Christmas Gifts for People Who Have Everything And Other Shopping Nightmares
I once spent 3 hours Christmas shopping at Chermside and came home with a gorgeous new Christmas dress and some makeup, both for myself, and absolutely nothing for any of the eleven people I was supposed to be buying presents for.
It was a very successful afternoon, as far as I was concerned, although perhaps not quite the Christmas shopping achievement I'd been aiming for.
I'd headed out feeling very organised, with my Christmas plan and a whole afternoon ahead of me, and I was genuinely looking forward to wandering around the shops, picking out thoughtful little gifts and possibly enjoying a nice coffee somewhere along the way.
The coffee part happened, thank goodness, because the gift buying was a complete disaster.
And while I eventually gave up and nearly bought everyone Myer and Bunnings gift cards, that afternoon ended up giving me one of my favourite Christmas gift ideas ever, particularly for those impossible-to-buy-for relatives who already seem to own everything known to mankind.
The Christmas Shopping Trip That Achieved Very Little
I'm quite happy to admit that I love a little shopping expedition, particularly when I've got nowhere else to be and can wander around having a look at things I don't need, which probably explains why the first thing I bought that afternoon was a Christmas dress.
It was gorgeous, it fitted amazing, and I could already see myself wearing it on Christmas Day, so obviously that was coming home with me.
Then I spotted some makeup I'd been meaning to buy, and seeing as I was already there, it seemed silly not to grab that too.
By this point I was having a LOVELY afternoon and feeling rather pleased with myself, although I probably should have been slightly concerned that my shopping bags were filling up while my Christmas list remained completely untouched.
So I started looking for actual presents.
And oh my goodness, what a bloody ordeal.
I'd pick something up, think about the person I was buying it for, decide they probably wouldn't like it, put it back, and then wander off to another store where I'd repeat the exact same process with something equally uninspiring.
At one point I found myself considering a decorative cushion for my sister in law who, as far as I know, has never expressed a burning desire for another cushion in their life, and I had to have a quiet word with myself because this was getting ridiculous.
I wandered through the candle section, where everything smelled vaguely like vanilla and expensive disappointment, and spent far too long looking at men's gifts that seemed to suggest every man on earth either wants to barbecue something or smells bad.
I mean, the men in my family already have socks, jocks and "smellies" well covered at birthdays, and I'm fairly certain the BBQ themed gifts haven't seen daylight since Kevin 07 was in charge.
The trouble was that I didn't mind spending the money, I was quite prepared to buy everyone something nice, but I couldn't bear the thought of spending good money on presents that people would politely unwrap on Christmas morning, thank me for, and then quietly shove into a cupboard until they could donate them without hurting my feelings.
And let's be fair, we've all received those presents ourselves, so we know exactly how it works.
After about ninety minutes of this nonsense, I realised I was getting absolutely nowhere and decided that everyone was getting gift cards.
Myer for the ladies, Bunnings for the blokes, because apparently I'd decided to base my entire family's Christmas presents on gender stereotypes from
around 1994.
Excellent work, Tarsh.
A Coffee, Some Lunch and a Rather Brilliant Christmas Gift Idea
With my Christmas shopping technically finished, although hardly deserving of a round of applause, I found myself somewhere nice to sit down for lunch and a coffee, feeling rather chuffed that I'd bought myself a lovely new dress and no longer had to worry about finding presents for everyone else.
And while I was sitting there enjoying my lunch, it occurred to me that the reason I'd struggled so much was that nobody in my family particularly needed anything.
We were all quite comfortable, everyone had their own money to buy the things they wanted, and Christmas had somehow become this annual exercise in trying to find something that someone hadn't already bought for themselves.
What I would have loved more than anything was to get my whole family together for an afternoon, have a nice meal, enjoy each other's company and take some photos of us all together, because while we see each other regularly enough, we almost never have nice photos of everyone in the same place.
And then I remembered that I'm a photographer.
Which, considering I'd been running my photography business for years by this point, was quite the impressive revelation.
I could organise a family photo shoot myself!
So I abandoned my grand gift-card strategy and organised an afternoon at my brother-in-law's house instead, where he very kindly agreed to cook dinner for everyone (an excellent arrangement that I thoroughly recommend if you have a brother-in-law who's handy in the kitchen).
We gathered everyone together earlier in the afternoon and had a family photo shoot before dinner, which worked perfectly because everyone was already there, we were all dressed reasonably nicely, and nobody had yet eaten so much that they needed to loosen their pants.
We had a great time taking photos, and afterwards I printed them for the family members as their Christmas presents.
And I have to say, I was pretty bloody pleased with myself because I'd managed to turn one afternoon together into Christmas presents for the whole family, and I hadn't had to buy a single decorative cushion.
Well, apart from the Christmas dress and makeup I'd already bought for myself, but I considered those a well-earned reward for my excellent problem-solving skills.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Grandparents Who Don't Need Anything
Grandparents are particularly difficult to buy for at Christmas because they generally have everything they need, they've spent decades collecting things, and when you ask what they'd like, they tell you not to waste your money on them.
Which is all very well and good, Nan, but I can't exactly put "nothing" in a gift bag and stick it under the tree, can I?
And while another box of chocolates might be appreciated, I'm fairly certain most grandparents would be much happier with a beautiful family photo featuring all their children and grandchildren, particularly if it's been a while since everyone was together.
You could even make an afternoon of it, exactly as we did, and organise lunch or dinner after the photo shoot so everyone gets to spend some time together.
