6 Unique Gift Ideas to Up-Level Your Holiday Gifting

We all know the yearly struggle of finding the “perfect gift” – tiptoeing the fine line between something super meaningful and personal, and something that the giftee doesn’t already own. We’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of the most unique holiday gift ideas we could find that will show the recipient that you put a lot of thought into their present while giving them something to cherish that won’t sit beside three other copies of it.
By the way, have you heard of love languages? People show and receive love in different ways and the great thing about group gifting is it covers three love languages in one go: gifts, words of affirmation, and acts of service. By setting up a group gift, you can both give a more unique gift and share a unique and meaningful experience with all friends, family, and/or coworkers involved.
Here are six ideas for innovative and unique holiday gift ideas for birthdays, holidays, and more.
For the friend whose plants are more like pets

It’s safe to say that most people have experienced some sort of emotional connection to nature. With that, there is a specific love that is felt for the plants that we have in our homes. Some of us even go as far as to name our friends on the windowsill!
Inspired by the intense connection between music and Mother Nature, Plantwave ($299) is a revolutionary device that allows us to connect with our greenery on an even deeper level, turning plant biorhythms into music. This is one of the unique gift ideas that works by attaching sensors to any plant and plugging in your phone to connect your plant with the instrument it is meant to play.
Reinvigorate your friend’s creative energy this holiday by allowing them to listen to the musical signals passed between plants. After all, is there a better gift than being connected to nature, feeling balanced and inspired, and being present(ly) in the moment?
For the small business enthusiast

The Third Place supercharges small businesses by letting any business create a subscription program. The platform is dedicated to helping you give gifts of meals, memberships, and experiences from neighborhood businesses. Supporting a business as featured on The Third Place is a direct aid in the building of the next generation of small and local neighborhood businesses.
They have packaged their most beloved programs into easy gifts – many of them include a physical component and a virtual experience led by the business owner. The tea programs are our personal favorites ($35-$135), taking the tea drinker on a virtual trip through the country or region that the tea originates from, and even sharing mindful practices to enjoy tea via virtual tea ceremonies and meditation.
On top of them waiving platform fee for small businesses at this time, 5% of proceeds will be donated to Meals on Wheels. It’s a great way to send some holiday warmth and help neighborhood businesses, all in one gift.
For the minimalist workout junkie

Finding the right space to workout in when you are living in a small apartment or home is a #struggle. Your staircase becomes a Stepmaster, and your living room carpet turns into a mat for planks. Sometimes, the most you can do is roll out a yoga mat.
Change a friend or coworker’s workout game with The Mirror. The Mirror ($1495) is virtually an invisible home gym. Behind one mirror is thousands of workouts led by professional instructors, customized playlists sure to motivate, and a results tracker and dashboard to help you keep track of your progress. Not only does The Mirror provide you with an amazing tailored workout, but when you’re not looking to get your sweat on, it acts as a simple and minimalist decor mirror!
And the best part is – something normally unaffordable for any individual person to gift alone can be a really stand apart gift when it comes from a group.
For the health nut

We are all constantly looking for ways to boost our health. Holistic health is one way to be proactive in rebuilding your lifestyle and boosting your wellbeing. Parsley Health is dedicated to fixing the breaks in our current healthcare patterns as a society. Founder Robin Berzin, M.D. believes that medicine should put nutrition, wellness, and prevention on the front lines of health care.
This unique holiday gift idea gets an A+ for practicality and is one sure to stand apart from the crowd. Collaborate with friends to gift a loved one a whole new avenue of self-care with a 4-Month Plan from Parsley Health! The plan ($225 / month) provides a focused care plan that can help transform their wellness for the better.
To always perform at your peak

One of the most important parts of your personal fitness journey is getting to know your body. The WHOOP Strap 3.0 (starting at $30/month) offers 24/7 fitness, sleep, and recovery monitoring, making sticking to your goals easier than ever before!
Each of the tracker’s three key metrics work together to make sure your body is ready to train at the best possible time. The WHOOP system starts with telling you the optimal amount of sleep that you need each night so that you can be set up for peak performance in the day ahead. The system’s recovery metric tracks your body’s unique physiological state to determine your personal performance ability for each day. The device’s third key metric is strain tracking, which shows how your body is reacting to everything from stress to travel. With a WHOOP device, you are set up to unlock your body’s true potential.
For the friend who can’t cook, but loves an authentic home-cooked meal

This is absolutely one of our favorite unique holiday gift ideas: Shef is a community-based platform connecting local cooks with neighbors who are looking for delicious, homemade food. The vetted, certified, and talented shefs in your community are from all around the world! Many are stay-at-home parents, women, and immigrants who are so honored to be able to share their authentic dishes with others.
Bring a taste of home to your friend for the holidays with affordable, quality meals while also supporting your local community. Gift a loved one some authentic cuisine this holiday with a Shef Gift Card ($25-$100).
Giving back this season

What else can you do to take your holiday gift extra far this holiday season? Share this gratitude directly with the people in our own communities that need it by designating any ‘excess funds’ raised on your Presently group gift to go toward a charity.
This great resource by Fidelity Charitable shares three distinct ways to help those directly affected by COVID-19 – including supporting medical needs, protecting vulnerable communities, and donating to nonprofits.
You can also find local food banks in your area using the Feeding America Local Food Bank Finder to directly benefit food insecure individuals in your area.
From our Presently family to yours, we wish you all a happy and healthy holiday!
ABOUT PRESENTLY
Presently is a group-gifting platform that gives people an easy way to contribute to a single gift, together. Presently enables communities to gift better, choosing quality over quantity. Organize a group gift here.
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