Share the Love With One of a Kind Custom Photo Gifts

After another year where most have gone long stretches without seeing loved ones, it has made us truly appreciate how important the presence of partners, friends, parents, grandparents and other family members are in our lives. This Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to not only celebrate romantic relationships, but your relationships with all loved ones, and remind them how much they mean to you.

With the help of our Photolab, you can create thoughtful and personalized Valentine’s Day gifts to share with each and every person you care most about. Add some love to a custom card, a heart-shaped puzzle, or even a photo book full of special memories. Just remember to plan ahead and order soon, so you can ensure the gifts you have put care and thought into creating arrive to your loved ones in time for February 14th.

In case you need a little help getting started, here are some easy ways to create gifts made with love, for all of the people you love.

For Your Partner

Putting a little thought and a lot of love into creating something just for your partner will certainly be appreciated. And a good place to start is with a personalized Valentine’s Day card! Nothing says Valentine’s Day 2022 like a card personalized to say ‘If we can live together in quarantine, we can do anything’. Or tailor your card to whatever else you want to say. If you’ve been apart this year, you can make your message focused on what you miss most about them. Our cards are fully customizable, so you can add a sweet photo of the two of you and the perfect personal message that speaks to your relationship. Make it funny or make it sentimental, the choice is yours!

As for a gift, love is often compared to a jigsaw puzzle, so why not make your own heart-shaped puzzle for your partner for Valentine’s Day? You can spend quality time piecing it together, revealing a special photo of the two of you. Once you’re done, you’ll have a beautiful keepsake that you can frame, or store in a matching tin (if you choose our 114-piece heart puzzle with matching tin).

If something jewelry-related is more your speed, consider gifting them a special locket with meaningful photos inside. We can print locket photos in circle, heart, oval or square shapes, and each locket print is a 4”x6” print with 44 different sizes from 1”x1” down to 0.2”x0.2”, so you can find the perfect one to match your chosen locket.

For Your Parents

If you miss being able to give your family members a hug, you’re not alone. We have had to get creative with ways to keep the connection alive with parents and family members during these times, from drive-by birthday parades to video calls. Show your parents some extra love this Valentine’s Day by creating something unique: a special photo book curated with your favourite moments as a family! Include photos from the last few years, or dust off your shoeboxes full of old photos to find some real gems to share (our Scanning Box Service can help you digitize your old photos and slides).

While we have Valentine’s Day-themed templates you can use to customize your photo book, we also have plenty of other themes if you’re looking for something a little more family-oriented. The books are printed on high quality photo paper and can be customized with linen and leather covers, soft covers and photo covers so you can create a truly special keepsake for your family. While you may not be able to connect with them in person, putting together a one-of-a-kind gift like this will help you show them they are in your heart.

For Your Grandparents

Social distancing measures, especially in care homes, have made isolation a reality for many seniors during the past year. Sending a card or gift their way on Valentine’s Day is a small way you can help stay connected with them, especially if it’s followed up with a virtual chat!

Create something truly touching – a gift that’s personalized just for them. Even better, create something that doubles as an activity! Our puzzles can feature a photo of your choosing, and our customizable text feature allows you to write a special message that lets them know how much you miss them. Photos of their grandkids are a sure bet. Or try digging up an old photo of your grandparents as a young couple so they can reminisce about Valentine’s Days past.

Photo blankets and pillow cases are also thoughtful ways to share special memories that your grandparents can cozy up with! A small gift this Valentine’s Day can go a long way to making grandparents feel loved and reminds them they haven’t been forgotten.

For Your Friends

With trips postponed and catch-ups relegated to virtual meet-ups, maintaining a feeling of connection with friends during the past year has been difficult for many. This Valentine’s Day, show your friends how much your time spent together means to you by surprising them with your favourite memories with them. Our square, compact Instagram Books are a thoughtful way to compile all your favourite moments and remind them you’re looking forward to creating more memories together soon. Include photos from past trips and experiences together, or if you’ve been friends for a long time, you could also include some throwback photos (cue the dated hairstyles and questionable fashion choices) that are sure to put a smile on their face.

Our personalized Valentine’s Day cards are also a great way to send a personal message to your friends. Create a card that perfectly reflects your friendship, from choosing the right design template to customizing with photos, and adding a message telling them just how much their friendship means to you.