The grandparents get to enjoy having the whole family in one place, you finally get some beautiful photos of everyone together, and nobody has to pretend they're delighted with another pair of slippers.
That's a pretty good Christmas present in my book.
A Christmas Gift for People Who Have Everything
I think the reason family photography makes such a good gift for those hard-to-buy-for people is that you're giving them something they probably wouldn't organise for themselves, even though they'd love to have it.
Most families have hundreds, if not thousands, of photos sitting on their phones, but very few beautiful photos of everyone together, particularly once the kids get older and convincing them to participate in a family photo becomes about as easy as convincing a teenager to clean their bedroom.
And the photos become even more special when you include grandparents or extended family members who don't usually get photographed together.
It's also a wonderful excuse to get everyone together without waiting for someone's birthday, wedding or anniversary, which seems to be the only time some families manage to coordinate their calendars.
You might even discover that everyone enjoys spending an afternoon together when there isn't a massive Christmas lunch to prepare or a mountain of washing up afterwards.
Especially if you outsource the cooking, which I strongly encourage.
A Family Photography Gift Voucher in Brisbane Makes It Easy
Now, obviously, my little Christmas gift idea was particularly convenient because I happen to be a photographer, which meant I could take the photos myself.
If you're also a photographer and you've made it this far, congratulations, I've possibly saved you a small fortune in Christmas shopping and you're very welcome!
But if you're like most people reading this and don't happen to own a professional camera or know what to do with one, I can take care of that part for you.
I'm Tarsh, and I've been photographing Brisbane families since 2012, with more than 1,600 families coming through my studio over the years, so I've had plenty of practice convincing reluctant dads, cheeky kids and teenagers who would rather be anywhere else that having family photos can actually be a whole lot of fun.
My private photography studio is in Bunya on Brisbane's northside, where we have beautiful outdoor gardens and indoor studio spaces, and I specialise in relaxed family photography that feels more like spending time together than standing awkwardly in front of a camera.
I'm also a two-time Brisbane Family Photographer of the Year, although I suspect the thing my clients appreciate most is that I know how to get everyone laughing without making the whole experience feel like a school photo day.
You can [purchase a family photography gift voucher here and we'll organise your family photography session in the new year, once the madness of Christmas has settled and everyone has had a chance to recover from eating their body weight in ham and pavlova.
You can make it a little family celebration by booking lunch or dinner afterwards, or perhaps nominate a generous relative to host everyone at their place.
I can't guarantee your brother-in-law will cook dinner, but I'm happy to provide some encouragement if that helps.
Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas That Don't Involve Fighting for a Car Park
There's also another rather wonderful benefit to buying a photography gift voucher for Christmas, particularly if you've left your shopping until the last week before Christmas and the thought of visiting a shopping centre makes you want to crawl under the doona.
You don't have to go anywhere!
No fighting for car parks with people who have decided that parking indicator lights are merely a suggestion, no standing shoulder-to-shoulder with half of Brisbane while everyone desperately searches for random presents nobody has asked for, and no listening to Mariah Carey announce what she wants for Christmas for the seventeenth time before you've even made it out of the first shop.
I love Christmas music as much as the next person, but there are limits.
And the car parks are another experience altogether, particularly when you spot someone walking towards their car with shopping bags and suddenly find yourself following them at three kilometres an hour like a complete weirdo, only to discover they're putting their bags in the boot and heading back inside.
Devastating.
Instead, you can sit at home in your pyjamas with a coffee, purchase a family photography gift voucher online and cross another person off your Christmas list without having to brush your hair or put on proper shoes.
It's a brilliant last-minute Christmas gift for grandparents, parents or anyone who already owns enough stuff, and because the actual photo session happens in the new year, there's no mad rush to coordinate everyone's diaries before Christmas.
Everyone can enjoy Christmas, recover from the festivities and then look forward to getting together for their family photos when life has returned to something resembling normal.
Give Your Family Something They'll Love Looking Back On
I still laugh when I think about that shopping trip because I set out to buy thoughtful Christmas presents for everyone and somehow ended up buying myself a new outfit, having a delicious lunch and coming up with a completely different plan.
But it worked out so well, and I loved that our Christmas gift brought everyone together for an afternoon rather than adding another thing to their already overflowing cupboards.
If you're stuck trying to think of Christmas gifts for grandparents, parents or those impossible-to-buy-for people who seem to have everything, I'd love to help you organise something similar for your family.
You can grab a family photography gift voucher (Brisbane) here and we'll plan a relaxed family photo shoot at my Bunya studio in the new year.
I'll look after the photography, you can sort out the family lunch or dinner afterwards, and everyone gets to enjoy spending a bit of time together.
And if you happen to buy yourself a nice new Christmas dress while you're online, well, I'm certainly not going to judge you for that.
About the Author
I'm Natarsha March, but you can call me Tarsh! I'm an award-winning Brisbane newborn and family photographer, and since 2012 I've photographed more than 1,600 families at my private studio in Bunya, North Brisbane.
I've been named Brisbane Family Photographer of the Year twice and won the 2025 Quality Business Award for Best Family Photographer in Moreton Bay, although I still get a ridiculous amount of satisfaction from making a grumpy dad laugh during a photo shoot.
At Family Photography by Natarsha March, my sessions are relaxed, personalised and designed to make family photography something everyone can enjoy, including the people who arrive insisting they're terrible in photos!
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