A calendar full of cherished personal photos
Personalize the Brass Easel and Calendar at Artifact Uprising, from $55
Photos of loved ones are an instant source of joy and structuring our daily life around them with a calendar is a great way to fill each day with more gratitude and happiness. Artifact Uprising has one that comes in a beautiful brass easel as well as a wood clipboard ($25) that you can customize. The calendar is updated on a rolling 12-month basis, so you don't have to wait until January to create one.
A night out at their favorite sporting event or seeing their favorite band
Gift live concert and game tickets, from $15 per person
Is there a good concert, play, or game coming up in the next few months that they'd love? Grab tickets and make a night of it together — or, if you live far away, make sure they get to enjoy their favorite band live with a friend.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdAn engraved timepiece
Personalize a watch at Timex, from $57
If you're looking for subtle and impactful, engraving a watch is a classic for a reason. They can keep it forever, wear it every day, and know how much personal significance it has without always answering questions from onlookers. It's functional, thoughtful, and timeless.
A custom-made comic book telling your shared story
Gift Custom Comic Book at Etsy, from $390.31
If you have the means, few comic book nerds would turn down owning a detailed, beautifully designed comic book featuring them as the lead character or superhero. Purchase the comic, email the makers telling them your story, and send in photographs of the characters and event setting to make sure everything looks true to life. You'll see a rough draft, send back any edits you have, and they'll complete the final copy. Opt for a digital print (emailed) or get it sent to you as a fully fledged canvas print.
A personalized photo book
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdA handful of date-night bucket list ideas
Date Night Bucket List, available on Uncommon Goods, $18
Insurance that the months ahead won't contain much boredom, this Date-Night Bucket List comes with plenty of fun and unique ideas. Couples can add their own, draw them at random, and add the date they checked off each "date night" in pencil on the back for a keepsake.
A cute set of mugs
Gift Personalized Family Mugs at Uncommon Goods, from $30
Turn your family, friends, or a newly-engaged couple into characters that actually look like them on a cute set of mugs they can keep around the home. One side features the artists' depiction of them (personalized through your choices of skin tone, hair, and clothing color) and the mug owner's first name, while the other displays your family name and year established — for friends, this could be the year you met.
Turn meaningful audio into art
Long-distance touch lamps
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdA cooking class for foodies
Book Sur La Table Cooking Class, prices vary depending on your location
Buy a Cozymeal Gift Card, from $50
Whether you spend most of your time together trying out different recipes — or they're often treating you to a delicious meal — you may want to turn your gift into a thoughtful, shared experience.
Cozymeal lets you sign up for cooking classes to learn how to make everything from Italian pastas, to vegan soul food, to sushi for groups of one to 100 guests. You'll select an experience, pick a date, and show up to learn from one of the nation's top chefs — including a few who have worked in the world's best Michelin-starred restaurants. You can read our full review of Cozymeal here.
Otherwise, Sur La Table also offers cooking classes at most locations that range from Nashville fried chicken to South American fare. You can also find a decent amount of classes in your area through Groupon and Airbnb Experiences.
Handmade rings with engravings of the actual fingerprints and handwriting of a loved one
90 tiny messages in a bottle
Brightly embroidered pillows of their favorite state
A photo print of an important life moment
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdThe blueprint of a beloved ski resort
Gift Ski Resort Blueprints at Uncommon Goods, from $75
Whether they grew up on the slopes or drag friends and family along as adults, skiers can take their favorite slopes home with them with this blueprint-inspired art. Featuring iconic ski resorts such as Park City, Vail, and Breckenridge, each officially licensed print is created with a vintage, distressed finish and contains detailed historical and statistical facts about the area.
A bound love letter, curated from A-Z
Gift How Do I Love Thee From A-Z at Uncommon Goods, $20
Follow 26 prompts laid out in old-school typewriter font to leave your loved one with a bound love letter they can keep forever — the perfect spot for recording your favorite romantic moments, memories, inside jokes, and all the tiny and enormous reasons for why you love them.
Monogrammed crystal champagne flutes
A portable Bluetooth printer
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdA family cookbook
Gift My Family Cookbook at Uncommon Goods, $35
"My Family Cookbook" is the perfect prompt for passing heirloom recipes down through the ages — from Dad's award-winning chocolate chip cookies to grandma's impossibly good lasagna. Blank pages for conversion tables, photo galleries, and space for over 80 recipes make this the perfect place for loved ones to contribute their favorite dishes, or be passed along to newlyweds hoping to create memories of their own in the kitchen.
A poster of you and a loved one characterized by your favorite drinks
A custom watercolor of their wedding venue
A candle that smells like home
Homesick Candles, $30, available at Uncommon Goods
It's hard to put a finger on just what makes home smell like home, but a whiff of a Homesick candle will transport them there with its nostalgia-inducing scents. Uniquely specific scents are made to capture the ethos of states, cities, and even memories like road trips, backyard BBQs, and cooking in Grandma's kitchen. If they're far from home, this affordable candle is a small but meaningful gesture that can bring them just a little closer.
A cutting board that memorializes a meaningful recipe
Family Recipe Cutting Board, $140, available at Uncommon Goods
There's something about family recipes that make them taste even better. Maybe it's knowing that they've been passed down through generations of cooks, or remembering the childhood memories of eating and cooking these dishes at every special family dinner. Whatever the case, every family has their own quintessential recipe. This cutting board offers a unique way to preserve those special family favorites. Ingredients and directions are engraved on solid cherry wood, and can even be etched in the recipe writer's handwriting.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdA reel viewer filled with snapshots of old memories
Create Your Own Reel Viewer, $29.95, available at Uncommon Goods
As a kid, flipping through a reel viewer was one of life's greatest joys, and just because they're all grown up doesn't mean they won't like playing with the gadget. Fill the reel with snapshots of their most cherished memories for a gift that'll flood them with all sorts of nostalgia.