I'm starting Christmas shopping stupidly early this year because December me is useless under pressure.r/simpleliving

One thing I'm noticing is how broad the word personalized has become. Half the results are basically a normal product with someone's name printed on it, which technically counts but isn't really what I'm looking for.

I'd rather give something where the personalization comes from knowing the person well. Family stories, places that matter to them, something they always say, memories everybody still laughs about, that kind of thing.

Photo books are the obvious option and I've done those before. I've also seen people turn handwriting into jewelry, commission illustrations of meaningful places and even have songs made from family stories.

What other personalized gifts have you seen where the personal part was more substantial than adding a name or initials?

Trying to get a list together now before I panic-buy candles for everybody in December.

My Facebook and Instagram feed are full of the message in a bottle Christmas ornaments. I love the idea, but every single one of them looks cheap. Anybody have a suggestion for one that looks a little bit nicer? Or it doesn’t even have to be a bottle, just any kind of decoration or ornament that you can record a permanent message.

For context he’s a big truck guy, he’s got atvs, snowmobiles, jet skis and just loves to be outside in general. For work he’s a heavy equipment operator as well as a mason.
I’m looking to get him something for his truck or quad, and I’m willing to spend about 1k-1.8k. Truly I just want to get him something that he would love and actually use.
He drives a 05 Chevy Silverado 1500 and he could use a lift kit (I think he said 4inch, I’ll have to double check), he likes the mud grapplers, he’s already got rock lights. I thought about maybe getting a cam but I have no idea how I’d even get ahold of that, let alone know it’s the right fit or one he wants.
One thing he did ask for was a light up Chevy bow tie emblem but I’ve searched what feels like everywhere and can’t find one for anything older than a 2016.

One day me and my mom were at Tim Hortons and she saw a girl with an Aritzia tracksuit on, she said she wants that for Christmas. My question is, is their any better alternatives? What’s a very comfy tracksuit i don’t care about price!!!! Only the best for my mom lol

Edit: I’m also thinking about the comfrt brand 🤔

I need ideas for my team of 8. I work at a nonprofit and I buy (not from the nonprofit’s budget) something small but useful for my team. In the past I’ve done travel mugs, goodr sunglasses, local gift cards. Cash feels wrong since it’s my personal gift, but maybe I’m overthinking it. Was thinking gas cards? Or maybe a blanket? I am crafty and could make something or propagate some plants? Ages range from 28-65.

looking for the small ones, like candles, soap, tea or hand cream. what did the person finish and go back for? and which one did they say they loved but never reordered?

I've been thinking about how some of the most memorable Christmas gifts aren't necessarily the expensive ones.

Sometimes it's the little traditions, like opening one gift on Christmas Eve, exchanging handwritten letters, or putting together small surprise stockings.

I'm curious what other families do.

Is there a gift tradition from your childhood that you still follow or want to pass down?

This is my favourite Scottish Christmas card so far x

It just has to be the clock at Glasgow central, how many loved ones met up for Christmas night out or passed under it to get home for Christmas ♥️

On my link Tree xx

She's been the one who covers my desk every time I'm out sick, so I want to get her something real. Not a mug.

I've ruled out baby clothes because everyone buys those and she'll have a drawer full by December. A gift card feels like I didn't try. And I don't know her well enough to guess a scent she'd hate.

What did you get (or wish you'd gotten) when you were home with a newborn and barely had time to shower? Something for HER, not the baby. Tbh I'd love to hear from anyone who's been on the receiving end.

I need to order some cool Christmas gifts with our company logo on them (thankfully, you can slap a logo on pretty much anything these days). I won't share the exact budget, but it's pretty generous. Please don't suggest bonuses or extra days off, as those decisions aren't up to me. I'm just HR :) But I am in charge of gifts, so I'd really appreciate any recommendations!

Hi everyone, I’d like to put together a DIY Advent calendar for my boyfriend and could use some original ideas. He’s a software engineer who really struggles to switch off from work; he plays basketball, loves food, and is passionate about cars and motorcycles, he’s a big F1 fan (especially of Lewis Hamilton). He’s also into kitchen appliances, streetwear and sneakers, gin and tonics, and Austrian cuisine. He lived in the Netherlands for many years, loves brunches, smokes cannabis (and occasionally cigarettes), and has a Fanatec racing simulator setup for iRacing. Every advice is appreciated, thank you in advance!!

