Order printed books by 3 December for Christmas delivery
Christmas gifts for grandparents
The one gift they can't
already have
Grandparents are notoriously hard to buy for. They have the slippers, the socks, the biscuit tin. What they don't have is their life story written down — in their own words, in their own voice, in a book the whole family can keep.
Why this works when nothing else does
They already have everything they need
By the time someone is a grandparent, they have spent decades acquiring things. Another candle, another jumper, another gadget they will politely thank you for. What they have never been given is time and attention on the subject of their own life.
It gives them something to do, not something to own
The gift is not really the book. It is the weeks of answering questions about their childhood, their first job, how they met their partner, what they were frightened of. Most grandparents enjoy this enormously, and it gives them a reason to talk to the family more often.
It answers questions nobody thinks to ask in time
Almost everyone who has lost a parent or grandparent says the same thing: I wish I had asked more. The details go first — what the house smelled like, what their mother was like, the small stupid things that make a person who they were.
The whole family gets it, not just one person
Unlike most presents, this one multiplies. Siblings can read it, children can read it, and grandchildren who are too young now will have it when they are old enough to care.
What makes it different
Your grandchildren will hear your voice long after you're gone
They can answer each question out loud instead of writing. Their voice is saved, and a QR code is printed beside that memory in the book. Anyone can scan it with a phone and hear them tell the story themselves — in twenty years, in fifty.
No other memory book does this. It's the reason families tell us this is the gift that made someone cry on Christmas morning.
The usual presents, and this one
What most people buy grandparents at Christmas, and what happens to it.
Slippers or a dressing gown
Worn out within a year
Chocolates or a hamper
Gone by New Year
A photo frame
Lovely, but tells no story
A subscription box
Another monthly payment to cancel
Their life story, in their own voice
Read by grandchildren not yet born
How to give it at Christmas
Buy the gift
Choose a plan, add a personal message, and pay once. You get a gift link by email straight away — no physical delivery to worry about.
Give it on the day
Print the link into a card, send it by WhatsApp, or open it together on Christmas morning. There is no expiry date, so it works whenever you are ready.
Help them get started
Sit with them and do the first question together. That is usually all it takes — most people carry on by themselves once they see their words on the page.
Plenty of families buy it before Christmas, gift the link on the day, and order the printed book together in the new year once the questions are answered. There's no rush and no expiry.
Common questions
What if my grandparents are not good with technology?
They do not need to be. They can answer by speaking instead of typing — they tap one button and talk, and we turn it into text automatically. Plenty of families do it together, with a grandchild holding the phone while the grandparent talks.
How long does it take them to finish?
There is no requirement to finish. Some people answer everything in a fortnight, others do one question a week for a year. The book can be printed at any point, with however many answers exist at the time.
When do I need to order by for Christmas?
Printed books take roughly 10 to 14 days including UK delivery, so order by 3 December to be safe. Digital keepsakes have no deadline at all — you can buy one on Christmas Eve and it works immediately.
Can several of us chip in?
Yes. One person buys and shares the gift link, and the rest of the family can be invited into the story afterwards to read along, listen to the recordings, and add their own comments.
What if they never get round to it?
Their answers are saved forever, so nothing is wasted if they stop and come back months later. In practice the hardest part is the first question, which is why we suggest doing that one together.
Is it a subscription?
No. It is a one-time payment with nothing to cancel and no renewal. Printed books are ordered separately if and when you want one.
Every year you don't ask is a year of stories lost
Grandparents won't be here forever. Neither will the stories only they can tell. This Christmas, ask them.
No app. No account. No password.
A new question for Nan every week
Start the story yourself and we'll email Nan one question a week. Nan just taps the link and talks — we type it up, keep the recording, and it goes straight into the book. You get an email every time an answer comes in.
Start Nan's story free, then tap "Send the questions".
Nan gets one question a week by email — and can talk or type the answer.
Order a printed book with a QR code by every recorded story.