I love the “decide once” principle from The Lazy Genius (@thelazygenius on IG). Decide one and let the decision be. For example: for all of 2022, I bought a board game and candy as the go-to birthday gift from my twins for EVERY birthday party they attended. Made that decision once and didn’t think about it again! For 2023, I bought a bunch of $25 Amazon gift cards shaped like cupcakes and that was their gift for every birthday party. Fewer decisions. Always on hand.
What is your go-to gift for celebrations? Go to gift for a graduation? Go to gift for a kid birthday? Go to gift for a wedding? A teacher? Help us “decide once.”
Welcome to a new occasional feature: Group Text! This is a group thread I’ll start from time to time. The goal is to get the comments section to be a TREASURE TROVE of ideas! If every paying subscriber comments with their favorite kiddo birthday gift, that’ll be 1,900 ideas! To kick us off, I’ll be randomly selecting a commenter each week to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
Every year for Christmas, I try to get my nearest and dearest something useful. This year, it’s this magical portable charger: https://a.co/d/aAPndgd
Why is it magical? Because all the charging cables are *built into it.* USB-C. Android. Lightning. They’re all there, and you don’t have to purchase or keep up with a million cords. This thing can charge all of my devices, plus it’s super thin and fits into any bag, no problem.
Great gift for graduation too! (Maybe with a fun lil Target gift card purchased on sale the way Ruth talked about above, which I still think is genius)
Go-to teacher 🎁: I buy $500 worth of Target gift cards in different denominations every year when they go on sale for 10 % off and give them out for teacher Christmas, birthday, and appreciation gifts.
BRILLIANT! I always take a bunch of Target gift cards to school and drop them off at the main office so families, who need it, can buy their kiddos gifts.
The first weekend (Saturday/Sunday) in December every year.
Anybody know of other stores that do discounts on their gift cards? Target is great for girls, but I find the teen men in my life are much less thrilled with the idea of a Target shopping trip.
Go-to baby 👶🏼 I order an embroidered onesie for any new babies in my life from JulianneOriginals on Etsy! I typically order 3-6 months and have it sent directly to the family. They always tell me it’s so thoughtful and personalized and the pics are precious. It turns into a keepsake item and is my favorite “lazy genius” idea!
I’m older than most of you but we (I 😉) give our young adult kids & their people--spouses girlfriend etc. (6 total) the same thing.
One year they all got Patagonia jackets
One year they all got Rumpl blankets & things for a picnic.
This year they all are getting scarves & gloves. (Christmas plaid for the girls, buffalo check for the guys.) Leather driving gloves for the guys & Cc gloves for the girls. The guys are all also getting a shirt. The girls are all also getting a lululemon belt bag.
It makes life so much easier.
(I have 2 married young adult kids & 1 with a serious girlfriend)
My high school kids who are still living with us, still get more. But I’m excited for when all the gift giving is easier.
Not a kids birthday gift, but one for my grown up friends - we all turned 30 at the same time and I wanted to send something other than flowers. Pearl is a 30th Anniversary gift so I took inspo from that and found an affordable (circa £50) bracelet on Etsy with a pearl charm and bought 6 of them. Grown up friendship bracelets that everyone will actually wear everyday.
Go-to wedding: an LL Bean bag with their new last name embroidered. (My hubby is from Maine and we are carrying on this tradition his mom started so it’s extra special)
Yes!! We received a boat and tote with our initials monogrammed. I’ve since added 4 more matching bags to our lives (plus two kids and a 🐶!) . They don’t go out of style and they never wear out!
The large bean duffle is my go to gift for high school and college graduates! I add their name or monograms and aim for their school’s colors!
These ideas are amazing! For wedding gifts, we always frame the wedding invitation through a local and trusted framer, for the newlyweds. It’s a “piece of art” we know they already love and proudly display in their home. 🥰
I don’t have kiddos, but for my friend’s kiddos’ birthday parties I always get them a Kiwi Co box. It’s so easy and the kid’s always love it! There are different themes and ages activities. Always a winner!
New home gifts: a pretty return address stamp, a set of furniture sliders that includes sliders for carpet and hardwood floors (Super Sliders is a popular brand on Amazon), a Zibra Open-It (all-in-one Multi tool with heavy-duty scissors that can cut through any plastic packaging, box cutter, screwdriver, and package opener).
