Let's be honest: A person's tastebuds and intestines can only take so much apricot. Aish has some great recipes for unconventional hamantaschen, including a candy-lover's dream come true. While we know the mitzvah is performed by sending at least two different food or drink items, that doesn't mean you can't include other fun things to make a memorable gift.
Beauty Booty If you're a beauty junkie like me, you're sitting on a ton of free samples collected over several trips to Sephora. (Fun Fact: Sephora gets part of its name from Moses' wife Zipporah, who is reputed to have been quite the looker.) I don't know why women love getting a tiny packet of moisturizer, but we just do. Throw a few of these in a female friend's basket and make her day. This is also very fitting for Purim, since Esther's beauty won over the King and placed her in a position to save her people.
Modern Mixtape Growing up, my friends and I used to love making each other mixtapes. And if your crush made you one? SWOON. (I'm really dating myself here.) For the digital age, put together a playlist of songs for the gift recipient and pair it with an iTunes gift card.
The Babysitters Club Make up an IOU or two for a complimentary night of babysitting. For the parents who need a break (AKA every parent you know), this will be the gift that keeps on giving.
Flower Power After this winter, we could all use a pick-me-up from a few of Hashem's creations. Most florists have the little vases that look like test tubes that will make it easy to include beautiful blooms in your baskets.
Gluten-Free It seems that nearly everyone knows at least one person who can't/doesn't eat gluten. They may have to abstain from most traditional treats, but there are gluten-free candy options galore. Find a comprehensive list here. Most wines are also naturally gluten-free.
On that note, give wine or liquor a personal touch with a customized label.
Finally, I think it's worth reiterating that we give each other gifts on Purim to disprove Haman's assertion that there is discord and disunity among Jews. Perhaps this holiday is the perfect opportunity to make amends with someone? Take that, Haman.
Wishing you a joyous and beautiful Purim,
xo cbg
