Family-Centered Gift Ideas for Grown-Ups

Gift ideas for grown-ups can be hard to come by.  Many of the adults I know (like my in-laws, for example) have pretty much everything they need.  If new tools or new cookware doesn’t seem like THE THING this year, read on for some meaningful gift ideas.  Many adults appreciate family-centered activities, games, and books.  I’ve gathered lots of possibilities for your gift-giving pleasure this year.

Experiences and Activities

Several of the experiences and activities I shared last week {for teenagers} and the week before {for kids} are really family activities, so they may be great gifts for adults as well.  Many of the ideas you saw here a few weeks ago, {gift ideas for the whole family}, are excellent for grown-ups, too.  The key to a great family-centered gift is to choose something you don’t normally do, and make sure you do it together.

I’ve already mentioned {Heather Lynne’s ideas at Raising Memories}, and several would be great for grown-ups, such as:

• overnight getaway
• hot air balloon ride
• pottery class
• road trip

Games

When my husband’s grandmother was in her 80s, she had ALS.  We picked her name for the family gift exchange one year, and we really wanted to give her something she could do without the use of her hands.  We found a lovely little game that I now can’t remember the name of that was absolutely perfect!  The game was just about telling your story and talking about memories.  Reminiscing was something she liked to do anyway, and it was a nice way to start family conversations and find out new parts of her life story.

That game for Grandma reminds me a lot of a new game called {Roots & Branches} by The Connections Games.  It’s a board game with questions in four categories:  Your Family, Your Ancestors, About You, and Nice to Know.  As players move and answer questions, they have a chance to share experiences and learn about their family.  This is a great game for making connections between generations.

From the Heart

Gifts from the heart are pretty much a shoe-in for grown-ups.

Update 2023:  And here's a special one I just made.  After my daughter's dream trip to Ireland, I made her a plush blanket with pictures highlighting our travels.  The colors were so vivid on this gorgeous blanket.  It's a fantastic gift!  (Except now I want one for me, too...)

Note: There are many awesome blanket templates in Design & Print, 
Forever's free software, but I created this using Artisan, Forever's 
digital scrapbooking software so I could use my own font for Ireland. 

This is the preview of my blanket before printing.

Here are 4 more heartfelt gift ideas I love for adults:

• I love this sweet idea from The Gifty Girl:  {kid-crafted dish towels}.  This is such a heartfelt gift from grandkids that they can DIY–older kids can write or draw and younger kids can paint or stamp.
• I think {family cookbooks} are a heartfelt gift grown-ups can enjoy, too.  Family meals and special recipes are full of memories and comfort. 
• Rhonda Lauritzen and Rachel Trotter at Evalogue.life just wrote a {great little booklet of thoughtful questions} to ask someone who is writing their life story or wants to interview someone for their life story.  I think this would be a lovely gift for someone with an aging parent.
• I’m guessing I’m not the only tired adult out there, so I will say that the simple act of telling someone what you love and appreciate about him/her is a great gift.  A {“Reasons I Love You”} gift is inexpensive but literally lasts forever!

Incorporate Family Traditions

Like my husband’s grandmother, adults sometimes like to reminisce about the good old days.  A great way to preserve those warm, fuzzy memories is through recording family traditions.  What do you do at Thanksgiving?  What is your Christmas Eve tradition?  What is your favorite holiday and why?

Here are two ideas I really love for recording traditions:

Does the adult you’re searching for a gift for have a lot of Christmas tree ornaments?  If so, were they inherited, or are they part of a collection?  I love this idea for making a record of all your ornaments!  Mine each has its own story.

What about gathering a collection of photos and memories from past holidays to make a record of your favorite family traditions?  What special foods do you have every year?   

Special Ideas

What special ideas did you find on this month’s #familyhistoryfriday posts?  I hope you found great gift ideas that will be heartfelt, make memories, and/or make connections.  Be sure to Pin them to save for next year, too!

Here’s one more thought for the road:  In my family, we keep an “I’d Like” list on our fridge all year round.  When you think of something you’d like to receive as a gift, you write it on the list.  As the giver, it can come in handy when you aren’t sure what someone would like as a gift.

What was your favorite suggestion from this collection of ideas?  Tell me in the comments below!