For Your Furry BFF

With work-from-home becoming the norm this past year, many of us have spent far more time around our pets than usual. Why not show a little extra appreciation for your furry friend on Valentine’s Day, with a gift that says ‘thanks for putting up with me being home all the time’? A personalized pet tag in the shape of a heart would certainly be appropriate! You can customize with a flattering photo of your pet, and even add text to the front and back so you can include their name as well as contact information in case they ever get lost. If you’re looking for more ways to treat your pet on Valentine’s Day, check out this blog.

We hope these ideas have given you some inspiration to create gifts made with love for your loved ones. You can see our full selection of unique and thoughtful gifts from our Photolab here, and conveniently order online, at our in-store kiosks or using our London Drugs Photolab App (available for iOS and Android). If you can’t drop off your gifts to loved ones locally, not to worry, our Photolab ships anywhere in Canada, so you can send your personalized gifts directly to them! Just make sure to order early so your gifts arrive to them in time for Valentine’s Day.

Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas That Will Warm Her Heart

If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, not to worry! With Mother’s Day being a bit earlier this year, even the most seasoned gifter might be a little off their game. Luckily, there are still plenty of Mother’s Day gift ideas that are not only quick and easy to order but are still thoughtful and made with love. From one-of-a-kind cards to personalized mugs and photo books, below are some of our Photolab’s top last-minute gift ideas that will warm her heart.

A Thoughtful Mug for Mom

Showing mom you think she’s the best mom ever is easy: just put it on a mug! You can add personalized text to any of our Photolab’s mugs, so you can tell her exactly how much you care for her. Add a photo of your choice as well – one she will be able to cherish for years to come.

If you have young kids, you can encourage them to design their own special mugs for mom with the help of our Take and Create Books. These books are full of templates for items including our mugs, which they can draw their own artwork in, and then have those drawings digitized and printed on a mug (or other gift items). You can learn more about our Take and Create Books here.

Our mugs can be ready for pick-up in just 24 hours, making them an excellent choice if you’re in a pinch for a last-minute gift. Plus, they only take a few minutes to customize!

A Special Locket Full of Love

With a personalized locket, mom can keep her loved ones close to her heart at all times. Choose from locket-sized photos in various shapes, including circle, heart, oval, and square, to match your chosen locket. Each print also comes with a variety of sizes from 1”x1” to 0.2”x0.2” so you can pick the one that fits perfectly.

If you’re gifting to a senior/grandmother, it could also be a thoughtful surprise to include old photos of her and her children. Rather than cutting up the originals though, make sure they’re digitized first! Our Photo Scanning Box service can help you digitize large amounts of old print photos quickly and easily.

These locket prints are ready for pick up in just 24 to 72 hours at most of our locations.

A Photoshoot Just for Her

Treat mom to a photoshoot that’s all about her! This gift requires no prep time at all but is a thoughtful way to show your appreciation for your mom and how beautiful she is inside and out. Hire a local photographer, or pick up a camera and stage your own photoshoot at home for her. You can include the kids as well, but take some photos just of her too. Make sure to mention in your ‘Mother’s Day Photo Shoot’ gift that she’ll receive a selection of prints/enlargements or a canvas gallery wrap to commemorate the experience and preserve those special images. This can also be a thoughtful gift for a mom-to-be!

If you’re looking for pointers for doing your at-home photoshoot, make sure to check out our DIY Studio modules; it’s free to sign up, and you’ll get all kinds of helpful tips from pro photographer Erin Manning in each module. For your Mother’s Day photoshoot, we recommend checking out the modules on ‘Composition Tips’ and ‘Lighting Techniques.’

A Photo Book of ‘Moments with Mom’

So many of our most memorable moments in life are often with mom. Help her cherish them by preserving all of your favourite moments with mom in a fully personalized photo book. Hand-pick the photos displayed on each page, and even add thoughtful notes to tell her why those moments mean the world to you. Don’t worry about the design element – we have a Mother’s Day template all set to go for you, so you can simply drag and drop your images!

If you’re tight on time, not to worry. Our Express Book, an 8×8 photographic book with a leatherette cover, is easy to customize and ready for pick-up in just 24 to 72 hours.

