Christmas Gift Ideas 2022

I know we’re in the depths of a cost-of-living crisis, and I’m not massively into buying tat for the sake of it. I have hoarding tendencies so get a bit nervous about accumulating even more stuff. I’m a fan of shopping local and buying experiences with tickets but sometimes I head for internet shopping for the convenience and choice.

My sister made the excellent suggestion to do a Secret Santa for my siblings and our partners, which will make a big difference budget and time wise. Strong recommend this approach for big families. I also love the something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read approach, so here’s a mishmash of suggestions!

SOMETHING YOU WANT

It’s giving me flashbacks to that flirty girl in Love Actually who turned Alan Rickman’s head saying “get me something I want, not something I need”, but we all know what she means. It’s about a treat, about something that shows the giver knows the receiver inside out.

Scriball

For a football loving kid or a kid who just loves colouring in, these Scriballs are perfect. At £10.50, they won’t break the bank and they definitely don’t need batteries. There are a few different designs out there, I bought a Star Wars one last year for a nephew because I got bored looking at sporty things and got excited about a ball that comes with its own colouring pens.

buy a scriball now

Head Jog 25mm Hair Tongs

A real-life professional hairdresser recommended these to me as they’re the tongs used in her salon. I’d never heard of the brand but she knows her stuff. If you’ve got a tween, teen or adult who’s desperate for curling tongs, these are incredibly good value for a main present at just over £30 full price but closer to £24 at the moment. You can also get a 32mm version. I needed a little practice as I’m used to using a bit of a different style, but these create a lovely loose wave.

buy hair tongs now

Tickets

The ultimate gift with no obligation on the receiver to find a space in their house for it, no adding to all the stuff. This can require a bit more research but I love getting tickets that I can use for a show, concert or gig later in the year. It’s a Christmas treat that brings joy later in the year.

There are so many options, and it obviously depends on the tastes of the person you’re buying for but aside from the sold out tickets (sad face for missing out on PULP in Cardiff but happy face that I got my Self Esteem at the Tramsheds ticket in time), there are some great shows to be seen in 2023.

I came up with such a long list that I’ve bunged some ideas in a whole separate blog post so click on the button below if you want some suggestions.

Check out the tickets ideas here

Local Spirits

Not the spirits of Christmas past, present and future but the delicious boozy kind of spirit. I’m talking about Gin 64’s range of Penarth Gins, Barry Island Spirit’s Rum, Gin and Vodka, Bont Gin in Cowbridge and Hensol Castle Distillery’s wide selection and distillery tours. With prices for a 75cl bottle around £30-£40 these are a real treat and support local makers.

buy barry island spirits

buy bont gin

buy penarth gin

buy hensol castle gin

SOMETHING YOU NEED

This is a bit trickier and potentially boring, but I tend to think about their hobbies and sports, and all those extra bits that they need through the year. Or something that you need for the home but getting a jazzier version for Christmas saved trawling the shops for it.

Music Bag

My youngest’s working on his trumpet exam at the moment and he looks like Buddy (little 90s school book reference there for you) with his carrier bag of music. The bag for life does the job but without breaking the bank, this fun little personalised music bag is even better.

Buy a music bag now

Boot Buddy

It’s that time of year where many of us are stood in the rain every weekend while our kids run around in the mud chasing a ball. Whether they play rugby, football or if you just want to clean up your wellies after a winter woodland walk, the boot buddy has been brilliant for us. Less than £20 and really handy for scrubbing muck off their studs.

Buy a boot buddy now

A Fancy Flask

Sure, there are prettier flasks out there but for the person in my life who loves camping and having a hot drink after driving his fork lift truck, I go function over form. That said, this is a classic design and does the job it’s meant to do. It’s cheaper and better for the environment to take a massive flask on a journey if you’re travelling with work or maybe it’s just an upgrade for the picnic lover in your life.