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This post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on November 24, 2017, by Jennifer Wise.  You'll find more #familyhistoryfriday posts at the hashtag link below next to Labels.

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My Favorite Products for Meaningful Gift-Giving

Yesterday I was talking to a mom who told me that she specifically adds “No Gifts Please” to all her sons’ birthday party invitations.  They are 9 and 7.  Invariably, she said, someone will call or text saying, “Are you sure?  Can’t I bring a little something?”  Her response is always, “No.  We have too many things.”

I am always on the lookout for meaningful gifts for this very reason.  Many people have too many things.  Gifts that are memorable, meaningful, and heartfelt are the very best kind, but they can sometimes be hard to come by.  For the last My Favorite Things post this month for #familyhistoryfriday, I want to provide some fantastic gift options for you all in one place.  You can Bookmark or Pin this post to come back to for holidays, birthdays, graduations, milestones, anniversaries, thank-yous and other special occasions!

Family-Related Gifts to Encourage Connections

As I mentioned {last week}, sometimes connections between family members happen naturally, and sometimes they need a little orchestration.  Each of these links below has many suggestions for specific age groups that involve (or are related to) the whole family, so enjoy exploring them.  The gift ideas here foster connections.

• {Gift Ideas for the Whole Family}
• {Family-Themed Gift Ideas for Kids}
• {Interactive Gift Ideas for Teenagers}
• {Family-Centered Gift Ideas for Grown-Ups}

Remember that {family stories} are a gift!  They {help kids cope}, they {help heal from grief}, and they {especially empower kids}.

Whether for a close friend or a spouse, for a birthday or anniversary, it’s especially nice to give a meaningful gift from the heart to someone special.  Most of these links have several suggestions:

• {for friends, sweethearts, and classmates}
• {Five Amazing Gift Ideas Under $35}
• {the gift of words:  “You Can’t Re-Read a Phone Call”}
• {appreciation/”reasons I love you” book (with video tutorial)}
• {Building Self-Esteem through Family Stories and Personal Messages}

I will be so bold as to say that everyone needs to be appreciated!  Having some great resources like this when a special day comes along is pretty fantastic.

Make a book like this following the directions here.

One of my favorite “special someone” gifts is a Reasons I Love You book.  I made this one (with my kids) for my husband's 40th birthday.  We wrote out 40 reasons we love him, and I included pictures of us all over the years.  It is a precious book.  (Read {this post} to find out his reaction!)

Any little thing that’s heartfelt can make a wonderful gift.  For over 20 years, I had a piece of real mistletoe hanging up at Christmastime.  (I literally hung it until it fell to pieces.)  My husband volunteered as a Boy Scout leader the year after we got married.  Hiking in the woods in California, he happened upon some mistletoe, growing right there in the wild!  He picked it, and I suppose put it in his backpack, and brought it home as a little gift for me.  Now mistletoe isn’t anything wonderful, but the fact that it has the idea of romance attached to it and went to some trouble to do it made it a sweet little gift.

The gifts in all these links I’ve provided will give you a lot of ideas to choose from as birthdays, thank yous, anniversaries, holidays, and other special occasions come along.

"We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it."  ~John Lennon

Great gift ideas for meaningful gifts for all ages.  Tweet, Pin, or Share on Facebook or LinkedIn.

This post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on February 23, 2018, by Jennifer Wise.  You can find more #familyhistoryfriday posts by clicking the hashtag below next to Labels.

Gift Ideas for the Whole Family

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  Have you started thinking about gift-giving?  Whether you’re like me and started thinking about Christmas gift-giving on Halloween or you’re still weeks away from giving it a thought, I can help.  I love sharing gift ideas in November because I’m convinced it makes for a happier December.  

And, of course, these make great gifts any time of the year!

As you might guess, since this is #familyhistoryfriday, all the gift ideas here are family-related.  Today I’ll share gift ideas for the whole family, and in coming weeks I’ll share ideas for kids, teenagers, and adults.  Since they’re all family-related, though, ideas you’ll see in all of November’s #familyhistoryfriday posts can easily be gifts for the whole family, too.

FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY IDEAS

Whether you are new at learning your family history or an experienced genealogist, here are some great ideas for the whole family to get to know their ancestors and see how they’re all connected.