A One-of-a-Kind Mother’s Day Card

Sometimes there just isn’t a Mother’s Day card in the card aisle that says exactly what you want to say. That’s where our personalized greeting cards come in. They can be customized with any theme and photo(s) of your choosing, plus you can add a truly personal and heartfelt message for mom that is one-of-a-kind. Just knowing you took the time to make a card for her is sure to warm her heart!

Left it a little late? Just because you’re looking for a Mother’s Day card last minute doesn’t mean it can’t still be thoughtful. Our single-sided photo cards and premium folded greeting cards on photographic paper can be customized and ready for pick-up in just 24 to 72 hours!

A Photo Button for the #1 Mom

Tell the world your mom is #1 by designing a photo button that she can proudly wear all Mother’s Day like a badge of honour! Want it to say something else besides ‘#1 Mom’? While ordering, add any text (and photo) you like! Our buttons are fully customizable. We also have both 3” and 1.25” round buttons, as well as heart-shaped buttons to choose from.

If you’re thinking of ordering one for your mom, just make sure not to leave it too last minute: our photo buttons are ready for pick-up in just 5 to 7 days.

 

To customize your Mother’s Day gifts on-the-go, just download our London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android to order straight from your smartphone! Otherwise, you can also always order through our Photolab online or in-store using our kiosks. For exact turnaround times, please check with your local London Drugs Photolab.

3 Ways to Celebrate with Dad on Father’s Day (In-Person or Virtually)

While many types of celebrations have had to change and adjust this year, there are still lots of ways you can celebrate with your dad on Father’s Day, no matter if you’re together or apart right now. Whether you can see your dad IRL (in real life) this Father’s Day or not, here are 3 ways you can celebrate together and show dad why he’s #1.

Serve Breakfast in Bed

The quintessential Father’s Day tradition, breakfast in bed, has become a classic way to celebrate for a reason – it helps him start his day off right, with a little indulgence and a lot of love.

In-person:

Go all-out on a breakfast that is just for dad. Pile it high with his favourites: waffles or pancakes, bacon or sausages, hash browns, eggs – the works! You can also surprise him with his favourite cuppa joe in his very own Father’s Day mug, personalized by you with the help of our Photolab. Add a personal message and some photos that you know will make him smile. Need it last minute? We can have your mug ready for pick up in-store in as little as 24 hours!

Virtually:

Not there to make dad breakfast in-person? No problem. Pick dad’s favourite local breakfast spot and order him a surprise breakfast, delivered right to his door! Plus, we can deliver our photo mugs anywhere in Canada, so you can customize a Father’s Day mug for dad online and then have it shipped to dad in time for Father’s Day. Then set up a Facetime or Zoom call together so you can catch up virtually while he enjoys his breakfast in bed.

Fire up the Grill

If your dad is a self-proclaimed grill master, why not center his Father’s Day celebration around the BBQ?

In-person:

On your run to the grocery store, pick up some barbeque must-haves like steaks, ribs or burgers that you can grill up on the BBQ together on Father’s Day. Make sure you have the necessary condiments too. As a special gift for dad, customize his own BBQ apron that he can proudly wear as you both grill up a perfect Father’s Day dinner.

Virtually:

See if there are any local restaurants offering meal kits that you can send directly to dad, complete with everything he needs for a great Father’s Day BBQ. Better yet, order one for yourself too, so you can grill together (while apart) and enjoy over Facetime or Zoom. Order his own customized BBQ apron with a photo of your choosing, and have it shipped to him in advance, so he can wear it the day-of.

Play Some Golf

Does dad’s idea of a perfect day involve golf? If so, why not make it an activity for the two of you to partake in on Father’s Day!

In-person:

Some golf courses are open and allowing people to play while physically distancing. If available in your area, book a tee time for you and dad to get out and play a round of golf in the fresh air – just make sure to book soon, as tee times are now more spread out. As the perfect accompanying gift, personalize dad a golf towel with a fun photo that he can use while on the course!

Virtually:

Play golf together…virtually! PlayStation 4 has an online multiplayer option for the Everybody’s Golf game, so you can both play together. Send dad a copy of the game, along with a golf towel from our Photolab that you personalized yourself.

