• I asked ChatGPT to come up with gift ideas for my dad, mom, and sister.
• The AI tool gave me unique, thoughtful suggestions on what to get my parents.
• I wasn't as impressed with its gift ideas for my sister, but overall, ChatGPT did a great job.

Although I love Christmas shopping and gift-giving, finding unique, meaningful gifts for my family can be difficult year after year.

Determined to switch things up, I turned to ChatGPT to help me come up with some gift ideas for them.

My hope was that the AI service would produce ideas that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise, with suggestions more creative than just another cookbook for my mom or band T-shirt for my sister.

Here's how it went.

Going into the holiday season, I was most worried about what to get my dad

I wanted to start with my dad since he's typically the hardest person to shop for in my family.

He doesn't care much for material things, so I was curious if ChatGPT could suggest practical gifts or experiences he'd appreciate.

Here's the prompt I gave ChatGPT:

Please give me unique gift recommendations for what to get my dad for Christmas based on his interests. He loves anything about World War II history, is trying to learn Spanish via Duolingo, always rewatches "Breaking Bad," is on the keto diet, and loves making breakfast food.

In total, ChatGPT gave me 19 suggestions — three for each of the five interests I mentioned, along with additional ideas under categories suggesting quirky and personalized gifts.

I was most impressed with ChatGPT's suggestions for my dad

Some of the ideas ChatGPT gave me included a personalized World War II history book, Duolingo merchandise, a Los Pollos Hermanos (a restaurant from "Breaking Bad") apron, a keto snack-box subscription, and gourmet bacon.

I was impressed, as these were all ideas I wouldn't have come up with on my own. However, my favorite suggestions were under ChatGPT's "Fun and Quirky" and "Personalized Gift" sections.

The quirky ideas included a World War II-themed board game like Axis & Allies, and a movie-night pack comprised of a collection of Spanish-language films (with snacks to enjoy while watching).

Under the personalized gift section, ChatGPT suggested a keto-friendly breakfast basket with treats like low-carb muffins and nut butters.

Because my dad isn't really into collecting memorabilia, I decided the best idea would be to combine two ideas and pair the Spanish movie-night pack with an assortment of keto-friendly snacks.

I think he'd appreciate the experience of watching movies together. I may also check out some keto-snack-box-subscription websites for ideas on what to put in his basket.

I figured my mom would be easier to shop for

Going into this holiday season, I was a bit less worried about what to get my mom because she plans to retire next year and is looking for more hobbies to keep her busy.

Still, I didn't have anything particular in mind, which is where ChatGPT came in handy.

I asked it to come up with gift ideas based on this prompt:

Now, can you help me come up with ideas for my mom based on her interests? She is super excited to go to Iceland for the first time next year, is always trying to find low-carb, low-sugar TikTok recipes, wants to get more into exercising (recently bought a Peloton and Apple Watch), and is overall just looking for more hobbies to pick up when she retires next year.

It gave me 22 suggestions in total — four for each of the four points I mentioned and additional ideas under categories suggesting personalized and mindfulness-related ideas.

ChatGPT came up with some pretty unique ideas for my mom

Among the ideas ChatGPT suggested were a packing kit for Iceland that includes items like a travel adapter and language guide, a personalized binder of her favorite TikTok recipes, Apple Watch bands, and cooking or baking classes to enjoy in retirement.

Compared to my dad's results, I was less impressed with the additional categories ChatGPT created for my mom. Under the "Something Personalized" category, it suggested a customized Icelandic map, a personalized fitness-tracker case, and motivational-quote wall art. In my opinion, none of these seemed very practical or creative.

I thought the "Mindfulness and Relaxation" category had much better ideas: a subscription box for relaxation, a weighted blanket, and an indoor herb-garden kit.

A weighted blanket isn't likely something she'd buy for herself, but I can imagine her getting a lot of use out of it while unwinding after a long day. She's also been trying to eat healthier, so an indoor-herb-garden kit could lead her to a fun new hobby while allowing her to add fresh garnishes to her dishes.

I also liked the personalized recipe-binder idea since my mom usually just watches the same videos over and over again to remember the ingredients. Writing down and compiling her favorite TikTok recipes would be a practical and affordable gift.

I already had a gift idea in mind for my sister, so I was less reliant on the ChatGPT results

I was leaning toward getting my sister concert tickets for Christmas, but I still wanted to see what ideas ChatGPT had.

I figured if any of them stood out, I could give her another gift in addition to the tickets — or just replace them altogether.

