A VERY THOUGHTFUL GIFT GUIDE: 2021

We’ve created this years’ thoughtful gift guide to be as frazzle-less as possible, taking the stress out of gift-buying.

Blurtitout Team

Published at 06:16

Just like that, the festive season is upon us again, and our feeds are filling up with picture-perfect families in unrealistically tidy spaces. For some, it really is “the most wonderful time of the year”, but it can also be overwhelming, emotional, and stressful. With that in mind, we’ve created this years’ thoughtful gift guide to be as frazzle-less as possible, taking the stress out of gift-buying.

A Very Thoughtful Gift Guide

We’ve picked a diverse range of gifts at a variety of price points and whittled them down to three per category to avoid overwhelm. Each order is packaged with love by our fabulous Blurt Elves at Blurt HQ. We’re happy to include a message to the recipient, or if you buy one of our cards then we can write it for you and send it directly to the person you’re buying for – just let us know at checkout.

Even better than that, every product you buy supports our work to improve awareness and understanding of depression. This year alone, our website has been accessed by 859,182 people who have totted-up 4,466,343 page views between them.  We’ve hosted 312 (and counting) 11am check-ins, donated products to the NHS, schools and non-profits, reached people from over 38 different countries, and created a wealth of free downloadable resources which have been downloaded 9,698 times so far. Our social media posts have featured in 79,768,197 feeds, and been engaged with 2,744,066 times. Our community has grown by almost 20% since January. Our education programme has reached over 3500 students, volunteers have loaded our training videos 5025 times, and we’ve sent workbooks to over 250 schools.

So, grab a cuppa (or a hot chocolate), pop on the snuggly socks, pile on a blanket or three, and let’s get stuck in.

Don’t want to read the whole thing? Click one of the categories below to zip straight there:

CHRISTMAS-TREE READY

BUDDYBOX ONE-OFF (£21.50)

Processed with MOLDIV

There can be too many decisions to be made at this time of year, and thinking about what to buy a person can be one decision too many.

One-off BuddyBoxes take the stress out of gift giving because we make the decisions for you. BuddyBoxes arrive the month after you’ve bought them (so buying one in December means it would arrive in January) which can help to brighten up those grey days once all the excitement has passed.

*note this is a previous BuddyBox – BuddyBox contents are a monthly surprise!

BUDDYBOX SUBSCRIPTION (£21.50/£61.95/£118.95/£221.95)

Want a gift that keeps on giving? A BuddyBox subscription will deliver a carefully-curated hug-in-a-box every month for as long as your subscription lasts. The perfect pick-me-up present; it has a magical ability to land on the doorstep at just the right time – we don’t know quite how it does it!

*note this is a previous BuddyBox – BuddyBox contents are a monthly surprise!

BUILD YOUR OWN BUDDYBOX (£24.95)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Wrapping paper wrestling not your thing? Build Your Own BuddyBox is a perfect solution. It’s fully customisable. You can choose a fabulous five products, and pick a card to go inside. There are a few different sleeves to choose from (including a Festive one!), which we can even stamp the name of your gift-receiver. By the time it arrives, it’s all ready to pop straight under the tree – no ‘finding the end of the sellotape’ required.

STOCKING FILLERS

VEGAN BUTTERCUPS (£1.99/£1 IN SALE)

Sometimes finding yummy scrummy dairy-free chocolate can be a tricky task. But these vegan buttercups are super-indulgent. They have an official “big thumbs up”* from our dairy-free testers.

*big thumbs up are worth two Hollywood Handshakes.

NAP CHAMPION DOOR HANGER (£3.50)

As an official nap champion in training, it’s very important that naps are not interrupted. This ‘nap champion’ door hanger lets everyone know that there’s a napper-extraordinaire snoozing in that room and they need to sneak past as silently as possible.

MAPOLOGY GUIDES (£5)

Life is good at throwing us some curveballs sometimes, sending us into a spiral of “gahhh”-ness. Mapology guides have got us covered. The perfect stocking-filler, these guides help us to figure things out, one step at a time, using thoughtful prompts and beautiful illustrations. There are lots of different maps for different topics, so use the drop-down menu to find the perfect gift.

