Look around the malls and department stores. Though Christmas and other winter holidays are still a few months away, it’s not unusual to find some yuletide decoration mixed in with the Halloween décor. Indeed, stores start pushing Christmas presents earlier each year, hoping to catch the eye of the shopper who swears they’ll have their shopping done well before Thanksgiving.

If you’re one of those individuals, you’ve surely starting thinking about holiday gift-giving and perhaps you’re already frustrated about the choice of gifts, which seem to be more of the same old-same old each year. If that’s the case, it’s time to look beyond the malls and consider a unique personalized gift for those on your list.

There are many advantages to presenting your loved ones with personalized gifts, not the least of which is the fact that they probably won’t receive a duplicate. Personalized gifts for Christmas and other holidays also let the recipient know that you’ve taken the time to choose something specifically for them. Selecting such a gift may take more time than just selecting something from a rack in the store, but it says to the recipient that they’re important enough to warrant some extra attention.

Personalized gifts come in all shapes and sizes, from jewelry and other small items to travel gear, smoking and wine accessories, apparel, and much more. Most will include the name or initials of the recipient and, where appropriate, a date. They can be holiday-oriented or may be an item that can be used year round.

Best of all, they can usually be selected and ordered without ever stepping foot out of the house, a trend that is becoming more and more popular with savvy shoppers who are anxious to get their holiday chores out of the way.