25 Useful Christmas Gift Ideas 2021
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- I know that it's too early to start talking about Christmas gift ideas...but hear me out. If we can get a bunch of gifts knocked out NOW, it will make the holiday season more enjoyable! Plus, when we're not feeling behind, we can put more thought into gifts and make them more meaningful!
How to opt out of gift exchanges (without looking like a scrooge) :: cli.re/opt-out
Blog Post with all gifts AND printable bundt cake recipes! :: cli.re/Gift-Id...
What teachers want for Christmas (written by a Teacher) :: cli.re/teacher...
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Looking forward to hearing your practical gift ideas or how you work ahead! You can see everything together here: cli.re/Gift-Ideas-2021
- What teachers want for Christmas (written by a Teacher) :: cli.re/teacher-gift
- How to opt out of gift exchanges (without looking like a scrooge) :: cli.re/opt-out
Thanks Dawn! Where is your teapot from please? 🌞✌️💕
My sister and I live in different states, and she sends me a Christmas gift box each year. She always includes her home-made snack mix called "nuts & bolts", and it wouldn't be Christmas for me without that! I love it, but never have time to make it.
Thanks Dawn....I love all of these gift ideas.💡
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Gift cards in envelopes marked January through December so the couple has monthly date nights for the upcoming year.
several years ago my husband and I had some major unexpected expenses come up in Nov which meant the holiday was going to be hard for us. My grandmother was 84 years old and there was NOTHING she needed, but one thing she had never done in her life was to go to a Red Sox baseball game, and I know she listened to every game on the radio and then when she got TV, watched every game. She loved her red sox! My husband and I drew out this really cute coupon that said on May 12th you are receiving a trip to Boston to the Red Sox, and included a baseball cap and a small redsox key chain. The even more fun thing was that the day we chose to take her there was her b-day. So we took her to dinner as well as the game............ and the Red Sox WON!!!
What a thoughtful, loving gift! She's blessed to have you both.
Yaaasss!! Go Sox! Great idea! The gift that keeps on giving…⚾️🧢🏟
Beautiful ! She must have been over the moon ! GO, SOX ! I took my kids to a game there once on a Boston trip, in the late 1990s. SO fun !
🧦🧦🧦🌭🌭🌭⚾️⚾️⚾️❤️❤️❤️☀️☀️☀️
Goosebumps!
Our family gathered for pizza and then we rented a "party bus" that fit our entire extended family. The bus took us to all the best Christmas lights in the city. We played Christmas music and stopped for hot chocolate along the way. It was a memorable evening.
This is incredibly unique and lovely. I want to use this idea!
That sounds like SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!
@@iheargeese It sure was! We are going to do it again this year!
@@amberheiden7462 you'll love it!
I love that. When my children were young, we would go for a drive to see all the Christmas lights. I would make hot cocoa, sandwiches, and cookies and we would sing carols. We had so much fun.
One of my favourite gifts ever. When I was a poverty-stricken university student, as one of my xmas gifts my mother made up a shoebox (literally) full of toiletries. Not even anything fancy, just ordinary toothpaste, deodorant, etc. I was thrilled because i didn't have to spend my scarce money on boring but necessary stuff. When my brother was poverty-stricken at college, my mother suggested i give him a bath towel because she knew he didn't have a decent one, and he was thrilled. Gifts don't have to be fancy, just meaningful to both the giver and the gifted.
hahahahha
I agree! Sometimes these simple gifts really help someone and mean a lot!
My sister bought my a hair towel wrap for after the shower 16 years ago and it’s still in perfect condition and I still use it. I’ve also received two bath sheets as a gift from my mom one year and I love them still!
I give bubble bath and Epsom salts!
YES! One of my favorite Christmas gifts as a college student was a big box with toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, and laundry supplies. I was so thankful, I was able to eat more than ramen and spaghetti for the next couple of months since I did not have to buy that stuff.
I was talking to my 14 yr old last night on what he wants this year. He looked at me and said "you know I really can't think of anything. I have everything I need." This is after years of FOLLOWING YOU DAWN and practicing minimalism. It just filled my heart. This year has been so hard for so many reasons including lots of parenting doubt, but in that moment I was like I'm doing just fine. Thank you Dawn for continuing to spread such an important message.
For the past 3 years when I asked my youngest granddaughter (she just turned 10 two months ago), what she would like for her birthday or Christmas, she just smiles and says I have everything I need or want! She is such a loving and grateful child! I am so blessed!! She loves to read, so I try to find her a new book, a reading lamp, etc. She is really active, so I let her pick out some new tennis shoes or t-shirts. Her family just moved to a rather small town and bought a large property as well as rescued 4 horses, so I will be giving her money (and a few small gifts), so she can buy what she needs.
Your son is so sweet.
As a busy mom, I would love to receive a freezer meal with disposable plates and silverware. A night off from cooking & dishes!!
YES! Cooked food or massage 💆♀️
What a fantastic idea!
Love this idea!
I totally agree, I love it when my friends make me a meal I can heat up for my family and I get a night off making dinner!
In the interest of being mindful of single use items, perhaps a freezer meal, combined with a live in family member's promise of the clean up :)
When my kids were in university and didn't have a lot of disposable income we started doing recycled Christmas. We loved it so much that 20 years later we are still doing it. All gifts you give have to be either something you already own or something you make. I had things in house like new sheet sets in the original packaging, grandpa's shirts to make memory pillows, a evening clutch that was great grandma's. The handmade gifts were sometimes funny sometimes practical. All in all it has lead to much better Christmas gift giving and we haven't been to the mall in years.
I think this would be the neatest! Yet few think like we do, easier to go buy something off the shelf.
Going red and GREEN!
We like baking some extra Christmas cookies to add to our friends gifts or to give to our neighbours (that would probably also be a nice activity to do with kids). Another thing my uncle and family always have done is make calendars, adding a photo that they have made during the past year to each month's calendar.
We've done this a few times. Especially now that everyone is an adult.
This is Awesome!! Love this idea ♥️
We’ve begun a tradition of asking that our 8 children and their families don’t give us gifts, and instead do a service or make a donation to something they are passionate about then write down the story of their experience. It has made Christmas even more meaningful and created strong bonds. I hope this tradition carries on forever!
What a wonderful idea
This made my day! Thank you for the tip! What a way to teach our next generation to be kind💞
We get my elderly mother a ‘subscription’ for a bouquet of fresh cut flowers once every month for the entire year. It is very special to her and they don’t last forever which is great. They swap out the vases every time. So no clutter.
Can you share where you got this?
My daughter got my parents a "cheese of the month" club last year -- for four months. So yummy! And the best part was, they let me share!
@@superjac2646 You can set this up through your local flower shop - we called it a standing order. I have great memories of the sweet lady I made deliveries to each month!!
What a great idea for older people who don't need anything else cluttering up their house!
My brother and his wife gifted us a weekend of yardwork (plus homemade Thai for dinner) one year. It was amazing - they moved a bunch of bushes(!) and logs, helped us declutter our barn AND made a wonderful dinner. Best gift ever!!
That is what I'd pick! Help is a wonderful gift!
Wow. That's was so cool of them to gift to you all.
My parents are retired and like consumable gifts like car wash, oil change, and hair salon gift certificates. It's something they definitely will use and enjoy!
Sounds good to me
That's all the extra I would love! Pedicure, a starbucks coffee, a card to a favorite store. If I'm low on money invite someone for breakfast or out to lunch, make a dinner.
Great ideas!
Love receiving pedicures! 👍🤗💅
Manicures are great too!💖😉
My parents are gone and my in-laws are older (in their mid-80s). They have anything they want/need and are very independent and refuse to ask for help. My husband and I and his brother and wife give them snow removal for Christmas the last few years. We hire someone to plow their driveway and shovel their walkway anytime there's 2 or more inches of snow. Some years cost more than others but it's made them so happy and we don't have to worry but them going out and doing it or us having to go over after work and doing our own driveways etc. It's been wonderful and they have been thrilled with it!!
My parents are in their 80's and don't need to add to their very cluttered home! Many years ago I started sending them bird seed and suet cakes for special occasions and holidays. They love attracting birds to their yard. I've learned that consumable gifts are awesome! Tammy in N Alabama. 🙋♀️
I love that idea, my parents would LOVE THAT! 😍
I LOVE THIS! 🐦
This idea is so great!!
I love this idea so much! For myself, for my mom etc!
This is a great idea!
My father in law sends a Christmas Wreath to all of his children and grandchildren. I love getting it! We get a beautiful wreath for our door, and we each post a pic on FB. It is fun to see all our doors decorated by Grandpa!
That's so nice!
@@MsEgwene very nice
I love this idea!
Awww, I love this!!!! :)
That is just about the sweetest thing I've ever heard!
My Dad passed away in April (he had pancreatic cancer). I'm so grateful that I had made his favorite candy (homemade almond roca) for Christmas every year for a few years before he passed. He didn't need stuff, but he sure enjoyed that special homemade gift. I also gave his two doggies gift packages of dog treats and chew toys. This was meaningful for him because he LOVED his dogs so much!
