Who doesn’t love a good gift guide? It’s like someone else doing all the legwork and you get all the credit! And an Etsy gift guide makes for truly unique and wonderful gifts.
While we all know what Black Friday is, you might not be aware of Small Business Saturday. I love shopping small businesses, to support folks who are going the hard road of doing their own thing and doing it on their own.
The pinnacle of small business owners are Etsy shop owners – people who create and produce their own goods and put them out into the world. That’s why I’m so excited to talk with you about these planners, journals, and planning accessories straight from Etsy!
This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click the links but at no additional cost to you.
The editors over at Etsy have put together a beautiful collection of journals and planners that you have to check out! I do want to point out a few of them in particular that caught my eye:
- This customizable birth flower name journal would be perfect for your mom or a new mom you might know.
- I saw this terrific bundle of 5 mini leather journals and immediately thought of stocking stuffers or coworker gifts.
- I love a guided journal and this gratitude journal would be a beautiful gift for someone who needs a boost of self-reflection.
- If you’re searching for something with a more professional appearance, you have to check out this personalized padfolio.
An Etsy gift guide would not be complete without mentioning several of my own favorite vendors. I want to introduce you to:
- If you’ve never checked out Planner Kate, you’re missing out! She offers all kinds of planner stickers, including stickers that are the perfect size and shape for all your Erin Condren planners.
- Sunshine Sticker Co also offers stickers, and my favorites are the sticky tabs you can add to any planner or bullet journal.
- I just love my planner pouch from Naptime Craze Designs, not only does it hold my discbound planner together but it has all kinds of storage for my pens and supplies.
- If you’re looking for some fun and unique stencils, you have to check out Moxie Dori. It was one of the first stores I discovered when I started bullet journaling.
4 people who would love to get a journal as a gift
Many people choose to start journaling because of the unique benefits that it can provide. For example, it can help you to de-stress and to even get through some very difficult times.
Others start journaling because they believe that family or friends may be interested in learning more about their life many years or decades from now.
While some people buy a journal for themselves, a journal is a very thoughtful gift for someone special in your life. In fact, these are some of the people who may enjoy receiving a journal as a gift.
A new parent
Bringing a new child into the world is one of the most emotionally-charged experiences that a person can go through. Regardless of whether this is the person’s first child or fifth, the act of creating a life and being responsible for raising that child successfully to adulthood and beyond can stir emotions that the person may not have even known they had.
Some new parents understandably may want to share their thoughts and feelings with their child at a much later date. After all, the overwhelming sense of love that a parent innately feels at this important time can be difficult to share later.
The parent’s hopes and dreams for the child, lessons that he or she wants to share and more may be written down so that the child can read them when he or she is mature enough to handle them.
A high school or college student
High school and college years are some of the most formative and challenging years of many people’s lives. These are years when people generally transform from a child into an adult.
Each person has a unique coming-of-age story, and a journal gives them an excellent space to capture those memories. More than that, the stress and drama associated with the transition into adulthood can stir many emotions.
Teens and young adults may be able to use their journal to explore their feelings and to gain great insight about who they are and what they stand for.
A retiree
You may think that a retiree’s life is on a downward swing, but retirees may tell you that this is when their life is truly beginning.
Retiring is a new and exciting chapter for many people. It may be filled with experiences of being a grandparent, of traveling to new places and making incredible relationships with people who they meet along the way.
In fact, retirement can actually be much more thrilling and exciting than a younger adult caught up on the mundane mediocrity of a nine-to-five work life. Many older adults also understand that younger generations may want to learn more about their life at some point.
A journal can be used to preserve thoughts and even to share memories from many years or decades ago. These documents may even be handed down from generation to generation so that your experiences become a part of family history.
Someone dealing with a hard time
Journaling is an excellent way for anyone to deal with an emotional crisis. Everything from dealing with a new disability or a divorce to overcoming grief after losing a loved one may take years to move past.
When you give a journal to a close friend or relative who is going through a rough patch, you are showing them that you care. This is a way to tell them that you are thinking about them and that you are trying to be supportive, but you also understand that their journey at this time of life must be experienced fully on their own.
A journal gives them a place to let it all out, and it may even help them to get through this period of their lives more easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you include in a journal or planner gift?
When I give a journal or planner as a gift, I like to include a few nice pens, some relevant or pretty stickers, and an accessory or two like a snap-in bookmark or a pencil case.
Why give a planner as a gift?
Journals and planners make great gifts, for so many people. Especially if they are going through a transition time such as changing jobs, graduations, retirements, etc.
What do people like in a planner?
The biggest components that a planner needs to have are a calendar system and notes pages! Everything else can be adapted to the design of the planner itself.