Can you believe how fast the weeks are going? Here we are already on task #4 of our Organized for Christmas series and there are only 51 days to go! Now just in case you’ve fallen behind no worries, you can still catch up. I’m purposely keeping this week’s task fairly easy just to give you some wiggle room. Let’s recap:
Task #1: Set up gift planner app and budget
Task #2: Find and organize gift storage space
Task #3: Set up a holiday planner
Assignment #4: Wish List App
Today’s task is all about gift wish lists. For yourself and for others. Now I know Christmas isn’t all about the gifts but I’ve got to tell you, I get such great joy from buying gifts for others. It’s definitely my love language. It’s also the reason I like to start early with my gift planning/buying process. I want to be sure to find just the right gift for someone. And I’m not going to lie, I also love receiving gifts. My favorites are anything that someone has put some thought and attention into. For instance, my very favorite gift last year was from an older couple at church who blessed me with a very simple apron that they’d taken the time to have embroidered with my church title. I really am the Potluck Princess!
Haha…I may have given the name to myself but they ran with it and it meant the world to me. I actually started crying when I opened the gift, just the idea that someone would go to all that trouble for me. That’s how I want to make others feel when they open gifts from me. But they key for me is starting early to get it just right.
However even as much as I enjoy the gift buying process there are still some people that are just harder to buy for (hello teenagers!). So I don’t think there is anything wrong with asking them for a wish list to work from. I have two teenagers (17 and 19) and they can sometimes leave me stumped, especially my daughter away at University who I don’t see everyday. I wanted a convenient way for her to be able to send me a wish list with specific LINKS for the things she might like for Christmas. She’s very much into planner supplies (that’s my girl!) and she often orders cool stuff online so direct links are really helpful for me.
As for myself, my husband always appreciates when I give him a list of things I’d like for Christmas. And how much easier would it make life for him, if instead of just saying slippers, I actually send him the link to a pair of slippers I’ve got my eye on. Simplifying life for someone else also makes me very happy.
I searched iTunes and played around with a few different apps and the one wish list app that has really worked for me that I am loving is called Giftster.
This is a free app and this post is not sponsored in anyway. Giftster is a free, private, online and mobile gift registry connecting family and friends. I literally spent hours researching and trying various apps to find something that was not only easy for me to use but easy for my family to use as well.
Note: This app is to used in conjunction with The Christmas List app that I recommended in task #1. That one is more for tracking gifts after you buy them. This one is used more for having a convenient and central space for your loved ones to share wish lists with you as well as a place for you to share your wish list with others.
All I had to do once Giftster was installed was create a family group, a wish list for myself and then invite my kids and husband to join so they could create lists for themselves. The app makes it really easy to invite people via email or your contacts. And it couldn’t be easier to add links either…just add the url, click fetch and everything else automatically populates for you. It can be used for holidays, birthdays, baby and weddings.
Since I have a family group set up, each of us in the group can see each others lists. Then if we purchase something from someone’s list, we can mark it as purchased so no one else in the group buys it (the recipient doesn’t see what is bought though). So easy!
This Week’s To Do List
Get the Giftster app:
Install the Giftster app (or any other one, paper works too!). Here are the links.
Giftster on iTunes
Giftster on Google Play
If you don’t have a smartphone, don’t you worry. You can also set up an account at Giftster.com.
Set up specific groups:
Set up a family group, a friends group, whatever you think would work best for you. Invite people to join your shared group and start shopping.
Set up your own wish list:
This is the fun part! Set up your own wish list by “fetching” links to some favorite things you’d like to have. Even if you don’t have a group set up you can still set up your list and just email it to whoever you think could use a hand shopping for you.
It’s such a fun app that simplifies the gift buying process. I hope you like it as well and you find it helpful this holiday season. Let me know what you think!
Carol Darden says
So this APP is in addition to the budgeting-gift-planner APP ???
Laura Wittmann says
Great question Carol, yes the Christmas List app that I recommended in task #1 is more for tracking gifts after you buy them. This one is used more for having a space for your loved ones to share wish lists with you.
Jacqui says
You can use giftster.com if you can’t get the app – I agree that giftster seems to be one of the best, I decided to go with it a couple of days ago as it is so easy to write in things I want that you can’t link to online. Other wish lists are not so easy to write things without links. Thanks for this post, Laura 🙂
Laura Wittmann says
Oh thanks for reminding me about that, I just updated the post to let people know that they can also just use the website if they don’t have a smartphone.