The holiday gift I give to everyone I see in late November and December (friends, neighbors, the dentist if I happen to go then, etc.) is a little paper bag with the instructions and ingredients for what I call holiday boil. I used to write the instructions on the bags but now give out so many that I had gift tags printed with the instructions. I order whole cloves and cinnamon sticks in bulk from Amazon then put the amounts below in each gift bag with a whole orange. Here are the instructions:
Simmer 1 quartered orange, 1 tablespoon of cloves, and 3 cinnamon sticks in a large pot of water. Keep adding water, and the scent will last a few days.
We always give teachers a movie theatre gift card. We buy them at Costco for a theatre chain we have all across Canada.... it includes 2 tickets, 2 drinks and 1 popcorn. Teachers always seem to love it! Movies are expensive and they can use them for a random date night, girls night, or to take a child.
Go-to wedding gift of late has been a copy of The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi and a small item off the registry. Go-to baby gift is (honest!) a copy of Emily’s You Are Always Enough and either a small item off the registry or a Target gift card. Always a hit!
For kid birthday gifts, we give the exact dollars of how old they are ($8 for a child turning 8 years old) and then add some candy to go with it. Kind of a spin on the "Fiver" idea of giving a five dollar bill. We have small class sizes, so our kids get invited to a LOT of parties and it adds up quickly. For their closest 1-2 friends, we do a larger gift specific to their interests. I also buy bulk birthday cards (you can get a set of 36 at Target for $10).
For a baby gift I always get the Boppy pillow (as long as it was on their registry) and one of the Jimmy Fallon books. If I know the mom better, it's "Everything is Mama" but if I know the dad better, I get "Your baby's first word will be dada". For bridal showers or wedding gifts I tend to stick to linens of some kind from their registry - either bath towels or kitchen towels. Something cloth (lighter to carry).
I love sewing, but struggle to make time and space for it these days… so I decided that next year every niece and nephew is getting a handmade something! Options (depending on age) are out of library bag, pencil case, or a storage basket for their desk.
This year our go to birthday gift for my 7 year old boy has been a glow in the dark ball. We’ve done footballs most, but also some basketballs and soccer balls!
When I was 16 we bought a glow in the dark basketball for a Florida beach trip. Attracted all kinds of other teens to play with us lol. Best purchase ever.
For housewarming, I love giving a favorite cookbook! Any of the Magnolia Table books are my go to at the moment. For baby showers, "You're Always Enough", a Simplified pouch, and a cute outfit. :) Also, pro tip on the Target gift cards, stock up for yourself too!
I give Book of the Month subscriptions to everyone! I've given them to my hairdresser, mom, sisters, teachers, friends, anyone who likes to read. It feels meaningful, but is actually really easy. Plus, then we can share books!
I was going to give this to my sister-in-law but was confused how it worked! Do they just pick one or more? (Since it's $60 for 3 months was wondering what that entails! :)
You pick one a month for three months (although it doesn’t expire so if you don’t like that month’s books you can roll it over) and then you have the option to add on books for $11 each, which is the dangerous part. 😂 Does that make sense? I think it’s really worth it and I’ve read so much because of it!
I think so! (They must have just raised their prices). I will say it’s all hardback new ones and some that haven’t even been released yet so if she likes that kind of book it’s really fun. (I should work for them. 😂 It’s just my fave present every year!)
I switch off, too, between Target giftcards and candy or a boardgame and candy. Now that my oldest son is 10 I may start to do movie/popcorn/drink gift certificates or a gc to the local ice cream shop.
Wedding gift: a Marye-Kelley wedding invitation decoupage plate. The invitation becomes a rectangular or square glass plate that can be hung on a wall or used as a tray. Marye-Kelley has lots of beautiful border options and can even customize a border with artwork from the invitation or envelope lining. You can see examples on the Mary-Kelley website then print a form to mail the invitation with your specifications, such as tray size.
I give my teenage nephew $2 bills packaged in creative ways.
LL Bean duffle bags are perfect for gym bags or travel.
Someone else said smartwool socks - we love these and all of the variations (no show), running, hiking, etc... I also gravitate towards funny, but quality socks (like a sock with shark teeth that says ‘bite me’).
For entertainers: gift card to liquour store and funny cocktail napkins/tea towel.
For readers: magazine subscription in their interest (I.e. Garden & Gun or Shooting Sportsman)
My aunt is a very thoughtful gift giver - some of my favorites I plan to use in the future are:
Nice Pendleton outdoor blanket for high school graduation. It rolls up with snaps and has a handle. Great for football games, picnics, ect. I still use mine almost 20 years later for kid soccer games and last night at a parade!
For wedding she gave us a fire/waterproof safe- it’s like a small file cabinet so we can store paperwork and small important items.
