Christmas Gift Ideas For Her


Ok so I'm a little dubious about writing one of these posts because a. I'm not convinced men even read them (I am just presuming women buying for a girlfriend or significant other know what they want already?!). In my experience in retail as a teenager, men shop in a blind panic on Christmas Eve and buy whatever the shopgirl tells them to! ;-)

BUT times have moved on, I know many people shop online/ahead of time than ever before...although we are nearing T minus two weeks to Christmas so we are also entering the danger zone for ordering things online.

Also b. EVERYONE is different, everyone likes different things. It is important to know the person you are shopping for, and in my opinion, do your best to put some actual thought into the gift (and I totally get that this can sometimes be tricky depending on the person - for instance I am married to a "I don't need anything" person, they are the worst to shop for!).

So here are a few suggestions and tips, with that that caveat in place (i.e. I take no responsibility if your loved one hates any of these things! ;-)).

Something Thoughtful.....


Is there a book or author you have noticed they return to? I know it's tricky with Kindles now to snoop everyone's book shelf, but try your best!

Something that I think is pretty nifty is the Willoughby Book Club, which was brought to my attention by the lovely Janet of Someone Somewhere (who works there as well!). They offer a uniquely personalized service of picking out books for the recipient according to their likes and/or genre preferences.

They are taking orders until Friday the 15th for Christmas deliveries so do hurry though! Imagine getting a surprise book in the mail every month! Janet has amazing taste in books, as I'm sure do the rest of the staff so it's a fun and off the beaten path gift idea that I think anyone would enjoy!

If the person has a beloved favourite book you might also think about buying them a nicer edition than the one they have, whatever is in your budget!

Do they have a favourite actor/actress, director or era in film? There are lots of amazing box sets to be had, I think particularly when it comes to older films, which they don't tend to have as many of on streaming services.

Something Fancy...


By "fancy" I don't necesssarily mean it has to be expensive. But definitely something that isn't...a necessity. Something that you think they maybe would secretly like, depending on their tastes.

This might be anything from a pamper session gift voucher, a touch of soft cashmere (as long as they are not allergic!) etc. Cashmere gloves and scarves aren't too expensive in the many pre-Christmas sales, and it really is so much softer than standard wool (just don't ever buy me cashmere gloves because if you know me you know I will lose them!). Uniqlo has a really nice selection of colours with their scarves, and M&S is always a  good bet for soft cashmere in my opinion.

A simple pair of gold or silver hoop earrings or studs (preferably real, but whatever your budget allows) or a nice minimalist bangle or other piece of jewelry that is classic and won't break the bank (unless you want to!).

I think many people overlook local estate jewellers as well, you can often get more bang for your buck (or pound) in used jewelry shops, and the quality is often better than the more modern stuff. Keep in mind not everyone will love this idea, but if your partner enjoys vintage fashion and isn't too fussy about everything being brand new this might be a good bet!

It's not all about the shiny shiny,  a glossy new book about their favourite musician or hobby can also be deeply exciting depending on the recipient...just something outwith the day to day. Are they a beauty or fashion blogger or enthusiast? There are endless coffee table books to choose from. I like the look of this Neal's Yard  Beauty book, which includes homeopathic/DIY beauty recipes as well so it's a bit different/not just for makeup addicts. For the fashion addict a new Chanel book came out this year that looks tres jolie.

Or you know, a nice candle or perfume rarely go amiss either! Just a tiny bit of indulgence, of frippery, goes a long way!

Something That Is A Surprise....

I already mentioned the fun of the Willoughby Book Club element of surprise, but there are obviously many other "Thing of the Month" type services - from the classic wine of the month, things have moved on a bit, we now have all sorts of things to choose from in the realm of home subscriptions services. The Cheese Society sounds like a yummy way to pass those long winter nights in front of Netflix to me! 

There is even the Craft Gin of the month club (glug!), as well as Bloom and Wild, who post beautiful floral bouquets as if by magic through your letterbox (they are packaged especially, and they also do hand tied bouqets for the traditionalist!), so you do not even have to stress about being home for the delivery. They offer various subscriptions which I am sure would be a delight in the gloomy winter months especially! From beauty boxes to mystery gift boxes, a Google search might well lead you down a fun rabbit hole for a gift that will last past the New Year.
 
Maybe their favourite band is coming to a nearby town? Maybe there is a play they would love to see (I hear Hamilton is good...I kid....a little! ;-). Planning ahead for a future fun event is a great way to enter the new year! All in all, just try to "think outside the box" if you can, a little, in whatever way is appropriate or affordable for you.

So that's all I got...hope it is of some help to anyone feeling a bit lost with the Christmas gift giving! 

I fully appreciate that people find gift giving stressful, I am certainly not immune to this myself. My best advice here is: we should all stress less (seriously!) about gift giving at the holidays. There are lots of things to choose from nowadays, on many budgets, and it truly isn't the most important part of the season. 

Try not to get overwhelmed by choosing the "perfect" gift, and yes this advice goes to me as well, I totally do this, and you know what? It's honestly not worth the stress! People like presents, sometimes they like some presents more than others, but I have never heard a person (other than a child) complain about their Christmas presents! Of course it's natural to want to please our loved ones, but really just knowing that you tried to be thoughtful is the main thing! Now get shopping, Christmas is coming! ;-)

6 comments

  1. Lovely gift-giving ideas and the guidelines are pretty spot-on. Also, like everything else you write, this has inspired me to do a gift-giving post (although not the same as this, but kind of like an off-shoot.)
    I really like these things.

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    1. Thanks Becky, I don't know why but there is a time lapse sometimes on your comments and I never see them until a few days later - weird! You should definitely do a post, would love to read it!

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  2. Thank you for the lovely mention of WBC! I am always a fan of getting something luxurious that I wouldn't buy myself, such as a beautiful hardback edition of a favourite book or a pricey scented candle. Cashmere is a good shout too!

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    1. You are most welcome, I definitely want to try the book club myself this year! :-)

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  3. Great list to get people actually thinking! Some people are just TERRIBLE gift givers but I'm not sure if it's because they don't think enough, or they overthink it/wanting it to be perfect.

    When I worked retail there would always be that last frantic crowd, wide eyed,trying to buy just anything for everyone on their list. Christmas happens every year people, how is it a surprise! Ha.

    I like to keep Pinterest and Amazon (private) lists going all year that I pin/add things to all year and then pick from there as Christmas/Birthday's approach. This year only my husband and I are exchanging gifts so that's a load off! Aside from the various white elephants I'm participating in.

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    1. Wow that is a great tip about Pinterest & Amazon lists, I will have to keep that in mind next year! :-)

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