Every single year I get stuck on what to get people for the holidays. There are so many people in my life that I want to give back to, even if it’s just a simple gift, to say thank you for everything they have done for me. I love finding the perfect gift for each person, and seeing their reaction when they open it! However, when it comes to buying my parent’s gifts, I never know what to get them. They have given and sacrificed so much for me over the years, how can I possibly get them something on such a tight budget? Well, believe it or not, there is a way. You see, most parents will tell you they don’t want anything. They don’t want you to break your bank (let’s be real, break *their* bank) in order to get them some cool ‘techy gift.’ So, with that being said, why not get them something more meaningful, and less expensive? I can almost assure you, whatever you do decide to get them, they will love it, but they will love it even more if there is some sort of meaning behind it.
1. Convert Old Home Videotapes
Imagine a time where we didn’t have everything at our fingertips on smartphones. Imagine a time where our parents had to whip out large video cameras in order to capture a special moment? Yeah, well, there actually was a time where this happened, and it happened to be most of our childhood. I’m sure if you ask your family if you have any old home tapes, they will say yes, followed by, “Well, we can’t watch them because they are in VHS form.” Fortunately, there are so many places out there that will convert them for you to DVD form so you can actually watch your favorite childhood memories over and over again.
2. Create a Memory Book
This one may sound a bit cheesy, and you might think your parents already have a million of these, but you can individualize it! This isn’t just a photo album, you see. You can create a montage of photos and write next to each one why that photo is special to you. Maybe it’s a photo of you and your dad at your siblings soccer game. Yes, you both went to that soccer game, but your dad may not remember that soccer game the way that you do. So, you could write next to the photo why that photo brings a smile to your face every time you see it.
3. An Updated Framed Family Photo
In our day in age, most of our photos are simply on our smartphones and social media sites. The days of waiting to pick up your photos from the store are long gone. With that being said, I am sure you have an incredible amount of old photos lying around your house, but not many new ones. Take your smartphone to the nearest store and print out some recent photos of your family. You can even frame one so it can hang in your living room, next to the photo you took ten years ago!