I'm usually a pretty great gift-giver insert humbleness here but I've been crazy busy this fall and honestly didn't start my holiday shopping anywhere near as early as I usually do. On top of that, I'm trying to stick to some very strict guidelines this year which make gift-giving doubly more work than it was previously. Truthfully, I'm still crazy busy and now it's crunch time - I've got three people left on my gift list and I'm looking for inspiration!

I'd like to hear what some of your favorite gifts are. What have you received in the past (for any occasion or just because) and why it was your favorite - was it practical? Out of the blue? Homemade? Out of your price range? The "hot" toy/thing? Something you wanted for a long time? Something you never knew you wanted?

Don't worry about the restrictions I'm trying to follow, as I'm looking for your help with inspiration (not necessarily a direct solution). Plus, I think it will make me smile to hear some good stories of gift experiences that made you happy 😊

Thanks for your help! 🎄

Anyone have anything to share? I'd love to hear it!

Hi it'a good to see you :)

Of course this goes without saying but any good Gator gift - lol - GO Gators!

I loved getting a Kindle one year (I heard there is a new one that was released). I also received an Amazon Echo (Google Home) which comes in handy and is used often. A wine basket or Coffee basket is always nice

Good luck and have a wonderful Christmas. ❤

Thanks for the ideas! I've thought about giving gator gifts all around ;) But then I think maybe I should switch it up a bit, lol... just a bit though ;)

Aren't you just the sweetest?!!! My favorite gifts are the ones we exchange with my family. We don't. It takes the stress off everyone and we can spend our time together focusing on each other instead of opening gifts and seeing who got what and if so and so liked what they got. I like the holidays when they are about people and not things. I wish you luck and a stress-free holiday. :)

Aw thanks! I'd love if my family could get together for the holidays. Sadly, we're spread across a few countries - and even in the US we are in 9 states (I just counted because I wasn't actually sure!). A few are active military and it's hard to get the holidays off - and for many it is cost-prohibitive to travel this time of year. Luckily we live in the age of video chat which has revolutionized our communication over the last decade. It's easier to keep up with the kids when you can actually see them more than once a year!

One of my niblings is getting old enough to travel on his own, he'll be getting a plane ticket for his birthday this spring to come visit me in the summer. Shhh don't tell him! His mother and I have already planned it out :) Unfortunately I can't do that for all of them. Many are too young, plus I'd go bankrupt 😅

It's really sweet that you like to spend time with your family (I will say there are a few people I don't mind not seeing more than once every two or three years...). I'll definitely be looking into gifts that facilitate companionship and quality time for those who are together over the holidays - games, puzzles, and the like - I really do hope they don't just retreat to their respective rooms in the house after gifts are opened! I haven't spent the holiday season with any family in about 5-6 years so I'm not sure exactly how it goes in each of their respective households.

Favourite gifts I've been given so far:

• A playstation 1 (Last years birthday present, not 20 years ago :p), I was after one for years already and at some point I had to chose between buying a gamecube or a ps1 and I bought the gamecube and then my friend bought me the ps1.
• Clothes from my favourite clothing brand (through vouchers because individual pieces are too expensive for 1 gift)
• Games for my playstation 1 from my childhood
• A dinner with my favourite food
• An experience (eg: and I went to the zoo last year for my birthday)
• The big artsy versions of the harry potter books

I like practical gifts or experiences. Because I live in a limited space with limited storage: a bedroom in my parents their house. I don't have space to pile up 101 plush toys, mugs or tons of clothes.

I love anything that I get.

The best gift I got was last year from my husband think ot was for my birthday. We are hockey fans and Joonas Korpisalo is my crush..I mean my favorite goalie. Well he knows this and their is a site you can buy their game worn merch on. So he went on there and ordered his game worn jersey for me which happens to be his first shutout win (means their team scored 0 goals for you non-hockey/spprts people). I was soooo excited.

Then for Christmas last year he won me his goalie stick from the Auctions at the game.

I was completely speechless both times.

But honestly even getting my favorite players cards get me excited. One of his hockey friends last night at the game gave me 4 spare Korpisalo cards he had. I was so excited. Some of the players wives were beside me and pretty sure they were likr she craaaaazy. But he's so cute... (and 1 year older than my younger sister ugh)

I love anything that shows they thought of me even if that's just them finding something they love and getting me that lol. I think my favorite ever though is this cobalt depression glass I kind of stole from my mom. It counts. It was a gift. Just not mine. Don't judge lmao it's so sparkly and she told me I could borrow it for my room.

The 2 Funko Pops I got for my 30th b-day were pretty great, I never considered getting them before but my friends told me about them and I got two I really wanted from my grandmother.