My go-to wedding gift (credit for this goes to my aunt) is to have their wedding invitation turned into an ornament from a shop on Etsy. If it is for someone close I make it the shower gift then do something bigger off their registry.
Good go to gift for adult friends is a set of hand towels and either a fun soap dispenser (from Home Goods!) or a nice smelling foaming soap from Bath and Bodyworks.
We've been doing a Lite Brite for 4/5 year old gifts and a Puffy Sticker Maker Kit for my 7 year old's friends- always a hit! The "decide once principle" for this is a game changer!
I also keep one of each in my Amazon cart so I can monitor when they drop in price!
For housewarmings, adult birthdays, and holiday gifts, I like to gift handmade mugs and either a collection of teas, a bag of coffee beans, or a canister of cocoa.
For Christmas gifts for life group leaders, pastors, church friends, etc., I purchase one special ornament and they all get the same one. I have been decide once on these for years.
Around the holidays I always keep a box of hot cocoa packets, candy canes and chocolates on hand to add to gifts whether they be for co-workers, friends, secret Santa etc. A fun extra gift besides a bigger gift.
Every year for Christmas, I try to get my nearest and dearest something useful. This year, it’s this magical portable charger: https://a.co/d/aAPndgd
Why is it magical? Because all the charging cables are *built into it.* USB-C. Android. Lightning. They’re all there, and you don’t have to purchase or keep up with a million cords. This thing can charge all of my devices, plus it’s super thin and fits into any bag, no problem.
Great gift for graduation too! (Maybe with a fun lil Target gift card purchased on sale the way Ruth talked about above, which I still think is genius)
So here for a Signature Gift!!
Ordered!
Hope you love it!!
This is the best charger!
Fave Toddler Birthday Gift: bubble bath, cute bath towel, and pjs. ☺️
Fun bath bombs as they get older!
Go-to teacher 🎁: I buy $500 worth of Target gift cards in different denominations every year when they go on sale for 10 % off and give them out for teacher Christmas, birthday, and appreciation gifts.
BRILLIANT! I always take a bunch of Target gift cards to school and drop them off at the main office so families, who need it, can buy their kiddos gifts.
Okay, this is like next-level gift giving. Tucking this away for later!
Gift Cards go on sale? What how have I missed this!?!?
Mark your planner for next year! You just missed it. Target does their 10% gift card sale the first weekend in December.
Same, when does this happen?
The first weekend (Saturday/Sunday) in December every year.
Anybody know of other stores that do discounts on their gift cards? Target is great for girls, but I find the teen men in my life are much less thrilled with the idea of a Target shopping trip.
BRILLIANT. Long live the gift card drawer!!
I had no idea they go on sale!! Whaaaaaat!?
Go-to baby 👶🏼 I order an embroidered onesie for any new babies in my life from JulianneOriginals on Etsy! I typically order 3-6 months and have it sent directly to the family. They always tell me it’s so thoughtful and personalized and the pics are precious. It turns into a keepsake item and is my favorite “lazy genius” idea!
Adding to my idea bank. This is great!!
Such a good idea!!
I love a gift certificate to the movie theater with bags of popcorn, soft drinks and movie candy boxes!
Why do movie candy boxes always feel so ~fancy?~ I love this idea!
Exactly my thought! Totally elevates it for kids too!
So cute!
I’m older than most of you but we (I 😉) give our young adult kids & their people--spouses girlfriend etc. (6 total) the same thing.
One year they all got Patagonia jackets
One year they all got Rumpl blankets & things for a picnic.
This year they all are getting scarves & gloves. (Christmas plaid for the girls, buffalo check for the guys.) Leather driving gloves for the guys & Cc gloves for the girls. The guys are all also getting a shirt. The girls are all also getting a lululemon belt bag.
It makes life so much easier.
(I have 2 married young adult kids & 1 with a serious girlfriend)
My high school kids who are still living with us, still get more. But I’m excited for when all the gift giving is easier.
Go-to housewarming gift: a copy of The Lazy Genius Kitchen. Kendra saves my life on the regular and I love passing her brilliance along.
Not a kids birthday gift, but one for my grown up friends - we all turned 30 at the same time and I wanted to send something other than flowers. Pearl is a 30th Anniversary gift so I took inspo from that and found an affordable (circa £50) bracelet on Etsy with a pearl charm and bought 6 of them. Grown up friendship bracelets that everyone will actually wear everyday.
