Holiday gifts and experiences don't have to break the bank to be meaningful and memorable

With much of the country and our community in distress over the sinking economy and local job cuts, holiday gift giving takes on a new dimension for many of us this year. How do we show gratitude for our loved ones, and express the joy of the season without putting our household budgets at risk?

We decided to focus our seasonal shopping guide on gifts that are meaningful or memorable, and that support the local businesses that are so important to our economic stability and the richness of our neighborhoods. With one exception, none cost more than $200, and many are less than $50.

We would love to hear your ideas for meaningful, memorable or local holiday gifts. Please share them with us in the comments field below. Happy holidays.

GIFTS FOR MEN

Virtual golf
If he can't swing a round of golf at Pebble Beach, a trip to the virtual range at the Golf Club at Hotel 1000 is an affordable substitute. For $30 per hour, he can practice his swing at more than 50 of the world's top courses from one of the club's two tee boxes. Each can accommodate up to four players, so he can bring his buddies to the "fairway" with him. More golf-inspired gifts: GolfTEC in South Lake Union offers a 90-minute golf swing analysis for $45 (regularly $95) through Dec. 31. The Golf Club at Newcastle's "original players" card ($89) entitles bearers to a complimentary round of golf and discounted greens fees.

A good pair of gloves
Just because a man prefers to dress casually doesn't mean that he doesn't appreciate a bit of luxury, especially if it comes in the guise of a functional pair of gloves. Ballard men's shop Blackbird offers a wide selection of leather, cashmere and wool gloves, including many from Seattle accessories company Coal. Prices range from $30 to $182. More men's accessories shops:, Ian, which has stores Downtown and in Fremont, sells black wool fingerless gloves for $38. Outdoor emporium REI sells all-weather gloves from local company Outdoor Research that start at $25.

Locally distilled spirits
Locavores and cocktail aficianodos will be thrilled to unwrap a bottle of gin or vodka from Spokane-based Dry Fly Distillery. Awarded Washington's first distillery license since Prohibition, Dry Fly crafts its spirits with locally grown grains and botanicals. Both retail for $32 and are available at Washington State Liquor stores. More booze with local connections: Woodinville's Pacific Distillery makes Voyager Single-Batch Distilled Gin ($27). Though distilled in Italy, Finamoré Limoncello ($34.95) is the brainchild of three local entrepreneurs. Both can be ordered from state liquor stores.

An introduction to flight
If he can't help but peek through the cockpit door when boarding a plane, make his dream of piloting come true with the Discovery Flight package at Wings Aloft flight school. Rates start at $129, and include one hour on the ground to discuss the basic principles of flight and an hour of flying time in a Cessna 172 or Cirrus SR20. More gifts for adventure lovers: EverGreen Escapes offers guided snowshoeing and hiking tours ($185), which wrap up with wine tasting in Woodinville. If the sea calls your mate, send him to Moss Bay Rowing Club for private rowing, sea kayaking or sailing instruction (starting at $65 an hour).

Culinary knife sharpening
Do you know an aspiring Top Chef? Instead of buying him an expensive new knife, send his trusty old knives for honing by Bob Tate of Seattle Knife Sharpening Service. Tate was trained by a master bladesmith, and sharpens the knives of chefs at Dahlia Lounge, TASTE at the Seattle Art Museum and Volterra. He charges $1 an inch and he works fast. More knife-sharpening services: Seattle Cutlery in Pike Place Market charges $1 per inch with a one- to two-day turnaround, depending on the time of year, and Nella Cutlery in Sodo charges $5 per knife with a one-hour turnaround time. (Turnaround may be longer during the holidays.)

GIFTS FOR WOMEN

Ski/snowboard lessons
If she's always wanted to learn to ski or snowboard, get her out on the slopes with lessons at Summit at Snoqualmie. The EZ Ski/Ride pass includes three lessons, three days of beginner lifts tickets and three days of equipment rentals, all for $119. More gifts for skiers and snowboards: Take her on a ski getaway to Mission Ridge in Wenatchee. Cozy B&B Ivy Wild Inn offers a special package (from $190 per night), which includes accommodations, two lift tickets at Mission Ridge (normally $50 each), breakfast and an evening wine hour. Coastal Surf Boutique carries hats from local company Spacecraft. Designed by snowboarders, the hats ($23-$38) are hand-knitted by a co-op of artisans on a small island off the coast of Bali.

