Earlier this month, on Instagram I asked for you to share the most meaningful gifts you’ve ever been given or ones you’ve thoughtfully put together for someone you love. I quickly scrolled through some of the answers as they were coming in, but then tucked the rest away knowing I’d return to them when I put this post together. I woke up early this morning as I always do, lit my candle, poured my coffee and finally pulled up that old post to collect the answers to share. What I didn’t expect were the tears, overwhelmed by the amount of love and thoughtfulness in all these precious gifts and the reminder that during this time of credit card-swiping gift giving, what we all really want is moments and words and reminders that we are seen and loved. We want one more hug with our grandpa who is no longer with us, we want our kids to tell us they remember the memories we made for them, and we want a recipe card with our grandma’s famous streusel coffee cake, written in her own handwriting, so we can hold our memories of her in our kitchen every time we bake it. Experiences, moments and stories trump anything you can “add to cart,” and these ideas you’ve shared prove it.
And, dear God, do some of you have the most thoughtful husbands/parents/siblings! Brett and I were dying reading some of the precious significant other gifts you shared. “Just so you know,” I told Brett, “Those salt and pepper shakers you got me last year just got their ass kicked so hard. I’d like you to meet the winner–‘100 reasons why I love you’ written on a scroll and tied with a ribbon. GOOD NIGHT.” For the record, gift giving is not his love language, and I am okay with it. Plus, those salt and pepper shakers are pretty cute.
I’ve taken several of the ideas you shared and am making them a part of our gift giving this year. I hope you are inspired as much as I was. There’s no way I could have compiled all the answers you shared, but I tried to pull as many as I could into one post. And to add a little visual festive to this post, I dug into the holiday archives which always hurts so good. Like this one, by far the most meaningful gift Nella has ever received…
The most meaningful gifts you’ve received and given…
My sister and I filled a huge jar with 356 “remember whens” for my parents. They still do one strip a day.
@sarablaira
My sister-in-law had a dress shirt of my dad’s turned into a skirt for my daughter.
@wrigleyette
A cutting board engraved with a favorite recipe in my late mom’s handwriting.
@daniellelackey
A set of cufflinks with the GPS coordinates of the location of our first kiss.
@flippin_ani
My mother-in-law hand wrote her favorite (and my husband’s) recipes for me.
@hazelnigella
What I really want from my husband this year is free: a Spotify playlist of songs that make him think of me.
@whatsarasaidblog
The gift of a workshop/class/experience (Doe Bay writing retreat).
@laflechemasse
A wallet from my husband filled with gift cards from all my favorite stores and services.
@janelle_johnstone
Every year my mom renews my kids zoo and science museum memberships.
@thisrezlife
Handwritten letters from my children.
@thealabamahousewife
My husband gave me a picture a local artist did of the place where we got engaged–and he got her to sign it.
@g1ng3r6r3ad
Personalized address stamp.
@weiscl13
My daddy’s typewriter restored.
@sherriemoore06
Watercolor piece done of my in-laws’ home where they’ve lived their entire married lives.
@kenliparker
A necklace with my grandmother’s handwriting (she’s passed).
@glowofgray
A collection of family recipes in a bound book.
@reneegarbe
A CD with a photo slideshow of the pictures from the year, set to a meaningful song from the year.
@conniefilbrun
A recipe box full of my favorite family meals.
@jane.bess
A gift with our baby’s name. She is in heaven. She is recognized.
@_rebekah.ruth_
Hand painted ornaments of my childhood home (by Cindy Thurston on Etsy).
@ashleysangha
I recently fell and dislocated my shoulder in the shower. My friend got me a shower mat.
@stephc8568
“Open when” letters.
@caitwebble
A sign with a family quote written in my grandma’s handwriting after she died.
@menoblay
A Build-a-Bear dressed as a soldier with a personal message, from my deployed brother.
@xolovekimblog
The year Lainey drew a picture for Nella, and we turned it into a dress for her.
A framed photo of when my grandparents were married.
@mahscott
A painting of my favorite mountain.
@coralma
A box of the most iconic goods from where we live and where my siblings live (coffees, alcohol, cheeses, etc.).
@dwiseman
Dinner out with my adult children, no kids.