FOR BUSY BEES

HOUSE OF CALM (£4.25)

The busier we are, the buzzier our brain can get. As the buzz increases, the calm decreases, until we become a human-shaped anxiety vessel. Generic “calm down” advice might not be for us – but with the House of Calm, we write our own suggestions and pop them into the house so that they’re ready and waiting for us next time we need them.

54 MINDFUL CARDS FOR STRESSFUL DAYS (£8.95)

Processed with MOLDIV

As much as some people thrive on busy, we all have those days when it gets a bit much and we want to shout “stuff it” and move to a Caribbean Island (but we can’t because we don’t have time). Our mindful cards for stressful days are just for times like these; injecting mindful moments into stressful situations.

MAKING SPACE BOOK (£13.99)

We all know that person who never, ever, ever (ever!) seems to stop. Sneaking a small space for self-care in amongst all the “stuff” can be a real challenge; we often forget that a bit of “me-time” matters, because we matter. Making space helps us to spot where our boundaries might need adjusting, encouraging us to make some space for ourselves, no matter how busy we are.

FOR THOSE WHO NEED A LITTLE LIFT

A RECIPE FOR A WONKY DAY WORKBOOK (£3.95)

You know “those days”? The ones where everything that can go wrong, does, and by the time we reach 5pm, we feel as though we’ve been put through an SAS training camp, and our head is buzzing so loudly that we can’t think? We know them, too; they can be tricky to manage. That’s where our wonky workbook comes in. It’s full of prompts and activities to encourage self-care and positive coping strategies, helping us to manage “those” days.

SUNSHINE IS COMING PIN (£7)

Grabbing the nearest remote and launching into a rendition of “Here Comes The Sun” might seem like a great way to bring some cheer to a loved one going through a tricky time, but unfortunately, it’s not always appreciated. But never fear! A ray of sunshine they will appreciate is here! Our recycled sunshiney pin (wearing the coolest glasses in town) is a little reminder that better days are coming.

54 REASONS WHY YOU MATTER (£8.95)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When the whisperings of “you don’t matter” start to become shouts, it can be oh-so-hard to ignore them. As much as we wish we could wrap our loved ones in a hug and tell them the million-gazillion reasons they matter it’s not always possible as, unfortunately, teleportation hasn’t been invented yet. However, this portable pack can be popped in a pocket as an on-the-go pesky-thoughts buster.

FOR LITTLE ‘UNS

COTTON TWIST SUPERHERO MASK (£2.95)

We don’t know about you, but we reckon our little ‘uns are pretty smashing. Whether it’s making noise about climate change, getting through the most bizarre two years, or giving the best hugs on this planet – they can be little superheroes. Every superhero needs a superhero mask, and what better than their own handmade mask?!

AIRDOH (£5.99)

We loveee Airdoh. The soft squishiness is super-soothing after a stressful school day. Infused with calming scents to help with settling down, it’s a sensory superstar!

THE VISUAL SELF CARE STICKER BOOK (£6.50)

Encouraging our little ‘uns to practice good self-care can set them up for a lifetime of recognising and prioritising their own needs. What better way to plan and learn about self-care than through a super set of stickers?

FOR THOSE WHO NEED A HUG

COTTON CLARA ‘LOVED’ (£7.95)

One thing the last few years has taught us is how important hugs are to so many. It’s all too easy to feel unloved and alone when times are tough and annoyingly, we can’t always be with our loved ones whenever they need a hug. What we can do, is send our gift-receiver a sign to make and pop on their wall, as a visual reminder that they are loved.

POCKETS OF COMFORT SCRATCH CARDS (£8.95)

Life can be hard sometimes; we all need those little pockets of comfort to help us through. These scratch cards are just the ticket (or is that just the card?) with kind, calm, and comforting messages hidden below the scratch patch, almost like a card-shaped hug.

ILLUSTRATED SELF-CARE REMINDER PRINTS – SET OF 12 (£16)

Sometimes we’re so busy being busy that we forget to look after ourselves. Our self-care prints remind us to make time for ourselves. These aren’t just a ‘post-it-note-attached-to-the-kettle” sort of reminder, though, they’re beautifully designed to look lush when framed on a wall or displayed on a shelf. They’re also great for snail-mailing to loved ones who are having a tough time.

