5 most unique gifts for sentimental loved ones

Shopping for holiday or birthday gifts for the kids in our lives is relatively easy compared with picking a present for an adult loved one who seems to have it all, don’t you agree?!

My feeling in recent years has been to opt for experiential gifts—tickets to a show (even better if we can all go together), an immersive class in a favorite hobby (think cooking or photography), or a surprise outing with a group of family and friends (a sunset river cruise, apple picking, or a day-long scenic hike). The connections and memories made on these occasions are, as that old MasterCard commercial goes, “priceless.”

But when a physical gift is in order, why not focus on ideas that pay homage to those special memories?

Wrapped with Love and Memories

Photo Locket Necklace

Too many of our images live on our devices. Liberate your precious photos from the screen and hold them close to your heart in a customized locket necklace. Elegant modern options abound, like this sterling silver gate design with sapphires from Monica Rich Kosann, pictured ($795, holds two pictures)—this one’s on my wish list! If you or your gift recipient prefer antique pieces with some history of their own, scour the finely curated collection at Luna & Stella (prices start at $250).

Custom Heritage Ceramics

Do you have a handwritten recipe passed down from your mom? Maybe a love letter penned by your grandfather during the Great War? Honor their spirit and incorporate their legacy into your home by customizing a beautiful piece of pottery showcasing their note. Prairie Hills Pottery reproduces your original in warm sepia tones on crisp white platters, suitable for cooking or display. Casserole bakers, jewelry dishes, and decorative jars are also available. Starting at $30.

Permanent Remembrance on a U.S. National Monument

Have your family’s name inscribed on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor® at Ellis Island, the only place in the country where an individual can honor his or her family heritage at a National Monument. Names on the Wall of Honor represent all ethnicities, all years of arrival, all points of entry, and all modes of travel. Consider inscribing names of family members to commemorate the centennial of an ancestor’s arrival, or as a proud marker of becoming newly naturalized. Of course, your next gift should be a trip to this historic island in New York Harbor to find your name on the wall and visit the museum! $150 for single name; $225 for double name entry; one commemorative certificate is included with each name inscription, and additional certificates are available for $15 each; tax deductible donations support restoration and maintenance of Ellis Island.

A Taste of the Past Recipe Card Set

While I wish everyone would have the time and money to invest in an heirloom book preserving their family stories, I realize sometimes that’s not always possible. That’s why I created this one-of-a-kind family history themed recipe card set. It makes a thoughtful host(ess) gift, especially when paired with a bottle of wine, a surprising stocking stuffer come Christmas, or a birthday gift for the chef or family historian in your clan. Set includes 10 fold-over recipe cards with space for ingredients and preparation instructions as well as stories and memories associated with each dish; 10 extra blank cards; and bonus pages with tips for making the most of your A Taste of the Past recipe card set. $30 for set.

AN ARTFUL LEGACY

Need a special gift for an artistic soul (or even just an avid scrapbooker in your family)? Consider ordering a sketchbook so they can participate in The Sketchbook Project. Anyone can fill the sketchbook in any way they like—paint from your imagination, draw scenes from your everyday life, journal about your past and your dreams, whatever strikes your fancy—and whatever you would like permanently archived and available to visitors at The Brooklyn Art Library and its global traveling sketchbook shows. The sketchbooks are catalogued and preserved for visitors to access at the Williamsburg brick-and-mortar location, or (for a bit more money) via the digital archive. “We do not believe in the statement ‘I’m not an artist.’ Because it doesn’t matter. Share your story, draw your stick figures, just own it,” says founder Steven Peterman. “We can promise you a lifelong commitment to keeping your artifact safe, while continuing to act as a time capsule for global creativity.” $30 for sketchbook; $65 for digitization and inclusion in the project’s digital library.

Life Story Links: September 11, 2019

“Like a mosaic, we all contribute the broken shards of our memories to a larger picture that, while imperfect, creates a beautiful whole life.”
—Julia Shaw

Books…

THE ART AND CRAFT OF MEMOIR
In Juncture Notes’ first quarterly magazine, founders Beth Kephart and William Sulit present “Art: Honoring the Life” (a look at writerly approaches to persistent memoir concerns) and “Craft: Try This on for Size” (showcasing an exemplary text and a related writing prompt).

THE BOOK OF PRINCE
Prince rejected the list of co-writers recommended by his publisher, opting instead to work with a Brooklyn writer who had yet to author a book. Dan Piepenbring on the process of becoming the iconic musician’s memoir collaborator.

