Episode 119 - Tip Tuesday - Simplify Gift Giving with Meaningful Presents that Don’t Add Clutter at Home - Intentional Edit

It’s the season of gift giving and present purchasing – shopping and ordering is in full swing and it can be stressful and overwhelming. Finding, buying, wrapping, and shipping aren’t the only things that add to the stress. On this Tip Tuesday episode Lauren is sharing strategies for finding the perfect present to give and receive.

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Full Episode Transcription (not edited):

It’s the season of gift giving and present purchasing, shopping and ordering is in full swing and it can be stressful and a little bit overwhelming. Finding, buying, wrapping, shipping that isn’t the only thing that adds to the stress when it comes to gift giving. This time of year on this Tip Tuesday episode, I’m gonna share our strategies for finding the perfect present to give and to receive.

(00:26):

Hey moms, welcome to the Intentional Edit podcast. Do you wanna stop feeling overwhelmed and finally get your home organized? Do you find yourself up late at night worrying about how you are going to get everything done and not drop the ball? You are wondering where to start and what to do. There is never enough time in the day the piles of laundry are building up and it’s already time for afterschool activities, homework, snacks, and carpool. Again, I’m Lauren. I too want an organized clean home where my family can make long lasting memories and be present in the moment. Feeling like there is never enough time to complete all the daily tasks is exhausting. Simplicity all around a healthy meal on the table at dinnertime and a family that contributes to the chores really is attainable. Stop telling yourself that you have to do it all or it will never get done, or that picky eaters will never allow for a complain free dinner. In this podcast, you will learn exactly how to declutter, implement systems and maximize routines that remove the overwhelming, unorganized parts of life, bringing simplicity to your life and home. Come on, It’s time to create a life you love.

(01:33):

It’s hard to believe, but this week will be the 1st of December. If you are a person that stresses out and is already feeling overwhelmed by the holidays and the idea of purchasing presents, finding shopping for ordering gifts, and finding the perfect things for the people that you are giving gifts to this year, I have some ideas for you, but more so than the struggle and the stress behind what to give and how to find that perfect gift. I have talked to more moms and really more people this year that are stressed out about the present that they will receive or that their kids will receive that are coming in to the home because they know the thought behind gift giving is love and generosity and they’re appreciative of these things, but the truth behind it and studies show that the majority of gifts that are given to kids are very rarely played for, and many things never even are removed from the original packaging and not played with beyond a week past the time that they are received.

(02:44):

So what can we do about this? And the answer is going back to really the basic thing that I talk about and it is being intentional. Be intentional. When someone asks you what your children want or what you want, when you are asked what, what do you want? Make sure you answer with something intentional. I am guilty of that. My daughter the last couple years has had very short gift wish lists or the things that are on them are at a much higher price point than would be something that the person asking for would be spending. That’s way, way, way out of their budget. Sometimes I am not that helpful in terms of this. The only thing that I can come up with sometimes is a gift card because she wants a $150 item. So if she could get a couple gift cards from different people, then she can put those together and go purchase that item as the same time that I would say that and share what the thing is that she wants.

(03:50):

The idea behind it is to compile the gift cards and purchase the one item. I also feel like in some senses, I don’t love giving gift cards because it doesn’t feel like a intentional gift that has a thought and love and meaning behind it. So I can struggle and going back and forth with that. And I know a lot of you don’t want gift cards and have gift cards in your wallet from years ago that you don’t spend. That’s also a common thing. Gift card, gift cards in your bag, your drawers at home collecting dust rather than being used. And stores love to sell gift cards because a lot of them are never redeemed. So there’s those things to think about and I just, I’m saying that because I think it will resonate with some of you. The struggle is real. There are many opportunities to get intentional gifts that do not add clutter.

(04:47):

And those are usually things, experiences, tickets to something, a membership to something. And if you are going to give this or if you are going to ask for this, make sure it’s something that you will actually use in the question of the day. Let me get to the question that came in. And it says, As the kids get older, finding a good present is hard. And I don’t know what to to get my older nephews. I’m also stressed out about the gifts that my kids will get and finding a place to keep everything when we already have too much stuff. I’m so annoyed thinking about it, I’m wishing we weren’t even exchanging anymore. But also like to give presents, What can I do? That question and parts of that question that come in, this is something that I hear year after year. This is the sentiment behind so many things.