FOR THOSE WHO’VE HAD A TOUGH YEAR

KINDFULNESS CLUB ENAMEL PIN (£7.00)

Welcome to the kindfulness club! There’s no password to enter; anyone trying to live their kindfullest life is welcome to join us. This pin is a little reminder that no matter where we are or what we’re doing, the kindfulness club is on our side, cheering us on, encouraging us to weave kindness (to ourselves and others) into all that we do.

WORRY DOLLS (£9)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sharing our worries can help them to shrink, but sometimes we’re not ready to share them with other people. If we keep all our worries shut inside, they can eat away at us, which isn’t very helpful. Worry dolls can be a great middle-ground. They’re a place to plonk our worries without worrying about how the person we’re speaking to might react.

PROBLEM LOG NOTEPAD (£10)

Pesky problems can put us in a pickle. It’s so easy to get stuck and not know where to turn or what our next step should be. This problem log notepad takes us all the way through from identifying a problem to coming up with solutions, turning us into problem-solving ninjas in no time at all.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO BUY FOR

THE LITTLE BOOK OF TOKENS FOR GREY DAYS (£7.00)

Not sure what to buy someone? These tokens are a way to buy them some “self-care” that doesn’t fit neatly in a box. You could write the tokens for your gift-receiver and then wrap them up, or deliver them blank and encourage them to tap into their own self-care needs.

30-DAY SELF-CARE CHALLENGE (£8.95)

Self-care can be hard. Really hard. But who doesn’t love a good challenge?! Our 30-day self-care challenge is a great way to kick-start the new year with some serious self-care action.

SELF-CARE JOURNAL (£12.99)

Self-care is vital, but can be super-hard to squish into stressful schedules. Knowing where to start becomes a stumbling block, and tapping into what we need often feels scary and vulnerable. With 365 days of self-care prompts, this journal gives the gift of self-care; helping to create positive self-care habits, building a healthier, happier life.

FOR THOSE WHO NEED A PAMPER

NORTHERN LIGHTS FIZZ FLOAT (£6.50)

With a fizz and a tssss, let your worries bubble away as the Northern lights floats and bubble, filling your bath with colour, and your bathroom with the sweet scent of pink sugar and vanilla.

PATCHOLOGY SOOTHE SHEET MASK (£8)

Sit back, relax, and slip into the soothe with this sheet mask. Within five minutes, skin is smoother, softer, and calmer (and you’re calmer, too!).

SUNDAY RAIN COFFEE AND VANILLA DRY BODY SCRUB (£10.00)

Exfoliating can often feel so cleansing and healing. There’s something a little bit lovely about it; helping us to feel fresh and renewed. This scrub contains vanilla and coffee – stimulating blood flow, soothing skin, and leaving us feeling perfectly pampered.

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE A BIT OF STATIONERY

JOYFUL STICKY NOTES (£3.50)

Gi“Why was the sticky note joyful?” might sound like a joke, but we’re totally serious – these sticky notes are joyful because they help us to see find joy in life one note at a time.

GREETING CARD BUNDLE (£6)

When all we get through the door are takeaway menus, adverts and ominous brown envelopes, a special piece of snail mail can bring the biggest of smiles! We’ve felt for a while that it’s sometimes tricky to find the ‘right’ card to send to someone who’s having a rough ride – so we decided to make some, and here they are!

SELF-CARE ANCHOR NOTEPAD (£7.50)

Peppering our day with self-care anchors can help us to feel grounded. This notebook is designed to help us plan some self-care anchors into our day, something all the more vital when the busy bustle of life takes over. The best bit about this notebook is that once we’ve finished it, we have an entire book full of self-care anchors personal to us to look back on and use.

LAST CHANCE!

All of these products are low on stock, so it’s your last chance to grab them before Christmas:

POSTAGE DATES

Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that gifts will arrive on time, as some postage times have been disrupted recently, but to try and ensure your gift arrives by Christmas, these are the postage dates you need to be aware of.

1st class – Royal Mail Deadline: 21st December
Last Order Date: 14th December

2nd class – Royal Mail Deadline:18th December
Last Order Date: 11th December

EU – Royal Mail Deadline: 6th December
Last Order Date: 29th November

Non-EU – Royal Mail Deadline: 1st December
Last Order Date: 24th November

Kind words
for unkind days