The Gift of A Hobby: What To Get The Friend Who Has Everything Part I

Image Credit: Getty Images, Emma McIntyre, TAS23.

We all have a friend who embodies the Taylor Swift song Goldrush—the friend who effortlessly accomplishes their professional goals and personal endeavors while maintaining healthy boundaries and a solid sleep schedule. These people are the hardest to shop for. As the holidays roll in and you feel emotionally hungover, a constant question arises: What do you get the friend who has everything? Below is a gift guide where you can find inspiration for the person who is the hardest to shop for.

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Creative Hobbies

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The American Psychiatric Association uncovered a positive correlation between creative endeavors and mental health. APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A. said, "Creative activities aren't just for fun. They can help us take a step back from the daily grind, use our brains differently, and relax. Picking up that paintbrush or solving a tricky puzzle can change our mindset. (Connors, 2023)" The APA top creative pursuits were "listening to music, solving puzzles, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, sculpting, crafting, and creative writing" (ibid). Let's explore how hobbies could answer the question: What do you get from a friend who has everything?

Playing & Listening to Music

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When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher would play classical music whenever the class had a test. She told us that playing music would increase our concentration and attention span. I noticed a difference when I listened to music when I worked, but I recently learned about the connection between music and the neurological system. Our mental structure has a "high degree of overlap between working memory for musical and verbal stimuli" (Palmer and Schendel, 2007). Consequently, people who play or learn to play music have more grey matter in the frontal cortex, leading to more neural pathways ( Sluming et al., 2007). If you want to gift music or music appreciation, here are some possible gifts for that friend who has everything.

Speakers

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Amazon Echo Pop: The Amazon Echo Pop is "Amazon's smallest Alexa speaker." The Echo Pop comes in four colors (Lavender Bloom, Charcoal, Glacier White, & Midnight Teal). Like other Alexa products, you can "ask Alexa to play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from your favorite providers like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Sirius XM and more. Connect via Bluetooth to stream throughout your space." The Echo Pop is constructed from 100% post-consumer recycled yarn, and aluminum is made from 80% recycled aluminum. The device packaging is 100% recyclable. If you are interested in other Echo & Alexa products, click here.

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Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker: Bose is known for delivering "deep, rich bass for a sound that will truly wow." This Blue Dusk portable speaker has a 20-hour battery life and is water—and dustproof. With a built-in aux and the ability to listen to music while the speaker charges, you can "pick up the party speaker so the music travels wherever you go." If you would like to see more Bose products, click here.

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Sonos Roam 2: The Sonos Roam 2 is "Ultra-compact and lightweight so that you can bring Sonos sound anywhere." The speakers are available in Black and White. With "10 hours of listening time," you can use Amazon's Alexa and Sonos Voice Control to decide which music you want to play. If you would like to peruse Sonos's Amazon storefront, click here.

Headphones

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Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth Headphones: The Daomim IPX7 waterproof Bluetooth-enabled headphones are characterized by their "in-ear wireless earbuds feature 13mm speakers and the latest audio technology to provide unparalleled musical detail and clarity, allowing you to forget the worries of reality and immerse yourself in the ocean of music." While you listen to music, podcast or phone calls, you know that "a single earphone can be used for 5 hours on a single charge and listen to music for a total of 50 hours." If you would like to explore more Daomim products, click here.

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Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds: When you wear your AirPods, you "unlock the world's first all-in-one hearing health experience: a scientifically validated Hearing Test,* clinical-grade and active Hearing Protection.*" With "intelligent noise control," you can activate the active noise cancellation or transparency mode to fit your needs. If someone you are chatting with is physically close to you, "Conversation Awareness automatically lowers the volume of what's playing." The new generation AirPods has an "Apple-designed H2 chip that helps to create a deeply immersive sound" and a "customizable fit (XS, S, M, L)" for maximum comfort. The long battery life, "6 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled. And get up to 30 hours of total listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled using the case*," allows you to dive into whatever music, podcast, or phone call you are making. If you would like to purchase another Apple product, click here.

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Beats Solo 4: These iOS and Android-compatible headphones come in four colors (Black/Gold, Cloud Pink, Matte Black, & Slate Blue). Beats Solo 4 differs from other wireless Bluetooth headphones with its "custom acoustic architecture and updated drivers for powerful Beats sound, personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, ultralight ergonomic design for all-day comfort: flex-grip headband and ergonomically angled, adjustable ear cups for a stable fit, and its 50-hour battery life." Furthermore, Beats Solo 4 have a "fast fuel" ability which allows for "a quick 10-minute charge gives up to 5 hours of playback."

Solving Puzzles

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Thomas Hendricks, Ph.D., differentiated between people who enjoy puzzles and those who enjoy regular playing when he stated, "Puzzlers "discover" it. Put more subtly, players impose their own logics on otherness; puzzlers accommodate themselves to the logics of otherness... Consequently, Puzzlers seek the secrets of the universe, its mysterious codes and arrangements. Commonly, they work alone or, at most, side-by-side. Finding these codes, even at the ordinary levels where most of us operate, is a satisfying endeavor. It teaches us—as it does Astrid—that curiosity, receptivity, and diligence are important virtues (Hendricks, 2022)." My daily exposure to puzzles is the New York Times, various spelling games, and crosswords. Whatever you consider to be a puzzle, consider these when trying to find your friend the perfect gift.

