I've been making my list and checking it twice - so I can cross people off it. Now, please forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but I caught a bit of flack for my gift giving post , and may have come off as a bit of an ungrateful Scrooge. Scrooge? Perhaps, but not ungrateful, honest! Part of the difficulty in writing my musings is straddling that fine line between truth and tact, and to be fair, tact has never been my strong suit. What I meant to communicate was that it's awesome and fabulously kind when someone thinks of us and gets us a little something. Having said that, let's be honest here - how many people on your Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza/Solstice/Generic Holiday list are you buying things for because you feel like you have to or should? How many of them do you know well enough to have an inkling of what they would like? This is my point. We so often buy out of obligation, allowing gift giving to burden our hearts and our pocketbooks. And what of the gift, now destined to become clutter? THINK ABOUT THE POOR GIFTS, PEOPLE! No more, I say, no more! Let us be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Dear Reader! So, I'm following Laura's Rules of Simplified Gift Giving this year:
1. If I don't know what someone would like, I will a) ask them or b) present them with a Clutter Free Gift.
2. Clutter Free Gifts for everyone I am "obligated" (read: would be really, really awkward if I didn't) buy for. Family pictures for scrapbooks ,gift cards, homemade baking mixes for banana/zucchini/super-healthy-raw-sprouted-algae breads (I'm making YOU the last one), purchased edibles, etc. It's also fun to let them pick their present - let them leaf through a book of sewing patterns, recipes, etc and choose what they like. Then you make it (uuuum, sure - I'll get right on that 45 layer crepe cake. But are you sure you wouldn't like tacos instead?).
3. Wherever possible, opt for a Memory or Experience Gift. A Memory Gift is a photo album, scrapbook, framed photo, etc. An Experience Gift is a night of free babysitting, a meal together, a day at the museum, etc. You know, all those things that your Tween or Teen will love. Heh heh.
And that's it! I don't care if you've been naughty or nice, I love you regardless. BUT. When you add up parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends of cousins, dentists, the guy who got rid of your bedbug infestation last year, your pen pal in Borneo, etc, OH MY GOSH THE CRAZY! Here are some things that we're giving this year:
ATTN GRANDPARENTS: IF YOU ARE READING THIS, STOP IMMEDIATELY OR SANTA WON'T BRING YOU ANYTHING BUT COAL!
www.Snapfish.com has great deals on photo books, mugs, mousepads, what-have-you. And it's really easy to use - score!
"The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" cookbook by Mollie Katzen has some awesome quickbread recipes (or just google some) that make for easy mixes to give. You can also look for simple recipes for homemade granola, etc.
Gift cards! Who doesn't like a Starbucks card? If you don't, what's wrong with you? Other great ones are fabric.com (for the sewing fanatic in your life - hint hint), iTunes, Sephora, you name it! Or just give good old fashioned cash - check out
http://www.stickitrightonthemoney.com/ for creative ways to give it.
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