Let the gift guides begin!
EEEeeekk! I am so excited to begin creating some gift guides for you all! Like, I seriously can’t wait to share all the fun things I have been finding. In fact, if you follow me in LTK then you may know, I have already begun rounding things up for you all, so definitely don’t forget to check that out, but for the blog I wanted to start with those of you that sent in requests for gift guides this year and one that I found most interesting was asking for a gift guide for friends or family who don’t want gifts. At first, I thought hmmmm….how am I going to do that, but after thinking on it, I realized that I was actually able to come up with quite a few ideas! So let’s get into it!
So for these types of people, finding a gift can be hard. One, they don’t want anything, two you still are going to get them something, but how do you even start or navigate when they don’t give you a list like everyone else. Personally, I feel like for these types of people, the best thing to do is try not to spend toooo much money, and either provide them with something sentimental, an experience, or something funny. Most of these ideas, are going to fall in the first two categories, but hopefully you have some good options!
- The Adventure Challenge $50 – $250 (for a bundle) – This idea is one I came across last year and I thought it was SO cute. Essentially it is a work book that you complete with a significant other, family, solo, or friends. You can even bundle individual challenge books with others, making it multiple gifts in one. Essentially, the idea is to create memories together by completing challenges in the book. You choose a challenge, scratch it off to see what it will be, and complete it. So easy and fun!
- Storyworth $99 – I loveeee this idea for the older generations like parents and grandparents. Think about this…how much of your father or mother’s childhood do you really know? Do you know their first job or do you ever wonder if they have any regrets in life? Storyworth allows you to choose from a bank of questions to ask the receiver of this gift. You send the question via email once a week, they respond, and at the end of the year they bind all of the answers into a beautiful book. It is such a magical way to learn more about the people that mean most in your life and I think really hold tight to their legacy.
- New York Times Custom Birthday Book $145 – I gifted this to my Dad one year and he absolutely loved it. Essentially, this is a book that shows the New York Times front page each year on your receivers birthday. It is such a cool book to look back on and see all of the history that has happened over someone’s lifespan, even if it has only been 30 years. So much has happened and if they are someone that enjoys the news/newspaper, this is great gift idea they will love.
- Aura Frame, starting at $149 – sometimes when people don’t want pictures, they just want to be included in your life more and spend time with you, which is why I love the idea of these picture frames. These are what look to be a normal picture frame, but the photos in them are downloaded and switch out to a new photo every few seconds. You can download as many photos as you would like and they will pop up on this frame for your receiver to see. Not only will they get to see photos they might not otherwise see, they also get to see pictures of you, someone they love and cherish. The person’s home will need wifi, so keep that in mind with set up! P.S. Other brands make these, Aura was just first of mind!
- Kindle, starting at $95 (although you can find older ones for a bit cheaper) – so this may not fit the bill exactly for those that don’t want gifts because I do think this one is very gift-like, BUT I think that everyone should have a kindle and that everyone (even non-readers) would enjoy this. They are light, easy to use, can hold tons of books, and are great to shove in a purse, bag, etc and take anywhere. I have friends and family who were not big readers, until after receiving a kindle. I think this makes reading easy and they last forever. No brainer!
- Custom Calendar, starting at $14 – I loveeee a calendar as a gift. The new year is right around the corner and everyone needs to have a calendar handy…even if they don’t know they need one. My parents love it when I create custom ones of us kids or their grandkids and add in all their favorite pictures and even ones they haven’t seen before. Have fun with it, but know that this gift comes with a little more work on your part, however, I can guarantee they will love it!
- Book a date with the person, cost variable – like I mentioned before, sometimes people just want to spend time with you, so instead of getting them a gift card, actually book something. Book a concert, a dinner date, a pottery class, a candle making class…something that they would enjoy and get an actual date on the calendar of just time with you and them. Time with people is very underrated and I think we all crave connection, especially from those we love most, so take the guessing out of it and make it a solidified, ready to go date together.
- Chatbook, starting at $20 – remember how I mentioned that people like photos, well they reallllyyyy like photos and Chatbooks makes gifting photos beyond easy. You can actually download their app and upload your photos directly from there, but essentially all you have to do is upload your photos and choose your cover and you are done. Last year I got these for all the parents and grandparents in my life and they loved it. I think because photos are stuck in our phones a lot of times, having something to hold on to, makes it really special.
- Handwritten note engraved in a leather wallet, starting at $12.49 – I saw this on Etsy and you guys, it seriously is the cutest thing! Think of how special a wallet with a handwritten note in YOUR handwriting would be? Like I can’t. I love this idea and the best part is that it wouldn’t have to be your handwriting. Maybe you took an old birthday card from someone that meant a lot to the person and used that? It would be so so special and I know they would love it. Not to mention I feel like this is a super affordable option.
- Personalized cutting board, starting at $40 – okay, so continuing on with the personalized gift options, this is another that I think is so beyond special. Last year, we had a very special recipe from my grandma printed on a cutting board for my mom and it was absolute perfection. My mom loved it and now we can hold on to that recipe forever, but in my grandma’s handwriting, which I feel like is so special.
- Mapiful, price varies – you guys, I love mapiful. I personally have two of these prints in my home and they are some of the most special things I own. One is a print of my home town Ventura, CA and the other is my current home Charlotte, NC and they are so so special to me. Mine are street maps, but their product offerings are so wide. You can do astrological maps, line art, zodiac, and street maps. I personally love the idea of choosing a place that is super special to your receiver, like maybe their hometown or the first place they bought a home, etc. Get creative, but this gift will not disappoint.
- Maya Brenner Personalized Jewelry, price varies $$$ – okay, so this is probably one of the priciest options on the list which is why I put it last, but this gift will last a lifetime. You can choose form a necklace, bracelet, ring, etc and customize it with letters (I have one and have an A on it for Arabella), birthstones, and/or charms. The best part is that the quality of one of these items is SO good. I have had mine for over a year and never remove it and it looks just as good as when I first received it. It is such a special memento and I know that whomever you get this for, will absolutely love it.
Well there you have it my friends! Twelve great ideas for those people in your life that can be so difficult to shop for and don’t want a thing (I know, I have a few of those in my life haha). Please let me know if you have any questions about these items and how fun was this?!?
xoxo,
Melissa
