Giving creative gifts can be a form of self-expression, much like choosing a special type of postage stamp or picketing the local post office because of its lack of birdhouse-themed postage stamps. Show loved ones your softer side with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of gifts, fashions, and eats at participating shops in Historic Downtown Wheaton. An online map outlines the downtown district and lists parking and transit information.

Historic Downtown Wheaton embraces many of the boutique gift stores, chic spas, and diverse culinary offerings that populate the historical storefronts of the western suburb’s walkable central shopping district. Before embarking on a day of checking off gift lists or simply sightseeing, slip under the colorful awnings at Front and Hale Streets to sneak a breakfast bite at the Egg Harbor Café, where The Handler sandwich tucks egg, bacon, and cheese onto a gourmet pretzel roll ($8.95). Eco-friendly gift shop It’s Our Earth's “buy recycled” philosophy unfolds space for ample creativity in the form of Snack Journals ($7 each)—fun notebooks reimagined from SpongeBob and Spiderman snack boxes that make the dog eating one's homework a slightly likelier excuse.

Keep tiny toes toasty with baby sneakers at Stride Rite ($19.99+) while keeping baby sneakers from turning into baby chew toys with Ekko the Elephant and Jaffa the Giraffe plush rattles ($20) and other gender-neutral baby gifts at The Stork’s Cradle. After a day pounding the quaint pavement, Gino's East Pizzeria beckons visitors to kick back and lie down in a Chicago-style deep-dish pizza ($20.10 for a large).