One year I made gift boxes. Two I remember, in particular. One was a box for entertaining to my mom, who became anxious about having even a small number of guests. The box included everything she'd need, from napkins and paper plates to a cheesecake she could freeze and thaw when she needed it. The other was to a hard-working niece: a day in bed. It included what she would have earned working that day, a book, snacks, etc.
Greta, the day in bed is fab!! So thoughtful
When my mother in law was a live. We picked a day between thanksgiving and Christmas. She made lunch for me and I wrapped all her gifts for her. We had great fun and had special time together each year.
That sounds so special. I’m glad you have the memories as well!! 😊🙏🏼❤️
You obviously had a very close relationship with your mother-in-law. What a thoughtful thing to do for her!
@ Sue Tillman
That is so sweet. Thank you for sharing!
Last year all the grandkids bought my grandmother a digital photo frame that connects with WiFi so the whole family can send pictures to it. She loves it, it’s a way for her to stay connected with the family, a specially those who live further away. She loves getting pictures and videos of the great grandkids. So if you have a older person that’s not tech savvy this is great gift😊
We gave my in-laws a Ceiva frame and subscription over a decade ago, and pay for the annual renewal every year too. It has been one of the best gifts ever. Every family submits pics of the grandkid and great-grandkid activities, special events, trips, school stuff, etc; and its on the frame without them having to do a thing. It was a hard sell to my extended family that this would be a great gift, mostly explaining how it worked, but they fully got on board once they saw how it required no effort on my in-laws part; it was easy to upload photos to share, how much joy it brought them and they felt more connected to our busy families in case we didn't get to see them for awhile.
Interesting! I've never heard of such a thing.. I'm not the most techy person. But i'm going to look for this for my parents!
When my son was about nine my income was very low. I gave my son IOU's for Christmas for movies or future events during the next several months. I wrapped the hand written IOU up in a small box. He was not all that thrilled at first but he understood about the situation. He got excited when a new sci fi movie came out... he would bring me the IOU to cash in and we would go to see any new movie that came out even if it was 6 months later. It is a cherish memory now. That was being a minimalist 40 years ago!
Thats super cute, necessity really is the mother of some great new Christmas traditions! : )
I’m a piano teacher and one year I got almost $100 in Starbucks gift cards. I rarely treat myself to things like coffee out (it’s so much cheaper to make it at home and ya girl has student loans to pay off!) so this was such a treat. It lasted for MONTHS and I got to think of my students and how lucky I am to have students and families I work with each time I treated myself to a cheeky little Starbucks. We ❤️ gift cards almost as much as we love teaching!!!
I retired in June and I'm still using my Starbucks cards. Terrific on trips! Tip for giver - use a Sharpie and write your kiddo's name on the card. I would have loved to send the student a selfie when I use the card!
100% agree, gift cards and a handwritten note are the BEST teacher gifts!! Hotel coffee just doesn't cut it, not the same as what I make at home. My family just traveled for fall break, I toted 3 Starbucks gift cards with me from last year's students' Christmas gifts.
I’m a violin & piano teacher. I also have small dogs. Several of my students over the years have given me dog treats as gifts, usually in bone-shaped tins or whatever the special holiday packaging of the year happens to be! Very much appreciated. I open the container in their presence & then let them feed the first ones to the dogs. It’s a big hit with everyone!!
I am s
I decided a few years ago to pare down the gifts for my grandchildren. They get plenty of stuff! Now they get an item of clothing, and a coupon for an individual trip to the donut shop with Grandma. I wrap both item, and put them in a large packing box, available at Walmart for around $2. I do not wrap the box. As it turns out the box is the best part. They play with those boxes the whole Christmas vacation. They color them, they glue things on them, they turn them into cars and rockets and doll houses. They get in them with their blankets and read. By the time the tree comes down, the boxes are ready to recycle.
The ten year old has already asked if his Christmas present would be in a big box this year. Of course it will be!! I will give them boxes as long as they want them. After all, a box can always be put to good use in their closet.
I love spending time with my gran and I bet your grandchildren cherish the time with you. Not to mention a nice little break for their parents ; 0
I love the idea of a trip to the donut shop! If the kids don’t like donuts, it could be some other fun place, maybe ice cream shop!
One year I gave my dad, uncle and brother-in-law a “gift certificate” for a “cookie of the month club” for a year. I would choose a different kind of cookie every month and give them each a dozen. My dad said it was the best gift ever.
What a great idea!!
That is amazing!!!! Totally steeling this idea, loooove it!
Great idea! I'd love to be on the receiving end of that!
I did this for my elderly parents who were many miles away. I sent them through the post office. They loved it.