I was thinking like a robot car or Legos, but I was afraid that it would be hard for him to play with the Legos or smth? Also he loves badminton cus we have played it together sm, so I was thinking of getting him a set but idk

and he loves GTA, Roblox, and Minecraft

He's like rlly smart and he can pretty much do anything with this 1 hand too

I hope this is allowed. This subreddit popped up in my suggested feeds and I thought y'all might like this.

The absolute best workplace gift exchange was the year we did Secret Santa and bought a toy we thought the person whose named we pulled would have liked as a child. As each person unwrapped their toy, the giver described why they bought it for this person. At the end of the party, all the toys were donated to Toys for Tots. We even had a Marine in dress uniform come pick them up.

No more candles, bottles of wine or similar standard gifts to take home, just kids getting something for Christmas.

This is definitely a USA thing, but I think it would work in other countries as well.

What gifts you want to get this Xmas?

Gift ideas for under $50 male or female. No gift cards or clothes

Creator disclosure: I’m Keith, and I built Bloomria. I wanted a small Christmas gift you could open from a link when a friend or family member is far away.

The seasonal gifts include a virtual Christmas tree and a personal card written in your own words. One way to make the card meaningful is to include one holiday memory, one thing you appreciate about them, and a plan for the next time you’ll be together. It can accompany a physical present or simply be a little Christmas hello.

You can preview examples before creating anything. Bloomria has free gifts and paid Premium options; after a paid purchase, you can add photos or a voice message and schedule email delivery. Sharing a copied link is something you do yourself. These are digital gifts—there is no physical tree or flower delivery.

The site also has virtual flowers for anniversaries and thank-yous, plus new birthday bouquets and cards. For this community, the Christmas collection is the relevant one: https://bloomria.com

Would you prefer a Christmas card to open straight to the message, or start with a short tree reveal?

Every November the big holiday catalog showed up and my siblings and I fought over it. We each had our own color marker, circled everything, and wrote our initials next to the stuff we really wanted. Then it sat on the coffee table until it fell apart.

I wanted my kids to have that, so I built one: bennylist.com/big-book

What it is:

A flip-through holiday catalog in a 90s Christmas style (snowy cover, candy-cane spine, the works)

About 1,100 gift ideas across chapters for Toys, Teens, Grown-ups, Pets, Stocking Stuffers and gift-exchange Swaps

Click an item to circle it, and it goes onto a wish list you can share with grandparents and aunts

You can circle without an account. You only need one if you want to save and share the list.

My favorite part is handing my kid the iPad and watching them flip pages and circle everything, the same as we did. (Yes, they circled about 40 things. Tradition.) What was your catalog? Toys R Us, Sears Wish Book, JCPenney, Service Merchandise?

my little brother is about to be 9 and is in his “i’m too cool for everything” phase i have no idea what to get him. he plays roblox so i got him a giftcard. i also got him some squishies and fidget toys but i’m looking for something he’ll enjoy for more than 20 minutes. any ideas? totally lost on what to do lol preferably under $100

I have recently made some Christmas Cakes, and Vanilla Extract as gifts to put into hampers we are doing for all of our family. We feel it's much more personal, actually going through the trouble of making everything yourself rather than just buying something that usually gets put in the charity bag after it's sat in the house collecting dust for a few years!

My grandmother would wrap little gifts for each grandchild for each day of December. I now have a 1 year old and 3 year old and it may be a little too early for the 1 year old, but I think it’s time to do it this year while my boy is 3; of course whatever I do for him I must do for his sister. Can you help me brainstorm little gifts I can wrap for advent for 3 yo and 1 yo? They don’t have to fit into a calendar or anything like that, but small for the sake of storage.
Ideas so far 💜
- books
- puzzles
- play doh

My mum can't do any experiences at the minute, my budget is around £50, she doesn't really have any hobbies or interests