Go-to wedding: an LL Bean bag with their new last name embroidered. (My hubby is from Maine and we are carrying on this tradition his mom started so it’s extra special)
Yes!! We received a boat and tote with our initials monogrammed. I’ve since added 4 more matching bags to our lives (plus two kids and a 🐶!) . They don’t go out of style and they never wear out!
The large bean duffle is my go to gift for high school and college graduates! I add their name or monograms and aim for their school’s colors!
Love the idea of the grad gift with school colors!
PS we also give something from the registry or a gift card
We live in Minnesota, so I often gift Smart Wool socks. Practical, warm, and perfect for MN winters.
Smartwool socks and thermals are my lifeeee in the winter.
Nothing beats warm smart wool socks!
love smart wool socks!
These ideas are amazing! For wedding gifts, we always frame the wedding invitation through a local and trusted framer, for the newlyweds. It’s a “piece of art” we know they already love and proudly display in their home. 🥰
For new babies, a custom name stamp from Etsy (“From the library of...”) and a favorite children’s book!
We gift Lego sets 99% of the time we attend kids parties, and it’s always a win! The 3-in-1 creator sets are great for boys and girls!
Kid birthday gift: Always new pack of crayons and coloring book/pad of coloring paper.
I don’t have kiddos, but for my friend’s kiddos’ birthday parties I always get them a Kiwi Co box. It’s so easy and the kid’s always love it! There are different themes and ages activities. Always a winner!
Oh that's so smart! My kids loved Kiwi Co during Covid
This is a great gift!!
New home gifts: a pretty return address stamp, a set of furniture sliders that includes sliders for carpet and hardwood floors (Super Sliders is a popular brand on Amazon), a Zibra Open-It (all-in-one Multi tool with heavy-duty scissors that can cut through any plastic packaging, box cutter, screwdriver, and package opener).
The holiday gift I give to everyone I see in late November and December (friends, neighbors, the dentist if I happen to go then, etc.) is a little paper bag with the instructions and ingredients for what I call holiday boil. I used to write the instructions on the bags but now give out so many that I had gift tags printed with the instructions. I order whole cloves and cinnamon sticks in bulk from Amazon then put the amounts below in each gift bag with a whole orange. Here are the instructions:
Simmer 1 quartered orange, 1 tablespoon of cloves, and 3 cinnamon sticks in a large pot of water. Keep adding water, and the scent will last a few days.
We always give teachers a movie theatre gift card. We buy them at Costco for a theatre chain we have all across Canada.... it includes 2 tickets, 2 drinks and 1 popcorn. Teachers always seem to love it! Movies are expensive and they can use them for a random date night, girls night, or to take a child.
Go-to wedding gift of late has been a copy of The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi and a small item off the registry. Go-to baby gift is (honest!) a copy of Emily’s You Are Always Enough and either a small item off the registry or a Target gift card. Always a hit!
Got to wedding gift in Pensacola are wooden plates from Artesana. They are perfect for parties, easy to borrow from friends for parties, durable.
For kid birthday gifts, we give the exact dollars of how old they are ($8 for a child turning 8 years old) and then add some candy to go with it. Kind of a spin on the "Fiver" idea of giving a five dollar bill. We have small class sizes, so our kids get invited to a LOT of parties and it adds up quickly. For their closest 1-2 friends, we do a larger gift specific to their interests. I also buy bulk birthday cards (you can get a set of 36 at Target for $10).
For a baby gift I always get the Boppy pillow (as long as it was on their registry) and one of the Jimmy Fallon books. If I know the mom better, it's "Everything is Mama" but if I know the dad better, I get "Your baby's first word will be dada". For bridal showers or wedding gifts I tend to stick to linens of some kind from their registry - either bath towels or kitchen towels. Something cloth (lighter to carry).
I love sewing, but struggle to make time and space for it these days… so I decided that next year every niece and nephew is getting a handmade something! Options (depending on age) are out of library bag, pencil case, or a storage basket for their desk.
This year our go to birthday gift for my 7 year old boy has been a glow in the dark ball. We’ve done footballs most, but also some basketballs and soccer balls!
When I was 16 we bought a glow in the dark basketball for a Florida beach trip. Attracted all kinds of other teens to play with us lol. Best purchase ever.
Another gift card idea: your local ice cream shop. Always a kid favorite!
For housewarming, I love giving a favorite cookbook! Any of the Magnolia Table books are my go to at the moment. For baby showers, "You're Always Enough", a Simplified pouch, and a cute outfit. :) Also, pro tip on the Target gift cards, stock up for yourself too!