• You can create a pedigree chart on a wall canvas. 
• Create{a life story book}–yourself or a parent, grandparent or ancestor (These make wonderful gifts because they connect generations!)
• I have to say, I adore this idea.  These are {blankets made from a family tree fan chart}!!  Roots Gifts makes these, and there are several styles and colors to choose from.
• {Family Tree Prints} (pictured below) is a great option for creating your own family tree chart to save as a high-resolution JPEG file for printing.  They have suggestions for printing {here}, or you can do what I’m doing with a wrapped canvas (pictured below).
• These are nice family tree charts you can fill in by hand:  {family history tree chart} and {branches-themed genealogy chart poster}
• {300 Questions to Ask Your Parents} (book)
• {15-generation single pedigree chart} (I have one of these–they are so neat!)

Read about my experience making this special canvas {right here}.

Thanks to Aleah Ingram of LDS Bookstore for many of these ideas.

FAMILY MEMBERS AWAY FROM HOME

For family members spending holidays away from home, heart-warming gifts are especially appreciated.  Think about turning your family traditions into something you can mail.  Last year, my son stayed at college for Thanksgiving (because his break was so short, and he was coming home for a month the following week anyway).  We made him a box of “Thanksgiving dinner.”  We sent instant mashed potatoes, sticks of turkey jerky, apple pie cookies, a package of biscuit mix, etc.  I’m sure he’d be the first to tell you that it wasn’t a real Thanksgiving dinner, but he loved the box because he knew we were thinking about and loving him from far away.

Here are a few other ideas for great gifts to send family members who are away from home:

• send {a fold-able Christmas tree} (a poster, really–so cool)
• a {recipe book of favorite family recipes}
• {quote bundles from The Gifty Girl} have “thoughts of the day” to brighten the day
• a photo blanket like this one

Update 2023:  My daughter not only graduated from college, but did it impressively, so we wanted to give her a vacation as a gift!  She chose Ireland, and I had no idea how much *I* would love it!  It's the most beautiful place.  When we got home, I just had to make her a plush blanket with pictures from our trip.  It turned out so beautifully!

Note: There are many awesome blanket templates in Design & Print, 
Forever's free software, but I created this using Artisan, Forever's 
digital scrapbooking software so I could use my own font for Ireland. 

This is the preview of my blanket before printing.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Did you have a special event in your family this year?  Do you live far away from cousins or grandparents?  Home decor is a simple way to showcase special photos or keep faraway family members close.  From gallery-wrapped canvases to metal prints and posters, creating your own home decor with family photos is a beautiful, meaningful gift.  Make photo gifts (like the blanket above and the canvas below) by following the steps here.

Other gift ideas for the whole family that they can see or use every day include:

• {mousepads, coasters, mugs, water bottles, ornaments}
• a playing card deck with family photos (shown above--contact me for more information)
• {family calendars} -- these are cool because you can tear off the bottom calendar portion and then you're left with a 12x12 scrapbook page to save!

MORE IDEAS TO COME

I’ve done a lot of looking and asking around to find some great family-oriented gift ideas to share with you this month on #familyhistoryfriday.  (Here’s one for history buffs:  {a book and CD of the Nativity story experienced by those in the ancient Americas})  I’m looking forward to sharing many family-oriented gifts, things (and experiences) that create connections and family interaction.  Next week’s post will have ideas for kids.  See you then.

Pin to save and share!

This post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on November 3, 2017, by Jennifer Wise.  More #familyhistoryfriday posts can be found below by clicking the hashtag next to Labels.

12 (Days of) Christmas gift ideas - part 2

2026 UPDATE:  The platform used to create these cute items was retired in 2023, so I have redesigned and/or updated them, along with making them much easier to just click & order.  I finished the update of part 1 of this post in 2025, so check it out there.  You may also enjoy the Click & Give (or Click, Craft, & Give) ideas at this Christmas in July post.

How fun are those ideas I posted last week?!  I love them!  Today we're continuing our 12 (Days of) Christmas gift ideas.  Whether you need 12 Christmas ideas or 2, there are some really unique gift ideas here that you're going to love!

Day 7:  Single-Serve Cake Recipes

This is another fun idea (like Day 4 from last week) for a sweet treat to be eaten later.  The mini cards (playing card deck size) have instructions for 10 different kinds of single-serve cakes using boxed cake mix and a few simple ingredients.

