5 Ways to give Meaningful + Memorable Gifts this Holiday Season
What makes a gift meaningful & memorable?
Anyone remember the pasta macaroni wreath you made in pre-school that your mom has saved ever since? Or the drawing where you traced your hand and made it look like a turkey that comes out every Thanksgiving? Or how about those homemade ornaments with your cute little chubby baby face on them?
Do you yourself have a love note from high school, or a gift that seems weird to keep but you've kept all this time? What made you keep it?
1. The secret behind a meaningful gift and something that is a part of all of the above, is to put a personal twist on it and think creatively. Really consider the person you are buying for: What is something you share a love of? and CREATE SOMETHING. I get that that's a bit broad, but seriously just think about creating something. You know with your hands and not with the touch of an Amazon button. Try to think outside of the Amazon box and maybe think about going on Pinterest. This creative-filled network has plenty of ideas on DIY projects that you can personalize for your friends and family for the holidays AND have fun and learn skills as you do so. Many times this can also be a more affordable option as well. On my own Pinterest, you will find a section "DIY Vintage Boho Style" that has my personal favorite crafty ideas. Check it out & follow me for more future content!
2. Another secret is pictures. Pictures are a way of capturing fleeing moments, which when you think about it is pretty friggen amazing. When those moments become sweet and memorable, why not remind someone of them?
I can think of a ton of gifts featuring pictures that I've received & loved. There’s one that happens to come to mind. My cousin once gave me a framed picture of us when we were little kiddos for my Birthday! This was right around the time we were heading separate ways for college. It was a very simple gift, yet I have kept it in my room to this day. Why'd I keep it all this time? The frame as well as the picture itself is black and white, which makes an extra connection to the past. I remember packaging it up to bring to college with me & setting it there as the first decoration in my Freshman Dorm. It became my little reminder of home whenever I started to feel sad. Now it is a constant reminder.
Other gifting ideas that include pictures could be: photo albums, Google Photo Books (made one for my mom last year and it came out awesome! scrapbooks, or picture journals.
3. Secrets #3- not sure why I'm calling these secrets like they are some super exclusive and confidential stuff. A TIP for a better word, is tip #3, and that has to do with WRITING and READING. If you can read something or write something as part of your gift it leaves more of a mental imprint. When you have to think about something and process it for some time, it makes it more memorable.
My boyfriend @ Mark Mclean 😊😊😊 wrote through a mini fill-in the blank book known as, "What I love About you by me" for our anniversary and I know I'll keep it forever! These mini fill-in books come in a ton of different styles and are a great addition to a thoughtful gift. There's the "What I love about Mom" which I'll be getting my mom (hope you're not reading this ma!) or the "What I love about you sis". These are a great feel-good gift. So yeah guess I shouldn't talk so much smack about Amazon after all 😬 This simple and inexpensive gift, I personally would choose over something more expensive but less meaningful LIKE another pair of UGG's that are let's face it- still pretty ugly.
4. I personally think books make awesome gifts and maybe that's just the nerd side of me talking. Books are full of information, knowledge, help, stories & entertainment. What other gift does all of that? LEMME KNOW. Knowledge is power so why not empower that special person in your life? Recently, Mark got me this book "You are a Badass; How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living your Best Life". Not only was this the best most motivating book ever!! it meant so much that it came from him because it showed he believed in my greatness, and saw that I was struggling with it.
Books are also a great way to get more personalized with your gift. If you have a friend that's struggling with insecurities, get them some sort of self help book. My friend Julia just started her art business and she is def reading this, but I would love to get her some sort of art motivation/ starting an art business type book as part of her gift!!! Might have to gift myself that as well😎 Maybe your friend loves makeup, cooking, traveling, dancing, climbing Mt. Everest: whatever it is, there's a book on it. If someone is truly passionate about something, receiving a book on it will make them so happy!
5. Tip #cinco is give the gift of music
You can do this in a number of ways. Concert tickets are one gift that I don't find many people being disappointed with. That is, if you've done your music research on them and made sure their calendar was clear for the day of the show! I'd also like to believe that no one in the world would be upset with receiving a Vinyl Record Player as a gift because how cool is that? You are inviting that person into the history of music with you and I think that's pretty memorable.
------>BONUS TIP!------->
Another way you can get personalized with your gift is this cool art company I just happened to think of Carly's Vinyls!!!!!!! If you're having some trouble thinking creatively, Carly's Vinyls will volunteer as tribute to think creatively for you.
*SIDE NOTE: SHOP LOCAL AND SMALL BUSINESSES WHEN U CAN* if it’s not with me make it with a small business near you!*
NOW FEATURING HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS!
This season's CD Ornaments are available for customization along with Records.
SO think about: What's that holiday movie they love? That song they scream at the top of their lungs to, dance like a fool to, cry to, or maybe even laugh of happiness to? Maybe it's their high school favorite, a childhood song, a rainy day tune, or even their first dance song...
Remind that person you love of this with a custom piece from Carly's Vinyls! Here are some great examples of past custom orders that someone has gifted to a loved one...more on my Request Page
and NO this is not just for couples! I SEE U SINGLE LADIES AND GENTS. Here are some custom orders I've done based on friend's and family favorites.
AND REMEMBER that you can also choose from any of my ORIGINALS 😁👍
I have recently created a BRAINSTORM YOUR RECORD DESIGN form on my website which is an awesome and fun way to get your ideas down now!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HOLIDAY GIFTING GUYS! Enjoy every moment. Cya in 2 weeks.
Tune in bi-weekly for more posts on Off The Record!