I give Book of the Month subscriptions to everyone! I've given them to my hairdresser, mom, sisters, teachers, friends, anyone who likes to read. It feels meaningful, but is actually really easy. Plus, then we can share books!
I was going to give this to my sister-in-law but was confused how it worked! Do they just pick one or more? (Since it's $60 for 3 months was wondering what that entails! :)
You pick one a month for three months (although it doesn’t expire so if you don’t like that month’s books you can roll it over) and then you have the option to add on books for $11 each, which is the dangerous part. 😂 Does that make sense? I think it’s really worth it and I’ve read so much because of it!
Oh ok! So it's $20/book essentially?
I think so! (They must have just raised their prices). I will say it’s all hardback new ones and some that haven’t even been released yet so if she likes that kind of book it’s really fun. (I should work for them. 😂 It’s just my fave present every year!)
I switch off, too, between Target giftcards and candy or a boardgame and candy. Now that my oldest son is 10 I may start to do movie/popcorn/drink gift certificates or a gc to the local ice cream shop.
Movie gift cards are smart. Tucking this away for tween friends of my oldest!
Movie Gift Cards are my go-to teacher gift!
I did the board game one last year too! Every kiddo got Taco, Goat, Cheese, Pizza + Kids Against Maturity and it was a winner!
Wedding gift: a Marye-Kelley wedding invitation decoupage plate. The invitation becomes a rectangular or square glass plate that can be hung on a wall or used as a tray. Marye-Kelley has lots of beautiful border options and can even customize a border with artwork from the invitation or envelope lining. You can see examples on the Mary-Kelley website then print a form to mail the invitation with your specifications, such as tray size.
Any ideas for the guys in your life?? This is always my hardest gift category!
Mine, too!
I give my teenage nephew $2 bills packaged in creative ways.
LL Bean duffle bags are perfect for gym bags or travel.
Someone else said smartwool socks - we love these and all of the variations (no show), running, hiking, etc... I also gravitate towards funny, but quality socks (like a sock with shark teeth that says ‘bite me’).
For entertainers: gift card to liquour store and funny cocktail napkins/tea towel.
For readers: magazine subscription in their interest (I.e. Garden & Gun or Shooting Sportsman)
My aunt is a very thoughtful gift giver - some of my favorites I plan to use in the future are:
Nice Pendleton outdoor blanket for high school graduation. It rolls up with snaps and has a handle. Great for football games, picnics, ect. I still use mine almost 20 years later for kid soccer games and last night at a parade!
For wedding she gave us a fire/waterproof safe- it’s like a small file cabinet so we can store paperwork and small important items.
My go-to wedding gift (credit for this goes to my aunt) is to have their wedding invitation turned into an ornament from a shop on Etsy. If it is for someone close I make it the shower gift then do something bigger off their registry.
Starbucks gift cards for preteens 💁🏻♀️
Good go to gift for adult friends is a set of hand towels and either a fun soap dispenser (from Home Goods!) or a nice smelling foaming soap from Bath and Bodyworks.
I went with Stanley's for teacher gifts and BFFs this year!
This is SO SMART. Why have we not all been doing this already?!?! Borrowing some of these ideas!
We've been doing a Lite Brite for 4/5 year old gifts and a Puffy Sticker Maker Kit for my 7 year old's friends- always a hit! The "decide once principle" for this is a game changer!
I also keep one of each in my Amazon cart so I can monitor when they drop in price!
For housewarmings, adult birthdays, and holiday gifts, I like to gift handmade mugs and either a collection of teas, a bag of coffee beans, or a canister of cocoa.
For Christmas gifts for life group leaders, pastors, church friends, etc., I purchase one special ornament and they all get the same one. I have been decide once on these for years.
There is a website called teacherspayteachers.com. That’s my go to for teachers!
Go to wedding: Cash & also a gift card for a road trip company I love
Smart! We received a gift card to a regional hotel chain - so sweet especially when you’re young and don’t have a lot of money to travel
You can also use that as like a mini honeymoon
Oo, that's a good one too! Exactly!
Around the holidays I always keep a box of hot cocoa packets, candy canes and chocolates on hand to add to gifts whether they be for co-workers, friends, secret Santa etc. A fun extra gift besides a bigger gift.
My teacher friends have loved receiving bulk quantities of *pre-sharpened* (must be sharpened!) pencils ($10 for 150 on amzn) plus a coffee gift cert.
Go-to baby: Children’s books with characters who share the same names as my kids. Big hit with teachers who have taught my kiddos, too!