@lindahartl001
Tickets to a musical with babysitting provided.
@laurababes
A knit stocking for my daughter to match the one made for me when I was born.
@jplot
My husband made me a comic book about my first 5 months being a mom.
@lolanmose
A door knocker for our forever home (someday I’ll hang it).
@mandycunningham_
100 Reasons Why I Love You, printed on a scroll and tied with a ribbon.
@melannerep
Grandpa’s old robes monogrammed for my nephews.
@dwiseman
A denim tote bag with pins of all my favorite TV shows and bands.
@hannah.renea.19
I gifted my dad a keychain with the latitude and longitude of my sibling’s and my locations.
@lorlyeloves
Cassette tapes that my grandfather recorded his life’s story on. Priceless.
@amy1icciardi
A night at a hotel all by myself with the only task being to relax!
@kritabaugh
An ornament my mom soldered (she took classes). She’s always learning something new.
@dwiseman
Framed prints of the ship our great grandparents came over from Italy on to my siblings.
@dwiseman
A Winnie the Pooh book published 10/14/26. My best friend gave me a copy for my son’s birth 10/14/18.
@renatatataaa
My mother-in-law had an article that I wrote for the city newspaper framed.
@carapcaudill
A music box that plays our wedding song.
@kari_dixon7
A recent favorite–tap shoes and payment for a 12-week class. #firsttimer #adultdancer
@emgmerritt
A print of a painting that was once mentioned…and remembered.
@fourmenandalady
My dad photocopied every journal entry he wrote about me from my birth on, and made me a book.
@erinmcbryant
A picture of the stars from where we live the night my daughter was born.
@paigeb127
It’s small, but my sister had a keychain made with a penny from 2017, and it says “boy mama”–my fave.
@c_stephenson11
My grandma who taught me how to sew gave me a box full of fabric leftover from her favorite dresses. I still have some of those scraps in my collection and will put them into quilts for my kids.
@turbtastic
After my mother died, my aunt bought me a bottle of the perfume she always wore.
@shaunaandco
Stockings made from old sweaters of grandma’s.
@dwiseman
Storyworth which came to us via you! We’ve passed this around all our family, and it is so meaningful.
@jfraserbeason
A handmade crib for my first born, made by my big brother.
@bresuedorts
A framed recipe card from my great-grandma with one of my favorite foods.
@evkingry
One year my aunt compiled old VHS family videos onto DVDs for the whole family.
@carlyehorse
Silhouette profile pictures of my children! My husband also made them for his parents.
@thekeslerbunch
A bangle with my children’s name and DOBs stamped on it.
@naterin
My husband built me a jewelry box. Got it one year unfinished. Next year with jewelry.
@lolajean5
A round trip ticket to visit my best friend.
@draeaskay
Alright, what did we miss on this list? To this day, one of my favorite gifts (I gave it to myself) is my keepsake quilt made from squares cut from my maternity jeans and the most memorable baby clothes from all three of my kids. It’s from Vintage Giggles, and this year I had the honor of giving a quilt–one I had made from my ties worn my by mother-in-law’s father who passed away early this year. It’s one of my favorite gift giving moments ever. What are your most favorite gift giving moments or meaningful things or experiences you’ve received?
This may be one of my favorite posts you’ve ever written. We are really trying to save this Christmas and don’t have a lot in the budget for big gifts. So many of these gave me wonderful ideas for precious, meaningful gifts I can make or create on a budget. Thank you so very much for the inspiration!!!
I fell in love with a painting at a local art museum, by a local artist, that after the exhibition went into a private collection, presumably never to be seen again by the public.. Years later my best friend found a rendering of it in an art book. Purchased the book, carefully removed the page and had it professionally framed! It now hangs in my living room and I smile whenever I look at it.
My husband and I bond over watching food network stars and cooking their recipes together in the kitchen or for each other- one Christmas he gave me these two beautiful 3-ring binders with tabs labeled appetizers, side dishes, dessert etc. and they were stocked with the recipe print-outs of our favorite food network cooks. Some of them had special meaning or hand written notes of the memories of cooking them or sharing them. And the rest were ones we hadn’t yet made but he wanted to try or thought I’d like. Best gift ever!
