Clutter-Free Gift Ideas for the Whole Family
Since my husband and I have been together, we’ve lived a pretty minimalist lifestyle. Mostly because we’ve always lived in small apartments in big cities and never had space for much. But also because we hate clutter and the weight that stuff adds to our life. We bought our house three years ago and try to maintain a minimalist lifestyle the best we can, although stuff seems to pile up fast once you have more space (that could be a topic for a whole other blog post)!
Due to lack of space and our overall outlook on what’s important, my husband and I have never been big on giving each other gifts. Instead, we plan trips, make our favorite meals, or create special experiences to celebrate birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc. Now that we are parents, we've had to think about how we want our daughters to experience receiving and giving gifts (whether that's material gifts or experiences). My hope is for our daughters to be conscious about how gifts are exchanged and the meaning behind gift giving.
As I shopped for gifts this year, here are some questions I asked myself: Does this gift add clutter to our life or to the person who I am giving the gift to? Is this gift a one-time use or (if for our daughters) is it something that will be used for a short time and then forgotten and tossed aside? Does this gift add function to our everyday lives - meaning does it solve for a current shortcoming or fill a need? Does this gift facilitate in creating an experience or is it an experience in itself that will build family memories? Will this gift take up space in our home and if so, is there a designated space for this gift to live? I want to be clear, there is no right or wrong gift to give someone and you should not feel guilty if you buy a gift that doesn’t somehow meet one of the criteria’s mentioned above. There are a few gifts that I got my daughter that were toys that I thought she’d really, really like. And maybe she will get sick of it and toss it aside after a short time. The point is to avoid buying a gift just to check it off a list. Or not to buy gifts that the gift receiver can’t use or doesn’t want. We all remember receiving gifts as a child from that one relative that thought you were still five years old and loved fuzzy sweaters with kittens on it but in reality you were well into your teenage years and would never wear something like that. That is what we’re trying to avoid here!
So, I have put together some clutter-free gift ideas. And since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, I kept that in mind with this list. Some of these things can be done at home, virtually, or in-person with safety measures in place. Think outside of the box and be creative about how you can make some of these activities happen even though we can’t necessarily go to restaurants, spas, or to the movies.
Experiences:
Classes - cooking or baking class, swim lessons, Karate, photography, foreign language, sewing, dance, painting, music
Personal Chef
Movie Night In - put together a movie night box with cozy pajamas, popcorn, candy and anything else you enjoy while watching movies
Dinner Gift Card - this could be take-out at your favorite restaurant or cooking that person’s favorite meal at home
Parent/Child Date - there are so many things to do with your kids (outdoors and at home) so be creative!
Spa Day
Manicure/Pedicure
Tickets to the Zoo/Aquarium/Local Attractions
City Tour
Membership - Amazon, Audible, Children’s Museum, Theme Parks, Library, favorite Magazine, Netflix, Hulu
Family Trip - book an Airbnb nearby that is within driving distance to avoid flying and the crowds at airports
Gift card
Gas card
Services
Professional Organizing Session - of course I am a big fan of giving the gift of organization to someone you love. It can be life-changing!
House Cleaning Service
Yard Service
Pet Sitting
Babysitting
Prepared Meal Service
Consumables
Chocolates
Baked Goods
Chex Mix or salty treats
Charcuterie tray
Fruit basket
Prepared entree/meal
Coffee Beans
Tea varieties
Wine, beer or spirits
Physical Gifts That Add Function
Camera
iPad
Health and Fitness Tracking Device - there are tracking devices for children now too!
Flowers or a new house plant
Movie Projector
Kitchen Appliance - should be something that the household needs
Games - for the whole family
Educational toys
A new family pet
I’d love to hear your thoughts or ideas for more clutter-free gift ideas!