Here's the information I gave ChatGPT:

Can you now help me come up with unique Christmas gift ideas for my sister based on her interests and hobbies? My sister loves everything music (she plays five instruments), likes unique party games, lives in San Diego, is graduating from college next year, is going to Bali next year, and likes to get merchandise from her favorite artists.

It gave me 26 gift suggestions, with ideas specific to all six of the points I mentioned and more under a category titled "Something Fun & Personalized."

None of the ideas for my sister blew me away

Although ChatGPT gave me the most ideas for my sister, I was actually the least impressed with these suggestions. However, this may have been because I already had an idea of what to get her.

Some of the ideas it gave me were a custom instrument case, specific party games (most of which she already owned), a Bali guidebook, a memory box to keep mementos from college, and merchandise from San Diego or her favorite artists.

These ideas seemed a lot more generic than the ones it produced for my mom and dad. For example, I wouldn't have thought to put together a TikTok-recipe binder for my mom or a Spanish movie night for my dad.

However, there weren't any ideas for my sister that I thought were especially unique or practical.

Perhaps it was due to the types of interests I entered for my sister, but I wouldn't choose any of those gifts over — or even as an addition to — concert tickets for her.

Before making any future holiday purchases, I'll consult ChatGPT first

Despite being slightly disappointed with ChatGPT's suggestions for my sister, I'll definitely be taking some of the ideas it gave me for my parents.

Although the AI tool may not have all the answers for mind-blowing, personalized gifts, I think it's a decent place to start if you need some ideas for brainstorming.

Based on this success, I plan to return to the platform to ask for gift suggestions for upcoming holidays and birthdays.

• I finished all my Christmas shopping at Costco for less than $200.
• Some of the best gifts I found include the Simple Modern Trek tumblers and Dearfoams slippers.
• Costco also had a great selection of discounted gift cards to local restaurants.

Costco is one of my favorite places to shop — so much so that I always dedicate one day a year to finishing my Christmas shopping at the big-box retailer.

From cozy flannels and slippers to kid's books and cookies, here are the best Christmas gifts I bought at Costco this year.

Simple Modern Trek tumblers are equal parts trendy and practical.

Tumblers have been super trendy this year, and these Simple Modern ones caught my eye as soon as I walked into Costco.

The 40-ounce cups can keep drinks either hot or cold for 24 hours, and the handle makes it easy to take them on the go.

I grabbed two for my cousins, and I may go back to get one for myself.

The Dearfoams slippers were too cozy to pass up.

When I came across pairs of ladies' Dearfoams slippers for $15 each, I knew I had to grab a pair for both my mom and mother-in-law.

The slippers, available at my Costco in gray or black, have an ultra-thick memory-foam insole and are perfect for anyone who works from home or doesn't like to walk around the house in shoes.

Avalanche thermal socks can be a great stocking stuffer.

My dad works outside, so I always like to get him a few things to keep him warm throughout the winter.

He's a big fan of hand and toe warmers, but I thought he might like these Avalanche thermal socks, which promise all-day warmth. I got a pack of three for $10.

Hammond's snowball cookies come in the cutest festive jar.

If you're looking for a gift that's delicious and beautiful, I recommend looking for Hammond's snowball cookies, which come in a Christmas-tree-shaped jar at Costco.

I grabbed one for my aunt, but think this would also make a great gift for friends or coworkers.

At $17, I thought this was a great deal.

The Freedom Foundry shacket was a hit with my dad last year, so I grabbed another one.

Last Christmas, I got my dad a Freedom Foundry shacket that he still wears all the time. In fact, he loved the warm, plush shirt jacket so much that he dropped a not-so-subtle hint that he'd love another one this year.

I was super excited when I came across more colors of the shackets for only $20 each.

Costco has a great selection of discounted gift cards.

Every year, I like to browse Costco's selection of gift cards, many of which are for local restaurants and chains. The best part is most gift cards sold here are worth more than what shoppers pay for them.

For example, I grabbed $100 worth of gift cards to Bubbakoo's Burritos for just $70. The pack I got came with four gift cards, which makes it easy to split this up for multiple people on my list.

My cousin's daughter is going to love the Bluey book-and-toy set.

I always struggle with what to get the little ones in my life — but I added this adorable Bluey book-and-toy set to my cart as soon as I saw it.

The book felt high-quality and features many of the show's characters. It also comes with 10 figurines and a play mat.

It seemed worth more than the $11 I paid for it, and I think it's perfect for my cousin's daughter.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.