Buy a fancy flask

SOMETHING TO WEAR

Disco Daps

These rechargeable trainers were a huge hit with my youngest and his penchant for jazzy footwear. The perfect party daps for the festive season, you can change the colour of the lights or set them to flash. There are a few different versions out there for around £25-£30 but they’re worth it as he wore them until he outgrew them.

Buy Disco Daps now

Fizz Goes Pop

A local fave of mine, Fizz Goes Pop makes incredible statement jewellery, handcrafted in Cardiff. Whenever I see one of those dainty adverts saying something like “the perfect gift for your mum/wife/generic woman in your life” I think NO! It’s only perfect if it’s your thing and it’s not my thing. Fizz Goes Pop however, is very much my thing and I’ve been lucky enough to get a few pairs of earrings over the years from her. So support local and make someone look fabulous in the process. (photos by Cara Heath photography)

Buy from fizz goes pop now

Isolated Heroes

I love Isolated Heroes, their clothes and accessories are extra AF. Sequins, froth and fabulousness. They’ve recently launched an incredible range of personalisable denim jackets for kids and grown ups. They’re not cheap but they’re made sustainably and by an indie company in Scotland. For just a touch of bling, how’s about this glorious sparkly headband? The dream!

buy something sparkly now

SOMETHING TO READ

Press Here by Hervé Tullet

Press Here and Mix It Up by Hervé Tullet are a couple of my favourite board books for arty little kids. There are some weird negative reviews from adults who assumed something different from an interactive book but ignore them, these are both delightful and engaging. My boys enjoyed the books when they were little, and my younger nephews were glued to the experience of going through the pages. It feels magic when they’re invited to press a yellow splodge of paint and turn the page to see what’s happened to the splodge.

Buy press here now

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover? The very thing that reflects the themes, genre and general vibe of the writing within? Maggie O’Farrell’s new release The Marriage Portrait is gorgeous. I’ve not read it but I enjoyed her previous novel, the much awarded Hamnet. This would make a beautiful gift for the fiction lover in your life. Griffin Books in Penarth recently hosted an evening with the author which sold out. More from them in the next idea.

Buy the marriage portrait now

Signed Books

A book signed by the author elevates the gift to super special status. The fabulous Griffin Books in Penarth has an amazing online selection of all sorts of books with the autograph of the writer. There’s something for everyone, including YA, science, autobiographies, history, fiction, children’s books. Gift ideas that jumped out at me that you’ll find on Griffin Books’ online shop:

• Meanwhile Back on Earth by Oliver Jeffers £16.99
• Colours, Colours Everywhere by Julia Donaldson and Sharon King Chair £14.99
• Dawnlands by Philippa Gregory £17
• Dear Dolly: On Love Life and Friendship by Dolly Alderton £16.99
• Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley £25
• Black Holes by Brian Cox and Jeffrey Forshaw £25
• Undoctored by Adam Kay £20
• The World by Simon Sebag Montefiore £35
• The Final Whistle by Nigel Owens £20
• Nadiya’s Fast Flavours by Nadiya Hussain £22
• Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson £17

buy a signed book now

Amazon Affiliate: a girl’s gotta eat and in a bid to help pay for my own Christmas, I’ve taken the plunge and joined Amazon Associates. This just means that if you buy through a link on this blog, I get a little (very little) monetary thank you from Amazon. It won’t cost you any more than just googling in the first place. Do support local where you can though!

A Rambling Moan about Virtue Signalling at Christmas

Those facebook posts saying “haven’t sent any cards this year as I’ve donated to charity instead so I’ll say Merry Christmas here” kind of miss the point of a Christmas card.

I don’t send as many as I used to but I think that’s to do with laziness and an ever shrinking social circle and my utter ineptitude at keeping track of addresses.

The idea that it’s an either or, a binary choice of cards versus charity is what gets my goat. I buy charity cards so a donation goes towards those organisations, I’ve used Scout Post so the local scouting groups get a little boost to their fundraising. Today I’ve received a card from a friend who’s included a reminder of her fundraising for a marathon, along with her very new address.