The most meaningful gift I have ever received is from my daughter. Years ago, she took a small gift box and taped pieces of paper inside with different attributes about me. I will forever cherish that gift. She has grown up and moved over 3,000 miles away, but is right here in my Heart.
I love that - handmade heartfelt gift
What a touching gift!
How sweet!
I put my 14 year old in charge this year. She made an Amazon linked Google Doc and asked at family parties if the items she thoughtfully picked were the right thing. Everyone was grateful and surprised. I have been purchasing what I can each payday from her list. She wraps as they come. It’s a huge burden for me to figure out what to give and handle it all myself. She’s doing amazing and under budget too! Great math assignment.
I love this idea so much!!! Amazing to hear how well it’s working out!
Great idea! It sounds like your daughter is enjoying it.
What a great idea
Wow, that's awesome
Great idea!!!
My daughter has special needs and because of this she has large number of teaches and therapists. We always give a gift card and handwritten card and this year we will also give them a bottle of real vermont maple syrup and a small package of pancake mix.
Years ago for my husband’s grandmother, who insisted on no more “stuff”, we went in with his sisters on a flower/plant subscription for 12 months. She LOVED calling us each month to describe what had arrived and give us updates on how the plants were doing. It was such a great feeling to see how happy this simple gift made her.
I am a special education teacher-I had the joy of working with a student for 4 years, by year 3 the mom made the comment that she was running out of Christmas ideas, so she made home made caramels along with a note written by the student...It was by far my favorite gift! I know it gets expensive with you try to consider all the teachers, paraprofesssionals, and therapist!
I can't remember where I heard this but my family actually followed the suggestion. My daughter went to the store with my husband and they picked put a pretty notebook/journal. I have four children and all four write in it for me for either my birthday, (which is close to Christmas) and Mother's Day. I LOVE reading their memories or their words of appreciation. Better than any gift.
What a great and meaningful idea! I think I will definitely implement this when we have kids 🥰
Last year I started a new tradition of gifting printed copies of my 5 favorite new recipes from the past year. It's a way to share a bit of my life with family members and friends that I don't get to see all the time. One way to make it more "gift-y" would be to include a specialty ingredient that is needed for one of the recipes.
You could offer to make it for them! Food is always a good gift!
Great idea!
Love this idea! Thanks for sharing!
Great idea!
I love this idea!
We look forward to my mom's gift the most every year. She gets us a bag of groceries- but it's all the fancy stuff from Trader Joe's that we wouldn't think about treating ourselves to. Like, the rainbow of honey or maple syrup, nice chocolate, etc.
Yes! However, I make it even easier. One Trader Joe item and a TJ gift card attached and “wrapped” in a TJ reusable bag.
And you can think about her for several weeks after Christmas as you enjoy the treats!
Oh I also love the rainbow of honey from there. 💖
Love this! I would love something like this because I tend to always go for the same stuff when i buy groceries.
@@glendaslanina9939 they even put out Christmas prints on their bags, I use them for wrapping or gift tags also!
This may sound rather bizarre, but when my family asks what I want for Christmas the number one thing I say is toilet paper. As a single mom struggling to get by it is the one thing I hate having to spend money on and I really don't need any clothes or clutter. Receiving tp or paper towels, laundry and dish soap makes me happy.
Completely agree! And "fancy* dish soaps, good paper towels or new tea towels. New pretty sponges.
My sister was the same. A struggling single mom. But those gifts helped her so much so she could focus on getting through school to support her kids.
Seems like small stuff, but when any one of these things runs out, their value is enormous. My parents had to pinch pennies, too, and I sure don't know how a package of four rolls of tp for the 6 of us lasted from one shopping trip to the next.
I don't hoard these things, but I do make sure we have enough to make it through a major ice or snowstorm or electrical outage, etc. without having to go to the store on treacherous roads. Right now we have some flooding from heavy rains.
I get this 100%…these are items that cost a good deal of money yet are literally flushed or washed down the drain. When on a tight budget, it’s sometimes very hard to decide which you need more, TP or milk?
It’s not bizarre at all! For our family and friends a bale of TP from Costco is the go to gift for housewarmings and now has started to show up on other holidays. It is always a great gift.
Minimalist Teacher here - Seriously, a thoughtful notes in a card is worth a million bucks to us!!!
$5 coffee gift cards are also the bomb. Teachers are always exhausted, and they come in extra handy on those cold, dark winter mornings.
Something my Grandmother did for years that I loved…. She put together family history stories for all her grandkids. Each year we got a few more pages to add to our binder telling the story of one of our ancestors.