(05:42):

And a lot of times when I talk to parents, it comes down to traditions or something that has gone on year after year where adult siblings exchange gifts with their nieces and nephews, they’re giving gifts, but it’s always what? What are we looking for? And maybe you can get a link sometimes, but as the kids get older, it can seem more difficult. I have tons and tons of nieces and nephews, so I can totally relate to this and see where you’re going. There are a few ways to approach this. Ask your family members or the people that you’re exchanging gifts with, if it’s time based on the ages to change the criteria of gift giving. Does a secret Santa gift exchange make sense? Does drawing names now make sense? Is there a shift that needs to happen in terms of buying quality gifts? Because if your budget is one price that may serve younger kids, but as teenagers, and as we all grow up, the gifts that they usually want and the things that they’re using are more expensive.

(06:47):

So going in together is an option where two or three people go in on one larger gift, or maybe it makes sense so that the budget is not affected drastically to do some type of a different swap or have the little kids exchange with each other and the older kids exchange with each other. So instead of buying 7, 10, 12 gifts for one family function, you are now buying two or three, possibly spending the same amount of money on two or three gifts instead of all the other gifts. A quality gift makes more sense than a bunch of smaller gifts that are only played with for a few days. That’s one thing that comes to mind in terms of the other things with gift giving. Go listen to episode 13. That is a gift guide and I don’t even remember it either. Has 50 or a hundred ideas of gifts that are not clutter.

(07:42):

Go listen to episode 13 because that is a gift guide. It has a so many lists for all ages, children to adults and everything in between for ideas of gifts that do not add to the clutter. They’re not physical belongings. They are things like tickets and memberships that I mentioned. And so, so many of them from very inexpensive to much more expensive. Everything in between, lots of them in there. Make sure you check that episode out. And then the other episode that I want you to listen to is episode 15, because that talks about the importance of purging and decluttering before the new gifts come into the home, and some strategies for you to be able to do that. So the second part of this question was you’re annoyed thinking about it. You feel like you don’t even wanna exchange gifts anymore, but also you like to give the present.

(08:36):

So when you are giving meaningful gifts, it feels good. When you just feel like you checked a box, that’s when the frustration sets in. So I understand what you’re saying and why you’re stressed out. Those two episodes will be big resources for you. Try to declutter an area in your home and create space for the gifts that are coming in. But if your kids have ideas on what they want or if you can talk through some things with them, experience gifts might be the way to go. Getting to go to a museum or a concert or a sports event for a local sports team. Or if you have a trip coming up, getting an activity paid for for that trip and you can wrap something up that makes sense for that activity. If there is some kind of a supplier or a special shoe or something that they would need to wear or used and able to do that, you can wrap that up in a certificate to go along with that.

(09:44):

Think about that for your own kids and for the gifts that you have to give. And again, if the kids are older, you don’t know what to get for them, try to go in with some other people if that’s not an option for you or really in any circumstance, talk to the the recipients. What do they want? What’s on their list? What do they truly want? And get behind that. And I know it’s more fun to pick something out and to have a special meaningful gift that it came from the heart from you instead of just being sent a link. And sometimes we can do that and sometimes it makes more sense to just go with that link the easy way and get them exactly what they want. Think about it with you. And when you receive something that isn’t what you will actually use, that gift just gets donated or it is stored in your home and becomes a burden for you and adds to the stress because it’s just clutter.

(10:39):

But there’s guilt there around getting rid of it. So be intentional with your gift giving and with the things that you are putting out there that your family is desiring. Hopefully this season will be a better gift giving and receiving time for you. Don’t forget to listen to episodes 13 and 15 because those have tactical ideas for you and strategies for how you can simplify and purge before those gifts come in for your kids. And tons and tons and tons of gift ideas. Thanks for listening. I’ll meet you back here at the end of the week for another episode. Thank you for listening to the Intentional Edit podcast. If you found today’s episode valuable, tell your friends about it by taking a screenshot, sharing it on social, and tagging me at intentional edit. I’ll be back soon with another episode. In the meantime, find me@intentionaledit.com and be sure to follow intentional edit on social platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. To ensure you catch future episodes, click the subscribe or follow button. Now. I am grateful for a five star rating and review from you. Be sure to let me know what you liked about this episode and what you want me to cover in the future.

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Lauren is the founder of Intentional Edit, a home organization and lifestyle company focused on consciously editing to create efficient and organized spaces. Lauren believes that a functional home that looks and feels good has a positive influence on all aspects of life. Creating systems that allow for the home to function more efficiently, therefore, eliminating most of the clutter and chaos is her priority. While trends come and go organization is always in style!

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