 

Of course, a Father’s Day card is always a thoughtful addition to any Father’s Day gift. Customize your own card from the comfort of your home with the help of our Photolab! Pick a Father’s Day template, add some photos and a personalized message, and either pick up in-store or have it shipped (to yourself or directly to your dad). It’s a great way to show him you’re thinking of him, whether you’re together, or apart right now.

 

 

Mother’s Day Gifts Made at Home with Love

If you’ve already exhausted your supply of puzzles, we’ve got a new activity to keep yourself and the kids busy while self-isolating. Our Photolab’s free Take and Create Book is now available online! Even better, you can use this Take and Create Book to create unique and personalized gifts for Mother’s Day – right from home in 4 easy steps.

1. Get your Take and Create Book

You can pick up your free Take and Create Book at our Photolab if you happen to be in-store, but if you’d like to get your hands on a copy while you’re self-isolating at home, you can simply download it here.

2. Fill in the Templates

These Take and Create Books are full of templates for custom gifts like mugs (for mom’s daily cuppa joe) and ornaments (to hang in her car or anywhere at home) that both you and your kids can draw and colour in. Let the creativity flow! Have the kids write a special message for mom, or draw an image they think mom will love. You can even put your artistic skills to the test too – doodle something that shows your appreciation for your own mom. It makes a great art activity for an afternoon indoors. Plus, mom is sure to appreciate that you crafted her Mother’s Day gift yourself.

3. Scan Your Drawings

Once you’re done filling in the book, simply scan the templates using an at-home scanner or a smartphone scanning app to digitize them as image files. Crop what’s outside the template lines, and you’ll be all set to upload to our Photolab’s website or to our London Drugs Photolab App (available for iOS and Android).

4. Upload to our Photolab

After your images are uploaded, you’ll be able to browse our Photolab’s products to find the ones that match your templates, like mugs and ornaments. Then just customize each gift with your images, and choose delivery to have them shipped directly to your home!

 

All done making a gift for mom and looking for another activity to pass the time? We can help you customize your own puzzles! Just choose a photo, and our Photolab can turn it into a puzzle with 25, 114, 120 or even 1,000 pieces.

4 Unique Father’s Day Gifts for a One-of-a-Kind Dad

Father’s Day is quickly approaching and you want to gift Dad something extra special this year. But where to start? A sure way to impress is to gift him something from the heart. Our Photolab Experts suggest creating a personalized gift that shows you put time and thought into it. From cards to beer steins, we have a few creative and customizable gift ideas up our sleeves that Dad will love.

Father’s Day Cards

Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to tell dad just how grateful you are to have him in your life. So why not say it with photos? Create a completely personalized Father’s Day card with your own photos, to show him just how many special moments you’ve cherished together.

You can even choose from our wide variety of Father’s Day-themed card templates. Does he love baseball or golf? We have designs for those and much more. As always, our cards also come in an assortment of styles and papers, so you can make your Father’s Day card one-of-a-kind—just like Dad!

Father’s Day Photo Mug

You know Dad needs his ‘jet fuel’ every morning, so why not gift him a personalized photo mug to sip on his favourite brewed coffee? We have designer mugs, espresso mugs, latte mugs—even a special designer magic mug, which only reveals your hidden design when hot liquid is added.

If you’re helping the kids with their Father’s Day gift, our Photolab Experts suggest adding an extra special touch, using their own artwork! Make it a fun DIY project at home, then scan their hand-drawn images and upload them to our Photolab website, or we can help you scan them in-store. Then just simply add their scanned artwork to any of our mugs! Will it make dad tear up? We think it just might.

Father’s Day Beer Stein

Or if beer is more dad’s style, we have a feeling he’s going to be very excited to give this new gift a try. Our designer beer stein can be personalized with Father’s Day-themed templates and your own photos and text, to create a special keepsake he’ll love to use.

Instagram Photobook

You and dad have shared so many special memories together. You’ve posted a lot of them on your Instagram, but if dad isn’t the most tech-savvy, he may not have had the chance to see them. Show him how much you’ve treasured those times together by whipping up an Instagram photobook of your best square snapshots. He’ll appreciate having a hard copy he can flip through and cherish for years to come.


Remember: our Photolab Experts are always here to help you with your photo gifts. Just visit us at your local London Drugs! Or, if you’re ready to go, you can start personalizing your Father’s Day gift on our Photolab website, at any of our in-store Photolab kiosks, or using our London Drugs Photolab App for iOS and Android.