Now that she has passed, I’m so grateful to have those to share with my kids.
I’m giving my family a questionnaire this years, like “what’s your favorite snacks, restaurant, department store, movie, etc..” then creating a custom gift basket personal to each of them.
Would you be so kind to share your questionnaire and how you were going to put it together. At what point will you be giving it to them?
Great idea!
Live done something like this for my kids one year with ”giftcards” for different experiences, they loved it!
We have done this for our kids and their spouses for years! At a family gathering a while back, we handed everybody an index card and told them to write their name, bday, fav color and also fav color to wear, fav salty snack, sweet snack, bottled drink, gum, restaurant, dessert, and food. (I keep all the cards in a little bag). Now my adult daughter gives each one a gift bag of these items for their birthdays. ❤️
I do this w girlfriends on my street but for mini birthday parties. Our husbands sometimes drop the ball on bdays, but we throw very specific bdays at craftnight. She likes lavender, Kevin Bacon, Target and lemon desserts? Ok, lavender candle, Footloose napkins, $10 Target gift card, lemon cupcakes and a bottle of wine that happens to have an artsy lemon on the label! It's hilarious and touching
Once my grandparents got into their 80s I started making meals for them for their birthdays and Christmas - soup, chicken pot pies, shepherd's pie. Food they enjoyed that could be frozen so they just had to thaw it and heat in the microwave or a pot on the stove. They both loved it! And as a bonus, I felt good giving them something made with love.
I did similar one year for my in laws. They both were going through chemo and didn't need anything nor did they want anything with mortality in the back of everyone's minds. I made them a bunch of meals so they didn't need to cook. I had forgotten about this. Thank you for the memory!
As a grandmother of 76 years old, this would be such an appreciated gift!!
I did this with my grandma!!! Anytime I cooked soup, chili, etc I always froze a bowl or two for her. One Christmas she got a huge cooler all wrapped up. She said it was the best gift ever
My dad has everything he wants. I decided on experiences for him - zip lining, hiking, helicopter rides, pro games, etc.. He’s never been happier than to spend time with me.
As a quilter, I have lots of scrap fabric, so at the holidays I find making gift bags then filling with homemade treats are always a treat!
Oh, fun if you have the skill and the time!
My parents give the kids music lessons - they pay for the kids' piano, drum, and guitar lessons. They also give us the gift of going to family camp - they pay for most of the camp fee. Best gifts ever!
One gift that women in my life seem to enjoy is a gift certificate to their hair dresser !!! They love being able to get their hair cut or done to pamper themselves and it supports a local business
Clever!!
I always ask for a hair salon gift certificate for Christmas from my parents when they ask. Then I’ll go and get a balayage that’ll look great until next Christmas 😆 They know how much I appreciate it, not only for the actual hair update but because it’s such a treat for me as a student and a mother of two little ones to go get pampered all by myself. Having someone else wash my hair feels SO luxurious, haha!
Yes! Or a massage place because momma deserves it! Lol
I used to give my mom a gift certificate to her hair dresser. She loved it.
Last year my brother bought me and my husband a new type of spaghetti sauce, noodles, a sparkling cider, and a nice candle for Christmas so we could have a date night at home and also get to try something new. It was delicious and probably one of the best gifts I have gotten in a long time.
Love this idea!!!! ❤️
That is so sweet
So thoughtful!
Great idea!
My grandma loved sending out birthday cards, so every year I gave her a roll of stamps, Walgreens gift card and some flowers! Her favorite gifts every year!
This is my 9th year teaching.... LOVE LOVE LOVE gift cards! 😊
Fantastic ideas!!! I’m a newly retired elementary school teacher, btw. I 100%agree with your ideas about teachers and gift cards, LOL! All the teachers that I have known, as well as myself, LOVED gift cards!!! In recent years, I even started getting some from Dollar tree which were super thoughtful because I spent a lot there for my class, as well as home. I got gift cards for manicures. That’s how I discovered how much fun it was to go get a mani-pedi. Some years the parents grouped together and gave a larger gift card to Amazon! I was always very touched by anything that they went to the trouble of doing for me! As you mentioned, none of us expected parents to buy gifts but yes, it was definitely appreciated to know that family appreciated the work you were doing. I will tell you that one of the best gifts was when a little 5 yr old boy in my class wanted to share his snack with me and broke pieces off his strawberry pop tart and stacked it on the corner of my desk while I was checking on the others. Strawberry pop tarts were his favorite snack. 🍓❤️. Thanks for this awesome vid!!!
I love shopping local farmers for maple syrup, honey, jams and pickles etc. I love receiving these types of gifts and love giving them!
