Holiday Gift Ideas - Part 2

• Gift memberships are great gifts for families. As I've mentioned , I think the Los Angeles Zoo is a great deal for families with young children. There is also the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Families with older children might enjoy memberships to places like the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the newly reopened Griffith Observatory, or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. If you don't live in Los Angeles, check out the membership programs of similar places in your neighborhood.


• Fan club memberships can be great gifts for fans of all things, and aren't just kids. Membership to a sports team fan club often gives you freebies and discounts on tickets and merchandise. Memberships to other types of fan clubs also frequently come with exclusive access to newsletters, merchandise and similar items.


• Magazine subscriptions can make nice gifts if you know what the recipient likes. For example, I really enjoy reading my monthly copy of Parents magazine, so I took advantage of a special offer to renew my own subscription for one year at the rate of $12 and give two "free" subscriptions to friends (I chose my two closest friends who also have toddlers). I've also given many subscriptions to my favorite magazine of all time, Cooking Light, in the past.