For a lot of gift givers this time of year the holiday season means hunting for a parking spot at the mall and roaming inand- out of stores in search of the perfect mass-produced gift that, in reality, isn't all that original. Who says you need to shop at the mall this Christmas? Who says you need to even shop at all? Roll up your sleeves and get into the real spirit of the season by making your own gift, or if you are lacking in the creative department, put some thought into it and give a present from the heart.

Donate to a charity in the persons' name. Organizations like the SPCA, Canadian Cancer Society (www.cancer.ca) or a local hospital, such as St. Joseph's Hospital in London (www.sjhcfoundation.org), are usually safe bets. But if you know that your friend, or family member, has a family who is suffering from a certain disease, a more personal choice would be a donation to a charity in that field.

Sponsoring a child or family locally through the Salvation Army and the Angel Tree is a good choice. For the animal and nature lovers the Toronto Zoo has an ‘Adopt an Animal' program (www.torontozoo.com/Adoptananimal.asp).

The old stand-by of making a present doesn't necessarily mean you have to do a craft, though if you want to by all means. If you've got a friend who has a sweet tooth why don't you make a baking date where you can rent a movie, bring out a bottle of wine and make a cheesecake, cupcakes or cookies together, if you don't have any ideas you can head to www.hersheys.com/recipes where they have a wide variety of chocolate based desserts.

Another, more personal, gift is a personalized book. If you have a friend who is an avid reader, head down to a used bookstore and take a look around. If you find a book that you think reflects a bit of your friends personality, buy it, but more importantly, on the inside sheaf write a paragraph explaining why the book made you think of them.

If you know a quote or saying that describes your friendship, how much they mean to you, or the impact the other person has had on your life, why not print it out, decorate it and stick it in a picture frame you've either bought or made.

If you're having a hard time thinking of something for one of your parents why not make them a video about themselves. It may take a while, but you can interview their brothers and sisters, parents and even your own siblings and compile a video of favourite memories everyone has of them. It can be anything from interested childhood anecdotes from their parents, to funny pranks that their siblings remember.

If you have a niece, nephew, or pretty much any younger child, in your life, why not write them a book about themselves, and illustrate it yourself. Even if you're not all that good of an artist, the child will likely love any book in which they are the hero.

Fair Trade products are also a good idea for a lot of people, so why not head out and buy some fair trade coffee or tea and make your own mini-coffee gift box complete with a mug.