Graduation Gifts

As the clock winds down on another semester, my thoughts turn to gifts for the grad. Whether it be high school, college, grad school, or the like, marking the occasion with the right statement gift can show how special you think the graduate is.

I wanted to give you some gender-neutral suggestions at different price points. I tend to lean toward practical ideas when gift giving, and I'm not the least bit crafty.

 1. Water bottle in school colors. Bonus points if you stick in a gift card to places where they will be headed. (This can also boost it up to the point you'd like to spend.) Here are cute ones from Camelbak.

2. I love monogrammed towels for gifts. For someone going off to college, these can help the new student keep up with items in a community laundry center. Pottery Barn and L.L. Bean have some nice choices. Here's the link for my favorites.

3. A great cooler is always welcome. This adorable cooler bag would be good for tailgating, study sessions, weekend road trips, etc... You could also pick up a hard surface cooler at your local big box store and attach a vinyl monogrammed sticker to it. Here are some for guys and gals.

4. A water filter pitcher or electric kettle can be handy for the new dorm or apartment.  These are widely available for pickup or online ordering at a ton of ranges in price. Similarly, a one serving pod coffee maker would be welcome by almost anyone. Get it in school colors, and your recent grad is sure to be wide awake for his or her next adventure.

5. Some people really love giving books to the graduate. Some favorites I've seen are from Dr. Seuss (Oh, The Places You'll Go!) or any from this great list from Real Simple magazine.

Do you have go-to graduation gifts? I'd love you to share with me!

--Glee