Spending the holidays far from family can be difficult. Although it is fairly easy to follow a lot of the traditions of a family holiday, it is not the same without family there to enjoy it. But there are easy gifts that can be sent that will help both the sender and receiver feel closer.
Pre-paid Phone Card
Falling out of touch with family is something that many of us are guilty of -- especially during the holiday season when we feel rushed. But it is easy to create a feeling of closeness by giving the gift of gab to family with a pre-paid phone card. If relatives are overseas, be sure the card works in the country it will be sent to, and be sure to use reputable brand cards.
Framed Photos
Relatives love to display photos of cherished family members, so why not send some holiday cheer in the form of framed photographs to family?
There are many different ways to display photos, so get creative. Why not try sending a photo keychain this year? Or how about a set of photo refrigerator magnets? Or even a pretty wall collage?
Photo Album
Sending the gift of a photo album is a wonderful way to show a family member that someone cared enough to take the time to assemble the album, put captions on the photos and design something especially for him or her.
If you go into any craft store, you can find a wide range of albums to purchase -- cheap versus expensive, general versus themed, albums that hold many photos versus tiny albums that hold just a few photos, etc. You can also find many decorative embellishments to purchase in the scrapbooking section, such as decorative papers, photo frames, stickers, caption labels, and much more. Get creative for a fun, meaningful album!
Teach Family Members How to Use Skype
Skype is an easy way for family members to keep in touch across the miles. But there are many people who are still unfamiliar with its premise. The idea behind Skype is simple. Simply download the free software and a person can call family members (or anyone) around the world through his or her computer. This service makes keeping in touch simple and affordable. See Skype for more details.
Digital Photo FrameFor the technologically-inclined gift-giver, why not give the gift of a photo album on a screen? This is essentially the function of a digital photo frame. It can hold many photos and new photos can be uploaded to it easily so it makes a great gift for family members wishing to see kids and grandkids as they grow up or parents living in retired bliss somewhere exotic and remote.
Sharing gifts such as the ones above can help family members feel close during the holidays despite the miles. Being able to stay close through photos and talking is very important for families and these ideas will help the holidays be more enjoyable for everyone.
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