This is generally around the time where every holiday shopping procrastinators’ mind starts turning with the eternal question: What gift to get Whom? If this question is indeed in the back of your brain right now, never fear—the Photoblog is here to help! (Cue heroic trumpets.) For I can recommend one single gift—from the Photolab, of course—that is appropriate for roughly 99.936% of the people on your list.

I speak of course, of the customizable Photolab calendar. The Photoblog has paid tribute to it in past posts like this one, but since you’re here and probably grappling with The Question (see above) here are just a few reasons why customizable Photolab calendars make such a great gift for everyone:

1. They do an excellent encapsulating your whole year in pictures, especially if you have kids. It is simply mind-blowing to see how much kids grow within the span of 12 months. These calendars let people see those changes in one sitting, which is what makes them an ideal gift for proud grandparents and extended family.
2. Whether giving or receiving, no one likes gifts that end up getting stashed away and forgotten after the holidays. Calendars are useful literally every day of the year, and since you can customize them for the recipient, they also offer something meaningful to look at each day.
3. They are completely customizable. This probably should have been #1 on the list, because it’s the reason these calendars offer universal appeal: you can tailor them to each recipient’s specific interests.
4. Photolab home software makes it easy and gives you complete control. For example, nowhere is it written that you have to use only 12 pictures. You can do split-frames or collages to include as many photos as you like—whatever your artistic muse dictates.

All your photos—from your hard drive, your storage media, the internet—are at your disposal. Use your social media posts, take the photos with the most likes and turn them into a calendar. It’ll make you feel like a social media celebrity!

Best of all, since the Photolab software is both easy and free, you can download it now and check it our for yourself, lest you doubt my sincerity here. But hey, the Photoblog is just here to help, as are the experts at your local Photolab should you have any questions or need additional tips. With their expertise and your creativity, you can put The Question to rest once and for all. Happy Holidays!

If you wait, before your know it Dec 24th will be here and you’ll have missed your chance to get Aunt Rita this customized photo pet bowl for her Shih-Tzus.

So…who’s up for being proactive this holiday season? Hmmm. Okay, I don’t see very many hands… What’s the matter? Oh, I understand: being proactive can be a hassle, which is probably why so many people don’t bother with it. Being proactive requires thinking ahead, and who has time for that? Speaking of time, that’s another big reason people aren’t more proactive with their holiday shopping: we’re too busy being proactive with other things to be proactive shopping for a holiday that’s still so many months/weeks/hours away.

Fortunately, as a lover of all things photography-related, you’re in luck; the Photolab has great gift solutions for pretty much everyone. Keep in mind, these are personalized gifts you create especially for the recipient, from your own computer or mobile device. Again, to recap: personalized gifts that are convenient, require very little of your time and involve photography—your photography, in particular—which is something you enjoy. See that? The Photolab has just removed all of your barriers to proactivity.

On top of all that, the Photolab has made it easy to customize the type of gift based on the recipient’s known preferences/lifestyle/etc. In fact, the selection of items you can put an image on via the Photolab just keeps on growing. Here are just a few of the many gift ideas you’ll find:

Mugs—Sure, we’ve covered these before and you already knew photo mugs have been around forever. My personal favourite is the latte mug. Not only can it display a larger image, but it also holds more coffee. I like lots of coffee.

Coin bank—Help the recipient save by printing a picture of their savings goal right on the coin bank itself. That’s motivation, right there! Or, buy one for yourself and put a picture of someone for whom you’re saving up to buy a more expensive gift. Either way, everybody wins. Available for square or panoramic images

Water bottle—Say you know someone who wants to get back in shape, and they’re doing it ‘for the kids’, or ‘the kids deserve a fitter, healthier parent’ or something to that effect. So give them a water bottle with a picture of their kids on it, so their motivation is always right there, in a cupholder on the Stairmaster. Available with 4×4 or 8×4 image.

Heart-shaped puzzle—This isn’t just for couples who aren’t too cool for heart-shaped things. I bet the grandparents would love a heart-shaped puzzle of the grandkids. I bet the kids would love a heart-shaped puzzle of the family pet. Think outside the box, dear readers. Start thinking more heart-shaped.

Photo pet bowl—It’s a good thing dogs can’t see two-dimensional images. Otherwise, they might think a food bowl with their picture on it is kinda vain. Fortunately they care more about what’s inside the bowl. Your cat can see photos, however, and cats feel entitled to such glorification. Available in small and large sizes.

So there you have it. The Photoblog has just provided you with the inspiration for probably half your shopping list. And this is only a partial list of the Photolab’s gift ideas. Do yourself a favour and check them all out; you never know what may jump out at you. While you’re at it, give yourself a gift, too—give yourself the time to be proactive.