It’s that time of year again…Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday have all come and gone, but my inbox was flooded with sales promotions and gift guides again today. I’m pretty sure these aren’t going to stop appearing anytime soon either!

I truly enjoying buying gifts for others. I love finding the perfect gift for the recipient, something they will use and truly enjoy…I even enjoying wrapping presents and making the wrapping a part of our holiday festivities year after year. Having said that, I also see the other side of the gift giving season that we are in. The last few years I have become increasingly more aware of the struggle of gift giving, the amount of gifts that go unused and the stress of it all.

Recently I’ve been listening to podcasts and doing some research about gift giving trends and I stumbled upon a feed on Facebook that I found to be interesting.

A grandmother was looking for gift ideas for her grandchildren of various ages, she posted the following…

Please help, in need of good Christmas gift ideas for grandchildren (girls are 4, 10, 14 and 16, boys are 10, 16 and 17). I live nearby all but 2 and see them regularly but am struggling with ideas for Christmas this year. It seems I get worse at choosing the right gift each year. Your help is appreciated.

Since this was a recent post from November 2018 I was interested in the feedback and was hoping to get some ideas for my own shopping too. I scrolled though pages and pages of comments, there were more than 650 at the time I was reading, and they were all similar. The message these comments was conveying was loud and clear to me! Let’s see if it is to you.

Comments on the grandmothers post for the gift giving ideas included…

Money towards something they really want
Tickets to an event, the zoo, childrens museum, etc
Membership to age appropriate activities where they live
Money or airline gift cards for the two that don’t live near you
Gas money, car wash certificate for the older kids that can drive
Nothing that makes noise or adds to all the toys I’m sure they already have and don’t really play with anyway
Art supplies, play dough, clay, paint for the younger ones – these get used up and you can always use more when they run out
Pay for a class or activity they would like to join
Money
My daughter spends thousands of dollars on competitive sports for her kids, you could contribute to that if you have any athletes in the family. Also, the equipment and clothing for these sports is very expensive, buying the seasons uniform or new piece of equipment would benefit the child and parent and actually be an item that gets used.
Something that gets them outdoors and away from the tv and tablets
Open a college savings account and add to it for each holiday and birthday or whenever you can
Don’t get a toy or the latest gadget – as a nanny of over 30 years these items never get used or are only played with once or twice, they take up space and waste your money.
Gift cards to a place where they can get a special treat like ice cream shop or frozen yogurt and an activity center like a trampoline park or indoor place place. They can spend an afternoon playing and enjoying life and then stop for a treat on the way home.
Money or gift cards so an item you buy doesn’t become a dust collector
Pay for a music lessons or instrument rental
Tickets to a show or concert coming to town
Put money in a savings account for them to use at a certain age
Savings Bond for college
Swimming lessons or lessons of another kind
Money towards a savings account/college fund! My son just turned one and we don’t need another single toy. He plays with cardboard boxes more than the actual toys.
Unless they are asking for something specific a toy or gadget will only be short lived if any interest at all, it’s sad to say but gift cards or money are the way to go
Something the family can do together, gift card to restaurant and miniature golf or family activity
Pay for a sport or music lesson
Paint, markers, crayons – gifts that encourages creativity – anything supply that gets used up and needs to be replaced frequently.
Money
Is there an activity they want to take that you can pay for all or some of it?
Not another toy or kit, there is a good possibility it will still be in the package next Christmas
Gift card or tickets to a play or show they want to see in the coming months

Do you see it? The message I’m getting from all of these people is that we can forget what has become the traditional gift giving and mass consumerism that consumes us this time of year…as a society are we FINALLY starting to put more value on experiences over things?

I could have easily read through these comments and taken a stance – my conclusion could of been that these people are taking the joy out of the holiday and not wanting grandparents to spoil their grandchildren with gifts and materialistic items.

BUT

I looked at it the exact opposite way. I see potential and hope that people are finally realizing that the magic of the holiday season is not about consumerism. It’s not about the newest gadget or toy (that is forgotten by January 15th anyway). We may finally be getting back to the heart of the holiday and can start using our gift giving as a way to instill the idea that experiences are more important than things.

With that being said, here is what you have been waiting for…

40 GIFTS

that will actually be used, won’t cause clutter and will truly be enjoyed by the recipient

Gift Certificates to play places, trampoline park, adventure course, museums, aquarium, science center, etc
A year membership to the local zoo, children’s theater, children’s museum, etc
Food Baskets/Boxes – there are plenty of pre packaged baskets or delivery options this time of year
Food service throughout the year – Plenty of options like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh. Who wouldn’t enjoy fresh ingredients and new dinner recipes arriving at the front door?!?
Fresh citrus, apples or meat delivered to your front door. We order our beef and pork from a farm – health nuts would appreciate quality pasture raised products from a farm like Five Marys
A monthly club for something that is used up like wine of the month, beer of the month, etc
Tickets to a concert
Tickets to a play, show, symphony or theater
Plane tickets or airline gift card – even if you can’t afford the full amount this can go towards a future trip
Membership or gift card to an activity like pottery painting, art painting, cooking, etc
Tuition to an extra curricular class
Art supplies and tools for arts and crafts
Subscription to an online book club or service such as Audible
Gift certificate for a photography session for family photos
Gift certificate to the car wash or for an auto to be detailed
Massage or spa service gift certificate or membership
Restaurant gift cards
Membership to Amazon Prime
$ towards an activity or excursion for someone to do on an upcoming trip
Horseback riding lessons or trail ride
Lessons or classes of any kind that the person has expressed interest in – if supplies are a requirement to participate then those can accompany the gift as well
National Parks Pass or State Park Pass
Disneyland/Disney World tickets or annual pass
Admission to a waterpark or theme park
Movie Passes or gift certificate
Pay for a service – home cleaning, landscaper, accountant, home organizer, pet sitter, etc
Summer camp or club
Tickets to a local sporting event
Costco membership
Airbnb gift card
Swing set, trampoline or other backyard activity
Donation to a charity in the person’s name
Miniature golf, ice skating or indoor arcade, bowling alley, Top Golf gift certificate
iTunes gift card
Hotel or staycation package
Music lessons and instrument rental
Lift tickets or season pass to ski resort
Supplies to build and take care of a garden
Pay for a sport or club they will join in the upcoming months
Money

Are you contributing to the magic of the season or adding to the stress? There are plenty of gifts to give that will give the gift of experience rather than the gift of clutter. What are you gifting this holiday season?

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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!