Before you go shopping, be sure to check the holiday shopping tips provided by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Holiday Gifts
The holiday season is often viewed as a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family, gift-giving, reflection and thanks. The USA.gov website provides a variety of gift ideas for any occasion, including links to books, museum memorabilia, collectible items, unusual gifts, and map/travel related items.
Before you go shopping, be sure to check the holiday shopping tips provided by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
For information on packing food and gifts for holiday air travel, please visit the Traveling for the Holidays web page from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers a holiday shipping web page where you can order free boxes, print postage, schedule pickups and more. USPS also offers quick tips for holiday mailing (.PDF document) and tips on how to avoid holiday shipping glitches (.PDF document).
You may also wish to view government sales and auctions for opportunities to purchase gifts from the government for this holiday season.
http://answers.usa.gov/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1000&PARTITION_ID=1&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=10576&USERTYPE=1&LANGUAGE=en&COUNTRY=US