Step by step
- 1
Make one list, not one per relative
Put every wish in one place, with a link to the shop where you can. A list texted to Gran and a different one told to an auntie on the phone is how doubles happen.
- 2
Give everyone the same link
Post it in the family group chat, so everyone looks at the same list, kept up to date.
- 3
Ask people to mark what they’re getting
The list needs a way to say “taken”. On Wishorium, family circle a wish when they decide to get it, and everyone else sees straight away that it’s being bought.
- 4
Put on more than you need
If there are more wishes than givers, the last people to shop still have a real choice, at different prices.
- 5
Keep the surprise
Your child shouldn’t see who’s getting what. On Wishorium they see the catalogue in child mode, without names, and you can hide the circles from them altogether.
How circling works on Wishorium
Every wish can be circled once. Blue means someone’s buying it, green once it’s bought. Family don’t need an account unless you want them to: they circle and type their name. If plans change they can take their circle off and it’s free again.
- Each wish circled once
- Everyone sees it’s taken
- You see who, for the thank-yous
For relatives who aren’t online
Print the list for them, or order it as a printed catalogue posted to their door. When they’ve chosen, someone else in the family can circle it for them, so everyone still sees it’s taken.
A few habits that help
Share the list early, before the big shopping weekends. Add things at different prices so everyone can join in. And note when a big present is happy to be a group gift, so people club together instead of each buying something smaller.
Questions from grown-ups
What if two people want the same present?
Whoever circles it first gets it; the other sees it’s taken and picks something else. A note on the wish (“happy for this to be a group gift”) lets people agree to share it instead.
Can my child see who is buying what?
No. In child mode they can flick through and heart their favourites, but they never see names. You can even hide the circles completely. Switching back to parent mode needs your secret word, and we can email it to you if you forget.
Does everyone need to sign up?
Only if you want them to. When you set up the list you choose: either anyone with the link can circle and just type their name, or they sign in with Google or an email address (and can add a photo).
Is it free?
Yes. Some shop links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.
Ready when you are ✨
Free, five minutes to set up, and the family don’t need an app.