Tis the Season: Unwrap the Magic of AI Holiday Planner

The holiday season is meant to be a joyful time, but let’s face it, it often comes with a fair share of stress. Finding the perfect gift, planning the ideal trip, or cooking up a feast for your loved ones, the pressure can add up. This year, why not let AI lend a hand? You can make your holiday planning much smoother with a range of AI-powered tools. From custom gift suggestions to virtual room layouts for décor, AI is here to simplify your festive season, leaving you more time to enjoy the magic of Christmas with those who matter most. Explore some of the best tools to make your holidays more accessible and enjoyable. 

Gifting: Finding the perfect present 

Elfster 

Elfster takes the hassle of Christmas gift-giving by making Secret Santa exchanges easy and fun. With Elfster, you can quickly create personalised wishlists, draw names, and find the perfect gifts for everyone while enjoying the festive spirit. The platform features curated gift guides and trending products to help you choose meaningful presents, and it even supports virtual exchanges, making it ideal for friends and family near and far. Whether you’re organising a holiday gift exchange for work or loved ones, Elfster ensures everyone can enjoy the magic of Christmas gifting.  

Available as a mobile app on iOS and Android (Google Play). Also accessible via Elfster’s website. 

Etsy’s Gift Mode  

Etsy’s Gift Mode, now available in the UK, takes the stress out of finding the perfect gift. Smart AI suggests thoughtful presents based on the recipient’s interests and personality. Whether you’re shopping for a music lover or a pet parent, Etsy’s system tailors recommendations with over 200 personas, ensuring a more personal touch. Plus, for those of us who leave things to the last minute, it allows you to notify the recipient that a gift is on the way, complete with tracking details. This feature is perfect for UK shoppers looking to quickly find creative, meaningful gifts from Etsy’s vast collection, all while relieving the pressure of gift-giving. 

Accessible via the Etsy website and the Etsy app on both iOS and Android. 

Travel: Effortless holiday getaways 

Nowy 

Nowy is a unique AI-powered app that simplifies trip planning by transforming travel content from social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube into personalised itineraries. With just a few taps, you can convert your favourite travel vlogs into detailed plans, including recommendations for activities, hotels, and hidden gems tailored to your interests. The app also provides visual city maps, real-time weather updates, and a chat feature powered by AI to give instant travel advice, making it a one-stop solution for planning your next adventure. 

Available as a mobile app for iOS and Android. 

Escapekar 

Escapekar is an AI-driven trip-planning app designed to help users create personalised itineraries based on their preferences. The app offers a seamless experience by suggesting unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences and assisting users to view distances and travel times between destinations. It also allows real-time collaboration, letting friends and family share their plans quickly. New features include automatically generated checklists based on the planned destinations, enhancing organisation and ensuring that everything is noticed during the trip. 

Available as a mobile app for iOS and Android. 

Food: Simplifying festive cooking 

Tasty App by BuzzFeed 

The Tasty App by BuzzFeed is a versatile kitchen companion designed to simplify and enhance your cooking experience. Offering over 10,000 recipes with video tutorials and step-by-step guides, it caters to beginners and seasoned chefs. Its AI-powered assistant, Botatouille, tailors recipe suggestions to your preferences, while features like shoppable recipes streamline grocery planning with retailer integration. The app also boasts personalised cookbooks, an ingredient search tool, adjustable serving sizes, and an engaging community for sharing creations. Whether for festive feasts or quick snacks, Tasty combines innovation and ease to make cooking enjoyable and stress-free, especially for holiday meals.  

Available on iOS, Android, and via the Tasty website. 

Yummly 

Yummly is a clever culinary app that makes meal preparation more accessible by providing customised recipe recommendations based on your dietary requirements, allergies, and personal tastes. Yummly tailors its suggestions to your preferences, whether you’re interested in low-FODMAP, keto, or vegetarian diets. The app becomes an invaluable tool for the holidays by helping you discover festive recipes and creating personalised meal plans. It also provides features like an intelligent shopping list, guided meals, and connectivity with Apple Health to manage nutritional intake. The Yummly Smart Thermometer also gives you confidence when cooking, simplifying preparing festive meals. 

Available as a mobile app on iOS and Android. Also accessible via the Yummly website. 

Décor: Deck the halls with AI 

 RoomGPT 

This app uses AI, specifically machine learning and computer vision algorithms, to analyse uploaded photos of a room and generate décor suggestions. It can suggest furniture layouts, colour schemes, and décor ideas based on the space’s dimensions and the user’s preferences. While it’s not fully powered by deep AI in terms of creating entirely new designs from scratch, it leverages AI to automate design suggestions and streamline the interior design process. 

Available as a free web-based tool at roomgpt.io. 

 iScape 

 iScape uses augmented reality (AR) more than AI per se. AR is a technology that overlays digital images onto the real world, allowing you to visualise how decorations like lights and wreaths will look in your outdoor space before purchasing. While iScape does employ AI to some extent for certain features, such as object recognition or layout suggestions, its primary focus is on AR to simulate outdoor décor setups. 

Available as a mobile app on iOS and Android. 

AI Christmas Wishes: Adding a Touch of Magic 

Sometimes, a heartfelt message is the best gift you can give. AI Christmas Wishes helps you craft the perfect personalised holiday greeting with ease. This app uses AI to generate Christmas messages based on the recipient’s details, interests, and the tone you want to convey. Whether you’re sending a funny message or something more heartfelt, the app makes it quick and easy to add a personal touch. Available for iPad, AI Christmas Wishes is free to download and adds a touch of magic to your festive season. 

Available as a mobile app on iOS 

Distilled 

The holiday season is a time to relax and enjoy with friends and family, but the planning involved can often feel overwhelming. AI-powered apps are changing how we approach holiday tasks, from gift-giving and travel to meal prep and home décor. By using these tools, you can spend less time stressing and more time enjoying the magic of Christmas. So why not try them and let AI work its magic this year?