Also any and all books have made my year!

My friend 2Outta3AintBad has offered to send me cookies around this time. No one outside family has done this, so it's a major first.

I gave her one of my characters, and sent her a custom built figure out of Legos.

Those all sound like great gifts :D I like practical and experience gifts too! (especially when I can take them to the experience - many don't/can't drive and are otherwise dependent on others taking them).

Sounds like your husband really knows you! I wouldn't have a clue what to get a hockey fan 😅 (I definitely did not know what a shutout was...)

Haha, I guess if she hasn't asked for it back it's a gift ;)

Books are always on the top of my love list too! Especially when my friends/family buy me books that they like, because then after I read them we can talk about it - whether it was my favorite or not - it gives me a way to connect with them :)

Those all sound like such personal gifts! Thanks for sharing :) Definitely nice to hear what people appreciate

We've been together for 13 years married 3 so I would hope so lol! Hockey is a fun sport to follow. They have hockey n heels or hockey for her events to help women get the lingo and stuff too. I've gone to 2 of those. I don't know what to get soccer fans so I understsnd. Haha

The gift of life. Though I would argue that doesn't fit in this category as much as I thought it would when I originally planned on responding to this thread. But then I got to thinking, is life a gift? It was given to me. But what even is life? When did it begin? When was it given? Was "i" life before I was a fertilized ovum? Two parts that made a whole? Then one could argue two parts came randomly, that It was all serendipity. So those two parts could have been combined 1/2 "me" and 1/2 "someone else" or maybe "i" am 1/2 "someone else" and 1/2 "someone else entirely"? These questions cannot and will not be answered, so the time I take to have a crises over them is not productive.

The best gift I have ever received was a stuffed animal opossum because it was the perfect size, soft, and I know it was hard to find but they are my favorite animals.

I would love that if I had family that liked to read... sadly I am the only one who really enjoys it. But still the gift of books will always make me happy and any little trinkets that I can put on my shelves, at least I know my family can find me some really neat stuff. :D

My grandfather got me this wonderful grim reaper statue last Christmas, still sits on my main bookshelf! :)

for my 16th i got tickets to Paris! that was literally a dream come true and i went on to visit again and again (i'd live there if i could speak french a little more fluently!) for another birthday, my mom got me an allsaints leather jacket ;U; i love it so much and still wear it!!! i've really taken care of it and i remember just feeling so cool when i first got it

on a more recent birthday i got tickets to disneyland ;U; and i've been gifted concert tickets for justin bieber, ariana grande and selena gomez ! (i like pop lol) i feel very lucky!

i'm super grateful for any gift given to me. i don't really value material things too highly, so i feel like an experience that really stay with you, especially something as incredible as a holiday, is the perfect gift.

When I was a young teen I really wanted a furby and my parents were abusive so knew I wouldn't get it from them but still talked about it. My cousin had one, we both got the toys from fast food places...to my shock a friend of my mother's gave me one. She had bought a ton for grandkids, and just tossed me an ugly grey one. Loved it to death, wish I still had it. This year I was given a rolling luggage bag and a wig. I had to buzzcut my hair off for health reasons.

I remember wanting a Furby so bad back then and getting one and being so happy! I even had a little carrying case / car seat type thing for it. I wish I still had it.

I like luxury fashion and my husband got me a Burberry wrap/scarf this year :) I really am going to enjoy it.

But the best gift is finally getting Christmas off of work for once :) even though I can’t be with my parents, my husband and I have a day planned full of yummy food and relaxing :)

I honestly look forward to receiving new socks and a pair of winter PJs every Christmas. And maybe even slippers. Actually I think every year my family (parents, brother and I) all get PJs/lounge wear for each other.

I don't buy slippers or PJs for myself, always wait for Christmas.

Right after high school my parents got me my very first wacom tablet. This year I think the best gift I got -- shamelessly for myself was finishing college ;v;

I have 3. 2 practical and one just... UGH FEELS.

One was a LAPTOP my friend got me last year because mine broke and i couldnt save up for one for MONTHS. SUPER useful (and expensive) gift

Two was a key holder of the Cheshire cat i got ... Gosh 10 years ago now? As i have a bunch of keys its super useful when your hands are full or its bad weather out to just find the huge Cheshire head in a deep black hole known as a purse and know "Ah found my house keys"

Third was actually a card I no longer even remember the gift it came with (Possibly my Bilbo Baggins plushie?) anyway As a huge lord of the rings fan my friend got me a card of middle earth and proceeded to explain over the entirety of the inside of the card why I was her sam and ugh every time i think of it i cry it was and still is the sweetest thing I've ever read.