There are 17 shopping days left until Christmas.  What will you be putting under the tree?

Ideally, you'd love to give each person a gift selected with him or her in mind, something he or she would love to have but wouldn't buy.  In practice, that isn't always possible. 

It's great when people make lists, but not everyone does that.

So what's an aspiring Elf to do?  Here are some suggestions:

• Start a tradition.  This solves your problem this year and in the future.  For example, you can get everyone an annual ornament.  These are issue by companies like Hallmark and Waterford and by non-profit agencies like the White House Historical Association.  Each year, my aunt and uncle give me an ornament.  And each year I think of them and recall their love for me when I place those ornaments on my tree.  Or you can give everyone a copy of the book that wins the National Book Award (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or young people's literature).  A board of judges makes the decision and you introduce your loved ones to great writing they might not have encoutered otherwise.
• Give experiences, not things.  This gift is great for a wide variety of folks — including older peeople who have all the stuff they can store (and more!) as well as families and young people just starting out who would never buy experiences for themselves.  Experiences can be things like tickets to a play or concert or exhibit, a season subscription to performing arts series, membership to a museum or zoo, a pass to a film festival, a day pass to a local recreational site, or the like.  Memberships don't cost much more than a nice sweater and they provide a year's worth of opportunities and they are almost always for purchase online.  Even better, gifts of experiences encourage you to spend time with those you love and build memories.  There is no gift more valuable.
• Create theme gifts.  Rather than trying to find the one perfect gift, gather several small things on a single theme.  For a foodie, wander down the aisles of a local store (ethnic shops and World Market are especially good) and create a gift basket of unique sauces and condiments and sweets.  For a fitness nut, pull together workout gloves, a water bottle, some protein bars, hand weights, and an iTunes gift card to download cool workout music.  For a family, gather several board games, a family-friendly DVD, a book of bedtime stories.  Package it with some microwave popcorn and hot cocoa mix for a family fun night treat. 
• Give someone a favorite gift you've received.  If someone gave you a book that changed your life, give the same book to someone else, along with a note explaining the significance.  If there is one appliance or kitchen tool you can't live wthout, give it to others, along with a recipe and some ingredients to help them use it. 

What are your go-to gifts?