idea of the ultimate bang-for-the-buck present?
"I’m a big fan of getting books as presents. It doesn’t matter the person, you can always find a book that they would be interested in reading. I pick whatever I think speaks best to the person and gift it. It’s a lot more work than clothing or a bottle of wine, but I always think it’s more thoughtful.

Do you have any gift-wrapping tricks or tips?
"I like wrapping tiny things in huge boxes. Sometimes I even put things inside of it to make it sound like something that it’s not. I got my dad a subscription to a wine club for Christmas last year and I put a bunch of wooden beads and taped some weights into the bottom of a huge box. Then I taped the newsletter saying what his actual present was to the bottom of the box. He spent weeks shaking the box trying to figure out what it was!"

Don't miss her slideshow of holiday gift picks—and check out our other Scouts' picks too!

I once heard the etiquette rule that when attending a party, you must choose between holding a drink and sampling hors d'oeuvres. That way, if someone approaches, you can offer a hand shake instead of an awkward elbow wave. This finger food plate fits on most fingers and prevents you from having to choose between your tastebuds and your manners.

As we officially enter cocktail party season, I plan to give these re-usable rings ($10 for a pack of 12) to an elegant hostess.

There are few things in life as sure as taxes and death, but one of them is the guarantee that my mother will always have a supply of chapstick in her purse. Carrie Bradshaw has her Manolos; my mom has her chapstick. And just like Carrie upgraded to the blue Blahniks with huge silver buckles, my mom upgraded to Sugar Lip Treatment from Fresh.

I can attest that it’s the Rolls Royce of chapsticks. It slides across my lips like warm butter, moisturizes with Vitamin E, and packs pink tint to boot! This Christmas I’m planning on slipping the Star Light, Star Bright Set into her stocking to ensure her supply never runs dry. The set, which includes Supernova Mascara, Twilight Freshface Glow, and Sugar Eau de Parfum in addition to the Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment, is valued at $38 and it’s a steal for $28. Now Mother can’t grumble when I ask to borrow her chapstick!