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Lego Rainbow Bricks Puzzle (1000-piece): This "gradient 1000-piece" Lego jigsaw puzzle enables people of all ages to solve a puzzle together. To explore more Lego products, click here.

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Aimee Stewart - The Library of Dogs (1000 Piece): This puzzle brings Aimee Stewart's work to life. Buffalo Games manufactures its puzzle only with recycled materials, ensuring every piece fits "soundly with the company's signature Perfect Snap™. A bonus puzzle poster is also included." To find more Buffalo Games products, click here.

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Brain Games - Large Print Word Search: Solve over eighty puzzles covering various topics ranging from "movies, actors, sports, cars, and more." Don't worry; the "answer key is in the back of the 192-page book." For more Brian Games books, click here.

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Large Print Merriam-Webster Puzzles 10 Booklet Set: This booklet set covers word puzzles like "crosswords, word search, anagrams, and more." Its large print and lightweight materials enable you to take a 32-page booklet anywhere. For more brain games products, click here.

Singing

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Do you ever wonder why singing makes you feel good? According to Professor Jane Davidson, singing "increases serotonin levels and helps us connect with our parents, community, and culture" (Davidson, 2023). While only "1 in 10,000 people have perfect pitch," everyone can sing (Levitin & Rogers 2005). Below are some things that can help you sing at the top of your lungs.

Image courtesy of PowerDeWise.

PowerDeWise Professional Grade Lavalier Clip-On Microphone: This 100% wired microphone is "always ready to use and never requires charging." With its" fully shielded cord, TRRS to TRS 3.5 mmm and Jack adapter", you can hear your voice without background sound. Whether it is a" GoPro, Android, Camera, Camcorder, Audio Recorder, Tablet or Laptop (which might require a USB adapter), or iPhone (adaptor not included)," this microphone can help you belt any song. I used this microphone for graduate school projects, and it ensured that my audience could clearly understand the words the video subject spoke. If you would like to look at other PowerDeWise products, click here.

Dancing

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Footloose taught teenagers the importance of dance. Maybe it was Ren McCormack's impassioned dance in the factory or his speech to the town hall, but at fourteen, I knew that dance was one way people could emote. Since dance is a form of exercise, it's vital to have the proper equipment. Below are some products that can help you wherever you are on your dance journey.

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Ballet Barre: This Portable ballet barre with "adjustable height" enables you to practice your "stretch, pilates, dance, or workout "stretching, balance, or movement" techniques. Its "lightweight design is crafted with durable, powder-coated steel tubes that feature a classic woodgrain look, this scratch-resistant frame is easy to use in your home, a garage, a professional dance studio, in school, or at the gym." With its "bar features slip-resistant rubber feet, "you can perfect your form. To explore more Artan Balance products, click here.

Image courtesy of Teentior.

Teenitor Hair Bun Maker: (comes in 5 colors: A-Brown, B-Beige,C-Black, E-Tan, and D-Light Brown) This bun maker comes with seven tools that allow creating buns in "4 sizes. Small hair bun is suitable for children's hairstyles, adult hairstyles with less hair or half bun hair; Medium size bun is suitable for children's hairstyles with more hair/ normal adult hairstyles; Large size bun maker is suitable for adult hairstyles with more hair, suitable for puffy hair; Extra large bun maker is suitable for adult hairstyles with more hair, suitable for puffy bun hair."

Image courtesy of Trideer.

Stretching Strap Yoga Strap: (comes in 5 colors: Black, Dark Blue, Green, Pink, and Purple) This Amazon category best seller is constructed from "polypropylene which reinforced stitching" allows you to dive deeper into your stretches. Regardless of what form of dance you practice, you want to ensure you warm up and cool down your muscles to prevent future injury. This product has a "30-day no hassle returns 12-month Warranty & lifetime customer service." For more Trideer products, click here.

Citations

American Psychiatric Association. (2023). New APA poll: Americans who engage in creative activities at least weekly report better mental health. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/new-apa-poll-americans-who-engage-in-creative-acti

Schendel ZA, Palmer C. Suppression effects on musical and verbal memory. Mem Cognit. 2007;35:640–650. doi: 10.3758/bf03193302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar][Ref list]

Sluming V, Brooks J, Howard M, Downes JJ, Roberts N. Broca's area supports enhanced visuospatial cognition in orchestral musicians. J Neurosci. 2007;27:3799–3806. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0147-07.2007. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Hendricks, T.. (2022, March 10). Why we enjoy puzzles: The view from play studies. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pathways-experience/202203/why-we-enjoy-puzzles-the-view-play-studies

Davidson, Jane University of Melbourne). 5 ways singing helps humanity. Pursuit. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/5-ways-singing-helps-humanity#:~:text=Singing%20increases%20oxytocin%20levels%20(aiding,long%20and%20short%2Dterm%20memory.

Levitin, D. J., & Rogers, S. E. (2005). Absolute pitch: Perception, coding, and controversies. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9(1), 26-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2004.11.007