When it comes to doing gift exchanges, you know the standard options—Secret Santa and White Elephant exchanges are fun ways to celebrate the holidays with friends, coworkers and family, but you’ve probably done them dozens of times. If you’re in want of a more creative way to give gifts this year, here are a few ways you can liven things up a little, while still giving fun, thoughtful gifts to your friends and loved ones.

The holidays can be a truly lovely time of year, with parties, delicious dinners, and family and friend reunions—but they can also be super stressful (travel and fundamental differences among family members can all lead to disaster). The dynamics change even more when you’re in a brand new relationship, especially if it happens to be the first time you’re meeting your partner’s family. Of course, you want to make a stellar first impression and have a great time.

The short answer? Yes—Millennials do make the worst houseguests, according to a recent study from HomeAdvisor. But the reality behind it is a little more nuanced than it seems. In the study, 2,000 people in the U.S. were asked to confess both their biggest pet peeves and their worst houseguest habits, from a list of 27 bad behaviors. Each generation—Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers—had a slightly different take on what bothered them most.

Going out on Halloween night is always a good time, but if you live in a neighborhood or apartment complex where kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween, sometimes it’s fun to stay home and pass out candy instead. And if you have kids or want to have some fun with your nieces and nephews, taking them around to go trick-or-treating can be a good time too, if you really get into the spirit.

When you move into a new apartment building or a new neighborhood, do you try to make friends with your neighbors, or do you just go about your business? Sometimes, it makes sense to keep to yourself, but if your neighbors seem like the kind of people you’d like to get to know, it might be worth it to put yourself out there a little bit.

Collecting your coins and spare bills is a great way to save money, because over time, all that change adds up. But emptying your pockets into a jar or a piggy bank when you walk in the door? Not exactly the most fun or inspired way to do things. If you need a little extra motivation to save—whether it’s to pay for something special, or to curb your bad money habits—try one of these takes on the traditional coin jar or piggy bank.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been dumped and heard the words “just friends.” We’ve all been there—and we’ve probably all used the same lame excuse to break up with someone, too. “Just friends” is such a common way to let someone down gently, but when you really think about it, it doesn’t make much sense.

You love your apartment, but there’s one thing you would change if you could—your roommate. It could be that your roommate is actually the worst, but maybe it’s not about them—maybe, it’s you. Maybe it’s that, deep down, you know you’d rather live alone. Whether you daydream about your perfect studio or you dread spending any time around your roommates, these might be signs that it’s time to get your own place.

Concerts and movies are great group activities, sure, but they don’t have to be group outings. It seems like most people wouldn’t (or at least, haven’t) gone to to a concert or to see a movie by themselves—and if you haven’t, you’re missing out. It may sound weird, but giving myself permission to go to things like that alone was one of the best things I could have ever done for myself.

The warm weather is winding down and the leaves will soon start to turn, but that’s not the only change in the air. If it feels like people are settling down everywhere you turn, don’t worry, it’s not just you—cuffing season is upon us. Not everyone feels relationship-ready come the end of summer, but if you find yourself wishing for someone to come home to, it might be time to overhaul your dating apps. With a few tweaks, you can reach profile perfection.