Unlike the rest of these gift ideas, this is one you simply print at home!  

I have to tell you, I LOVE this gift idea, so I decided to give this as gifts to girlfriends this year.  These photos of MY Quick Cakes gives you a better idea of what this gift will look like after you order then assemble them.

the updated mini-recipe cards you can order at the link below

You can find the downloadable Quick Cakes Recipe Cards here and see all 10 recipes, from strawberry shortcake to chocolate lava cake, and download following the directions there at the right.  After printing at home, cut out the cards, punch a hole in the top left corner, assemble with a book ring, then gift with a box of cake mix!

Gift just the cards, or with a cake mix!

Not to ruin the surprise, but my friends LOVED this gift!  

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.  If you're new to Forever and open your free account here to give it a try, you'll get a $20 welcome coupon towards anything mentioned in this post.

Day 8:  Candy Cane Games

2026 update:  Two years ago, I gave this gift to a couple of friends who have grandkids, and it was so popular!  This is not surprising, because I took the idea from a sweet blog post that two Grands (grandmas) wrote:  A Candy Cane Christmas.  Laura and Laurie are former kindergarten teachers with so many fun and creative ideas that make fun family parties, especially with Littles.

I turned a couple of their ideas into a card with directions on it!  I gifted them with a box of candy canes and a deck of cards.  My friends loved them!

front of the card

back of the card, with instructions

These cards come with envelopes and are ready to print.   The cards come in a set of 10, so you're ready to gift to 10 families!  Just click here to order the Candy Cane Games cards, following the directions at the right.

Day 9:  Candy Cane Meringues with the Recipe

I love these Candy Cane Meringue Recipe Cards because I am a recipe collector, and I tend to ask for recipes of delicious things--and this gift saves your recipients the trouble of asking.  :)  This is a yummy but inexpensive treat to make, and it's an extra treat to have the recipe as part of the gift, too.  (It's also perfect for your gluten-free friends!)

You can order the set of 10 Candy Cane Meringue recipes cards here,
following the instructions you'll see on the right.

This 4x6 card has the recipe on the front and cute decor on the back.  (These are the personalized cards I ordered for myself, but I made a copy and removed that so you won't see my name on the back when you order yours.)  When the cards arrive, cut them in half and gift them with some delicious candy cane meringues!   Cards come in sets of 10, so with 20 after they're cut, you'll have plenty for neighbor, girlfriend, and co-worker gifts. 

And just follow the recipe on the card to make your treats!  Easy, peasy.

Day 10:  Christmas Table Place Cards (writeable)

I love the idea of using a 3x2 business card as a Christmas table place card (and I had so much fun designing these).  Just write names on the front!  These come in a pack of 50 so you'll have plenty to go around.  

Christmas Table Place Cards front,
with space to hand-write names

back of the Christmas Table Place Cards

Find the Christmas Table Place Cards project I created here, and just follow the directions at the right to order them.

Day 11:  Unique Christmas Puzzles

Like everything else in these 12 (Days of) Christmas gift ideas, this gift won't be accidentally duplicated because it's literally one-of-a-kind since I created it myself using Artisan digital scrapbooking software and digital art.  

Keep little hands busy with this 30-piece Christmas Puzzle for Kids.  It's 11x14 when finished.

Christmas Puzzle for Kids (order here)

Or, choose this Christmas Scripture Puzzle on a cozy night with a cup of hot chocolate.  This one is 252 pieces and is 14x11 when finished.

Christmas Scripture Puzzle (order here)

You may notice that I saved my designs as an image to share here, so on both puzzles you can see the outline of the puzzle pieces.

Day 12:  Christmas Card with Message

This small 4x6 holiday card has space for a personalized note on the inside.  I love this option for handwriting a card to give with a gift.  Cards come in a set of 10 and include envelopes.  

In the photo, I'm holding a card so you can see the outside, and below it you can see the inside, with space for writing a message.   You can see both the inside and the outside close-up here, where you can follow the directions on the right for ordering.

I personally think these would make a great gift as well--just give a set of 5 or the whole pack of 10!

Did you find something you loved?  Whether or not you are looking for 12 gifts or 1, I hope you found something unique and fun.  Happy gift-giving!

Share these ideas with someone who would love them using the 
social media share buttons at the right, then Pin this image to save
& share it.

