​Can you believe it??

It’s already December and the holiday season is in FULL swing! But boy hasn’t 2020 been a unique year?

Maybe that means you start new traditions.

Maybe it’s been a year for reflection on what matters most to you.

Maybe it’s been a year that’s challenged you to do things differently.

So let’s talk gifts and gift giving.

Ever felt that holiday gift guilt?? 

You know, when someone gives you a gift and you didn’t get them one and you feel guilty you didn’t reciprocate.

Or maybe the holiday gift anxiety?

The-stressing-out because you can’t figure out WHAT to give Aunt Mary.

Gifts and the holidays have been so ingrained into our cultures, but have you ever stopped to ask yourself those deeper questions?

When we’re feeling guilty or anxious about giving gifts, have you ever stopped to question if it’s something you really want to be doing?

And oftentimes, I find that so many are plagued by the post-holiday clutter.

You know what I’m talking about, right?

The gift that someone gave but it’s not something you really wanted.

Or maybe the toy the kids really really wanted that was played with for only a short time on Christmas day and then lands into the pile of toys to be long forgotten about.

The climax and the high of the gift unwrapping is transformed into just STUFF.

So what would it look like this year if you adopted a simpler holiday season?

What if instead of just buying a gift for everyone “just because”, you actually put intention behind it?

What would it look like if you gave experiences or things over tangible items?

There are plenty of experience-based gifts that have the power to keep on giving beyond just the excitement of Christmas morning. Think tickets to a theme park, a spa day, or art lessons.

Does your cousin really need the fuzzy socks? Or did you get them because it fits within your budget and you felt like you “should” get her something?

Now, I also love giving gifts and I love the excitement on my kids faces on Christmas morning.

So how do we become intentional with the gifts we do buy?

Asking yourself some key questions can help..

• Do I really need to buy this person a gift or could I show them love and my appreciation for them in some other way?
• Is there a consumable item that they might appreciate?
• Do they really want this item?
• Will it be useful for them?
• Is it something that will last and they’ll enjoy for awhile, not just a fleeting time? (Aka: the kids toys)
• Is it something I’m okay with fixing, picking up, repairing, etc?
• Is there something that they need that I might buy for them already, (i.e pajamas, fun clothes) that I can gift?

In our family, we make Christmas morning the exciting part and I make stockings the highlight of the morning. They are filled with all kinds of useful, consumable items that aren’t going to be clutter in my house within a few weeks.

The holidays can still be amazingly fun without all the clutter.

Incorporate fun new traditions to make the holidays focus on memories and experiences, rather than the gifts.

I mean, when you think about it…when you think back to your childhood, do you remember the essence of Christmas and the traditions or do you remember the exact gifts you received?