As a local farmer with a storefront, I second this! Quality honey, maple syrup, and even frozen cuts of quality beef/pork/chicken are a great gift.
*Dawn skip the many comments about your hair* we regulars notice anything & everything different and always want to comment favorably to you. So don't think "what looked so wrong before and why does it looks so much better now?" NOTHING!!! We just love & adore you (and the family) so much we want to encourage you in any way and in the same way as you do for us. Watch any of your past 571+ videos and listen to yourself...we are proud to be mirroring your words of encouragement you give us :-D Much Love
One year I tempered dark chocolate and piped onto wax paper making a "word" chocolate bar for each person. I used a thesaurus to help and came up with a unique word for each person and shared with them why I thought that word described them. Ie: Generous, kind, intuitive, graceful etc...
Several years ago, we stopped with the overbuying of gifts for our four kids. Now, we give them 3-4 gifts under the tree, fill their stockings and take them on a trip.
To help make the gift opening last a little longer, I hid the gifts all around the house and sent the kids on a scavenger hunt. The kids have loved it so much that now that they are 17, 15, 12, and 10, they still ask me to hide all the gifts. Last year I hid some at their great grandparents house next door. The great grandparents LOVED getting to be a part of it and getting to watch the kids open a couple gifts!
The trip this past year didn’t happen until March (due to various unexpected circumstances), but the kids still had a blast.
Experiences are what the kids (and adults) remember.
My mom has always stockpiled Christmas gifts all throughout the year as she seen great sales. That way there was no burden or rush at Christmas time and always had lots of gifts for everyone. As a adult I chose not to buy gifts for my kids and husband. I chose to have memorable experiences. We also drive around and and give out winter clothes and food to homeless people and pray with them. Our kids are well aware of helping those in need and praying for people. We even taught them about people who are afflicted and need healing. We are raising up the next generation of warriors for Christ.
I think offering our time to help someone near and dear to us declutter, clean, and organize would be a wonderful gift. Thank You Dawn for all of your wisdom 💗
I wish someone would come talk to me as I declutter, much more motivated!
YES! For we older ladies who can't do what we once were capable of, this is an ideal gift. A thoroughly scrubbed kitchen would make me smile for days (maybe even weeks)!
@@pastorsuzannetaylor5452 Awwww. I wish I could do that for you! My mother passed 6 years ago, and all she wanted in her latter years was for us to spend time with her and do the little things (like mopping) that she was no longer able to do. Time together is the MOST precious gift we can give. Hope someone visits you soon just to do your mopping. 🤪
Great idea! Perfect. It is actually enjoyable to do cleaning and decluttering tasks when you do it with someone too.
Awesome idea. I would love that as I am 70 with health problems!
For years I had given my brother a calendar and I took the time to write all the family birthdays in it. He always looked forward to what kind of calendar I sent each year.
When we were little, my grandma always gave us goodie bags for Christmas with crayons, coloring books, snacks etc. We always looked forward to those bags. I think the repetition every year is what helped us look forward to them.
My grandma gave me a homemade pair of pajamas and a new coloring book every Christmas Eve. We always had Christmas photos in our new pj’s.
Experiences are the best. A trip to a local nature center, the zoo, baking with an aunt, a movie marathon, there are lots of great activities you can give. You're not only giving a gift, but you're investing in the relationship.
Love this channel. I have a tip. My son LOVED summer camp but it was too expensive for us to pay a whole summer worth so he asked for camp for gifts for Christmas and birthdays from his grandparents. He made wonderful memories growing up and is now a counselor himself! He appreciated this gift more than any toy he could have gotten. It was always presented in a fun card and one little thing to unwrap and he new all year he was going to his favorite place in the summer.
For the person who has everything: we have donated to meaningful organizations in honor of that person. They loved it!
I did that for my mom one year! She loved to sew so I donated a sewing machine to one of the non profits that teaches women how to sew (Africa). For my dad, that same year I donated a goat in his honor. They loved it!
I love the idea of a book, chocolate and tea... add a candle and that is the perfect hygge gift!
Love it I’ve Just got acquainted with hygge
I recently put together a similar gift basket for my niece for her wedding gift. Included a neutral throw blanket, a favorite marriage related book, candle, mug set, photo frame and gift card :)
I'm going to give our neighbors a roll of homemade cookie dough wrapped cute with wax paper and ribbon, along with instructions on how to slice and bake. Some of them are still afraid of covid, so they can rest assured that the cookies will be 'safe' since they will bake them themselves, and they can even freeze it til later if they have too many goodies in December.
What a “sweet” idea. So creative and I like the idea of them being save because of Covid.
