Christmas is right around the corner. Even though most of us have hoped we’ll get to spend it with our family and make up for last year, the ongoing pandemic likely won’t make that possible. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t show our affection to those we love.

In fact, now more than ever, it’s important to preserve that Christmas spirit and find ways to invite some happiness into your family. And what better way to do so than with gifts? Even if you can’t be physically present for each other during the festive season, a thoughtful Christmas gift can inspire feelings of love and warmth. Just what we all need after such a hard year!

If you haven’t thought of any gifts, don’t worry, you still have time. But even if you procrastinate and wait until the very last minute, the following items can easily be ordered online and delivered in a few days. Here are some cool ideas if you decide to go on an online Christmas gifts shopping spree.

For Dad: A Hearty Alcohol Hamper

Your dad is probably your hero, so for a change, you can be the hero of Christmas 2021 and surprise him with an alcohol hamper featuring his favourite drink and snacks that perfectly match it.

A lot of dads love tasting new kinds of beer and giving their expert review on them. If this reads like your pop, then a hamper full of Aussie-made craft beer will surely knock the socks off his feet. And even if your dad is a fan of some stronger alcohol types like gin, vodka or whiskey, the Aussie craft alcohol community has tons of flavours for him to taste.

You can go store-to-store and arrange an assortment of drinks you know he has never tried before and match them with snacks like pepperoni, smoked almonds and peanuts, and something sweet like Lindt balls. You can even add special glasses and put everything inside an ice pack instead of a regular hamper.

But if you’re not the alcohol-connoisseur and have no idea what kind of items to get, simply leave your gift in the hands of expert Christmas gift delivery services. There are many online Christmas gifts services that specialise in creating bespoke hampers and offer delivery right to your dad’s doorstep. 

For Mum: A Pamper Hamper Full of Love

Often having to juggle between a career, household tasks and keeping the family together, mums definitely are in need of some downtime. Especially now when the pandemic has blurred the lines between work and home.

Celebrate your supermum with a delightful pamper hamper made up of things that can inspire relaxation so she can forget about the stress at least for a while. You can arrange a hamper filled with stuff that she can use for herself, and not share it with the rest of the household like she often does with other things. This can be warm fuzzy socks, a luxurious night cream for women her age, a book by her favourite author or even a Netflix gift card so she can catch up on her favourite movies and shows.

A really great idea would be to create an aromatherapy gift collection full of precious bottles of relaxing essential oils, perfect for instant stress relief, along with an eye mask. You can also throw in a little diffuser, so she can use the essential oils to make the house smell great when it’s finally okay for guests to come.

For the Teenagers: Wireless Headphones to Listen to Their Fave Music Anytime and Anywhere

You’re not really a teenager if you don’t spend 90% of your free time blasting music on your headphones. If you have a teenager in your family, I’m sure they’d really love to get a brand new pair of headphones since they probably have destroyed their old ones from so much use. Getting them wireless headphones will really make this holiday season special since they probably haven’t been able to buy such headphones on their limited allowance.

Also, since they’re born in the digital age, today’s teenagers are extremely picky about the quality of their audio devices, so make sure to invest in a really good hi-fi headphones model. Noise-cancelling models will especially make them happy since they allow them to immerse themselves in the world of music and fully ignore everything around them (like teenagers often do).

For the Kids: Educational Toys to Spark Creativity and Inspire Learning

2020 and 2021 have especially been hard on the little ones. Not only have they been missing the all-important socialisation, but many of them had to sit through online classes and stay away from school or pre-school. So, this year instead of a bundle of sweets along with battery-operated toys, get them something educational that can help make up the lost lessons in a fun way, like a nice puzzle toy.

When it comes to educational toys, puzzles are without a doubt the best. Because they are challenging and have fun colours and shapes, kids really love playing with them. But best of all, trying to solve them helps boost cognitive skills and motor skills, especially in pre-schoolers.

Though cardboard and paper puzzles are cheaper and more widely available, a wooden toy puzzle is a much better choice. As opposed to the cardboard ones, the wooden puzzles are three-dimensional, weigh more which is good for building grip and can also be used as décor in children’s rooms. A wooden puzzle can resist the test of time and turn into a beloved heirloom that can be passed on to different generations.

For the Grandparents: A Digital Photo Frame to Preserve the Good Memories

Grandparents always complain that we don’t visit them that often, and they’re usually right. And in the past years, visits to grandpa and grandma’s house have become especially scarce as we try to protect them as one of the most vulnerable parts of society. You can try to make up for that lost face time by cherishing the special moments you have spent together thus far, all with the help of a digital photo frame.

You can load up the device with some of your favourite memories and other things you know your grandparents would love to look at. You can also consider the option of getting a photo frame that supports WiFi and has a compatible phone app that several people can download and use. This way, you can send your less tech-savvy grandparents pictures of you or any kids, partner or pet you might have, making sure they never miss anything. If that doesn’t warm up their hearts, I don’t know what will.