Holiday Gift Ideas for Long Distance Relationships and Families
The holiday season is a time dedicated to celebrating family, the home, cultural or religious heritage, and so much more. Unfortunately, many people do not get to spend the holidays visiting their loved ones. Whether the distance is new, or you normally spend the season apart, the traditional go-to gift ideas may not be practical: mailing big or heavy gifts can cost an arm and a leg, and event or travel-based gifts are expensive and unpredictable. We’ve gathered up a list of holiday gift ideas that are easy to transport and will show your loved ones just how much you care. Make this a stress-free season and try some of these creative and original gifts on for size:
Personalized Art
Rather than pasting a picture of your loved ones’ faces onto a puzzle that may never be used or enjoyed again, try something a bit more symbolic: use a picture or reminder of your favourite memory together, their favourite location, or favourite flower. This will show that you put in effort and make it nicer to display and enjoy over and over again. You can even commission an artist to make a drawing or painting of something of your loved one’s choosing, complete personalization without worrying about shipping or giving something they won’t like.
A Recipe Subscription Box
When you’re far apart it can become hard to find diverse, fun ways to spend quality time together. Gifting your loved ones a food subscription box not only provides a fun recipe that you can try out together, but you can choose the recipes you receive to suit tastes and dietary restrictions - finding new family favourites, making new memories, and saving time by staying out of grocery stores.
Picture: Two people cooking
Find an Online Multiplayer Game
Online game stores have a diverse collection of games that can suit the whole family’s tastes (See: Steam). Through these stores you can gift your loved ones a digital copy of a game, no mailing required. Doing this means finding ways to spend time together in a fun and lighthearted way that’ll keep you close regardless of any physical distance that may exist. Good games to consider that are fun for all ages include: Stardew Valley, Jackbox Games, Don’t Starve: Together, and Among Us.
Compile your Family Recipes Onto a Private Website
When you have a large family it’s easy to lose track of the recipes, especially when spread over great distances. With the creation of this thoughtful and functional gift you can enjoy all the family favourites without having to worry if the instructions are incorrect or lost to time. Simple, private, and low-cost website builders like Squarespace and WordPress are easy to use and allow you massive amounts of freedom and personalization. This is a perfect gift for a close-knit family separated by distance, tapping into sentimental feelings without adding to clutter.
Hire a Local Interior Decorator
Make the house feel brand new and extra cozy this season by hiring an interior decorator in their area to rearrange and refresh their home. This saves them from having to visit countless stores, do endless research, and continuously rearrange heavy furniture. Once the snow starts falling, they’ll be thrilled to have their home interior perfectly styled to their tastes and lifestyles.
Picture: Warm, modern living room
Put together a Long-Distance Care Package
While gift cards can be impersonal gifts, when thoughtfully chosen and put together they can create meaningful presents for the people you care about. You may want to include gift cards for food delivery services or online home décor stores, a USB with movies downloaded or a Netflix subscription, sheet masks for facials, and a card with a nice message and an explanation for each card or item included. All these items can fit in an envelope and won’t be damaged if handled roughly in transit, making it an easy and helpful gift option.
Personalized Postcards and Stamps
It can be hard to find the time to pick up the phone, and text messaging can feel impersonal. Start a new tradition and method of meaningful communication that will last long after the holidays are over: send your loved ones blank postcards with stamps that take all the hassle out of writing a letter. Make sure to include a letter to start off the conversation and explain the purpose of this non-traditional gift. Your loved ones will be thrilled to regularly get letters in the mail, giving them something to look forward to and closing the distance between you and those you care about. This option is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Regardless of how you choose to celebrate the holidays, you don’t need to feel alone. With the gift suggestions listed above you can be sure that even if you’re far apart or working on a budget, you can still feel close to the people who really matter to you.