GIFTS FROM CAMPUS SPREAD WILDCAT HOLIDAY CHEER

Trying to fit holiday shopping into your schedule can be harder than fitting Santa down a chimney. But Kansas State University makes shopping easy with a variety of gift ideas.

Got a voracious reader on your list? Here are some options:

* "The Kansas Garden Guide" is a 74-page, full-color gardening guide to achieving a successful home garden with a few simple tools, careful planning, watchful care and good management. The guide contains information on growing vegetables and herbs, including planning your garden, seeding, watering, controlling pests, extending your gardening season and storing your harvest. It also has information on container gardening. "The Garden Guide" is $5.29 plus tax and shipping and can be ordered by contacting the K-State Research and Extension Bookstore at orderpub@ksre.ksu.edu or by calling 785-532-5830. Orders may also be placed online at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library.

* The new "Crop Insects of Kansas" is a 154-page, spiral-bound, color field guide to important arthropod pests and beneficials affecting major crops in Kansas. It includes descriptions, basic biology, type of damage and notes on management practices. "Crop Insects of Kansas" is $11.40 plus tax and shipping and can be ordered by contacting the K-State Research and Extension Bookstore at orderpub@ksre.ksu.edu or by calling 785-532-5830. Orders may also be placed online at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library.

* The College of Human Ecology recently released a new publication, "The Legacy of Leadership" by Carol Kellett. This 60-page, soft-cover volume contains nearly 200 photographs of college activities from 1873 to 2010. Copies of the book can be purchased for $25 by contacting Debby Hiett at hiett@k-state.edu.

Nothing says holidays like food, and K-State offers several tasty gifts:

* K-State Student Union Foodservices has homemade desserts, pies, rolls, cakes and cookies for the holidays. Order forms are available in the Union's food court.

* Visit Call Hall on campus or online to order K-State meats, cheeses and ice cream. Call Hall also offers pre-made holiday gift boxes filled with goodies -- and they'll ship them for you. More information is available at http://bit.ly/o3kk5.

* After those holiday meals, give your family or friends the gift of keeping their New Year's resolution to work out. The K-State Rec Center offers personal training sessions to get anyone back on the right treadmill. More information about personal training is online at http://bit.ly/gq4tVe.

Gifts to make any Wildcat happy are easy to find at K-State. Some options include:

* Display your purple pride right on your vehicle by purchasing a K-State license plate. The university's license plate program, offered through the K-State Alumni Association, provides scholarships for qualified students, as well as programs to recognize academic achievement and excellence. More information is available at http://bit.ly/h7RksL.

* K-State holiday ornaments are great for decorating in Wildcat style. The K-State Alumni Association has several different ornaments for everyone on your list. Check them out at http://bit.ly/huZVIu.

The gift of entertainment is easy to give with these K-State ideas:

* For the Wildcat sports fan on your list, try game tickets. K-State is playing in the Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 30, and tickets are on sale now. Also, it's not too late to buy women's basketball tickets, or try Powercat Ticket Exchange to find tickets to a men's basketball game. For those pining for spring, baseball season tickets can be purchased now, too. For all ticket information, head to http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets/.

* The McCain Performance Series has something for everyone. Shows this spring include the comedic stylings of Lily Tomlin and the music of Los Lonely Boys. Check out http://www.k-state.edu/mccain/ for a full performance listing and ticket information.

For more K-State gift ideas, check out the 12 Days of Winter Break video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWMku6KJQ38.