My dad has raced cars since he was a little kid. About 15 years ago he had some health problems, was losing his vision and decided to sell all of his racing stuff – truck, trailer, his car, my car, etc. After selling his car, I was in the shop with him one night when he told me “he’d messed up.” I had no idea what he meant. The steering wheel in his race car was one of the first gifts my mom gave him when they started dating. He’d moved it from car to car over the years but was so upset by having to sell everything that he didn’t think to take it out of the car before it was sold. I didn’t say anything that night but I tracked down the car and bought the new owner a new steering wheel in exchange for the old one. I also drove several hours round trip to pick it up. I didn’t even wrap it. I handed it to him in the living room one day and just watched his reaction. He recognized the wheel by feel alone. Now, both my mom and I have given it to him, and it hangs on his wall. Worth every penny to see the look on his face and know he had it back when so many things were gone beyond his control. Pretty sure it was a gift for me just as much as it was for him.
You just killed me. Dead. What a beautiful story…and the way you told it. Uggghh…right in the feels, man. Xo
Crying! So beautiful!
I’m not crying. You’re crying. This is so so beautiful.
Oh my word. What is wrong with me today? I cried so much thinking about all the love and tenderness put in those gifts. Thank you for sharing these. My goal now is to find THE gift for my parents. <3
My favorite thing I have given is a short story I wrote and framed for my Grandma titled Grandma’s Hands. She is the most amazing grandma in the world and she absolutely loved it!
My daughter’s 1st Chelristmas, she was only a month old. My husband gave me a box full of children’s books with her name in the title. For 9 years now, we’ve been reading “Lila Pirate”, “Lila Bloom”, “Lila Ladybird”, and others!
My mother had a very rough childhood, and one of the lone bright spots was a book sent to her from British relatives as a small child. For years, she would tell me about how the book made her smile in the middle of total dysfunction, but she couldn’t remember the name or the author, just the two main characters’ names. For YEARS, I stalked old book chatrooms, asking if anyone knew what book Happy and Butterball belonged to. Finally, someone gave me the author’s name, and from there, I found the book in Australia. Mom cried so hard when she opened it! My proudest gift-giving moment!
KILLING ME. How thoughtful.
Wow!! Amazing.
I took photos of my nephew as he arrived at the hospital and went up the elevator, we had him push the buttons etc, took photos of him washing his hands and then shyly meeting his baby sister. And then all the little moments. I’m the family photographer so no one thought anything about it.
The I turned them into a book “the Day Lincoln became a big brother” and printed it hardbound.
My sister ugly cried.
They are trying to adopt and don’t know yet that my husband I have set aside money so I can go whenever they get the call to do the same. No matter where the baby is born. She said she wished they could do it but it is expensive to adopt. We also feel like it’s a way to let them and our new niece or nephew know someday how much we wanted them too.
This is amazing. You got me at “they don’t know yet that my husband and I have set aside money so I can go whenever they get the call to do the same.” You are an amazing sister. xo
My dad passed away in September of 2016, and we were very close. On Christmas Day that year, my husband surprised me with a frame, which held a typed copy of my dad’s father of the bride speech at our wedding (he watched our wedding video to get it word for word) and a photo of our father-daughter dance together. It is by far one of the best, most thoughtful gifts I have ever received.
How thoughtful!
Where did you turn the picture into a dress? I want to do a shirt of one of my daughter’s paintings.
It’s picturethisclothing.com
My favorite gift I gave was for my husband’s birthday. I secretly asked his friends & family to give me 3 words they thought of when they thought of him. Over 200 of them replied, and I made a word cloud using all of their responses. My husband loved it! He said he felt so affirmed, encouraged, and loved.
I love this.
I love this idea! My husband’s 50th is coming up and I want to do something special. What do you mean by a word cloud?
For the last 20 plus years, my sisters and I (I have 5 of them, and 2 bothers) get together and create a family calendar. We all bring pictures of our families and we cut them up and create a collage like page for each month of mixed pictures from everyone’s family.We have done vintage pages, of old pictures from our youth, and pictures of our parents who have passed years ago, etc. On the actual months page everyone’s birth day, anniversary date (include those that have gone before us) is put on the calendar. They are passed out on the day we have our family Christmas gathering. For about an hour, everyone is glued to their calendar talking about who is on what page, and what the event was. Some pages have upwards of 50 people on them.It is truly everyone’s favorite x-mas gift. It is a group effort made with lots of love for all. .
My favorite present I’ve ever given was a birthday present… for both my mom and dad’s 60th birthdays, I made them a hard-bound book full of letters from their kids, grandkids, extended family, friends and neighbors (I had contacted them all months before and had them either mail me or email me a letter telling their favorite memory of them, favorite thing about them, etc). I ended up getting 60-80 letters for each of them and I LOVED reading each as they came in. I complied them all and went to a local print shop where they bound them together with a hard cover for $15. My parents both got emotional reading them all. Best feeling ever.
MANY years ago, When my sister and I were about five and six. She received a record player and a 45 ( now I’m really dating us) of Johnny Cash’ A Boy named Sue.
She played that song a lot, a real lot. On repeat. 10/15 times a day for weeks. Sometimes up to 30 times a day. Nothing could dissuade her from playing it- not begging, pleading, bribing.
Now, I suspect a part of the fun for her was the fact she was making us all a bit crazy with it.
After awhile, I’d had it. After about the seventh time she played it one day, I dramatically grabbed the 45 from the record player and broke it in half saying ‘ i just can’t take it anymore!’
Everyone just sat and stared at me in disbelief as I was normally the more, shall we say, well behaved, one of us. After a moment of stunned silence- my sister threw herself down on the ground and started crying. My mother, who has since admitted she was secretly grateful, pretended to send me to my room to ‘think about what I had done.’
Flash forward 30 years and we are now best of pals and it’s a fun store we tell. One year for Christmas, I found a 45 copy on eBay. I mounted it in a shadow box and wrapped it in brown paper the way we used to do our school books. Around the entire front of the box I hand wrote ‘I must not break my sister’s record’ . Thinking it was finally time she received justice for my crime.
It was the hit of Christmas and she has it proudly displayed in her house 😀
Ps. Neither of us can listen to the song without giggling AND cringing now
love that!
Received – my husband secretly filmed my daughter’s first year of her life and made me a DVD set to music of songs that were meaningful during that big year. He even had a DVD case of our favorite photo made. It starts with me on our way I the hospital saying “We’re going to have a baby!” And ends with he trying to say “I love you” with so many precious moments between.
Gift I have given: a family recipe book for each side of my family. I made photo books online with old family photos and my late nana and grandma’s recipes. It was a favorite gift on both sides of the family.
My mom made a boy baby doll for me for Christmas when I was about 9. It was one of my most prized possessions.
I kept that doll when I got married, and through every move, even when my husband and I and our 6 (at the time) kids downsized to a less than1,000 sq ft house, though he had to go into storage.
A few years later we were sorting through our stored items and discovered that most of what we’d stored was ruined. Mice had eaten my wedding veil and flowers – I tossed them in the burn pile without tears. Precious books got burned with a sigh of regret. But when I found my doll (Johnny) with most of his hair gone and bites taken out of a couple of body parts and his clothes (a sleeper than my preemie son had worn) shredded – oh how I cried. I was about to throw him in the fire, too, but my husband told me not to. He said, “Maybe he can be fixed”.
That doll was a nasty wreck, but I handed it to him and he put him back in storage, but in a plastic tub instead of a box.
Unbeknownst to me, a few weeks later, he called my mom and asked her if she thought she could fix him. She said she’d try, so he snuck the doll to her on Thanksgiving, and she spent the next few weeks working magic.
My oldest son brought a gift ‘from Santa’ when he came for Christmas, and my husband made sure to have the camera ready…
When I opened the box, there was my Johnny doll, almost as good as new!! I’d been given my favorite present twice.
My dad passed away many years before my grandson was born. Dad loved and wore Pendleton plaid shirts regularly. I saved one and made my grandson’s Christmas stocking out of it. I bought many tiny, symbolic ornaments and wrote a scroll about what each meant for his future… and tucked it in a little drawstring bag in the stocking so that every year he’d read it when he put up his stocking. Hopefully, he’ll still be reading that many years after I’m gone and know how much I loved him.