Gifts for the Difficult

Our holiday gift guide: What to get the boyfriend who has everything

Editor's note: Looking for unique and somewhat Austiny gifts this season? CultureMap has you covered. For our next installment, we try to get into the heads of the impossibly practical and completely stocked boyfriends of the world and figure out what they would like this holiday season.

Everyone has someone in his or her life that’s hard to shop for. Not because they don’t have interests or because their tastes are too expensive. No, these particular people are hard to shop for because they have almost everything. And in my case, this person is my boyfriend.

We’re (hypothetically) at the age when we can afford to purchase the things we want. And as an online bargain hunter, he’s pretty well covered.

So when it's time to get some presents under the tree, it can be a bit of a struggle. I know there have to be more of you out there, so I’m here to offer some suggestions for the guy who forces you to think outside of the box.

Bike Six-Pack Holder

Etsy, $22

This hipster stroke of genius has been making the Internet rounds for a while now, but that doesn’t mean its sheer functionality won’t be appreciated by your biking beau. Plus, the odds are that if your guy has everything, he’s also impossibly practical. So it’s a win-win!

Kohler Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker

Build.com, $149

Guys! It’s a shower head that plays music. So he can keep things clean while simultaneously listening to the latest episode of Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Just make sure you’re ready for an increase in your water bill, because he’ll probably never be cleaner.

Austin Electric Bike Foodie Tour for Two

Cloud 9 Living, $199

Bike and nibble your way around town with this jaunt that stops at some of Austin’s intimate bistros, food trucks and more. The tours, which have been featured on CNN, leave at 4 pm daily.

Kaufmann Mercantile Ceramic Growler

Kaufmann Mercantile, $76

Growlers are all the rage these days, and this ceramic version has a vintage look and feel. But its functionality is nothing but cutting edge — the rubber gasket seals in carbonation to keep the draft fresh, and its thick cast not only protects the beer from light and heat but is strong enough that the pressure inside won't crack it.

Audubon Field Guide Series

Best Made Co., $60

Is your mate a bit of a nature buff? Indulge his inner nerd with these expansive volumes, full of useful and practical field information. Arm them with all the knowledge they’ll need to conquer the great outdoors. As a bonus, the guides are made of brightly colored, water-resistant vinyl, so you don’t have to worry about an eyesore on the bookshelf.

Customized Jeans

Traveller Denim Co., prices vary

Get your guy fitted with some of Austin’s hippest denim. This East Austin outfitter specializes in custom jeans, handmade in house. They feature three styles made to order, or for a more personalized fit, make him an appointment for a custom pair.

Nudie Mug

Fishs Eddy, $14.95

Spice up his morning cup of joe with this buxom beverage holder.

TopGolf Guy’s Day

TopGolf, prices vary

Get your guy a gift certificate to Austin’s newest outdoor activity, and he and his buddies can hit the links in style. With a food and drink menu that would put any sports bar to shame and golf pros strolling the tee line offering tips and climate-controlled hitting bays, this is an afternoon he won’t soon forget.

Austin Map Print

Etsy, $20

Austin Vintage Print

Etsy, $26

Deck the walls Texas style, and he won’t be sorry.

Franklin Barbecue apparel

Franklin Barbecue, $20

He’ll wear his Franklin t-shirt like a badge of honor.

Personal Stylist Appointment

Trophy Boutique, Prices Vary

Local stylist Laurel Kinney will make your man’s wardrobe sing with her three-part sort, shop and style process. Through three two-hour sessions, she’ll not only help overhaul his wardrobe, but will rid his closet of the things he doesn’t (and shouldn’t) wear.

Bike six-pack holder on Etsy

Etsy

Bike six-pack holder on Etsy

unspecified

Shelter to Service

Dripping Springs nonprofit trains service dogs rescued from shelters

Photo courtesy of KVUE

The group estimates that it's gotten more than 1,000 dogs out of the shelter system.

For the past 35 years, a service dog training nonprofit in Dripping Springs has transformed unwanted dogs into essential partners for Texans living with significant challenges.

Sheri Soltes, founder and CEO of Service Dogs, Inc., says the dogs they train help serve people with hearing or mobility disabilities. The canines also comfort those enduring traumatic events.

In a time where most animal shelters in Central Texas are over capacity, Service Dogs, Inc. is handing out second chances to pups with potential to make a difference in people’s lives.

“They're sort of like the cousins to guide dogs,” Soltes said. “Except we're unique because we get our dogs from animal shelters instead of having a breeding program. So we help the dog and we help the person.”

She says the nonprofit can’t adopt every dog because the pups must meet specific qualifications, narrowing down from their age to their temperament.

Soltes says dogs must be at least a year and a half old in order to be X-rayed to assess their health, must be extremely people-oriented and should be comfortable being in public settings.

She says Service Dogs, Inc. may bring back one out of 500 dogs in a shelter.

“We've probably trained well over a 1,000, probably closer to 1,200 dogs by this time over 36 years. Any dog that we adopt from a shelter, if it doesn't complete the training, we don't take it back to the shelter, will find it a good pet home. So, they're going to win either way with us,” Soltes said.

Depending on the pooches’ temperament and personality, they’ll be trained in any and all of four programs available.

Soltes says the nonprofit trains the canines to be hearing dogs that can alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They could be trained for people with mobility disabilities, learning to open and close doors or steady someone’s balance.

She says they also train dogs to work in areas devastated by catastrophic storms, in courthouses in the victim's assistance departments or with first responders struggling with their mental health.

“They're not always the right tool for every kind of job, but they're very, very helpful,” she said.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

animals pets disability shelter