Giving of yourself—in the form of your time and energy—touches
the heart of loved ones and, if you’re trying to save money , go
green, or both, it’s a win-win.
Besides pet rocks and bouquets gathered from your garden, here
are lots of other good ideas that take more thought than gathering
items from the mall that are often not appreciated the way you
thought they would be…
What is an experience that you could share? Set a date to get
together for coffee or meet regularly every week or month. My
husband and I used to meet every Wed for lunch during our work
days so that we had time away from the kids to just get away and
be together to talk, plan, reminisce and share. Any anticipation of
a good time is something to enjoy!
Regift something you think a friend or family member would
enjoy. Maybe a good book you have, an item that you are not
really using that you bought with good intentions or a nice vase or
photo frame that you never got around to using as it was the
wrong size but is so chic.
Speaking of photo frames, choose a great photo you have come
across or dig out to share in a nice frame to enjoy great memories
and create more camaraderie.
Does everyone ask for the secret to your chocolate chunk
cheesecake? Maybe a friend would love the recipe for Grandma’s
vodka pasta sauce. Use recipe cards to write down instructions for
making your legendary dishes—or compile them in a booklet or
scrapbook—for a gift any foodie would treasure. Of course
preparing a favorite dish and delivering to the right person is
another option for enjoyment. Or a mix of items put together in a
mason jar or cute box that is a meal or dish to prepare easily with
all the ingredients at their fingertips.
A music mixtape of some of your favorites that a friend or family
member would enjoy is another thoughtful and heartfelt idea. It
can be payed over and over and provides warm feelings of caring.
A houseplant can be a great gift for the right person. Or put
together an art supply box or an exercise items box for just the
right folks in your life.
Create an inspiration by gifting a blank book that you have
embellished with inspirational quotes on several pages.
One of my favorites for kids to create is a coupon book for family
members offering to be of help in certain ways that can be
redeemed by the recipient such as do the dishes for a week, clean
off all of the bookshelves and books, take out the garbage for a
month, or clean mom’s car inside and out. Also house-sitting or
pet-sitting can be well-received.
Make this a Christmas filled with love and joy without spending a
fortune. Your time and thoughtfulness will be greatly
appreciated.