Cashmere socks
When times are tough, a little luxury goes a long way, and nothing beats cashmere for luxury. Forgo a budget-busting sweater for a sweet pair of cashmere socks from A Mano. Knee-highs and trouser socks in a variety of colors and patterns range in price from $14 to $18, and thigh-highs from ultra-hip Hansel from Basel go for $32. More cashmere socks: You'll find cashmere socks for around $20 at Burnt Sugar, Les Amis, Lambs Ear Shoes and Horseshoe.

Locally designed jewelry
Seattle designer Shawn Taylor uses reclaimed and sustainably harvested wood to create gorgeous bracelets, rings and earrings ($45-$200) for PrasseinDesignStudio. Taylor handcrafts each piece using only natural and organic finishes, and she donates 5 percent of all sales to the Forest Stewardship Council. Her pieces are sold at The Loft Salon and Gallery in Ravenna and at Etsy. More eco-friendly local jewelers: Sally Brock from Fancy, who makes fantastic Monogram initial necklaces for just $65, and Amy Bixby, whose work is available at Venue in Ballard ($60-$200), both use recycled precious metals in their jewelry.

An eco-friendly yoga mat
Local company Barefoot Yoga designs mats and other props for yoga enthusiasts. Their Original Eco-Friendly mat ($72) is made from natural rubber and jute fiber and was rated No. 1 by The New York Times in 2007. Barefoot Yoga products are available at the Capitol Hill's 8 Limbs Yoga & Boutique and online. More gifts for yoga fans: 8 Limbs offers a two-month unlimited membership for $108 (single classes cost between $10 and $15). So Much Fun in Wallingford Center sells an organic cotton shrug in slate gray from Tonic ($62) -- a great gift for a woman who likes to look as chic in yoga class as she does on the street.

Custom-blended perfume
Treat her to a made-to-suit scent by local perfumer Paula Moreschi. An hour-long consultation at her Ballard shop Passion Flower costs $75 and includes a tour of the world's essential oils. Moreschi custom blends your favorite scents drop by drop, and you take home a 1/8-ounce bottle of olfactory brilliance, with your recipe kept on file for refills. More scent-sational gifts: The 20-year-old Parfumerie Nasreen in the Alexis Hotel carries more than 520 perfumes, from well-known names like Gucci to rare scents from small perfume houses. Owner Nasreen Rehmat offers free one-on-one consultations, and has a flair for matching a person to a perfume after just a few moments of chatting.

GIFTS FOR KIDS

WoolPet kits
Get the kids on your list interested in making things by hand with a WoolPet kit ($20) from Clover. Designed by local artist Laurie Sharp, these kits contain the wool fleece and felting needles necessary to create adorable penguins, bluebirds, kitties, kangaroos, ponies and a whole gaggle of other creatures. More crafty gift ideas: Check out Eye Can Art kits ($23.99) from Precocious Toys in Madrona. Eye Can Art is a local company that puts kid-friendly art projects like printmaking and wax drawing into cylindrical cans. They've just released the Book in a Box kit, which includes all the right stuff for making a keepsake accordion book in a box.

Cooking classes
Chef Karey Fey, who once served as the event planner for famous Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry and now runs the Apron cooking school, offers in-home classes ($50) that teach kids how to make the foods they love, like pasta and pie. Fey also offers in-home, make-your-own-pizza parties ($25 per child) for up to eight kids, who get to take home a gift bag with their own handmade pizza dough and other goodies. Parties and classes include clean up. Other cooking opportunities for kids: Lovin' From the Oven offers in-home classes on sushi making and sugar cookie baking. Head chef Bridget Meyer charges $285 for eight kids, and uses local, organic ingredients in her kid-tested, parent-approved recipes.

Moonjar conversation starters
Conversations to Go ($14.95) from local company Moonjar are made up of questions about life to get kids talking, thinking and forming opinions. Packed into boxes that look like Chinese food take-out containers, the kits are available online and at Izilla Toys. More gifts for inquisitive kids: Blue Highway Games in Queen Anne carries many family-friendly games created by local geniuses, including Jumbulaya ($32.95), a word game akin to Boggle and Scrabble; If Wishes Were Fishes ($34.95), a game of strategy using rubber worms; and The Farming Game ($34.95), which plays like Monopoly for small-scale farming.

Environmentally friendly game Xeko
If you're looking for eco-friendly gifts, Planet Happy Toys is your one-stop shop. A hot seller at the Ravenna shop is Xeko, a two-player trading-card game with an eco-twist made by Fremont company Matter Group LLC. The cards depict endangered animal species and the game sends players on a mission to create the strongest ecosystem for their survival. More eco-friendly toys: West Seattle's Nico & Zoe Toys also carries a unique selection of artisan-made and eco-friendly goods for the planet, including Rig & Racer trucks ($67) and Planet Pixie dolls ($25).

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