Would you mind sharing your recipe and instructions? I love this idea so much and it could work so well for me since we just moved and don't have access to all my normal things yet.
I wish you were my neighbor! THAT is a fabulous idea!
@@bethvankirk Awww, how sweet!!
So I have a hard time buying for my minimalist daughter. This year I decided to buy a calendar for her. With each month I will put a small envelope with something she would like: gift cards, sunflower seeds, speciality teas, movie gift cards, cute craft stuff etc.... My idea is to give her a surprise each month with something she will enjoy and bring joy in her life. Hopefully she will enjoy this gift.
A very meaningful gift my daughter gave to me for my birthday this year was having a tree planted in my name - in Scotland. It's in a reforested project area. I received a certificate for a 1 foot by 1 foot piece of land, (it's framed and hanging on my office wall) so I can honestly say I own land in Scotland. I love trees and totally enjoyed my visit to Scotland many years ago, so it's always been a special place to me. I've also heard you can 'adopt' an animal in a rescue situation somewhere. The money you pay contributes to the animal's care and you get a packet of information and a picture of 'your special animal'.
Preschool teacher here and I can say with 100% certainty I LOVE gift cards, especially when they are for things I can enjoy with my own family over break such as pizza, ice cream, movies, even the coffee ones because they can treat us to hot chocolate after sledding :-)
Last year I was recovering from surgery. My budget was light & I needed something I could send to relatives I would normally see at Christmas, but couldn't because of the pandemic. I also had limited mobility. I watched a video tutorial on macrame snowflake ornaments, and that's what I ended up making and sending to my relatives. Even if you don't put up a tree or have guests, a lightweight handmade macrame piece can be hung on the wall, set out with other seasonal decor in a vignette, used as a coaster. And a small macrame snowflake is easy to pack away after the holidays, unless you want to keep it as decor all year. I missed my aunts and uncles so much, and I know they don't need anything. So I just figured a small handmade item from me would let them know I was thinking of them.
I am now 60 and still proudly display the crochet snowflake my Aunt Denise made for me when I was small. She was awesome that way. Even though I was just a kid, she knew that snowflake would be mine to take into adulthood for a tree of my own one day. I have no doubt your snowflakes will have a place of honor as well. It's a loving gift. ❤
Going to a birthday party for a 5 year old tomorrow. She has a 2 year old brother. They definitely have enough toys and books so I'm making a pizza basket. Has all the stuff in it besides cheese that they need to make pizza. Figured they would enjoy doing that and can "make dinner" one night for the family as included pre made crusts (and a mix if the parents are up to it). They also make pizza sauce in a squeeze bottle that makes it very kid friendly!
Ummmm....this is AMAZING! Stealing this!!
This is such a good idea!
👏 👍🏼
I did something similar for my nieces one year. They were into baking, so I put in packets for baking. I think I included pot holders too.
Love!!!!!
My parents are 80, and my mom has always done photo albums...they have 60+ years worth of them(!), but it's getting harder for them now, and my mom has stopped taking photos and was printing out pictures we emailed to her and putting them in albums (just on plain printer paper). Several years ago, I started making photo books (through Shutterfly) of the previous year with our family, and it is, hands down, their favorite gift from us.
Last year, my four siblings and I all went in together and purchased a Skylight photo frame, which allows all of us to send photos to our parents that they can see pop up in their frame throughout the year, so there's always something new. They LOVE it! And it's the gift that keeps on giving.
One year, we were having a really hard time financially. I made cookbooks of favorite family recipes, including tips and history of recipes for my nieces. Binders, computer paper, page protectors (including extra for them to add their own recipes) and they were thrilled! My kids insisted on having their ow copies!
I’m a teacher, and yes, gift cards are so fun! I especially love the ones to restaurants and Target. I think a lot of us are frugal, so the opportunity to grab something you enjoy for “free” is so nice.
I LOVE those measuring spoons! Especially because they have 2 ends so if one is for wet ingredients, you still have the other side for dry. Also, great because the oval side fits into spice bottles!
My childhood friend and I always do a “Favorite Things” gift box for each other. It allows us to share new products, snacks, books we love and we both always look forward to getting our box.
Last year I asked for bird seed and ended up with 150lbs of seed. It got my little friends through the winter, brought me joy, and saved me money.
This grandma is thanking you for all of the great ideas!
As a teen my favorite gift ever was tickets to see the show Wicked with my dad! Experiences are always remembered more
What a great gift! Special memories are a treasure.
