Christmas is just around the corner and there will soon be a mad rush to all the stores to purchase all of those items everyone on your Christmas list is wishing for. But do you know what they might be wishing for? After all, there are thousands of different types of gifts you could buy someone on your list. Unless you come right out and ask everyone what they want, it is really kind of hard to know. You can certainly ask your kids and they will tell you, but what about your mother, sister, brother grandpa or friend?

Considering all this, there are some items in the marketplace that are very popular and, in most cases, would do well with anybody if they received one of them as a gift. In light of that thought, this article presents the five hottest gift ideas for Christmas this year. These ideas are not young kids toys, but are items that would surely be enjoyed by almost anyone, so you are going to be safe if you choose one of these items for someone on your list.

The first item is an Ipod or another good MP3 player. The Ipod has been on the forefront of technology for about two years and has the advantage of being portable and desirable. The Ipod has always sold well, especially during the holidays. Its a unit that is extremely functional yet minimal and sleek in design. It comes with the capacity to hold thousands of songs or video and can even play DVD movies after a conversion process.

The second item would be books. Books are essentially timeless and good stories always capture the interest of those who read. Reading a good book has always been a favorite pastime, even in today's technological society where everyone is glued to the computer or to the TV. Excellent book gift choices might be in the self help area or possibly in the inspirational category. Good novels and religious books are favorites also.

The third item is a digital camera. Almost everyone wants to capture precious moments on film and now digital cameras make it so easy. Film is no longer need and high quality digital images can be obtained with a digital camera capable of taking very nice images. All of the pictures you take can be saved to your computer or on a CD ROM. You can also make pictorial slides shows with background music and the list goes on.

The fourth item is a mobile phone. Cellular phones are just about everywhere now and almost everyone has one. More often than not, they are not expensive to purchase, even for the brand new ones that come out with all the latest features. With a mobile phone of course, the gift idea of being able to keep in touch with some easily goes a long way. If all your friends always have a phone in their pocket, it only so much easier to keep in touch.

The last item is clothes. Whether it be coats, shoes, socks pants or dresses, clothes are always in need. Everyone loves looking good and having new clothes only just helps one attain the look they desire for themselves. Sometimes clothes are given as gifts for a need, other times because a cool looking item was found and you just had to have it for someone. Whatever the case, clothes will always be a popular gift.

Choosing a gift for a special person is not easy. You can dwell on what to get that special someone for days without making a decision. So if you are really stuck, consider one of the items on this list. No matter which one you choose, you will not go wrong.