Here Are 14 Great Gift Giving Ideas You’ll Love
This year, a couple of my loved ones are celebrating major life milestones – I’m talking promotions, starting their own business, or toasting to a big birthday/anniversary.
I genuinely love giving gifts in honor of these celebrations but lord knows, it can also be super stressful! You might be plagued with questions like:
- What the heck do I even get?
- What would they like?
- What’s something special enough to commemorate the occasion without breaking the bank?
Trust me, I’ve been there too.
That’s why, I’m letting you in on a little secret: for years, I’ve been collecting a running list of great gift ideas that I’m sharing with you in today’s post. My hope is that they will help you take the guesswork (and pressure) out of gift giving.
Below, I’ve shared 14 ideas that are divided into three main categories (here’s a quick overview and you can click on each to take you to more in-depth info):
| Sweet & Unique Gifts | Stylish & Practical Gifts | Fun & Memorable Gifts |
| 1. LoveBook | 5. Jewelry | 10. Flytographer |
| 2. Songfinch | 6. Quality bedding | 11. Spa day |
| 3. Paint Me Royal | 7. Robe or pajama set | 12. Food & wine experience |
| 4. Surprise & Delight | 8. Coffee table book | 13. The gift of style |
| 9. Bottle of wine or spirits | 14. The gift of travel |
Sweet & Unique Gift Ideas:
1. LoveBook
LoveBook helps you create the sweetest little storybook about your loved one based on a few questions you answer about them. Different templates are available to choose from (e.g., anniversary, birthday, wedding, etc.) to help get the creative juices flowing so you can customize to your liking.
As someone who is obsessed with Bitmojis and Memojis, I appreciate that LoveBook includes “Lovemojis,” which are drawings you create (with their tools) to look like you and your loved one.
It’s such a sweet and special little book that’s ideal for your partner, parents, kids, or best friend.
I gave this to J as a gift for our first Christmas together as a married couple and he was so moved; it’s definitely a book he still cherishes!
2. Songfinch
When J turned over-the-hill last year, I racked my brain on what to get him.
You see, my husband is a simple man; he, literally, wants for nothing – well, except for a pair of his favorite basketball shorts and anything craft beer related.
Truth be told neither of those things were going to cut it for this occasion.
Then I remembered I had seen Songfinch on Pinterest; it’s a company that collaborates with artists to help you create a bespoke song for your loved one. You complete a questionnaire where you select the style of music you like (e.g., country, R&B, pop, etc.), your preferred artist (corresponding to your chosen genre), and a host of other questions to help your musician get the song juuuust right.
I selected R&B singer Maya La Maya; when I got J’s song (within 1 week), I was blown away by how amazing it was! She captured him and our relationship perfectly (plus, she even managed to include our dog’s name in the song!) and the vibe was infectious!
Needless to say, he was in a puddle of tears when I played the song on his birthday (he’s easily listened to it 100x since); I’m not sure how I’ll top this for 50…
3. Paint Me Royal
I haven’t used this company yet but it’s on my radar; the concept is so cute and unique.
Paint Me Royal takes a picture you share of your loved one and creates regal or classical portrait of them (where they look like a king, queen, general, or princess; heck, they can even turn your pet royal!).
It’s such a fun gift to hang in an office, mancave, lady lair, or family room.
4. Surprise & Delight
This idea is more thoughtful than sentimental. But one thing I’ve done for loved ones before is, if we/they are taking a trip or headed to dinner, I call ahead to the hotel/restaurant and have something ready for them (e.g., champagne and macaroons, chocolate cake, etc.).
More often than not, hotels and restaurants are happy to help you celebrate with advanced notice.
It’s always a little something that makes your loved one feel extra special.
Stylish & Practical Gift Ideas:
5. Jewelry
For almost every friend who’s turned 40, I’ve given them a gift from Mejuri. A lot of them, like me, are finding themselves at a stage in life where they’re prioritizing quality over quantity; longevity over short-lived trends. And jewelry is no exception.
What I love about Mejuri is that many of their pieces are made from 14k gold, cultured pearls, and lab-grown diamonds.
You’ll surely find something special otherwise, a gift card will do just the trick; and here are equally wonderful brands to consider:
- Selina King (I own these, which I love)
- Soko
- Shinola
- MVMT
6. Quality Bedding
You might have seen that I waxed poetic about my love of quality bedding in my last post. I’ll spare you the rehash but needless to say, some great spots to source nice bedding from include:
7. Beautiful Robe or Pajama Set
So many of us tend to go to bed wearing oversized t-shirts with tears, holes, or worse, stains.
