Here we are, about to enter the month the used to be the most magic and festive of all year: December. As an ex-pat and markets lover, I would always try to look for presents here in Lisbon, to bring them to my family in Italy: I would search amongst markets and shops some cute and local products to bring back home that they were made locally or sold from small business.

Already last year our Christmas was on hold until the 21st of December when the Italian Embassy decided to have pity on our Christmas plans, and issued our daughter’s passport only 20 hours before our flight, a passport I had been trying to get for three weeks since she was born.

A different Christmas means creating new traditions

This year, our Christmas plans are again uncertain as are the ones of many people around the entire globe: many of us are battling with the idea of visiting family but we don’t know if we should or we will be able to. Also, because of the current situations, many local businesses, small but also big, that employ overall many people, have been struggling for months, and will still struggle during Christmas since in Portugal there are many limitations of movement on weekends when people usually participate in local markets or go shopping in city centers.

And that’s where my project took shape: I wanted to share with my friends, followers, and my community here in Lisbon and abroad, some amazing local businesses and brands that they can take into considerations to look for gifts for their beloved family spending Christmas here or their friends, family, and relatives abroad.

The list is divided into categories to make it easier, and will be divided into 3 different posts:

  • Babies
  • Toddlers
  • Kids (different ages)
  • Mama and Papa
  • Portuguese specials
  • Concept stores
  • Christmas Decorations
  • Conscious Christmas
  • Italian in Lisbon
  • Family Photographers

The Christmas Guide for little ones

And here it goes finally my first four categories of gifts, and it’s all about babies and kids presents: it includes shops that have a physical shop but also sell online and online brands that sell in shops around Lisbon and surroundings.
The descriptions are intended one row at a time from left to right starting from the top row.

BABY 0-2 YO

Nursery complements and decor, toys and teethers

TODDLER 2-4 YO

Wooden toys and more
  • Left: Prikler triangle available at Bosque Feliz (shop in Cascais and online) | Center: Kids Grocery store products by Ursinho a Galope | Right: Rocking Fox available at Bahù
  • L: Grocery store Little dutch by IB – Inês Bernardo | R: Baby textile swing by Mada Lisboa
  • L: Menino Menina book by Planeta Tangerina editions available at Baobà Livraria | C: Locally made playful Crayons with wooden case by Atelier Baileia | R: Wooden Dollhouse available at Maria do Mar shop

KIDS 4-6 YO

Activity boxes, books and some clothes and accessories

KIDS 6-10 YO

English books, arts and craft, and maybe a puppy

I hope that you like my list and that you will donate to our fundraising in collaboration with Lisbon Project at this link: you can also contribute with in-kind donations at our dropping points: look at the details above in this post. Every donation it’s valuable, together we can contribute to making the life of migrants and refugees’ children happier.

Do you wanna read the next part of the guide about gifts for grown-ups, concept stores, and more?

Check the next post of this series at this link where you will find suggestions for grownups gifts: you can also follow me on Instagram to stay updated, I will post more about the brands in my stories.

I hope you like the brand selection: feel free to write in the comment which one you liked the most, but you can also comment below with more suggestions, I will most likely make another part of the guide since the Portuguese brands and local cool shops are so many, I could include more of them!

We are all in this together but with different means

Since we and most of my friends and followers living abroad and at home are lucky enough to be able to make presents and live a healthy and fortunate life, for Christmas I wanted to help a local association by raising some money for the least fortunate.

I have teamed up with Lisbon Project, an NGO that works with refugees and migrants in Lisbon, by raising money to help them buy hygiene products for babies and kids, something refugees and migrants have usually hard times accessing but that their babies need daily: if you feel to join our campaign you can do so by cash donations or with in-kind donations.

Following, you find a list of the items we are looking for, products that Lisbon Project will buy with the money we will raise while in case of in-kind donations will have to come to be unopened and not expired:

  • diapers (most needed size 3 and 4)
  • wipes
  • baby shampoo
  • baby bath products
  • formula
  • diaper creams

If you want to make a cash donation, please follow this link to check the fundraising page. For the ones that prefer to make in-kind donations instead, we have a few dropping points that will receive goods from the 7th December until the 30th: