I have 8 grandchildren and decided when I only had one to not by gifts but to buy an experience. We’ve gone together to see Yanni, Cirque DeSoli, Manhiem Steamroller, Black Violins , Harlem Globetrotters, Katie Perry etc etc. etc. You never know when you will spark something in someone. Any gift will be lost, broken or forgotten but the time they spent with Grandma will be forever. PS I’m a cool 59 year old Granny so they’re not forced.........
You sound like an awesome grandma. I can't think of something I'd like more than quality time and shared experiences with loved ones, everything else you throw away eventually.
My friends and I gift each other time together by giving tickets to the theater, comedy nights or events like a cooking or painting class. We have enough stuff!
I remember that, it was great. I also used to be able to take my film over to my Grandpa’s, and we’d develop the films together in the darkroom he set up for himself and my dad. As a kid, that was just one of my all time favourite things, and it’s a very treasured memory. It’s a bit stinky though 😂
I remember when photos weren't all digital. We had a school Polaroid camera that got shared out to all the classrooms for events, and it was very exciting to watch the photos develop!
Hi everyone! Please share your gift ideas & gift wishes below 😁 Greetings from Berlin, I'm back in Europe and looking forward to Christmas-market-season 🎄🍷
MasterClass yearly subscription would be an awesome gift I think as it has an amazing range of classes with most wonderful teachers of varied subjects also, massage voucher and tattoo voucher, surf lesson, yoga or dance lesson and as for material objects I always choose handmade/craft/art; I follow some amazing creators on Instagram and I know few local ones, I love giving things that are special and unique (jewellery, woodwork, ceramics, knitted stuff, SO MUCH CHOICE)
There's a company (in the US anyway) called The Great Courses where you can order audios or videos of all kinds of lectures: art, history, philosophy, math, religion, literature, you name it. Great stuff
I enjoy giving and receiving 'fancy' food as gifts. Orange infused olive oil or truffle oil are personal favorites. I also like to give friends variations of their current jewelry: one approach is to find a pair of earrings in a different tone than their current favorite pair. For example, rose gold triangle earrings for someone who has a gold pair. And for the true minimalist; I donate to charity. For example, I paid for a tree to be planted in a city park in honor of one.
I remember as a child visiting my grandparents, sitting on the love seat and paging thru photo albums. Remembering a time and a day is so much more than the instant gratification of electronic pictures on our phones. A single photo was meaningful because taking pictures had a cost. And then to arrange them in an album, there is no comparison.
I like the safety of digital- I know that even if my house were to burn down, I’d still have my most treasured pictures because I’ve saved them to Facebook (usually private so only I can see them, but they’re there and I can access them from anywhere). But I also love printed pictures in an album. So I think it’s both for me.
I routinely make donations to animal charities. They will either send word to the recipient that a donation has been made in their name and by whom, or else they will send you an acknowledgement that you can pass along to the gift receiver. No clutter, no mess, and I think there's a lot of benefit to gifting this way.
Good to see you again, Justine. I agree with you on the fact that gifts should ALWAYS be useful, otherwise they are wasteful or garbage. For those of us who are not on instagram I would really love it if you could insert pictures from your travels in your videos. If it's not too much work, of course. You really made me curious about NY through your eyes. May you have a joyful productive week!
What a unique list of Christmas gifts. Very thoughtful and amazing. I rarely buy a gift for most, as I am a sewist and make something for those on my list, kid a small quilt, pillow, or a zip bag.
The best gift for me is the gift of your time. Spend time with your loved ones, either by doing something fun together (painting class, move night, dance lesson, etc) or chilling together (spa or massage together, etc). Most of us have too much stuff and would like simply spending time together.
Great timing, I'm so overwhelmed 🤯 Those transparent draws are excellent, they won't interfere with anyone's decor. I 'made' sketchbooks years ago by handmaking covers for store bought notebooks. I work so hard personalizing or handcrafting gifts yet it generally goes unnoticed. Yes, I still go to photo publishing stores and have a disposable camera at home now, I find them handy. I want to treat myself to a quality camera where I can take a great picture of a large landscape or zoom in and get it blown up to a poster. Sorry, I work at a museum and I hope we don't start after work tours, we'd never get to go home as my place wouldn't hire more staff. 🤣 Helpful as ever, thank you. 🥰
Same, there was a few years I worked very hard to personalise all the gifts and it wasn't that big of a deal for most people so I kind of given up on it.
@@Luumus exactly the same, worst was when people would act reluctant to take it, even handmade cards. These gifts would be practical stuff, from notepads, to photo frames, to no toiletries similar to what they use, hours spent for an raised eyebrow.
@anonymous reviewer everything returns :) I have been complimented on my mothers old coat and a girl I work with has a lovely pair of her grandmothers shoes, pity things aren't built to last anymore
This was a great video!!! Very original gift ideas, thank you. Two years ago, we only exchanged handmade gifts. It was super special and creative. Homemade ice-cream, mini bonsai trees, handpainted gift cards, recipe books compiled for the cooks in the family, beautiful handmade wooden cheese boards. When we look at these gifts today, it still brings back fond memories.
Things on my (25, female, German) wish list: - high quality pyjamas (soft cotton, wash at 60° Celsius) - water flosser - the same camera you showed - ticket to our local bouldering place - cast iron pan I have an Audible subscription myself and I will get my mom an Audible gift card.
Ich kann den Sonicare Airfloss von Philips nur empfehlen, habe ich mir letztes Jahr selbst zu Weihnachten geschenkt und als er mal etwas hatte, hat Philips ihn innerhalb der Garantie komplett ausgetauscht.🤗
Yay to practical and useable gifts that don't just take space or use up resources. Great ideas. I also like homegoods like a cast iron pot or Dutch oven or something else someone might not buy for themselves but can be functional and add to one's day to day use. Sometimes a set of new towels to replace old ones (the latter can be donated to veterinary services or shelters) can be pampering and useful.
I used to have a Kodak 110 in high school and college in the late 80s to early 90s. I was able to take some decent photos back then. It was small and fun to have in my bag.
Thank you, Justine, for the great Christmas gift suggestions. I still remember when photos were not all digital. I moved to a new country earlier this year, and went through all my items before the move, including all the old boxes of things I stored at my family’s houses. In one of the boxes I found an old camera that my grandmother used to own, she would let us play with it when we were children, and it still had a film inside! I took the film to get it developed, they had to send it to a shop in Germany to get it done. Sadly, only about four photos were possible to recover due to light-damage. They turned out to be 17 years+ old photos of a family trip, from back when she let us borrow her camera. Looking forward to hearing more about future collections of yours, can hardly wait!
I come from a family of photographers and I remember my late grandfather being extremely specific about the pictures he took. Every picture was unique and quite beautiful.
Great ideas Justine! I’m also proud of being an early gift buyer this year. My idea for this year (for those with tight budgets who enjoy a little diy), is homemade beeswax wraps. You can buy little pieces of fabric with personalised designs and the beeswax pellets to make it yourself (this is useful, thoughtful and oh so cheap!). This year I’m also including a donation to the NGO help refugees in the name of my family members along with their beeswax gifts 🎁 💕
My favourite gifts nowadays for everyone are plants. I love the idea of adding greenery to spaces. So it’s even better if I know their house and what spots get good sunlight. But even if it’s for people who can’t manage watering plants and taking care of them, succulents are a great choice. In the current times when air quality is poor, their are so many air purifying plants that you can gift. Gifting plants is also very affordable and has very low carbon footprint if bought locally from nurseries. Another great idea would be terrariums, moss frames, or grow your own vegetable diy sets. So you have a variety of aesthetic and fun gifting options to pick from in this category. My personal favourite plants for gifting are Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese) - great foliage, hardy and iconic for interior decorations. Love this list too !
Atrayee Chatterjee just note a lot of indoor plants are toxic to cats & dogs. I just got a cat who likes to nibble them and having to get rid of 50% of them D:
Perfect timing for this episode 🙏🏻. Went to a party last night in Brooklyn and the host had brought a disposable camera. It was amazing how everyone acted differently when we took photos.. saying "let's create a moment" instead of 500 digital shots. I loved my Polaroid growing up. Great ideas for gifts.
I was a photography student in the sixties and there was something magical about watching your black and white photo come to life in a bath of chemicals. Rolling your film in the dark, waiting for it to process in a tank, printing it, and rubbing the paper and watching it appear before your eyes. Now everything is instant gratification. The appreciation of the process is gone in many things.
Thank you for being real. You can see it in Your face and smile. You carry your self like a lady. It’s so refreshing. I couldn’t help but smile at how pleased you are to be done with Christmas shopping.Woohoo! You had some really great ideas. I’m sure your family and friends will be so happy with their gifts❤️
I can highly recommend gifting concert tickets! I've been to some incredible concerts this year that I never even would've considered buying tickets for (mostly because I wasn't aware they're a thing, hah), like "The World of Hans Zimmer". The tickets are so expensive that I likely wouldn't have bought it for myself anyway but it was an incredibly lovely gift - and now I have plenty great experiences that don't clutter my home hah.
oh yes, live concerts, theater performances, ballet even to the most modern person, can be an experience of a life time. Growing up in a family or artists and singers, and a choir singer myself, I used to attend a lot of performances and it's ... out of this world. The tickets are expensive and I am grateful I've been invited a lot for free or gotten discounts (as the family member of a performing artist) and now I am thinking that instead of buying presents all year round, I will discuss the option of getting Opera tickets for one show a year to treat us all.
Justine, I'm a big fan of audible and love when the author narrates their book EXCEPT when I see George Guidall as a narrator. His acting, his voice, his passion for the material makes the book a wonderful experience! He does a lot of classics.
Analog photos...when our younger was about five, and than it stops, it's all in the computer...but we sent later photos to Grandma, she developed them and it's such a joy when we come to visit her and look those albums all together on the couch...modern isn't always better 😉
Another great option for gifting are the different subscription boxes you can order as a one-time thing. I particularly love the food ones from different parts of the world. Makes for a great conversation at the dinner table too. Also if airbnb experiences aren't in the area, you can just get them a spa day, massage, facial or something like that - both for men and women! you'd be surprised how much even the manliest of men would like it.
Love the night at the museum idea. Just the type of gift everyone in my family would like. Experience gifts have become a staple for us. The memories are precious and, generally, much longer lasting
The museum nights are so popular in Munich! Before I moved to Germany, we used to go to theater to watch operas and ballet. My family consists of artists and singers so we used to get either invited for free or got discounts for many shows and attend museums with school as the weather is chilly and it's dark fast outside. It built my taste for culture, art and elegance.
Loved the night at the museum idea. Even if nothing truly scary happens, wandering around a large, unfamiliar place filled with notable and unusual objects should provide enough of a frisson to make for a memorable museum tour!
We had the Polaroid instamatic camera growing up & the excitement of getting rolls of film developed sometime years later when a roll went a miss. So much fun.😊
My father is now (at 84) a professional photographer who was a passionate hobby photographer until his retirement as a psychoanalyst at age 75. Growing up, I accompanied him on his shoots many many times, and I loved sitting to look at all his slides and reviewing them with him for composition, light, etc.; I loved his darkroom (still do); I loved all his array of film cameras (some antique). To this day, I prefer to shoot with a film camera (not an instant camera though) over anything digital. It's truly a skill and it also slows me down the way you suggested using the Instax camera would - really considering angle, light, subject, setting the f-stops, maybe adding a filter. Just an incredible world that I hope never gets lost completely.
I am blown away how helpful this was to me! I love audible and it never occurred to me to gift it. That's a check right there off my list! And I have a friend who is getting an experience and pals in New York that are getting a museum visit. Brilliant!
I am so glad to see your last year's one about how you spend Christmas with your family. I really liked your gift ideas! Very Creative too! I loved the experience of your own Christmas last year, and would love another one for next Christmas!
I love useful gifts, I always have. Especially now that I am getting older I feel better about speaking up about what I don't want to receive like things that just accumulate clutter. I love to receive cookbooks and craft supplies, andI think my parents want to get me a new backpacking tent for when I travel since mine is worn out and no longer in good shape. I like it because it allows me to get more out of my life doing what I like to do, instead of just having gone more "thing" to find a place for, and I know others feel the same way! Thank you Justine!
My father had a darkroom in the 1960s. He even used water colors to make some of his prints color and I will never forget thee smell of developing fluid. I even took photography in high school in the 1970s. When I started my second career as a teacher 10 years ago my first office was the old photography lab. And finally, at one high school I worked they turned the old photography lab into the mailroom for the teachers. The smell has been hard to escape but I don’t want to.
Wonderful ideas and I love that they are mostly art and culture related :) In the early 70's my Dad taught me how to develop our own photographs, first in black and white, later in colour, it was like magic! He was a scientist (biology) not a photograph but he had many talents. The red light, the rectangle basins with liquid, the line with the photos hanging to dry... so many beautiful, precious memories...Thank you for reminding me of them, Justine!
The Museum visits sound so neat - great ideas, Justine. Yes to remembering pictures having to be developed. My dad had a camera "permanently" attached to his right hand - LOL. He had a darkroom in our house and would let us watch as he put the pictures in the developing fluid (the aha! moment, as I recall). Then, he'd hang them up on a line to dry. I even remember the smell of the fluids, hmmm...that was 50 years ago.
Love these ideas!!! This year I got my sister in law a gift card to stitch fix. That’s what she had been asking for. She hates figuring out what to wear! So she loves it when she gets to have a box sent to her.
Oh, some years ago, my adult son chose charities to send Christmas contributions in each of our names. He thought a lot about our concerns. He gave to a fund to rebuild libraries after Hurricane Katrina (I love libraries). He gave to the La Leche League because his sister was a new mother. And so forth. We were all touched by his thoughtfulness.
Hehe so cool, your German is slipping through! (1:30 "you could also staple it", "du kannst es auch stapeln"). As a multilingual myself, I love hearing these language mixups in others, it's so charming! Lovely video! xxx
@@katyb2793 I'm learning a bit, here and there, some Hebrew, therefore Yiddish, therefore German, and Danish too and so on by the means of reading on things. When you understand the root, many languages are similar and I don't even notice anymore 🤭
Yes, I remember back when all photography was 'analog' - I did photography in high school, where we shot our own rolls of film and then developed our own photos in the darkroom. And I well remember taking my used rolls of film to the chemist shop and picking up the photos a week later. I do feel some nostalgia but it so much less wasteful to use digital photography, where no bad photos end up in the bin and off to landfill ... and can be so easily shared with others.
So delightfully original! Glad someone is thinking “outside the box”literally, instead of the usual Christmas gift ideas.I for one don’t need anymore fuzzy pajamas or crazy Sox. Love my Audible subscription, and the “experiences” suggestion. Will definitely try that idea. Merci et Joyeux Noel!
Completely remember when photos weren’t digital! I even know how to develop film in a dark room - was such a soothing, interesting process. There was nothing more exciting than getting a few rolls of film developed and spending an afternoon strolling down memory lane
thank you for the thoughtful gift ideas. The only one I wouldn't consider is the plastic container boxes. The backpack is a great idea and I like the audible suggestion. I also like to buy gifts that give the recipient an experience, e.g. cooking class, creative workshop etc.
I still use films incl the B&W films and find that I’m more discerning when deciding to take a photograph. There’s sort of permanence to those photos. And they are tactile which I like. If I’ve taken photo of a person, I feel that I can touch them and I don’t have the same feeling with digital photos. Finally, I like the surprise element when photos are developed especially if things are not 100%. Those are more fun 🤗 PS excellent ideas and thank you K x
I used to develop my own black and white photos and enjoyed it so much. I was much more thoughtful with choosing subjects and selective with which images I printed. Such fun! Nowadays I rarely print out photos and think much pleasure is lost when everything is only in digital form.
I remember when there was NO SUCH THING as digital photography! I loved the anticipation of picking up my pictures from the pharmacy or photo lab! Boy, have things changed!
Some great suggestions!! I love the idea of experiences instead of things! My friends, for my birthday, took me to Hermann's Jazz Club to listen to Louise Rose, a wonderful jazz singer and choir director. It was great to be in an intimate setting with her amazing voice and her on the piano and Joey Smith on bass with Kelby MacNayr on drums. That is my idea of a great gift!! Tailor the music to each persons taste and you have a winner!!
I still shoot film, and you are absolutely correct! It it forces the photographer to slow down and think about composition. After all, you only get 36 shots in a roll. Love the videos by the way!
I love real photographs! I made albums of my childhood and my husband's, as well as a scrapbook of my son's first 18 years. I also have many old family photos from as long ago as the 1800s
Oh my I've never been done shopping this early! I barely even think about Christmas till after Thanksgiving (I'm in the U.S.). I agree that experiences or things that aren't just clutter are the best options.
This is one of the best gift guides I have seen, because every gift is useful or edifying, or _both._ No useless, frivolous tat here! Thank you so much for posting this, Justine : )
I either ask people what they would like to get - Amazon wishlists are great - or I give "experiences". Things we can do togeth like theatre tickets or an invitation to a restaurant etc. I think spending time together is the most valuable thing.
I love the night at the museum idea! My favorite gift is to write a letter and gift it in an origami style envelope. It is a gift of time, creativity and connection. ☺️
I remember those picture times! I used to love developing pictures and buying frames to display them in. I still have a few left, plus many pictures live in photo albums as well. I miss those times actually.
When I was in school we took film pictures and developed them ourselves! One of my favorite gifts to give, as a knitter, are hand knitted winter accessories likes hats and mittens.
Great ideas for Christmas gifts!! I had a photography class years ago where I did learn to develop and print my own photos in a dark room! It was so much fun!
My chistmas lifehack is to just bake cookies for everyone! It is always appreciated, and for me it saves time, effort and money. Plus there is no risk of cluttering their homes.
Great video and great ideas. My husband, my sister-in-law and I decided to give experience instead of things to the older members of the family. They seem to have everything and even try do get rid of the things they collected over the years. Last year we went to a brunch together and it was a nice experience.
Two years ago I subscribed for a Spotify family plan and gave the spots as gifts to my family. It's still going today and everyone enjoys it, mostly my teenage niece.
My dad taught me how to take photos and develop the film. We used part of our basement as a dark room. It was fun and cool and educational. I am so glad I got to have that experience!
I love these ideas! Not only do I know people who would be totally into them, but I would be excited to receive any of these. I might go get some of them for myself. That’s how I know they are great gifts.
Yes, I definitely remember when photos were not digital. We brought in the film and it was developed in a "dark room'. There is something satisfying about having the physical photographs to put in a collage, hang up, or put in an album. My college dorm room wall was plastered with photos of my family and friends.
I love your ideas for practical and very personalized gifts ❤️ Great ideas. I also like giving experiences like massage sessions or car drive test. And I remember times when a camera for a film had only 28 or 36 shots and you had to be very careful about what to photograph. I was born in 1980🙂
I love this list. You mention a lot of my interests. My husband got me a new sketchbook/drawing pencils/blending sticks last year for Xmas, but our five year old seems to have taken the sketchbook over haha. My grandmother taught me embroidery and cross stitching when I was about 8 and have been wanting to get back into it. I’ve seen so many creative ideas people have done with embroidery lately and I’m getting some inspiration.
When I saw the transparent boxes, I immediately knew where they were from :D. I've been thinking of making a big shelf one day, since they are so perfect for art and sculpting supplies. Now, if someone were to gift these to me, I would cry happy tears. Practical gifts are the best!
For the AirBnB Experiences, in New York the one called "Sketch and the City" is the best of the best. The guide takes you around parts of the city and teaches you to sketch the things you're seeing. All materials provided and you learn to see the city (and anything else you look it) in a different more careful way. It was the best part of my last trip
I also like useful gifts. Ill normally get ones that are more personal and build off of what i know someone already owns. good general gifts are classy chocolates, camera lenses for a smart phone, and money clips made out of coins from a relevant year or place.
My mother was a talented photographer and I am so fortunate to have her collection of photo memories all preserved on traditional film. Memberships to museums, botanical gardens, etc., which offer special activities to members, make fabulous gifts! So do tickets to a special concert, theater performance, or other unique event.
Boy I miss the days of film photography - preparing the shot and the surprise of the final product. Loved making scrapbooks after a trip. Good gift list. I try to give to charities the person would give to. I give homemade treats too such as shortbread, fruitcake infused with Grand Marnier (family tradition), jams with homegrown or hand picked fruit and occasionally pickled hot peppers for the more adventurous foodies. Jars always come back for refills! FYI I'm also done my shopping for this season🎄🎉
I enjoy giving gift baskets, warm scarves (Germany), self-help/DIY books, DVD's, CD's, gift cards, costume jewelry. I enjoy receiving high quality pj's, warm scarves, Christmas CD's, rings/earrings, and foods that are "USDA organic". Great ideas, Justine. TFS. Happy Thanksgiving from the USA.
Ohhhh yes I remember Real photographs we had to WAIT to develop! And the B &W pics we developed in high school and hung up to dry. It was like Christmas every day! Cheers fellow Justine!
So different, so innovative and so adorable! In a world saturated by just commercial things and Christmas full of “empty” gifts, your ideas are like an oasis! Merci beaucoup Justine for once again making the difference! A bientot!
Based on quite a bit of observation, I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person from what kind of holiday gifts they give. In fact, almost all you need to know about a person's character and a lot about their personality.
Majored in photography at college 😄 Yes! I remember film and got to experience lots of different types. Digital is great, but my heart is with film-based photography ❤️💛📷
That backpack is very interesting!! 🤔 My back always hurts from carrying my laptop and I just stopped wearing mine. I’ll have a look at that brand and maybe I’ll surprise myself for Christmas haha.. 😅 Thanks Justine for these brilliant ideas 😘😊
Sándor Petra my mom taught me to always put a wrapped gift for yourself under the tree...it might be the only one you get! For some reason for as much as my dad told my mom he loved her in front of everyone, and for the little love notes he wrote her; he never could buy her a gift. Could never understand it! 😏
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I have 8 grandchildren and decided when I only had one to not by gifts but to buy an experience. We’ve gone together to see Yanni, Cirque DeSoli, Manhiem Steamroller, Black Violins , Harlem Globetrotters, Katie Perry etc etc. etc. You never know when you will spark something in someone. Any gift will be lost, broken or forgotten but the time they spent with Grandma will be forever. PS I’m a cool 59 year old Granny so they’re not forced.........
Wow, great ideas. I don't have any kids, but I think you have a great point.
You sound like an awesome grandma. I can't think of something I'd like more than quality time and shared experiences with loved ones, everything else you throw away eventually.
I would have loved this; one on one time is better than gifts.
OH, you have seen Yanni live? Amazing. Your grandkids will get so much good energy and experience.
Shirlyn’s Sleeve perfect idea 💕
My friends and I gift each other time together by giving tickets to the theater, comedy nights or events like a cooking or painting class. We have enough stuff!
The excitement of getting your pack of photos from the lab, 5 days after dropping in your film.
That. 100%.
Yessss! I remember it well!
I remember that, it was great. I also used to be able to take my film over to my Grandpa’s, and we’d develop the films together in the darkroom he set up for himself and my dad.
As a kid, that was just one of my all time favourite things, and it’s a very treasured memory.
It’s a bit stinky though 😂
Bcd 7 - or having an old film developed and remembering forgotten times
I remember when photos weren't all digital. We had a school Polaroid camera that got shared out to all the classrooms for events, and it was very exciting to watch the photos develop!
Hi everyone! Please share your gift ideas & gift wishes below 😁 Greetings from Berlin, I'm back in Europe and looking forward to Christmas-market-season 🎄🍷
MasterClass yearly subscription would be an awesome gift I think as it has an amazing range of classes with most wonderful teachers of varied subjects
also, massage voucher and tattoo voucher, surf lesson, yoga or dance lesson
and as for material objects I always choose handmade/craft/art; I follow some amazing creators on Instagram and I know few local ones, I love giving things that are special and unique (jewellery, woodwork, ceramics, knitted stuff, SO MUCH CHOICE)
I'm giving my fiance a high quality leather toiletry bag and a pair of socks with my face on it hehe.
There's a company (in the US anyway) called The Great Courses where you can order audios or videos of all kinds of lectures: art, history, philosophy, math, religion, literature, you name it. Great stuff
I enjoy giving and receiving 'fancy' food as gifts. Orange infused olive oil or truffle oil are personal favorites. I also like to give friends variations of their current jewelry: one approach is to find a pair of earrings in a different tone than their current favorite pair. For example, rose gold triangle earrings for someone who has a gold pair. And for the true minimalist; I donate to charity. For example, I paid for a tree to be planted in a city park in honor of one.
Not related to gifting, but I would love to see your embroidery. Do you have a video on it?
I remember as a child visiting my grandparents, sitting on the love seat and paging thru photo albums. Remembering a time and a day is so much more than the instant gratification of electronic pictures on our phones. A single photo was meaningful because taking pictures had a cost. And then to arrange them in an album, there is no comparison.
Tony so well said and what great memories you have! 📷 ❤️
I like the safety of digital- I know that even if my house were to burn down, I’d still have my most treasured pictures because I’ve saved them to Facebook (usually private so only I can see them, but they’re there and I can access them from anywhere).
But I also love printed pictures in an album. So I think it’s both for me.
I don't even need to watch the video before I press the like button, Justine, you never fail me and this was another such instance!!! Thank you!
I routinely make donations to animal charities. They will either send word to the recipient that a donation has been made in their name and by whom, or else they will send you an acknowledgement that you can pass along to the gift receiver. No clutter, no mess, and I think there's a lot of benefit to gifting this way.
Good to see you again, Justine. I agree with you on the fact that gifts should ALWAYS be useful, otherwise they are wasteful or garbage. For those of us who are not on instagram I would really love it if you could insert pictures from your travels in your videos. If it's not too much work, of course. You really made me curious about NY through your eyes. May you have a joyful productive week!
I second!
I don't agree, some pieces of art are not useful but still lovely to receive...
@@MieBilla art IS useful, in the way that it decorates and you feel something when you look at it. Useful doesn't equal essential or practical.
Useful gifts...I agree. Otherwise they end up under someone else's tree! Lol!
My friend gifted me a massage and manicure voucher. I love it because I dont get to relax much often. 🥰
Great idea too!
I’m a massage therapist. I heartily agree. And you know, your MT never gets enough bodywork. Too busy giving it to you!
What a unique list of Christmas gifts. Very thoughtful and amazing. I rarely buy a gift for most, as I am a sewist and make something for those on my list, kid a small quilt, pillow, or a zip bag.
Also great! 👏
The best gift for me is the gift of your time. Spend time with your loved ones, either by doing something fun together (painting class, move night, dance lesson, etc) or chilling together (spa or massage together, etc). Most of us have too much stuff and would like simply spending time together.
That could be your love language but another person's may be receiving gifts
Great timing, I'm so overwhelmed 🤯
Those transparent draws are excellent, they won't interfere with anyone's decor.
I 'made' sketchbooks years ago by handmaking covers for store bought notebooks. I work so hard personalizing or handcrafting gifts yet it generally goes unnoticed.
Yes, I still go to photo publishing stores and have a disposable camera at home now, I find them handy. I want to treat myself to a quality camera where I can take a great picture of a large landscape or zoom in and get it blown up to a poster.
Sorry, I work at a museum and I hope we don't start after work tours, we'd never get to go home as my place wouldn't hire more staff. 🤣
Helpful as ever, thank you. 🥰
Same, there was a few years I worked very hard to personalise all the gifts and it wasn't that big of a deal for most people so I kind of given up on it.
@@Luumus exactly the same, worst was when people would act reluctant to take it, even handmade cards.
These gifts would be practical stuff, from notepads, to photo frames, to no toiletries similar to what they use, hours spent for an raised eyebrow.
@anonymous reviewer everything returns :) I have been complimented on my mothers old coat and a girl I work with has a lovely pair of her grandmothers shoes, pity things aren't built to last anymore
This was a great video!!! Very original gift ideas, thank you. Two years ago, we only exchanged handmade gifts. It was super special and creative. Homemade ice-cream, mini bonsai trees, handpainted gift cards, recipe books compiled for the cooks in the family, beautiful handmade wooden cheese boards. When we look at these gifts today, it still brings back fond memories.
Things on my (25, female, German) wish list:
- high quality pyjamas (soft cotton, wash at 60° Celsius)
- water flosser
- the same camera you showed
- ticket to our local bouldering place
- cast iron pan
I have an Audible subscription myself and I will get my mom an Audible gift card.
You had me at water flosser and cast iron pan :))
@@ancab6447 and never going back after cast iron🍳. Why did we in the first place?
Ich kann den Sonicare Airfloss von Philips nur empfehlen, habe ich mir letztes Jahr selbst zu Weihnachten geschenkt und als er mal etwas hatte, hat Philips ihn innerhalb der Garantie komplett ausgetauscht.🤗
Totally agree!
pyjamas and cast iron pan, yes yes. though cast iron is so heavy!
Yay to practical and useable gifts that don't just take space or use up resources. Great ideas. I also like homegoods like a cast iron pot or Dutch oven or something else someone might not buy for themselves but can be functional and add to one's day to day use. Sometimes a set of new towels to replace old ones (the latter can be donated to veterinary services or shelters) can be pampering and useful.
I used to have a Kodak 110 in high school and college in the late 80s to early 90s. I was able to take some decent photos back then. It was small and fun to have in my bag.
Thank you, Justine, for the great Christmas gift suggestions. I still remember when photos were not all digital. I moved to a new country earlier this year, and went through all my items before the move, including all the old boxes of things I stored at my family’s houses. In one of the boxes I found an old camera that my grandmother used to own, she would let us play with it when we were children, and it still had a film inside! I took the film to get it developed, they had to send it to a shop in Germany to get it done. Sadly, only about four photos were possible to recover due to light-damage. They turned out to be 17 years+ old photos of a family trip, from back when she let us borrow her camera.
Looking forward to hearing more about future collections of yours, can hardly wait!
I come from a family of photographers and I remember my late grandfather being extremely specific about the pictures he took. Every picture was unique and quite beautiful.
Great ideas Justine! I’m also proud of being an early gift buyer this year. My idea for this year (for those with tight budgets who enjoy a little diy), is homemade beeswax wraps. You can buy little pieces of fabric with personalised designs and the beeswax pellets to make it yourself (this is useful, thoughtful and oh so cheap!). This year I’m also including a donation to the NGO help refugees in the name of my family members along with their beeswax gifts 🎁 💕
My favourite gifts nowadays for everyone are plants. I love the idea of adding greenery to spaces. So it’s even better if I know their house and what spots get good sunlight.
But even if it’s for people who can’t manage watering plants and taking care of them, succulents are a great choice.
In the current times when air quality is poor, their are so many air purifying plants that you can gift.
Gifting plants is also very affordable and has very low carbon footprint if bought locally from nurseries.
Another great idea would be terrariums, moss frames, or grow your own vegetable diy sets. So you have a variety of aesthetic and fun gifting options to pick from in this category.
My personal favourite plants for gifting are Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese) - great foliage, hardy and iconic for interior decorations.
Love this list too !
Atrayee Chatterjee just note a lot of indoor plants are toxic to cats & dogs. I just got a cat who likes to nibble them and having to get rid of 50% of them D:
@@Angela-lp3lz True! Gotta be careful if you are petowners :/
Perfect timing for this episode 🙏🏻. Went to a party last night in Brooklyn and the host had brought a disposable camera. It was amazing how everyone acted differently when we took photos.. saying "let's create a moment" instead of 500 digital shots. I loved my Polaroid growing up. Great ideas for gifts.
I was a photography student in the sixties and there was something magical about watching your black and white photo come to life in a bath of chemicals. Rolling your film in the dark, waiting for it to process in a tank, printing it, and rubbing the paper and watching it appear before your eyes. Now everything is instant gratification. The appreciation of the process is gone in many things.
Thank you for being real. You can see it in Your face and smile. You carry your self like a lady. It’s so refreshing. I couldn’t help but smile at how pleased you are to be done with Christmas shopping.Woohoo! You had some really great ideas. I’m sure your family and friends will be so happy with their gifts❤️
I can highly recommend gifting concert tickets! I've been to some incredible concerts this year that I never even would've considered buying tickets for (mostly because I wasn't aware they're a thing, hah), like "The World of Hans Zimmer". The tickets are so expensive that I likely wouldn't have bought it for myself anyway but it was an incredibly lovely gift - and now I have plenty great experiences that don't clutter my home hah.
oh yes, live concerts, theater performances, ballet even to the most modern person, can be an experience of a life time. Growing up in a family or artists and singers, and a choir singer myself, I used to attend a lot of performances and it's ... out of this world. The tickets are expensive and I am grateful I've been invited a lot for free or gotten discounts (as the family member of a performing artist) and now I am thinking that instead of buying presents all year round, I will discuss the option of getting Opera tickets for one show a year to treat us all.
Justine, I'm a big fan of audible and love when the author narrates their book EXCEPT when I see George Guidall as a narrator. His acting, his voice, his passion for the material makes the book a wonderful experience! He does a lot of classics.
My dad was a photographer. Loved his darkroom, negatives everywhere!
Mine too, and an excellent one at that. I was at his home recently looking at his old photos. 🙂
How is it even possible to create one amazing video after the other?! Great ideas, thank you!
Analog photos...when our younger was about five, and than it stops, it's all in the computer...but we sent later photos to Grandma, she developed them and it's such a joy when we come to visit her and look those albums all together on the couch...modern isn't always better 😉
Another great option for gifting are the different subscription boxes you can order as a one-time thing. I particularly love the food ones from different parts of the world. Makes for a great conversation at the dinner table too.
Also if airbnb experiences aren't in the area, you can just get them a spa day, massage, facial or something like that - both for men and women! you'd be surprised how much even the manliest of men would like it.
Experience gifts are the best imo. I don't remember gifts I received but I remember the travels and cool things we got to do!
Love the night at the museum idea. Just the type of gift everyone in my family would like. Experience gifts have become a staple for us. The memories are precious and, generally, much longer lasting
The museum nights are so popular in Munich! Before I moved to Germany, we used to go to theater to watch operas and ballet. My family consists of artists and singers so we used to get either invited for free or got discounts for many shows and attend museums with school as the weather is chilly and it's dark fast outside. It built my taste for culture, art and elegance.
I love gifts that are useful and can be used up like special high quality food, candles, soaps... or good old gift cards for books and stuff ☺️
Loved the night at the museum idea. Even if nothing truly scary happens, wandering around a large, unfamiliar place filled with notable and unusual objects should provide enough of a frisson to make for a memorable museum tour!
We had the Polaroid instamatic camera growing up & the excitement of getting rolls of film developed sometime years later when a roll went a miss. So much fun.😊
My father is now (at 84) a professional photographer who was a passionate hobby photographer until his retirement as a psychoanalyst at age 75. Growing up, I accompanied him on his shoots many many times, and I loved sitting to look at all his slides and reviewing them with him for composition, light, etc.; I loved his darkroom (still do); I loved all his array of film cameras (some antique). To this day, I prefer to shoot with a film camera (not an instant camera though) over anything digital. It's truly a skill and it also slows me down the way you suggested using the Instax camera would - really considering angle, light, subject, setting the f-stops, maybe adding a filter. Just an incredible world that I hope never gets lost completely.
I am blown away how helpful this was to me! I love audible and it never occurred to me to gift it. That's a check right there off my list! And I have a friend who is getting an experience and pals in New York that are getting a museum visit. Brilliant!
Just watching your suggestions for Christmas, as always thank you. Your charm is overwhelming. I always enjoy watching and learning. All the best.
I am so glad to see your last year's one about how you spend Christmas with your family. I really liked your gift ideas! Very Creative too! I loved the experience of your own Christmas last year, and would love another one for next Christmas!
I love useful gifts, I always have. Especially now that I am getting older I feel better about speaking up about what I don't want to receive like things that just accumulate clutter. I love to receive cookbooks and craft supplies, andI think my parents want to get me a new backpacking tent for when I travel since mine is worn out and no longer in good shape. I like it because it allows me to get more out of my life doing what I like to do, instead of just having gone more "thing" to find a place for, and I know others feel the same way! Thank you Justine!
My father had a darkroom in the 1960s. He even used water colors to make some of his prints color and I will never forget thee smell of developing fluid. I even took photography in high school in the 1970s. When I started my second career as a teacher 10 years ago my first office was the old photography lab. And finally, at one high school I worked they turned the old photography lab into the mailroom for the teachers. The smell has been hard to escape but I don’t want to.
Mary Hayes I can still smell the developer in the darkroom and on my fingers. Brings back memories of high school in the sixties. So fun!
Wonderful ideas and I love that they are mostly art and culture related :) In the early 70's my Dad taught me how to develop our own photographs, first in black and white, later in colour, it was like magic! He was a scientist (biology) not a photograph but he had many talents. The red light, the rectangle basins with liquid, the line with the photos hanging to dry... so many beautiful, precious memories...Thank you for reminding me of them, Justine!
The Museum visits sound so neat - great ideas, Justine. Yes to remembering pictures having to be developed. My dad had a camera "permanently" attached to his right hand - LOL. He had a darkroom in our house and would let us watch as he put the pictures in the developing fluid (the aha! moment, as I recall). Then, he'd hang them up on a line to dry. I even remember the smell of the fluids, hmmm...that was 50 years ago.
Love these ideas!!! This year I got my sister in law a gift card to stitch fix. That’s what she had been asking for. She hates figuring out what to wear! So she loves it when she gets to have a box sent to her.
Just when I was looking at Christmas gifts, seriously good timing! 😂
Oh, some years ago, my adult son chose charities to send Christmas contributions in each of our names. He thought a lot about our concerns. He gave to a fund to rebuild libraries after Hurricane Katrina (I love libraries). He gave to the La Leche League because his sister was a new mother. And so forth. We were all touched by his thoughtfulness.
Hehe so cool, your German is slipping through! (1:30 "you could also staple it", "du kannst es auch stapeln"). As a multilingual myself, I love hearing these language mixups in others, it's so charming! Lovely video! xxx
You're the second person who noticed 😅 And probably not the last 😁
@@justineleconte i couldn't understand what u meant! haha 😄
To stack? It's close ☺️
Poppy * I see! I thought there must have been some clever way you can lock them together so they wouldn't slip haha
@@katyb2793 I'm learning a bit, here and there, some Hebrew, therefore Yiddish, therefore German, and Danish too and so on by the means of reading on things. When you understand the root, many languages are similar and I don't even notice anymore 🤭
Yes, I remember back when all photography was 'analog' - I did photography in high school, where we shot our own rolls of film and then developed our own photos in the darkroom. And I well remember taking my used rolls of film to the chemist shop and picking up the photos a week later. I do feel some nostalgia but it so much less wasteful to use digital photography, where no bad photos end up in the bin and off to landfill ... and can be so easily shared with others.
Always look forward for your videos! I was just looking into thoughtful gift ideas and the Universe just aligned in timing for this video :) Thanks!
Your intro is SO true, in reality you have to know what to get a month before hand if you want it delivered in time
I love the idea of gifting new experiences, hobbies and anything that supports creativity and personal growth.
So delightfully original! Glad someone is thinking “outside the box”literally, instead of the usual Christmas gift ideas.I for one don’t need anymore fuzzy pajamas or crazy Sox. Love my Audible subscription, and the “experiences” suggestion. Will definitely try that idea. Merci et Joyeux Noel!
Completely remember when photos weren’t digital! I even know how to develop film in a dark room - was such a soothing, interesting process. There was nothing more exciting than getting a few rolls of film developed and spending an afternoon strolling down memory lane
thank you for the thoughtful gift ideas. The only one I wouldn't consider is the plastic container boxes. The backpack is a great idea and I like the audible suggestion. I also like to buy gifts that give the recipient an experience, e.g. cooking class, creative workshop etc.
I still use films incl the B&W films and find that I’m more discerning when deciding to take a photograph. There’s sort of permanence to those photos. And they are tactile which I like. If I’ve taken photo of a person, I feel that I can touch them and I don’t have the same feeling with digital photos. Finally, I like the surprise element when photos are developed especially if things are not 100%. Those are more fun 🤗 PS excellent ideas and thank you K x
Totally! I always took my time when it was a negative. And made sure it was good at first shot.
I always prefer useful gifts. Congrats of finishing shopping early. Now you can enjoy your holidays.
I used to develop my own black and white photos and enjoyed it so much. I was much more thoughtful with choosing subjects and selective with which images I printed. Such fun! Nowadays I rarely print out photos and think much pleasure is lost when everything is only in digital form.
I remember when there was NO SUCH THING as digital photography! I loved the anticipation of picking up my pictures from the pharmacy or photo lab! Boy, have things changed!
Some great suggestions!! I love the idea of experiences instead of things! My friends, for my birthday, took me to Hermann's Jazz Club to listen to Louise Rose, a wonderful jazz singer and choir director. It was great to be in an intimate setting with her amazing voice and her on the piano and Joey Smith on bass with Kelby MacNayr on drums. That is my idea of a great gift!! Tailor the music to each persons taste and you have a winner!!
I love you Justine! I wish I can give u a gift because you are such a light in this world. Thank you for everything you’ve done, really.
I still shoot film, and you are absolutely correct! It it forces the photographer to slow down and think about composition. After all, you only get 36 shots in a roll. Love the videos by the way!
I love real photographs! I made albums of my childhood and my husband's, as well as a scrapbook of my son's first 18 years. I also have many old family photos from as long ago as the 1800s
This is so good - I always feel at a loss when trying to choose a present. Thank you!
Oh my I've never been done shopping this early! I barely even think about Christmas till after Thanksgiving (I'm in the U.S.). I agree that experiences or things that aren't just clutter are the best options.
Love your suggestions, Justine, especially the airbnb experiences and the night at the museum idea--I hadn't heard about this trend.
This is one of the best gift guides I have seen, because every gift is useful or edifying, or _both._ No useless, frivolous tat here! Thank you so much for posting this, Justine : )
I either ask people what they would like to get - Amazon wishlists are great - or I give "experiences". Things we can do togeth like theatre tickets or an invitation to a restaurant etc. I think spending time together is the most valuable thing.
