Sometimes it’s just too easy to buy your father a tie, your mother flowers or your sister a lizard. A lizard? Yes, that’s what I said. I haven’t gone off my rocker, but I do think you can expand your horizons and look towards a more unique gift giving season .

I also think that a holiday season of fun, love and creativity would be appropriate this year. Gather your loved ones around you, talk about the true importance of family and make plans to help each other in the coming months.

And if you’re giving gifts this year, make sure that you can truly afford them. If a diamond is out of your reach, purchase something in sterling silver. The expense of the present isn’t the important thing, but the thought behind it of course.

To me, there is nothing quite so lovely as a well crafted piece of amber jewelry . Perhaps it has something to do with its organic origins. Amber is, after all, resin from ancient trees, often with organic matter included within it.

According to sources, amber can be as old as 90 million years. It’s a looking glass into our planet’s past. The most fascinating amber to me contains not only plant matter but insects embedded in the depths of its rich topaz tones.

I don’t personally collect this wonderful material, but the more I learn about it the more tempted I am to do so. If you are searching for a truly unique jewelry gift, a lovely pair of amber earrings or a beautiful pendant would do quite nicely.

Why does shopping have to be drudgery? It’s unreal to me that choosing a beautiful jewelry gift for someone special could be anything other than intensely pleasurable. I like to set aside a special time to go looking, either in person or on line. If I’m shopping at home, I make sure to have a nice glass of red wine to hand, or maybe a little eggnog this time of year.

The trick is to not be in a hurry. Kick back, put on some classical music (or hip hop, folk or punk- whatever suits your fancy) and let your imagination soar! Yes, shopping can be an imaginative adventure if you just think a little outside of the ordinary. People do like to be surprised, you know.