5 Christmas Gift Ideas with a Difference

Eek I am so excited for Christmas this year, its going to be our first christmas with the little dude, our first christmas as a family. There haven’t been any little children in my side of the family for years and I think children really do add the magic to christmas so I can’t wait. As of today it is only 77 days till christmas day, which means you need to start planning your christmas gifts (if you haven’t started shipping already!)

I am usually pretty organised when it comes to Christmas shopping, although having the little dude means I am a little less organised than usually at the moment but I am planning to get my lists written and shopping sorted over the next few weeks. So here are 5 christmas gift ideas with a difference to help you find the perfect xmas gift for anyone in your family.

• DIY gifts in a jar – I am a big fan of handmade gifts of the foodie kind and the year before last I did the ultimate foodie DIY gift and produced Smarties Cookie Mix in a Jar, so the family could easily bake their own batch of yummy smarties cookies. You’ll find tons of gifts in a jar ideas online, from baking and soap mixes to bath salts and even these adorable Animal Sweetie Jars.
• Subscriptions – There are literally subscriptions to everything these days. Whether your looking for magazine subscriptions, foodie subscriptions, beauty box subscriptions, children’s subscription boxes, beer subscriptions, crafty subscriptions, fashion subscriptions, couples gift ideas, flowers or even pets! So give a gift that will last more than just for christmas with a subscription or box subscription that can last a few months or even a year!
• Charity Gifts – When giving so much to family and friends this christmas, don’t forget charity gifts. Sometimes you simply don’t need anymore material items and a charity gift can go a lot further. When thinking about giving charity gifts Oxfam Unwrapped is usually my first port of call, with gifts starting from just £5 you can make a real difference in someone else’s life, and who wouldn’t love you to buy a chicken or a pair of goats for them as a christmas gift!
• Experiences – Me and Jon are firm believers in spending money on life experiences rather than material items and we hope to be able to take Elian to some amazing countries when he is old enough to appreciate them. And it’s not just travel, I love to visit theatres and shows, try new types of cooking and our family are big fans of driving experiences! So why not buy an experience gift for your friends and family so they can enjoy something they love or try something new!
• Personalised Gifts – Whether it be adding a name or photo to an item like a mug, a special message to a piece of jewellery like a pocket watch or having something made specifically for that special someone, going out of your way to make a personalised item for someone shows just how much you care. It takes a little extra time to get a personalised item than something straight off the shelf but it is totally worth it. I love shopping for personalised items on Etsy as you can literally find anything you might want.