Giving Gifts They’ll Actually Love

Hint: It’s not the thought, it’s the personalization that counts!

We all know that one person who seems to always give the perfect, thoughtful and most unique Christmas gifts. How do they do it? Our Photolab Experts have the secret, and it’s easier than you think. It’s all about personalization. Adding a personal touch, like a photo or custom text, will give your gifts a unique quality that your loved ones will cherish. Our Photolab has virtually endless possibilities to customize your gifts for friends, family, colleagues and anyone else on your holiday shopping list.

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Greeting Cards – Whether it’s your family’s annual Christmas card, or individual cards to give out to family, friends and colleagues, spreading the holiday cheer starts here.  Rather than picking out a set of generic cards to send, why not create unique holiday cards with personal photos? Our Photolab can now customize Greeting Cards using a wide variety of themed templates on 6 new premium card stocks: linen, natural white, matte soft white, shimmer silver and shimmer soft gold. We are the only local Photolab to use these premium card stocks, so your greeting cards are guaranteed to be entirely unique.

 

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Photographic Albums – Give a truly thoughtful and personal gift by curating a collection of special photos and creating a personalized photographic album for loved ones. The book’s photos are printed on thick photographic paper that will brilliantly display cherished memories in a high quality format. Share photos of a recent trip together, a collection of photos taken over the past year, or even old childhood and family photos.

 

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Personalized Large Fleece Blankets – Brand new to the London Drugs Photolab, this is the ultimate cozy Christmas gift. Got a hockey player in the family? Customize a fleece blanket with a photo of their team, and parents can use it to show support and to keep warm at their next game. Grandparents would love a personalized blanket with a photo of their grandchildren, and a dog lover would be over the moon to see their prized pup immortalized on a super-soft fleece.

 

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Photo Crystals – Choose a meaningful photo to share with your loved ones and gift it to them in the form of a crystal. Our new expanded selection of shapes includes heart, teardrop, moon, wave and rectangle-shaped crystal blocks, which can transform your photo into a unique, eye-catching Christmas gift. This would make a great personalized hostess gift for any of your upcoming holiday parties.

 

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Express Books – Need to whip together a quick and easy Christmas gift, and need it right away? The 8×8 photographic Express Books can be made within 24 hours at any London Drugs location. Just choose your photos, and we’ll create a sleek photographic book complete with black leatherette cover. So if you forgot one last person on your list, or if you received an unexpected gift from your neighbour or colleague, don’t fret: we can take care of that.

 

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Instagram Books – This small personalized Instagram Book makes the perfect stocking stuffer gift! Simply select your favourite square Instagram photos from your feed, and our Photolab will turn them into a beautiful square photo book you can easily pop into someone’s stocking. This is a great gift for hard to buy for tweens and teens and for hobby photographers who showcase their work on Instagram.

 

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Photo Calendars – Have a few people on your shopping list that you’re just not sure what to get them? Our photo calendars are easily customized, which make them the perfect gift for almost anyone this Christmas. For family, feature images of your kids growing up, or for co-workers, perhaps feature some of your favourite landscape photos. It is useful all year round.

 

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Personalized Mugs – Whether they’re a coffee person or a tea person, you can’t go wrong with gifting a personalized photo mug. Pick a colour, design, and then choose your photo: it’s as simple as that. You can even choose our Magic Mug that reveals your hidden photo when hot liquid is added. These personalized mugs make great stocking stuffer gifts, as well as gifts for colleagues or your kids’ teachers.

 

Order any of these gifts at our new Photolab website or by visiting any London Drugs location.

 

Holiday Order Deadlines

A great selection of products are available for same day or next day pickup, up to Saturday, December 24 including Enlargements, Canvas Gallery Wraps, Express Books, Photographic Calendars and Mugs. See a photolab expert for details.

Be sure to place your orders for the below products before the listed dates to ensure Christmas delivery:

Photobooks, Calendars and Traditional Greeting Cards: Wednesday, December 14

Creative Products: Wednesday, December 14

Crystals: Tuesday, December 13

Crystallize-it 3D Photo Crystals: Tuesday, December 13

Bobbleheads: Monday, November 14

Yes Video: Friday, November 25

Click here for information about order deadlines.