A truly personal, heartfelt holiday gift that doesn’t require shipping sounds too good to be true, but with Storyworth, you can give them a last-minute gift that’s so much better than a bunch of socks.
Storyworth is a service that collects your loved one’s favorite stories and memories and preserves them in a beautifully bound book. The subscription sends questions via email so you can send your gift instantly —?no gift wrapping required. Plus, you can currently get $10 off your holiday order through Jan. 1.
Many families have legendary tales that get told time and time again through the years — those cherished anecdotes you can recite by heart — but they don’t necessarily scratch the surface of who your dad was when he was young, or how your grandma has changed throughout her life. And despite that treasure trove of iconic narratives that’s unique to each family, there are lots of things we’re not talking about too — the stuff that’s not necessarily laugh-out-loud dinner party talk.
Storyworth aims to capture these precious memories and family stories (even the ones that are hard to talk about) over the course of one year, culminating in a gorgeous book.
How Storyworth works
By signing up for a Storyworth subscription, your father, grandmother or any other loved one will receive a weekly thought-provoking question meant to stir up long-buried memories or unearth perspectives previously unknown. Like, what beliefs do they have that are different than yours? Or what was their first boss like? How do they like to spend a lazy day? What do they admire most about their family members?
Don’t worry: They can change the question if they’re feeling uninspired, and you can even curate the questions if you want to learn specific things about them. Once they respond to the story prompt, their anecdotes are saved to their account, and if they choose, shared with loved ones via email on a weekly basis.
The final result
At the end of the year, all of their stories are collected into a handsome hardcover book, complete with photos and captions that they can opt to include with their responses. Before the book is published, your relative can pop into their online account or the Storyworth app to tweak any of the responses and give the entire thing a final edit. And then, voilà! A memoir is created!
Having used the service for a few months, I have to say that Storyworth is the sentimental, feel-good gift to give this year. It’s perfect for any birthday, anniversary or holiday. Whether you’re signing up your parents, siblings or spouse, or even if you’re the subject telling your own life story, you’ll find that the weekly emails connect you with your family and drive active, dynamic conversations that wouldn’t otherwise be taking place.
Plus, you’ll find yourself suddenly getting to know someone whom you’ve likely known your whole life. The beautiful keepsake that arrives a year later is something you’re all going to relish (additional copies can be purchased for $39+), but Storyworth’s real value is its ability to bring families closer through stories that were, before now, untold.
Head to Storyworth to sign up for a discounted year of storytelling that results in a personalized book you’ll cherish for years to come. And for more holiday shopping inspiration, check out our favorite gifts for men, gifts for women, gifts for Mom and gifts for Dad.