Typing a generic Christmas flavoured message for a social media post via your smart phone while killing time on the toilet or mid commute doesn’t bring the same moment of glee that opening a brightly coloured, handwritten envelope does.

There’s a loneliness epidemic and for some people at Christmas, a little reminder that you’ve thought of them goes a long way. Especially for people who aren’t connected online.

The public statement of “I’m not doing *insert Christmas tradition* because I’m donating to charity instead or having an ethical Christmas or teaching my children about what’s important in life” can read as “I’m better than you”, “my heart is bigger than yours”, “you are an unethical shit”. Giving a gift to your partner or buying a present for your child shouldn’t make you feel bad.

We’ve never spent gazillions of pounds on Christmas because we don’t have lots of money. More often than not my husband and I give each other tickets or vouchers for gigs, shows and local restaurants. Our kids have had presents bought second hand from eBay or gumtree. I’ve made Christmas presents like handmade quilts, dressing up costumes, photo albums, paintings, chutney etc. We don’t splurge. I’m not a fan of consumerism for consumerism’s sake, we don’t need more stuff.

But isn’t it lovely when Christmas is about generosity? I get my kids involved in ideas for what their dad would like so they can wrap and give him something and learn about the joy of giving not just receiving. I’m not talking fancy things, it’s stuff like his favourite chocolate bar. Generosity isn’t just presents and cards but time and energy. Trips to our local theatre, long dog walks around Christmas trails, carols at church, Christmas crafting with kids, inviting family and friends over, all those get togethers.

Perhaps I don’t quite get the idea of not giving or receiving as an ethical choice because we already don’t spend as much as a lot of people. Instagram has been a tad galling at times, people buying Christmas Eve box pyjamas that cost more than the main gift my youngest will be getting. “stocking fillers” that cost the same as the tickets I’ve bought for someone else.

When Father Christmas asked our boys what they’d like for Christmas (their sister opted out of meeting him this year, sad times), one said Lego and the other said a puppet. They know it’s not about presents, some of their favourite parts of the day are seeing their cousins and playing charades.

It also makes me wonder how much other people spend on cards. I’ve spent under a tenner. Should I stop this tradition to give £10 to a charity? Would it be the same if I saved £10 by not buying that bottle of wine or those books and gave that money to charity? I know there are extortionate stamps to buy too but I’ve sent half with my dad to get disseminated around family by hand in another part of the country.

It’s a tad disingenuous to be promoting an ethical stance of asking for charity donations in lieu of presents when you promote products for other people to buy. Standing behind the less is more hashtag when everything you already have is beautiful and perfect and lovely. I’d quite like a perfume for Christmas because that’s the one bottle I use through the whole year. Last year I wanted a mirror because we’d had the same one in the living room that had belonged to the previous owners about a decade before. It hasn’t gone to landfill or even a charity shop, the old mirror just moved rooms. When you also talk of having Christmas abroad in another culture away from all the stuff at the end of a year of fancy holidays and posh homewares, it jars with people who are in a financially less privileged position.      

I can air this knowing that the Instagrammers who inspired the previous paragraph won’t read it because they treat Instagram and blogging as their daily paper, they curate it to ensure that they only have what they perceive to be high quality content. This translates as only reading what’s written by their friends. They can’t believe their luck that they’ve got book deals and gazillions of followers but they don’t support or engage with the lowly regional oiks and upstarts, they don’t help nurture the blogging ecology.

I’m not advocating for these people to splurge even more of whatever money they’ve got on pointless, vacuous presents. I just wish they’d stop making me do little sicks in my mouth when they say they’re not buying their partner a gift for ethical reasons and they’ve asked for charity donations from other family. Of course you don’t need or want presents, you’ve already got everything. Your life is already perfect and you get “gifted” shit all year round so why should Christmas be especially gifty?   

If you’re giving presents and sending cards, that’s fine, you do you. If you’re not then great, you can do you too. Just bear in mind that whichever side of the fence you fall, the moment you start preaching or showing off about it on social media is the moment you alienate someone.