Why not help your loved one level-up their bedtime game by gifting them something like a matching silk pajama set or cozy robe that they can luxuriate around their home in?
These are all lovely options:
- Eberjey
- Olivia von Halle (admittedly pricey but sooo beautiful!)
- Quince
- Lunya
8. Coffee Table Book
Maybe your loved one is a coffee connoisseur… or a travel enthusiast… or an interior design maven.
Whatever their interest, a gorgeous hardcover coffee table book might just be your gift-giving answer.
Here are a few examples to spark some ideas:
9. Bottle of Wine or Spirits
Who doesn’t appreciate a beautiful bottle of wine, champagne, or spirit to celebrate a momentous occasion?
I love helping my loved ones toast to something special with a bottle of good booze (e.g., Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Righetti Amarone, etc.).
Additionally, spirits – like aged whiskey, bourbon, or gin – are equally great options.
Drizly and Minibar do provide delivery services; alternatively, there’s also your local beverage depot, which is almost always an excellent resource.
Fun & Memorable Gift Ideas:
10. Flytographer
Recently, in this post, I mentioned that I finally put a Flytographer gift card I received to good use; the experience was wonderful!
They have relationships with photographers all over the world; you choose the city where you’d like to take photos and they connect you with one in the area.
It’s such a beautiful way to capture a special moment; I can’t recommend it enough for your loved one.
11. Spa Day
Almost anyone, regardless of the occasion, would probably love to live in the lamp of luxury – getting pampered at the spa, be it with a mani/pedi, massage, blowout, or full body scrub.
A quick search on Google or SpaFinder will help you find the right spot to get a giftcard from.
12. Food & Wine Experience
“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”
~ Fanny Fern
Truth be told, I think that saying is true for almost every human on Earth.
How many times have you oooo’d and aaahhh’d over a meal, a great drink, or a wonderful experience?
For the foodie in your life, a cooking class is bound to delight. In Chicago (my former hometown), for example, there’s The Chopping Block, which offers cuisine themed cooking classes throughout the month and even culinary bootcamps too.
They’re always a blast – plus, you leave with a full belly and heart from connecting with others in class. Many cities have a similar spot.
If that’s not your special someone’s thing, then perhaps a wine tasting, food tour (in your hometown or one you travel to) or a fabulous dinner at a top-rated restaurant (maybe one with a Michelin star?) will surely dazzle.
13. The Gift of Style
Your girl (🙋🏽♀️) has been on her own style journey the last few months and I can tell you, firsthand, it does wonders for how you look and feel about yourself.
Maybe your loved one needs a style upgrade too; if so, you can’t go wrong with these options:
- Personal shopper
- Hire a personal shopper for your friend or offer them a gift card towards the cost of clothing.
- You can either hire someone at a style consulting business or opt for a free personal shopper experience at a department store like your nearby Nordstrom.
- Color analysis
- Admittedly, I’ve been wanting to do this for ages. If you’re unfamiliar with it, an expert helps to categorize which color palette (i.e., season) you fall into based on your particular undertones, hair color, etc.
- Sure, you can take tests online but there’s nothing like the in-person experience to help you fully grasp your optimal palette.
- I mean… when you know exactly what colors look best on you, it’s gotta be pretty hard to have a bad fashion day after that, right? 🤷🏽♀️
- Makeup lesson
- Most women only use a makeup artist for their wedding day and never again! Too many of us are still applying makeup using the same techniques we used in high school.
- Find a local makeup artist who can offer your loved one a lesson on ways they can enhance and elevate their look to feel their absolute best.
14. The Gift of Travel
Travel done well can lead to experiences that change a person and how they see the world. It’s one of the most beautiful gifts we can give someone (including ourselves).
Perhaps it’s a gift card for their preferred airline or hotel, or maybe it’s a trip like this one (which I did in 2014 and had the most incredible experience) or this one (which is on my bucket list).
Regardless of what you choose, your loved one will only grow richer through the gift of travel.
I hope you found these ideas helpful!
Ultimately, as long as you keep the unique interests and likes of your loved one in mind, you can’t go wrong with whatever you get them.
And, please, let me know if there’s anything you love gifting (or receiving) that you don’t see on this list.
xoxox