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One-of-a-Kind Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

For an updated post with creative and unique Valentine's Day gift ideas, please visit Six Creative Valentine Ideas.

If you're like most Valentine-givers, you are giving a gift or a card to someone special for a reason.  You want to show love and appreciation.  With a little planning, this year you can give your someone special an impressive and truly personal gift or card.  Ready to see FIVE one-of-a-kind Valentine's Day gift ideas?  Let's go!

Thanks for stopping by.  We have a 2023 UPDATE before you read on:  Heritage Makers and Snap2Finish became YPhoto under Youngevity (which purchased Heritage Makers in 2013).  YPhoto uses only templates, so the creativity showcased here is no longer available there, and they also no longer have capability to print previously-created projects like these from the old system. YPhoto is not a photo storage site like Heritage Makers was. 

Best-in-the-industry quality and permanent cloud photo storage with guaranteed privacy are required for anything recommended here by Photo & Story Treasures, so we highly recommend Forever for:  

·        creative digital scrapbooking applicable in a variety of photo products using Artisan software

·        easy photo-memory books using templates in the free AutoPrint and Design & Print software programs

·        private, permanent, secure, and guaranteed photo and video cloud storage (triple-backed-up and bank encrypted)

·        white glove digitizing services for old memories like VHS tapes, slides, old scrapbooks (scanning), 8mm film, audio tapes, and much more

Learn more here to  find similar products at top-quality with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Please also note that the Card Kits and Exchange Blocks (idea 4 below) were from Heritage Makers' sister line, Anthology, which is no longer in existence.

___________________________________________________

The first three ideas I'll show you are all created online (with templates available) using Heritage Makers.  It is so versatile and so personal.  

The last two ideas are things you just order without creating digitally.  They're from Anthology DIY, and they're really clever and fun!

So let's see these five fantastic ideas already!

REASONS I LOVE YOU BOOK

I think "reasons I love you" gifts are some of the best kind you can give!  

A written note listing reasons you love your special one would be wonderful, but imagine opening your own book with those reasons, complete with your own photos!  There's nothing like it!!

PERSONAL GREETING CARD

I really think one of my favorite things about this type of truly personal card is that it's the same price as one from Hallmark or Walmart!  Actually, a little cheaper!  And you can put your own picture, your own message, your own sentiment on it.  Isn't that amazing?

LOVE COUPON CARDS (OR PLAYING CARD DECK)

How cool is this?!  It's a little hard to tell from just this picture, but this is the back of a playing card deck that's been made into Love Coupons!  On the front side, there are sweet little coupons like "30 minute massage" and "candlelight dinner at home for the two of us."  

I LOVE how personal this gift is!

The playing cards don't have to be Love Coupons, either.  If you want just a regular deck of playing cards with a picture on the back, you can do that, too!  

And you can make them for friends instead of a sweetheart, if you prefer, like this:

Remember I said there were a couple of non-digital items that are great one-of-a-kind Valentine's Day gift ideas?  These are kits that are almost done for you and make really fun gifts.  Here they are: 

VALENTINE MAKE & SHAKE CARD KIT

I have made cards from Anthology DIY card kits before, but not these shaker ones.  I absolutely adore the Anthology kits in general because it's like crafty card making without nearly so much time.  I get to be creative, but I don't have to cut or measure anything.

A COZY, PERSONALIZED PHOTO BLANKET

(Updated 2023)  This blanket (don't you love the gorgeous colors?!) is obviously with photos from a trip to Ireland, but you could personalize a blanket in any number of ways.  I love the plush style, but sherpa is available as well.  Use Design & Print to choose a (free) professionally-designed blanket template, and you'll be done in no time!  

Note: There are many awesome blanket templates in Design & Print, 
Forever's free software, but I created this using Artisan, Forever's 
digital scrapbooking software so I could use my own font for Ireland. 

This is the preview of my blanket before printing.

The blocks themselves are a separate kit from the sticky-backed canvas pieces shown above.  I personally consider the block set (with the paint, etc.) optional, but it's certainly easier than cutting your own blocks.  

How's that for five adorable, unique, personal, and creative Valentine's Day gift ideas that will make your recipients feel like they're one-of-a-kind?!  

Save for next year, too!  Pin to Pinterest.

Happy Valentine's Day!