I love the night at the museum idea! My favorite gift is to write a letter and gift it in an origami style envelope. It is a gift of time, creativity and connection. ☺️
Such a nice and likable person, I really like her videos!
I remember those picture times! I used to love developing pictures and buying frames to display them in. I still have a few left, plus many pictures live in photo albums as well. I miss those times actually.
When I was in school we took film pictures and developed them ourselves! One of my favorite gifts to give, as a knitter, are hand knitted winter accessories likes hats and mittens.
Great ideas for Christmas gifts!! I had a photography class years ago where I did learn to develop and print my own photos in a dark room! It was so much fun!
My chistmas lifehack is to just bake cookies for everyone! It is always appreciated, and for me it saves time, effort and money. Plus there is no risk of cluttering their homes.
My friends and I do secret santa. And our wishlist mostly composes of things each of us will use.
Great video and great ideas. My husband, my sister-in-law and I decided to give experience instead of things to the older members of the family. They seem to have everything and even try do get rid of the things they collected over the years. Last year we went to a brunch together and it was a nice experience.
Great list! And yes, I remember when photos were analogue and I used to develop my own photos in a dark room.
Two years ago I subscribed for a Spotify family plan and gave the spots as gifts to my family. It's still going today and everyone enjoys it, mostly my teenage niece.
My dad taught me how to take photos and develop the film. We used part of our basement as a dark room. It was fun and cool and educational. I am so glad I got to have that experience!
I love these ideas! Not only do I know people who would be totally into them, but I would be excited to receive any of these. I might go get some of them for myself. That’s how I know they are great gifts.
Perfect! 😉
Yes, I definitely remember when photos were not digital.
We brought in the film and it was developed in a "dark room'.
There is something satisfying about having the physical photographs to put in a collage, hang up, or put in an album. My college dorm room wall was plastered with photos of my family and friends.
Mine too!!
@@justineleconte very cool! 😊💓📸
I love your ideas for practical and very personalized gifts ❤️
Great ideas. I also like giving experiences like massage sessions or car drive test.
And I remember times when a camera for a film had only 28 or 36 shots and you had to be very careful about what to photograph. I was born in 1980🙂
I LOVE Audible! I can experience more books that way. I never thought of gifting it. Great idea!
I love this list. You mention a lot of my interests. My husband got me a new sketchbook/drawing pencils/blending sticks last year for Xmas, but our five year old seems to have taken the sketchbook over haha. My grandmother taught me embroidery and cross stitching when I was about 8 and have been wanting to get back into it. I’ve seen so many creative ideas people have done with embroidery lately and I’m getting some inspiration.
Embroidery is having a moment, after years of being considered 'not cool'. It is a very creative craft!
When I saw the transparent boxes, I immediately knew where they were from :D. I've been thinking of making a big shelf one day, since they are so perfect for art and sculpting supplies. Now, if someone were to gift these to me, I would cry happy tears. Practical gifts are the best!
They are 😊
For the AirBnB Experiences, in New York the one called "Sketch and the City" is the best of the best.
The guide takes you around parts of the city and teaches you to sketch the things you're seeing. All materials provided and you learn to see the city (and anything else you look it) in a different more careful way. It was the best part of my last trip
I also like useful gifts. Ill normally get ones that are more personal and build off of what i know someone already owns. good general gifts are classy chocolates, camera lenses for a smart phone, and money clips made out of coins from a relevant year or place.
My mother was a talented photographer and I am so fortunate to have her collection of photo memories all preserved on traditional film. Memberships to museums, botanical gardens, etc., which offer special activities to members, make fabulous gifts! So do tickets to a special concert, theater performance, or other unique event.
the starter kit for a new hobby idea is wonderful! And I'm also in Berlin so you gave me some other ideas...
Boy I miss the days of film photography - preparing the shot and the surprise of the final product. Loved making scrapbooks after a trip.
Good gift list. I try to give to charities the person would give to. I give homemade treats too such as shortbread, fruitcake infused with Grand Marnier (family tradition), jams with homegrown or hand picked fruit and occasionally pickled hot peppers for the more adventurous foodies. Jars always come back for refills! FYI I'm also done my shopping for this season🎄🎉
I enjoy giving gift baskets, warm scarves (Germany), self-help/DIY books, DVD's, CD's, gift cards, costume jewelry. I enjoy receiving high quality pj's, warm scarves, Christmas CD's, rings/earrings, and foods that are "USDA organic". Great ideas, Justine. TFS. Happy Thanksgiving from the USA.
These are great gifting ideas in general, not just for Christmas! Thanks :)
Yes, but Christmas time is a good occasion 😉😘
Ohhhh yes I remember Real photographs we had to WAIT to develop! And the B &W pics we developed in high school and hung up to dry. It was like Christmas every day! Cheers fellow Justine!
So different, so innovative and so adorable!
In a world saturated by just commercial things and Christmas full of “empty” gifts, your ideas are like an oasis!
Merci beaucoup Justine for once again making the difference!
A bientot!
Based on quite a bit of observation, I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person from what kind of holiday gifts they give. In fact, almost all you need to know about a person's character and a lot about their personality.
Majored in photography at college 😄 Yes! I remember film and got to experience lots of different types. Digital is great, but my heart is with film-based photography ❤️💛📷
These are awesome ideas! I would LOVE to recieve any of these, i know my family would live this stuff too.
Thanks Justine. You are always so lovely and have such a positive energy
That backpack is very interesting!! 🤔
My back always hurts from carrying my laptop and I just stopped wearing mine.
I’ll have a look at that brand and maybe I’ll surprise myself for Christmas haha.. 😅
Thanks Justine for these brilliant ideas 😘😊
Sándor Petra my mom taught me to always put a wrapped gift for yourself under the tree...it might be the only one you get! For some reason for as much as my dad told my mom he loved her in front of everyone, and for the little love notes he wrote her; he never could buy her a gift. Could never understand it! 😏
Yes, pen and sketchbook anytime! That or a nice 5 m piece of violet velvet 🤗