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We know it’s been said a thousand times already, but what a year 2020 has been – and not in a good way.
This Christmas, we predict a shift in the way people buy gifts, with more interest in uplifting and positive presents as an antidote to the general doom and gloom.
Thankfully, many online retailers include options to gift wrap or send the gift directly to the recipient, which makes life easier if you can’t see your loved ones due to Covid restrictions.
Here are some inspiring and uplifting gifts guaranteed to bring a smile to their faces. Warning: there’s a lot of yellow.
‘Happy’ Beaded Cushion, Oliver Bonas, £29.50
If this gem doesn’t bring a smile to someone’s face, we don’t know what will. This gorgeous, bright yellow cushion is patterned with an art-deco shell print with rose pink edging and hand-beaded ‘Happy’ text at the centre in metallic gold beads.
Positive Parcel, £17.99
You can’t get more uplifting than a positive parcel – this package is brimming with things to make one lucky recipient happy. It includes a handmade lavender candle from Dorset, happy tea bags from Teapigs, a copy of the Happy Newspaper, chocolate, sticky notes and a colour-in sheet. What’s more, 10% of profits go to the mental health charity, Mind.
The Charlie Bouquet, Bloom & Wild, £23
Who doesn’t love a cheerful bunch of flowers in their room, or at the table where they’re working? The bouquet, which can fit straight through the letterbox, includes long-lasting alstroemeria and seasonal foliage. It’s guaranteed to be a hit.
Happiness Candle, Neom, £32
The Happiness candle from Neom is a refreshing fragrance with extracts of white neroli, mimosa and lemon – it’ll burn for 35 hours and is perfect for candle fans who want natural ingredients. It contains a large amount of pure essential oils, which work to fill the air with natural goodness and natural scents. Dreamy.
The Positive Planner, Not On The High Street, £24
An uplifting 12-week planner and journal dedicated to self-care filled with joyful artwork, illustrations, inspirational quotes, art therapy and mindfulness activities. It’s designed to be a one-stop-shop for organising all aspects of life – there are meal planners, shopping lists, monthly diary spreads and a mood tracker. Bonus: you can get it gift wrapped and send a note card with it, too.
BuddyBox, Blurt It Out, £21.50
Another box of loveliness – this time designed by depression charity, Blurt. Each BuddyBox contains at least five products that have been picked to nourish, inspire and encourage self-care. Examples include tea, face masks, cosy socks, and inspiration quote cards. These vary from month to month. You could even sign someone up to a subscription if you think they’ll love it.
Cafetière And Cup Set For One, Not On The High Street, £48.75
How about this coffee set for one? It features a white coffee mug and yellow rim, which nestles underneath an individual yellow cafetière. The cafetière features a ‘Rise & Shine’ design, while the mug text can be personalised. You can enter up to 16 uppercase characters each for lines one and two, including spacing and punctuation.
Day At The Beach Biscuits, Honeywell Bakes, £25
The perfect reminder that winter won’t last forever. Gift someone a delicious reminder of the great British summer – this set includes eight vanilla biscuits, hand-iced with fondant and royal icing. Each biscuit is also packed into a recycled (and recyclable) gift box.
Box of Comfort, Box Of Hugs London, £40
This box is perfect for letting that special someone know you care – and serves as a lovely reminder you’re thinking of them. It includes a bay and rosemary scented candle by St Eval, a 100 hugs book filled with uplifting reminders that hugs are everywhere, a mug with an uplifting quote of your choice, some tea and chocolate chip biscuits for dunking.
Your Child’s Drawing On A Cushion, Mrs Bee’s Emporium, £19.99
This is guaranteed to be a hit with grandparents: you can get any picture your child has drawn transferred onto a heirloom pillow cushion. The cover is soft and a natural, off-white colour. It also comes with a polyester cushion pad. All you have to do is upload a jpg file of the drawing at the checkout and Mrs Bee’s Emporium will do the rest!
Unforgettable Journeys, DK Eyewitness, £25
With travel out of the equation for many people right now, this book is the next best thing. Expect beautiful imagery and details of the world’s best adventures, from famous experiences like riding the Orient Express, driving Route 66, and walking the Camino de Santiago, to cycling around Botswana, kayaking through Finnish Lakeland, and scaling the cirques of La Réunion on foot.
A Jar Of Happiness, Etsy, £13.95
This jar of loveliness comes filled to the brim with happiness quotes – one example, “the world is filled with beautiful things, like you” – with wording printed in black on a mix of different coloured card pieces.
The Lido, Amazon, £6.16 (Paperback)
Follow the extraordinary friendship of Rosemary, 86, and Kate, 26, as they battle to save their local lido. The book explores the importance of community, intergenerational friendship, kindness and so much more. One of the most uplifting books we’ve read.
Bougie Candle, Selfmade, £24
Another uplifting fragrance, this time with a fresh mix of orange, ylang-ylang and cedarwood essential oils in a soy wax candle. Once the candle has been used, the label can be planted in the pot and it will grow some beautiful poppies.
Life Is A Beach Print, Etsy, From £7.99
Let this cute beach print remind them of happier, sunnier times and that life can be truly wonderful. This print, which comes in a variety of sizes, is sure to brighten up any room in their home.