In the age of social media, it’s impossible not to notice that it’s suddenly December and everyone’s freaking out about Christmas.
I’m right there with you!
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas. The getting together with family and friends, the food, and the excitement of giving gifts. But I’m getting worse and worse at coming up with gift ideas for my loved ones, who are mostly fortunate enough to already have what they want/need (tough problem to have, right?!)
In case you’re in the same boat, I’ve brainstormed some non-gift gifts that you could give to your loved ones.
Gift an experience.
Take them out for a meal at their favourite restaurant. Hit up Red Balloon or Adrenalin for an exciting day they won’t soon forget. Shout them a massage, or movie tickets. Think about what they love to do, and see if you can give them more of that.
Gift your time.
Offer to clean their house, or babysit so they can have a night out. Maybe you can drive them to the shops or to appointments if they don’t have a car.
Gift your skills.
What are you awesome at? What do you do for work? Give that. Offer to be their PA for a day, and get their emails and filing and appointments organised. Maybe you’re a graphic designer — make them some personalised stationery. Know a trade? Offer to help them fix up a few things around the house that have been languishing on the to-do list for months.
Gift to charity.
Know a cause close to their heart? Make a donation in their name. This is a great one for those times when you feel like you’d be giving a gift just for the sake of it. Instead, put the money to excellent use, while showing your loved one that you get what’s important to them.
Gift your energy.
In the form of something you’ve made, just for them! One year I gave these and they were really fun to make (and eat!) Last year I gave platters of Christmas-y baked goods. This year I’m planning to get my craft on for a few gifts too (and I’m not crafty!!)
Gift gifts.
Ok, sometimes you really just want to give stuff. I hear ya. In this case, the internet is definitely your best friend. I’ve found Etsy to be a goldmine of beautiful, unique, fun and handmade gifts. Hardtofind has a terrific selection of gifts to suit all sorts of tastes. There are also heaps of rad sites out there that have taken the hard work out of the gift hunt, compiling great gift idea lists, like:
– Gift Ideas for Kids (Vanessa has a few gift guides, so be sure to click around a bit).
– Secret Santa Gift Ideas (ditto!)
– Lego Gifts that will Build you Friends
– 100 Most Unique Christmas Gifts 2014
