I’d like to know something.
Who are you when it comes to Christmas shopping?
Are you smugly finished by October, presents hidden away somewhere sensible and probably already wrapped?
Are you the one who starts with very good intentions, buys three things, feels ridiculously organised… then completely forgets about Christmas shopping until December?
Or are you wandering around on Christmas Eve thinking, surely I can find something decent at this point?
I reckon we all fall somewhere on the scale.
And weirdly, this year I’m thinking about Christmas shopping a little differently.
Has Christmas Shopping Changed?
Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s the cost of absolutely everything. Or maybe we’ve all just got too much stuff.
But I’m finding myself much less interested in buying things just for the sake of having another present under the tree.
You know the ones.
You’ve no idea what to buy someone, so you buy something. They open it, everyone says, “Oh, that’s lovely,” and six months later it’s still sitting in a cupboard.
We’ve all done it.
I’d much rather give fewer things that feel properly thought about.
Something they’ll use. Something they’ll enjoy. Something that feels like a treat they probably wouldn’t buy for themselves.
And actually, that’s probably why I’ve always loved candles and fragrance as gifts. They get used, they make somewhere feel lovely and, if you choose the scent with the person in mind, they can feel really personal too.
Although I appreciate I may be slightly biased here.
So… What Type of Christmas Shopper Are You?
I think there are a few of us.
The October Organiser
You’re basically done.
You have lists. Possibly a spreadsheet. You’ve already spotted things throughout the year and quietly put them away.
I admire you enormously and also find you mildly irritating.
The “I Know Them When I See Them” Shopper
This is probably where I sit.
You don’t necessarily have a list, but when you see the thing, you know exactly who it’s for.
The problem is remembering where you hid it three months later.
The December Sprinter
October? Far too early.
November? Still loads of time.
Then suddenly it’s the middle of December and you become astonishingly efficient.
You’ll probably get it all done in about 48 hours and wonder why everyone else made such a fuss.
The Christmas Eve Wildcard
No judgement here.
Actually, a little judgement.
But I also have huge respect for the confidence required to still be shopping at 3pm on Christmas Eve. My priority, by this point is drinking eggnog and eating mince pies!
What Do You Buy Someone Who Already Has Everything?
This is the bit I think gets harder as we get older.
Most of the people in my life don't really need anything.
Ask them what they want and you get:
“Nothing.”
“Don’t get me anything.”
“I’ve got everything I need.”
Very helpful.
So perhaps the best Christmas gifts aren’t things people need at all.
Maybe they’re the little luxuries.
A gorgeous candle. Beautiful home fragrance. Something handmade. Lovely food. A really good bottle of something. An experience. Something cosy. Something they can enjoy and then, crucially, doesn’t need a permanent place in their house for the next 15 years.
That last bit is becoming increasingly important to me.
And being on the other side of gifting with JoJo Co. has probably changed how I think about it too.
We see the messages people add to gifts. We handwrite the tags. We wrap the boxes. We see candles being sent directly to someone because they’ve had a rotten week, gifts going to mums, sisters and best friends, and little “saw this and thought of you” presents.
And quite often, the most thoughtful gifts aren't the biggest or the most expensive.
They're just the ones where you can tell somebody has thought, that's so them.
And Yes, I'm Going to Mention Shopping Small...
I couldn't write this without saying it.
Buying from a small business at Christmas genuinely means something.
Behind a handmade Christmas gift there isn't some enormous warehouse where nobody notices your order.
And certainly in our studio, when an order comes through, I still get that wee flutter in my belly. No word of a lie. After all these years, I see it pop up and think, someone’s chosen us. That never changed, even heading into our 10th year!
Every JoJo Co. candle and home fragrance is made by us here in Fife, Scotland. And when you're choosing one as a gift, we know that somebody is going to open that box on Christmas morning.
That still matters to me.
After all these years, I don't think I'll ever stop getting a little kick out of that.
But Back to the Important Question...
Which Christmas shopper are you?
And have you started yet?
Because after last week's chat about doing Christmas a little differently this year, I'm genuinely fascinated by what everyone else does.
Are you finished by October?
Do you refuse to even think about it until December?
Do you have a present cupboard?
Or are you the Christmas Eve wildcard quietly reading this thinking, what's the problem?
Tell me. I want to know.
And if you've got a brilliant Christmas gifting rule - something you always buy, something you've stopped buying, or the best present you've ever received - send it my way through our Contact Us page.
I got some brilliant ideas from you after last week's Journal, so I'm absolutely stealing your wisdom again.
Jo x
