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It can be a struggle to find the perfect gifts for family and friends. It usually takes a lot of research to try to find something creative. See below for some unique ideas that would make a great wedding gift, anniversary gift, or just a combined gift for that awesome couple in your life.
1.) Travel map
Collections are popular. As a kid, I remember many of my friends having collections: coins, pogs, pencils, stickers, etc. Now, I feel like people prefer to collect experiences versus physical objects. This is where the travel map comes in. It allows you to put pins in all of the places you’ve explored and/or all of the places on your bucket list. Gifting a push pin travel map to a couple allows them to ‘collect’ experiences and provides them a constant reminder of the adventures ahead. I’ve recently bought the following push pin travel map for friends of mine and I was pleased with the quality and aesthetic of the map: Push Pin Travel Map. These start at about $120.
2.) Two-person games
It can be difficult to find two-player games that are enjoyable. The list below are some that I’ve found to work well with only two people:
- Blokus – Think Tetris, but in board game form
- Splendor – Amazon has this on sale right now – click the link or image below! We learned about this game through a friend but it is a simple strategy game that we have shared with many different people with positive results. It is typically only about 30 minutes per game, so fits in well during naptime.
- Dominion – This one is on sale right now on Amazon as well! This is a deck building game. This one might be good if you and your significant other tend to fight over games because you are overly competitive. It even allows for ending in a tie!
3.) Dinner
Food is expensive. All of the prep work to make a meal: finding recipes, making a list, going to the grocery store, cutting up ingredients, and then finally cooking is a long, laborious process. However, everyone needs to eat. That’s why gifting someone with a meal kit or some food is a great idea!
Omaha Steaks offers many different package options, but these can be a bit pricey. The best packages hover around $149 and up with free shipping. You do get a lot of items for this type of price though. This could be a good gift to go in on with someone else. They will deliver the package in a cooler straight to your recipient’s door.
HelloFresh offers the ability to gift meal kits. These kits include the ingredients you need and clear instructions on cooking/preparing it. They offer a gift card for $60.93 that provides a one-week delivery of a 2 person meal kit (which comes out to 3 recipes).
4.) Beer flight
If the couple you have in mind is the type to hit up the local breweries, consider gifting them a beer flight kit. Our local grocery store offers up single bottles of craft brews. Buy an assortment of those, add in a beer flight gift set, and some delicious pretzels. See links to specific items below:
- MyGift 5-Piece Variety Craft Beer Tasting Flight Set with 4 Glasses & Wood Paddle Serving Tray
- Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels – Seriously, you need to try these pretzels. A friend who is a zookeeper in North Dakota introduced us to these and they are beyond addictive. I’ve been able to find these in our local Target as well, so keep an eye out!
5.) Date night ideas
My husband and I have been married for almost 9 years. I will admit, our date nights were much more exciting and varied at the beginning of our relationship. Help your friends keep their relationship interesting by gifting them a 100 Dates Scratch Off Poster from Uncommon Goods. This is made in the UK, so some of the wording might be a bit awkward for Americans, but it includes tons of great ideas. Also, at $15, it won’t break the bank.
6.) Picnic backpack
Who doesn’t enjoy a nice picnic every now and then? This backpack has an insulated liner for temperature sensitive foods. In addition, it includes a waterproof blanket, wine cooler / wine glasses, and bottle opener. The fact that it is a backpack means you can be a bit more adventurous in choosing a picnic location.
7.) Dishwasher magnet
Ever wonder if the dishwasher was run or if the dishes are still dirty? I feel this question is asked daily in our home. This gift can avoid unnecessary arguments after dirty dishes were put back in the cabinets. Here are some of the options available on Amazon:
8.) Stargazing adventure
Allow that favorite couple in your life to get away from all of the distractions and get lost in the stars together. A book detailing the constellations and a nice blanket are the main portion of this gift. However, you could get creative and add in other items too: a telescope, flashlight (red light is good), and a thermos. Also consider including directions to the nearest dark sky park (if there are any near you) – Headlands in Northern Michigan is a great one!
9.) Engraved cutting board
This Personalized Venn Diagram Cutting Board from Uncommon Goods would be especially nice for newlyweds. It would be a beautiful item to display in a kitchen. In addition, it is handmade in the U.S.A. Cost is $54.
10.) Dipping oil and spices kit
If you’ve ever eaten at Carrabba’s, you know how delicious dipping some bread in oil with spices can be. Delallo offers a Dipping Oils & Spice Collection so that you can enjoy a similar experience at home. The kit includes three different oils, dipping spices, and a box of crostini toasts. All your gift recipient has to do is pick up a crusty baguette at a local store and they are all set for a delicious appetizer. This set is available for $24.
11.) A novel idea
Is the couple you are gifting fond of reading? Litographs sells products where the designs are made out of words from different novels. They offer both throw pillows ($39) and blankets ($69) which would make a nice gift for a couple.
12.) Personal garden
Depending on the season, or where you live, you could consider gifting a personal garden. We managed to find the following one on sale during one of Lowe’s black Friday type sales, but it isn’t too bad as-is either: EMSCO GROUP 20-in W x 24-in L x 10-in H Earth Brown Resin Raised Garden Bed. This little garden is great because it is small enough to keep on a patio or deck. If you look at the Installation Guide, they recommend the following for this planter: 1.5 cubic feet potting mix, 1 lb. dolomite, and 2-3 cups of fertilizer. In addition, you will need some plants. We easily planted some seedlings from seed in little cups in our home that are now ready to transfer which is probably your lowest cost option. Overall, this option will cost you around $65 plus the cost of plants.
Once again, very good ideas for couples. Great job!