…and Beyond

PLACES IN THE HEART
The studio that turned out to be a family heirloom: When a New Orleans native goes apartment hunting in New York City, she happens upon a place where her mother lived in the 1970s.

VIRTUAL LEGACY?
“Where [the Hereafter app] differs...is that we’re not actually trying to recreate the dead person to reanimate them through technology.... It really is a high-tech interactive sharing of oral history.”

FAMILY HISTORIAN GIFT IDEAS
I haven’t had this much fun curating a blog post in quite some time! After keeping notes on family-history finds over the course of the last year, I put together a buying guide that includes my favorite high-end gifts for genealogy buffs as well as a few smaller presents to consider.

HEAR, HEAR
On the most recent episode of The Life Story Coach podcast, Amy Woods Butler talks with personal historian Gloria Nussbaum about why and how she captures clients’ voices and stories on audio recordings.

NEVER FORGET
On this 18th anniversary of 9/11, take some time to read first person accounts of survivors and first responders in the stories section curated by The Voices of September 11. “They are a record of the confusion and courage, the unity and loss, that make up our collective memory of that day”.

...and a Few More Links

• Storytelling in healthcare is a two-way street.

• Tools for colorizing digitized black-and-white photos

• Free “Talk of a Lifetime” activity guides, including family tree and recipe activities, as well as a guide for involving the grandkids in your story sharing.

• 6 Google search tips for genealogy to help you find your ancestors

• “Americans” photographer Robert Frank, who died this week, advocated for “less art and more truth” in his and others’ creative work.

Short Takes

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My Cousin Rob, Monroe, LA ... from the series, “Close to Home” This series of photographs is about, among other things, the familiar rituals by which we keep track of our lives ... backyard grass that needs cutting, tall glasses of sweet iced tea on a hot August afternoon, an unexpected visit in my mother’s kitchen with my cousin Rob. . I haven’t seen him in awhile. And when I ask questions, he replies in his characteristically quiet drawl, unadorned answers, nods ... until he leans back against the sink counter, removes his cap, and begins to tell a story about a long ago Sunday dinner at our grandmother’s house, her chicken dumplings, caramel pralines, and how much she loved her Coca-Cola in the morning. He thinks back. I take his picture. . Years later, Rob will die tragically, in a manner utterly unthinkable on that brief afternoon, unthinkable still ... suicide. . But this is the way I remember him. . . . . #closetohome #ordinarymoments #historyisus #nowyouseeit #photographsandmemories #familyhistory #louisiana #heartlikealevee #familymatters #monroelouisiana #savefamilyphotos #rightthereinblackandwhite #portraitphotography #hasselblad500cm #trix400pushedto800

A post shared by Margaret Sartor (@wherewefindourselves) on Sep 11, 2019 at 5:14am PDT

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"One of the first things you learn as a child of immigrants is that your life and your story are never really your own. . Your existence is tied to generations of sacrifice and suffering that have brought you here, to the present day, and your duty as a descendant of these generations of sacrifice is to exist as one part of a whole. The success of your family is predicated on how well you contribute to this nexus of identities, and to ask for any sort of exemption is laughable at best, selfish at worst." 📝🎙️💥. . TSW Editor Joyce Chen (@jchenchen) on reading, writing, Asian American representation, second generation woes, and the Baby-Sitters Club for @audible. #WAVES #WeekendReads. . Link in bio to read the full piece. . . . #writing #writersofinstagram #writingprompts #writingprocess #writingcommunity #poetry #poetrycommunity #poetsofinstagram #literary #litmag #lit #contributors #quotes #teachersofinstagram #education #socialissues #community #conversation #editor #editorsofinstagram #writers #poets #poem

A post shared by The Seventh Wave (@seventhwavemag) on Sep 1, 2019 at 8:01am PDT

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Best high-end gifts for family history lovers

A web search for “family history gifts” yields a lot of kitschy tchotchkes and nonfiction books galore, but what if you want to get something extra-special for the family genealogy buff? I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite ideas, from customized, framed family trees to personalized life story books.

Consider gifting one of these family history–themed items to a loved one for their birthday or a holiday, or add one of the more luxurious choices (like an exclusive travel packages to your ancestral home) to your family’s wish-list and let everyone chip in!

7 Great Genealogy Gifts

1 - Custom Family Tree

Okay, maybe the plastic tubs of newspaper clippings and document copies aren’t exactly HGTV-ready, but every genealogy-loving soul should have at least one family tree framed and on display—why not gift them with one that’ll knock their socks off?

