Xmas gift ideas for the men in your life

Glamping 

This is a sponsored post for RedBalloon

I don’t know about you, but I find men so much more difficult to buy for than women.  There’s only so many shirts, socks, undies, alcohol, and books one can buy a fellow!  

But there is another option!  How often do you think about buying an ‘experience’ gift?  Life is about collecting experiences and moments and memories.  At the end of the day these are far more important than ‘things’.  Our brains are like living scrapbooks.  They collect moments in time, frame them, and revisit them constantly.  We can derive happiness from these memories years after they are made, and we can enjoy them in a way we can never enjoy material things.  

2020 has been a year like no other.  Never has there been a time when a bit of fun and adventure are very much needed to lift spirits and bring joy.  Did you know that having more fun in our lives can benefit our mental health in lots of different ways? And if you have good mental health, you’re far more likely to have good physical health as they go hand in hand.  

If you’re stuck on what to buy the man in your life this Christmas, why not opt for an experience you know they’ll love?  RedBalloon has you covered with a Christmas gift guide for the men in your life.  There are A LOT of experiences to choose from so I have selected a few of my favourites, a couple that family members have experienced, and some popular choices to help give you some ideas.

For his 60th birthday, ‘the tennis player’ (aka hubby) was gifted, from his siblings, laps around a race track as passenger by an experienced race car driver.  He loved it and has some photographs and videos, and of course fun memories and stories to tell!

Brisbane Story Bridge Climb

My brother-in-law was gifted a Brisbane’s Story Bridge Climb a while back when he turned 60.  He has a fabulous professional photograph as a reminder of the experience.

It doesn’t have to be a ‘Driving experience’ or a ‘Bridge Climb’ though, it can be an experience to match the person and what they enjoy. Here are some experience categories you can find on RedBalloon which makes the search for the perfect gift a little bit easier: 

• A Flying experience
• A Wining and Dining experience
• A Getaway experience
• An Animal experience
• A Cruise experience
• A Spa & Wellness experience
• An Adventure Sports experience
• A Water Sports experience
• An Outdoor Activities experience
• An Entertainment & Culture experience, or
• A Learning experience

Experience gifts are a great idea for when a bunch of you would like to go in together on a gift for someone.  It’s a great idea for siblings to go in together on a gift for another sibling or for a parent for example.  You may like to buy your son an experience gift, or for your son and daughter-in-law!  It’s also a great gift idea for your significant other, and you know what, there’s always the option of buying an experience gift for the both of you so that you can experience something special together and create lifelong memories.

Here’s a glimpse at some popular gift choices to help give you some ideas!

1. Dining out
2. Hot air ballooning
3. Romantic getaways
4. Glamping
5. Wine tasting
6. Indoor skydiving
7. Helicopter flights
8. High Tea
9. Cruises
10. Shark diving

Hot Air Ballooning

Those are some great gift ideas there in the popular gift choices list!  Of course, we all know that though you’ve bought an experience gift for the man in your life, it may also become a cheeky gift for you too!  I’m all down for dining out and some wine tasting, would love to do some glamping, and I’ve always had a secret desire to do some indoor skydiving cos let’s face it, I’m too chicken to ever do the outdoor variety of skydiving!  However, if you know someone who is brave and adventurous, the outdoor type makes a perfect gift. 

Indoor Skydiving

RedBalloon have unique and amazing experiences to share or gift from around Australia.  Here’s where you can see a huge range of experience Christmas gift ideas for men, and of course many of these would be enjoyed by women as well and there are many more women-specific options that a simple search will find.

Look, just quietly, and if anyone reading this is buying for me, apart from those I mentioned above (especially the glamping), I’d choose (surprise, surprise) an Animal Experience.  My ultimate dream is to spend time in an Orangutan orphanage in Borneo, but if I were to choose an Animal Experience in Australia, I honestly would struggle to choose just one. They all look fabulous!  I’d love to swim with the dolphins and seals on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.  I’d love to go horse riding along Rainbow Beach here in Queensland, and I’d love some of the farm experiences, and many more!

If you’re not sure what experience gift to choose, that’s not a problem, you can let your loved one choose their own experience by gifting them a RedBalloon Experience Gift Voucher, or e-Gift Card.

Another positive thing about purchasing experience gifts for Christmas this year is the fact you’d be supporting a local Australian business and let’s face it, everyone in business could do with a little support in 2020, don’t you agree?

Collect moments rather than things. Moments get away. ~ Matthew Knisley

Do you find men hard to buy for too?  What kind of experience gift would you choose for yourself?  Happy Christmas Gift shopping!

Ciao for now,

This post is linked up with Denyse Whelan Blogs for #LifeThisWeek 30/11/2020