I cannot believe that I’m writing this post in October, but I know that many people are starting to think about “it”, so I thought I would conform to society and get this post written!
So what exactly is “it”?
Well, Christmas of course!
Yes, I, Suzanne Hines, just spoke of Christmas in October.
Pigs might actually be flying today. (I’m a totally self-proclaimed Christmas grinch who thinks that every holiday should have it’s own time in the spotlight, so therefore Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving. Listen, it’s not my fault Thanksgiving falls so late in the year and close to Christmas!)
ANYWAYS.
I thought that to go along with my posts last week on simplicity (HERE and HERE), I would throw out some of our ideas for alternatives to all those material gifts that start showing up this time of year. I mentioned in one of my tips for simplifying, that it does help to get rid of some stuff.
I think that one of the easiest things is getting rid of stuff (especially if it belongs to my kids). And the second easiest thing in the world is buying or acquiring stuff to replace the stuff that I got rid of (I’ve literally driven stuff to the donation bin at Goodwill, then gone into the store and bought about as much as I dropped off)!
These alternatives don’t necessarily save any money, but they do reduce a lot of clutter and almost all of them will last soooo much longer than a week or two.
Zoo/Museum passes and memberships
Do you live near a zoo or a museum that has an annual membership option? I would HIGHLY recommend this as a Christmas gift for littles. Usually, just one or two trips to the zoo or museum will end up paying for the membership.
Price: $100+
Magazine subscriptions
Tera got two magazine subscriptions for her birthday, and we have been loving both of them! I am sure that there are many more out there, and even more as kids start to get older, but we have been loving both God’s Big World (the preschool version of WORLD Magazine) and High Five (the preschool version of Highlights) Magazine.
Price: $30-$50
Box subscriptions
If you want to take it a step past a magazine, box subscriptions are where it is! These have been increasing in popularity lately, and there are box subscriptions for anything and everything nowadays! All it takes is a quick google search and you can have box subscriptions for clothes, makeup, jewelry, household items, dogs, high schoolers, middle schoolers, kids or preschoolers. I bet they have baby ones, too! Here are some that would be a huge hit in our household:
Tactical Monthly Subscription Box
Price: $50+
Babysitting/Childcare Exchange
The hardest part about living away from family is the fact that we don’t get much offered to us in the way of babysitting or childcare. One gift that I will gladly take is babysitting or childcare. I wouldn’t say no to a camp Grandpa and Grandma/Aunt and Uncle offer, either (wink wink hint hint).
This doesn’t just apply to grandparents or relatives, though! So many people can give the gift of babysitting, and boy is it a fabulous gift!
Price: Free and Priceless (ok, maybe a bit of a time commitment).
Family Board Games
Ok, this one is a material possession and it will bring a bazillion little pieces into your home, BUT since it promotes family bonding and activities, I think it can slide into this list. We love board games around here, and it’s been so fun seeing Tera learn how to play them, too! Our favorites are:
Price: $30-$80
Massage/Pedicure/Manicure Gift Cards
I mean…self-explanatory, right? This would make a fantastic gift!
Price: $50+
Tickets to a show/concert
Again, this is fairly self-explanatory. Is there a concert or a show that you know someone would love to go to? Buy them a ticket as a gift! One of my best birthday presents EVER was when my parents bought me tickets to the Creation Music Festival (I was 15, y’all). I will never forget that! Bonus points if you can also go with them!
Price: $100+
Gift Cards to a Grocery Store or Restaurant
I know I’m showing my lameness here, but if someone gave me a gift card to Aldi for Christmas, I wouldn’t be mad. LOL. That being said, this gift can be elevated much more highly than a grocery store gift card. A nice restaurant gift card for a couple (or even a single guy/guy), or your favorite local restaurant/cafe/coffeeshop are all great ideas!
Price: $30-$100
Sports, Music or Swimming Lesson Payments
When I posted about putting Tera in soccer this year, I got some funny comments about how cheap it was for us ($40 for the season!). If only it was that cheap as the child gets older! Putting money towards or paying for a sports team or lessons can go so far, especially if it’s something the child has really wanted! I know that my kids would LOVE to have swimming lessons or piano lessons. Here in the Dayton area we have both Aqua Tots and Goldfish Swim School, and I know that they have those all over the country!
Price: However much you want to give, but up to $200
Passes or Vouchers to Kids Fun places like trampoline parks, mini golf
Although similar to a museum or zoo, this is more of a one-time trip and can be SUPER fun! We have loved our local places like Get Air, Sky Zone, Young’s Jersey Dairy and Run Around Fun Town. All of these are great places to take kids, but the price can really add up. A couple tickets to keep on hand for a cold winter day to an indoor fun place is like giving Mom a grip of sanity!!!
Do you have any other ideas to add to the list? I’d love to hear!
Thanks so much for your very practical and creative suggestions Suzanne, as these are very helpful ! 🙂 Merry almost Christmas (oh, and Thanksgiving 😉 to you and your famity,friend! ( smiles and hugs) ~Psalm 150,Luke 1 & 2~