Holiday extras for your loved ones

With Christmas coming up, you’ve undoubtedly been busy planning, buying, and wrapping gifts. In fact, there’s a chance you’ve already finished your shopping and are now collapsed in a heap beneath crumpled sparkly paper, glittery bows, and sticky tape as you await the arrival of Santa Claus.

You’re probably pretty pleased with what you’ve bought. After all, no one knows your loved ones’ passions, hobbies, and interests quite like you. However, it’s around this point that you might start to feel that there’s something missing. You might have a sleigh-load of presents primed and ready to go, but your friends and family members deserve one last treat. What should it be?

Thoughtful gestures and holiday extras do not need to cost a lot of money, and they will be worth their weight in gold to your friends and loved ones. In addition to the wonderful gifts that you’re already planning to present to your loved ones on Christmas morning, you might also want to consider some of these considerate gifts as a means of making the holiday season extra special.

A handmade card

A handmade card is a particularly special holiday extra. In fact, all homemade and handmade gifts provide the perfect opportunity to show someone you care – especially if they feature a loving family portrait or a drawing or artistic creation from your child. If you’re feeling particularly creative, include a poem or piece of prose that will last long after Christmas has come and gone.

An invitation to dinner

A thoughtful gesture doesn’t have to be a physical present; it can be just that – a gesture. At this time of year, it can become difficult to catch up with friends and family members, so why not offer to prepare and cook a meal for a group of special people? This could be your opportunity to swap gifts or just reminisce.

Bake a treat

While we’re on the theme of handmade treats and preparing food, have you considered baking cookies, making cakes, or creating little packages containing sweet treats? A small jar filled with ready-mixed cookie ingredients and a cutter or two would make a really special gift. Cakes, chocolate truffles, and pastry parcels would also go down well. Christmas is a time for eating, after all!

A lottery ticket

Here’s a quirky one for you: how about slipping a lottery ticket or scratch card into your friend or family member’s card this Christmas? For very little cost, your gesture could win your loved one the California jackpot, or at least start their New Year with a bang. Lottery tickets are becoming a popular holiday extra; you need only check out the latest jackpots from lottogopher.com to find out why!

A treasure hunt

If you have not had the time to go out and buy or make an additional gift, you might consider organizing a treasure hunt as a means of making Christmas morning even more special for younger family members. What could be better than a trail of clues that lead to all kinds of treasures beneath the tree? Clues do not need to be complicated, and the trail does not have to be particularly long for everyone to enjoy it.

Write a letter

What could be more Christmassy than the annual family newsletter? Christmas and New Year are key times to keep in touch with friends and family members, so prepare to spill your guts and inform your nearest and dearest of everything you’ve been up to. These kinds of letters add a real personal touch to every festive package, too. To make things special, try writing a letter that details the special relationship you have with the recipient; these kinds of letters will be treasured forever.

A voucher for an experience

Experience vouchers have become popular Christmas presents, enabling friends and family members to try a myriad of exciting and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that they’d perhaps never book for themselves. They make spectacular presents, but these kinds of gestures can be expensive. Why not try creating your own little coupon booklet that entitles the bearer to hugs, poetry, a massage, or a shopping trip in your company? The moments we spend together are the most special.

A personal calendar

A personalized calendar is a wonderful way to reflect upon the year gone by and to remind loved ones about some of the times you’ve shared. Using each month as an excuse to get out seasonal and themed photographs, your calendar should make the recipient smile every time a new month rolls around. Happy memories, indeed!

As you can see, treating your family and special friends does not need to stop with the usual gifts and treats this year. By making a thoughtful gesture, no matter how small or quirky, you could extend their Christmas cheer into the foreseeable future and head into the New Year with a real sense of peace, calm, and love. Happy Holidays!