For those with a traditional bent, I opt for the ancestor trees from Branches Art, which pair nature-derived colors with illustrated trees (you know, the kind with actual leaves).

And for those who gravitate more to modern styles, I recommend I Chart You, whose heritage charts are minimal and clean—and can be downloaded in high resolution for your own use or printed (check out the gold foil on white option) and framed.

Want a major pop of color? My Tree and Me offers unique modern designs, as well, with choices that would fit particularly nicely in a child’s room or a cool office space.

Now those handwritten pedigree charts that are seemingly always in-progress can stay out of sight while the family names get museum-quality treatment.

I Chart You

Branches Art

My Tree and Me

2 - External Hard Drive

While the paper-hoarding tendencies of family historians cannot be denied, more and more research is being conducted online, and digital backup of documents is a must. One can never have too many external hard drives for archiving and research on the go.

If you’re the technical one in the family, select a disk you think would be best for your loved one. If, on the other hand, your family history–loving friend is particular about things (ahem, most genealogist types, ahem, are), I would suggest getting them a gift card to the Apple Store or Amazon, where EHD options abound.

3 - Heritage Travel Tour

Ever wonder what your grandparents’ hometown in Puglia was like? Whether you want to sample the cuisine your ancestors ate, gaze out from the harbor from which they immigrated, or tour a bunch of sites that dot your genealogical map, consider booking a customized trip to explore your family origins. Ancestry ProGenealogists offers genealogy cruises as well as guided heritage tours; and Classic Journeys will customize an ancestral trip whether you have a little or a whole lot of family history info to go on—seek origins, explore the world, feel connected like never before!

Classic Journeys

ProGenealogists

4 - Professional Genealogist Services

At some point in every family historian’s journey they will hit the proverbial brick wall. There may be no more viable “hint” leaves on ancestry.com, conflicting information on one line of ancestors, or seemingly no place to start in researching another line. A professional genealogist can help locate documents in foreign countries, resolve discrepancies in research, or trace your roots back for generations. Discover how to choose the right genealogist for you with advice from Legacy Tree Genealogists, and search the Association of Professional Genealogists for someone near you.

Legacy Tree Genealogists

association of professional genealogists

5 - Gift Certificate for a Personal History Interview

Is there someone in the family who has stories to tell and then some (you know, your favorite family dinner guest!)? Or a loved one who you know has experienced life to the fullest but who sits quietly listening to everyone else? Let them know how much they are valued by gifting them with a few hours of personal history interviews.

Their first reaction might very well be, “What stories have I got to share?!”—but I say with confidence that everyone’s memories matter, and an experienced personal historian will help not only set the subject at ease and draw those stories forth, but help shape them and find a meaningful narrative thread.

Please don’t be among the regretful who wish they had asked questions of their loved ones only after it’s too late.

Don’t worry too much about what to do with the interview material (I craft heirloom coffee table books from my clients’ stories, but I have colleagues and friends who specialize in audio clips and video biographies, too). For now, find a personal historian who makes you feel comfortable, then get those stories flowing—and feel secure in knowing they are preserved for posterity. Did I mention this one’s as much a gift to YOU as it is to your recipient?

Modern Heirloom Books - Gift Certificates

6 - Photo Organizer Services

Too often we don’t think about what will become of the boxes and devices full of family photos until someone dies, and then the emotions and overwhelming volume of stuff to deal with can cloud our judgment. Buy your parents a package with a photo organizer, who will help sort, purge, digitize, and memorialize the photos that mean so much to your family. It’s worthwhile to contract a professional for this time-consuming and important endeavor.

Find a professional photo organizer near you in this national directory.

The Photo Organizers

A few more (lower-priced) gift ideas for the family history lover in your life:

Forget about a utilitarian magnifying glass—gift them this leather-handled, aged-brass one that adds sophisticated charm to their work space.

Request a catalog from Gaylord Archival or Archival Methods and wrap it with a Visa gift card so your recipient knows your intent (preservation supplies, of course).

There are quite a few lovely choices on Etsy with Tree of Life designs, like this necklace, that are sure to appeal to the family history fan in your life. Search lapel pins, too!

Two books from Rizzoli any history lover will be proud to display on their coffee table: The Statue of Liberty: The Monumental Dream; and The Stories They Tell: Artifacts from the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

What’s your favorite? Do you have any other unique gift ideas for the family history lover in your family?