Gift ideas for Christmas!

Buying Christmas presents is really hard, and you might find it particularly hard for young people who feel the need to keep up with trends and have the latest thing. Fear no more, Yzanne is here to make some suggestions for Christmas presents for teenagers and young adults!

1. Books. Fiction is great and they can be good things to have if you’re going on holiday the week after. However, books are also a great way for young people to develop academically and emotionally (can you tell I am a sociologist!), especially for young people who are finding their voices. Autobiographies by great role models such as Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama are inspiring and valuable for young people. For an older teenager, ‘Read this to get smarter’ by Blair Imani (a social historian) is an impactful book which dissects social inequalities and how people can take action to make change. For lighter reads, re-tellings are very popular at the moment. There are a few by Philippa Gregory and also Stephen Fry I believe.
2. A sunset / moon projector. I bought one of these for my best friend and they are just so beautiful! It produces a warm orange circular light that looks like the sun when it sets. A softer alternative to harsh main lighting!
3. A weighted blanket. My brother has one of these and they are just … amazing. They are roughly £10-£15, and they are so incredibly comforting. Would definitely recommend getting one in a Tortilla or pizza design!
4. A home comfort recipe book. A lovely gesture, and a great tool if your child is going to uni in the next few years, and in the meantime need to learn how to cook. These will be a lifesaver when they just want to taste your classic home dishes from miles away! Simply write down their favourite meals and maybe even decorate it with photos in the kitchen from through the years!
5. A period subscription box. These are such a sweet idea! Especially at the beginning, getting your period can be scary and you’re obviously not as experienced as you’d like to be. Period subscription boxes make it an exciting experience as you can distract them through fun little gifts, like tea to subside nausea, chocolate for cramps, and fresh period products to use throughout the week, saving having to remember to buy them from the store. It’s really important that all of the hard parts of the period are nurtured and acknowledged, and this is a lovely way to do it.
6. Tie dye kit. I have raved many a time about tie dye on this blog, but it truly is an excellent activity! It’s such a fun opportunity to be creative and create some new clothing, bedding, or decoration. Tie dye never really goes out of style.
7. Clothes vouchers. These are always very trusty and are really great for young people whose styles and personalities are always changing. Being able to change how you express yourself through clothing can be an unnecessary luxury though, so it’s a perfect treat for Christmas.
8. A Nightcap. These are a genius invention by a woman from Florida who was concerned about the reports of drink spiking at universities. They are scrunchies that unzip to become drink covers to prevent pills or powders being put in drinks. A must have for every university student. If your child isn’t into scrunchies, they also do key rings!
9. Skin care. I apologise in advance for any young readers – teenage spots do not disappear when you turn 18. Little blemishes and zits will be on your face until your hormones calm down, your diet is good, and you drink enough water. Skin care can play a massive factor too, though. It can be difficult when you’re on a tight budget and end up buying the cheapest face wash and moisturizer in the supermarket which is full of harsh chemicals and irritants that are drying out your skin and making it worse. I did quite a lot of research on skin care to find ones without ingredients like Fragances / Parfum, for example. They can hide thousands of ingredients in that label alone, and all it takes is one to aggravate your skin and perpetuate spots. I recommend Freederm products through your teenage years, they have really improved my skin, they don’t use super harsh or damaging ingredients and they’re affordable, especially if they are bought in bulk – say at Christmas!

I hope this list helps. More importantly, I hope that you have a wonderful time (if you are celebrating it!) which makes up for last year. Enjoy being with friends and family, enjoy the food, drink, and traditions. Happy Christmas!