Christmas is just around the corner! With the current situation, you might be having a challenging time meeting up with friends, family, or significant other for the holidays. Thankfully, you can still send love to them during this season of giving! Not sure where to start? Here are some Christmas gift ideas for your LDR loved ones.
Also read: How to Plan an Online Christmas Party — Pinoy Edition!
15 Christmas gift ideas for your LDR loved ones
Virtual gifts: No shipping fees required!
1. e-Gift cards
Has your recipient turned into an online shopaholic, like the rest of us? Send an e-gift card of his or her favourite online store!
e-Gift cards are probably the safest gifts you can give. Don’t worry about it seeming thoughtless; studies show that most people actually love receiving e-gift cards!
2. eBook
Thinking of surprising a reader with a Christmas gift? Any bookworm will thank you for giving them an eBook — or even an audiobook!
Some book services allow customers to schedule the date for the eBook “delivery”; if you’re planning to surprise someone on a specific date, this is a handy feature worth knowing!
3. Digital subscription
Maybe your recipient has gained a new hobby over the quarantine. Then, a relevant digital subscription would be a great Christmas gift idea for that LDR loved one!
These days, there is a plethora of online services offering subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify, Kindle Unlimited, PlayStation Plus are just a few examples to prove this point. Consider purchasing an annual subscription if you know someone who is interested in a certain service!
4. Online class
Know someone who loves to cook? Bake? Exercise? Tend to a garden? Know someone who loves to learn? Yes, you most probably do.
This Christmas season, book them a class in line with their newfound skills and interests! Especially if your loved one isn’t materialistic at all, the gift of a learning experience is a thoughtful present anyone can offer.
5. Donation voucher
If you know your recipient is a strong advocate for a certain cause, why not make his or her heart happy with a donation voucher? Alternate giving gives joy, not only to your loved one, but also to the charities of choice!
6. Digital artwork
So many local artists have shone during COVID-19! Support their craftsmanship by commissioning a digital artist to personalise a Christmas gift for your LDR loved one. Make sure to request for a hi-res version of the artwork so that the recipient can have it printed and framed if he or she wants to!
Physical gifts: Because gifts can still travel!
7. Food (and/or drinks)
Food always makes a Filipino happy, don’t you agree? Send love by ordering food (and/or drinks!) for your LDR loved ones this Christmas!
If they have a particular favourite restaurant, check out if they’re open for delivery. A lot of establishments have started promoting online delicacies since the pandemic! To make this event more special, you can even send home-cooked meals to those who miss your cooking.
Also read: Where to Buy Party Trays & E-numan Essentials for Quarantine-Approved Gatherings
8. Flowers
Giving flowers has always been a love language in itself. Thankfully, you can still order flowers for your loved ones even from far away. So many flower shops have expanded their businesses online — you have so many creative flower arrangements to choose from now!
If you want to treat your loved ones with something that lasts longer than the regular bouquet of flowers, consider preserved arrangements, dried flowers, or even plants with pretty foliage!
9. Cleaning kit
You can’t go wrong with a cleaning kit, especially now that everyone just wants (and needs!) a more sanitised space. Get a versatile cleaning kit that can help your loved one maintain a clean and safe area.
10. Loungewear
If you’re the type to give clothes as presents, then why not consider giving loungewear this Christmas? There are several local stores that have started making chic loungewear for Pinoys. Staycations have never been this fun!
11. Makeup products
Who says people can’t wear makeup during a pandemic? If this is what makes someone feel good, he or she has all the right to do so!
Filipino makeup brands have come up with beautiful video-call-friendly products for the new normal — you should definitely consider giving these to your loved ones who are beauty enthusiasts!
12. Tech essentials
Speaking of video calls, maybe your loved ones are in dire need of technical upgrades! These don’t have to be pricey: You can go for something as simple as a personalised mouse pad or a ring light… but of course, you can always go all out and get them a mechanical keyboard!
13. Jewellery
Let your loved ones bring “you” with them wherever they go! Buy them special jewellery pieces that they can wear around.
If you want to give something unique, check out bond touch bracelets! These bracelets vibrate whenever the other person touches them. (Yes, these are available in the Philippines!)
14. Beddings
Don’t let your partner miss your cuddles too often! Help them get a good night’s rest with comfy beddings made to feel like a hug.
Weighted blankets are now so trendy because of all their benefits; but if you’re not ready to give such an investment piece, you can always opt to send a pillow instead! (Bonus tip: Have some fun and get them one of those pillows shaped like an arm — just for laughs!)
15. Essential oils
One of the downsides of being physically away from someone you love is the limitation of “sensing” them. Thankfully, voice calls allow you to hear them and video calls allow you to see them. So, why not extend your love with a sensory gift — in the form of essential oils!
Smell is claimed to be the strongest sense to trigger a memory. If you’ve formed good memories with someone, an essential oil that is reminiscent of that memory may be a great Christmas gift idea for that LDR loved one.
Also read: How This Cargo Service Helps Online Businesses Get Through the Pandemic
It’s exciting how Pinoys are still making ways to send love to friends, relatives, and significant others from all around the world! May these Christmas gift ideas for your LDR loved ones help you out this season.
