by Kate
It's fashionable these days to go gift-less. Less stuff, more experiences. I am extremely sympathetic to the idea of avoiding extravagant gifts and focusing on the joys of experiences...but the problem I run into is that I actually love physical gifts (sorry minimalist world!). I love getting them and I love giving them. One of my love languages is gifts. So I just want to put this out there - gifts can be awesome. It’s not about the amount of money spent or the size of the gift - but the opportunity to embody the love and appreciation you have for someone else in something tangible. So if you, too, want to give and receive gifts - this is me giving you permission to go for it! And if you are looking for some ideas for gift giving, I've collected some of my favorites below - because even the crazy holiday season benefits from a few intentional decisions to spend your values!
Make a big deal out of something (make it an event). Use a gift as a catalyst to more experiences. I know one family that gifts themselves a 1000 piece puzzle every Christmas and then spends New Year's Day putting the puzzle together...together. Another friend bought her family the Hogwarts Lego set as their family gift and had a whole Harry Potter Christmas - serving food from the books and putting the Lego set together...together. Another friend has a gift-wrapping contest in her family. The gifts themselves are fun, but the wrapping hijinks are even better. Games are some of our favorite experience gifts (we particularly like gifting family-friendly games like Super Awesome Monster Cuddle Party, Codenames, or SushiGo).
Make it thematic. Gift giving can be difficult and I know a lot of people don't enjoy it in the best of times. Make it easier for yourself by narrowing down your gift-giving options for everyone. Only gift books, or food-related gifts, or local crafts, or magazine subscriptions, or donations of animals from Heifer International. Find something that is meaningful to you and easy to accomplish and then gift it widely.
Use your words. We often don't spend enough time telling each other how we feel. Gift your thoughts and feelings this year. Give your favorite book, but include a note that explains why you love it so much and why you think the recipient will also enjoy it. Create a compliment jar with 52 nice things you think about your loved one. Every week all year they will have a goofy/thoughtful/loving/hilarious note from you. Frame a quote that you find particularly appropriate for your friend. Record a video greeting and email it to a distant relative.
Use coupons. In this digital age of online shopping coupons sometimes get lost in the shuffle. But many stores ALWAYS have coupons available. Use them! Don't shop at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Joann's, Kohl's, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, or Bath and Body Works without a coupon (most are for a significant amount off a single item). Going for customized photo gifts? I never pay full price on Snapfish or Shutterfly because they run sales like crazy. I just do a quick online search for a coupon every time I plan to shop at a store and more often than not there's a coupon available (thanks $5 off at Ulta!).
Look for alternatives. If you are interested in side-stepping holiday materialism as much as possible, you can also seek out gift-giving alternatives. Instead of buying books on Amazon, I'm a big fan of Better World Books. They donate a book for every one you buy, have free shipping, and have great sales this time of year. Skip subscription boxes full of stuff they may or may not like and gift stuff-less subscriptions - like independent crossword puzzles (such as AVC or Inkubator), a Christians for Biblical Equality membership, or season tickets to a local theater. There are also plenty of great lists (like Sarah Bessey's) of places you can buy gifts that give back.
No post from me about gifts would be complete without pushing second-hand gifts. Thrift stores are a goldmine during the holiday season, and you can ALWAYS count on finding certain things at any thrift store - interesting books, quirky jewelry, frames for that quote you are giving your friend, fabric or glassware for your fun holiday crafts, goofy white elephant gifts, tins and containers for Christmas cookies, Christmas decor and ornaments, fuzzy pajama pants, and random T-shirts for the random person in your life.
What are your favorite gift-giving tips and tricks? Do you have any go-to gifts that you bring back each year?
