Christmas Gift Experiences for Mums, Dads, and Other Difficult People to Buy For

Christmas, for me, alternates between wonderful and woeful, most especially when it comes to buying gifts.

Wrapped box
What to buy? (Photo: rawpixel)

People get older, and after a certain age they seem to have everything already!

There is nothing, for example, that my mother wants or needs. My father is even more tricky and troublesome to find anything for.

This is where the ‘gift experience’ really can make all the difference between an overcooked Brussel sprout of a Christmas, versus a fantastic epic feast with all the trimmings.

Gift experiences are really great for anyone who ‘has it all’, because people still have hobbies and interests they enjoy which can then be gratified via the gift experience.

So, for my mother, for example, I’m going to get her a day use hotel on DayBreakHotels website. Perhaps I’ll book this in London, Manchester, or Birmingham. I’m also going to add in a spa pass and a couple of treatments, plus an extra booking and pass for someone to accompany her. Lunch will be included. I think the person accompanying her, considering all this wonderfulness, will be me…

Spa Treatment
Spa treatments are the best treat of all (Photo: graceie)

For Dad, it’s going to be a couple of laps in a super fast sports car. He’s always been into cars, and could only dream of driving a Ferrari Testarossa himself. But, voila! With a gift experience, the most fabulous of fantasies can come true.

Drive a sports car

I think that experiences like these are far more interesting and amazing than gifts in the form of goods. The recipient will have that memory for the rest of their life, and usually, I think, such experiences e.g. a helicopter flight, are normally out of reach for the average person.

Not any more!

Neither does the gift experience need to be flashy or showy. It could be something supporting someone’s long term dream or ambition – for instance, my sister always wanted to become an artist, so I gifted her a series of painting lessons.

The joy you can bring to people with these sorts of gifts is truly remarkable. So, think about what your friend or family members loves or yearns for, and give them a taste of it!

Those moments spent enjoying your gift will be talked about and treasured for years to come.

Giving to Those We Love

Sharing hands
Sharing hands
Christmas is a much adored and anticipated time for many. For others, it’s a time of sadness, loneliness, and loss. Some people don’t have families or a network they can connect into at this time of year. Some people will be missing relatives, and the festivities of Christmas will make their absence even more apparent. Calls to The Samaritans increase around the holidays, and the homeless, as usual, are left out in the cold. That’s why it’s so important to value the people you love and to show your appreciation of them through a gift. Consumerism is rife, and maybe too many focus on this – hence, the madness, the chaos, the crowds. But, if you just remember that life flies by quickly, it’s easy to refocus on the ‘who’ of Christmas and to remember that the ‘what’ – the gifts – are just a token, rather than the essence of the thing.