Gifts for gals who need some love
I’m sure you know the feeling. The “what can I do?” feeling. The “my friend/neighbor/sister/coworker/kid’s teacher lost a job/said goodbye to a loved one/had a baby/received a BIG promotion/moved/IS moving/got her second vaccine dose (!!!)/etc. etc. etc. . . . and I want to do *something* but I’m not sure what” feeling.
I’ve been stuck in this boat before. But I’ve been on the receiving end of so many kind gestures over the last year, and I’ve tried to jot down the things that really gave me a boost or made my day or lightened my load … so I wanted to pass along my list to get your mind thinking of little things that are fun to gift or receive.
Much of my list was/is chicken scratch—the intention to document the kindness was there, I promise—so I’ve surely forgotten many-a-gesture, but I really want to post this so I can continue adding to it. This list is evergreen—it’s so fun hearing about new local businesses or services to support. Leave me a comment or send me a message if you have other good suggestions!
SIMPLE THINGS
I think people get wrapped up in or feel the pressure of needing to do something “big” when a friend is in need or deserves celebrating. But truthfully, it feels great hearing, “I’m thinking of you” or “I’m praying for you right now” or simply “you’re on my mind, so I thought I’d check in and say hi” from a friend.
- Cards/notes/letters (bonus points if they arrive in the mailbox!)
- Texts
- Voice memos/calls/voicemails (it’s really comforting to hear the voice of a good friend, especially if it involves random rambling)
NOTE: I know saying “what can I do” or “let me know how I can help you” or “tell me when you need x, y, z” feels like a safe thing to say, but I try not to say these things without either knowing the person extremely well or offering some options for actionable things I can do to help.
MEALS
Everyone needs to eat, and if you’re like me, you LOVE to eat, so food (for me) is always a top option. It can be tricky if your gal pal has certain allergies or aversions, but that challenge can also be an awesome opportunity to show you really care by taking the time and effort to accommodate.
Some of my favorites from the last year:
- Assembly meals: Receiving a giant platter with all the fixin’s for lettuce wraps, gyros, tacos, etc. A couple neighbors also joined together to gift us an an epic Greek feast from our local market that fed us for days!
- Pre-frozen meals: A dear friend and former roommate of mine loves to cook and, when baby #3 arrived, graciously gifted us several of our old favorite meals from our roomie days, cooked and already frozen, ready to pop into the freezer for nights when I didn’t feel like cooking
- Individual portion mains: Think freezer burritos or freezer breakfast burritos . . . they sell these at the store or Costco, so you don’t have to feel the pressure of actually cooking something like this. One amazing friend had a local meal service (points for going above and beyond finding something local) prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us, which stretched across several meals.
- Breakfast items: Often overlooked but always appreciated!
- Cookie dough balls, frozen (so you can bake whenever you need a warm cookie)
- Sauces and dressings: Both my dad and my father-in-law made their go-to spaghetti sauces, which is an easy thing to give along with uncooked noodles and a bag salad. Also, receiving homemade dressings and fun salad toppings is a simple way to homemake something
- Soup and salad: These are things that can be made in a big batch and split so you can keep some for yourself and gift the rest.
- Favorite things from your market: A dear friend brought homemade soup and salad and paired it with some of her favorite “new” items from the market. Baguette, cheese, fig spread, etc.
DELIVERIES
I love the unexpected delivery at my doorstep, and here are a few ideas from my neck of the woods in Portland.
- Crumbl Cookies
- Coffee from a local shop
- Pastries/treats/breakfast from a local bakery or grocery
- Flowers (always a winner!) - check out Juniper Blooms if you’re in the Portland area . . . and Farmgirl Flowers for really amazing bouquets that come with little pins and other cool things like this GRIT banner I now have hanging in my daughter’s room (thanks, Amanda!)
- Charcuterie board in a box - possibly the cutest/most fun to consume!
GIFT CARDS FOR FOOD
Grubhub, Door Dash, etc., but also your friend’s neighborhood market, favorite grocery store (hello, TJ’s!), local restaurants, sandwich shops, taco trucks, etc.
MISCELLANEOUS
In no particular order, here are some additional things that came to me from friends and family that I’ve either already sent to another friend or hope to someday.
- Candle subscription: Have you heard of Vellabox? Artisan natural candles that also come with cute eco-friendly goodies . . . things like produce bags, reusable straws, reusable sandwich bags, etc.
- Craft kits for kids: It’s super kind when someone thinks of your children, especially after the birth of a baby. We received some low maintenance kid gifts like coloring books (always a winner here) and then some more involved gifts, like craft kits, which are great for when you want to do a project with your little one but don’t want to figure out all the materials. There are lots of companies out there, but I’ll suggest my favorite: Craft + Boogie! The founder is a friend of mine, and she does so, so much good with her business.
- Ice cream (a personal favorite!)
- An invitation to dinner plus going home with all the leftovers (loved this!)
- Gift cards for things to be used for me and not for my family (for example, I received a Lululemon gift card before I had my baby from a friend I met at the gym . . . she knew I couldn’t wait to get back to my workouts—so thoughtful!)
- Name bracelets: I loved receiving little beaded bracelets with each of my kids’ names on it. Such a sweet and thoughtful gift. If you’re a crafty one like my sisters, you can make these yourself. Otherwise, there are lots of companies on Etsy and also a friend just told me about Names for Good, which gives to children in need.
- Robe and jammies (I LOVE pajama sets!)
- Snacks: I love receiving other people’s favorite snacks because most of the time it means trying something new
- Devotionals and books: I start my day with a hardcore morning routine, and I always love introducing new devotionals or little dailies to my routine. A Year of Positive Thinking is a good one that isn’t faith-based and applicable to just about anyone.
Hopefully this list gave you some good ideas of things and gestures to gift to your friends. I am extraordinarily grateful for the generosity I’ve received, and it makes me want to pay it forward whenever I can.