We gave our kids coupons like “free dessert tonight” or “stay up 30 minutes later “. There are lots of free printables online. It extended the “gift” out as they would use them over the next two months. We did it again in Easter baskets because they loved it so much. We also give gifts based on a trip we are going on, or survival stuff (pocket knife, flash light) that are more pricey. Take any need-like new bedding or a new towel and do something special or custom (they all got hooded towels with their favorite characters and I pitched the other towels so I had less laundry).
When my kids were younger, we did the same with the coupons. They loved them.
These ideas are so great! Thanks!
We do this in Easter eggs too! The kids of all ages love them 💕
What an amazing idea! Thank you for sharing!
I love this idea!! Thank you!
I love your gift box ideas! My daughter has a produce market and makes gift boxes using foodstuffs from her store. She’s very creative and I love seeing what she makes. Last year I gave my granddaughter a different gift card on the 25th of each month, gas, fast food, retail. I purchased a year subscription of Ipsy for my other granddaughter. For my elderly Mom, I paid her December utility bills so she had money to buy her gifts.
My daughter is a teacher. You are so right! The personal note is by far the best. She saves all if her notes and at the end if the year she puts them in a scrapbook/binder to look back on, especially on rough days. And a gift card!?? Yes please! Chances are she spends it for her classroom, but she loves it!.
Thus year I am really trying to downsize our gift giving to make it more meaningful. Our oldest grand is going to be 11 in January. She lives to cut, glue, draw and create. I have started collecting scrapbooking supplies. I know that this is something she will love. Also, when we as grandparents have given gifts that have many pieces, we gift a storage container too. Our daughter-in-law has told us time and again how helpful this is to them.
For our family gift exchange I ask for a donation to a charity. A couple years ago when my niece was 19 she donated to a charity in my name. My heart was so happy that she understood the importance of giving to people in true need.
Many years ago when my daughter's still lived at home and my husband and I were still working my mom gave us a wonderful gift. She could tell I was pretty much burnt out. She made us a weeks worth of dinners or 7 meals to thaw and heat whenever we wanted. There was twice baked potatoes, homemade spaghetti sauce, a seasoned chuck roast in a disposable foil pan, beef stew, and so much more. It allowed us to catch our breath and unfrazzle our life.
SO thoughtful!! great gift idea too!
When you said "consumable" gifts and then mentioned play-doh, i had a laugh because every kid at some point tries eating it 😆
Something my Mother did while my 3 boys were growing up was every Christmas on a Saturday she'd have them over and they would bake cookies and make ornaments for the tree that year! Those were such great memories for all of us! They are all grown now with kids of their own and I've since been giving them some of those ornaments they'd made all those years ago. They loved it! And...are planning on doing it again this year - their grandmother is 83! ; ) The simplest gifts that come from the heart and some thought really mean the most to people
For my kids to pass out in class, I will crochet stars or hearts or something small for their classroom gift bags.
I am a teacher and I love your comment about Teacher Gifts! I do send a letter home to my parents right before Thanksgiving asking them to either not get me anything for Christmas or buy something for our classroom. I have an Amazon wishlist for my classroom. This year, I got several of the items from my wishlist and Amazon gift cards.
I love receiving consumable gifts that I don't have to worry about finding a place for in my home. A candle and a nice bottle of hand soap make a great gift!
High school teacher here! I don't often get gifts from students, but I can confirm that a thoughtful note or a gift card is always appreciated.
Thank you Dawn! Just so you know you’re my best friend 😊🥳🙏🏼
One of the neatest ideas ever was a friend made a mini recipe book and then all the non perishables needed to make each recipe. You only needed to buy the meat, cheese, eggs, etc. so, so thoughtful. She was a great cook, so it also gave a new bride some easy tried and true recipes to start off her married life.
GREAT IDEAS : ) because my 80 plus year old mother can't get around as easily as she once could finally made us a list of ideas that we never would have thought of : things for her to take care of her feet (elderly have issues w/feet) a new lamp shade ! I also pay for her cell phone monthly etc. She has come up with ideas for her family of 4 adult children and 10 adult grandchildren we can pick which ever we can pick which one is in our budget from new curtains to a drive through meal gift card SO thankful that she took the time to write her thoughts down!
I’m a teacher and I’m here to say… we love gift cards! :) Thanks Dawn, for the great ideas.
My husband and I decided to give orchids/plants as gifts this year. Many families since the start of pandemic have been more focused on planting or harvesting from their own gardens. With a card sharing the reason for your gift, will give the gift itself more meaning.
My grandma loves to get fancy chocolate for Christmas. She has said many time she doesn't want gifts, but most of us can't stand to not give her gifts. I like to get her nicer chocolates than she would buy for herself.
I did the same thing for my grandmother. She always would rather have photos in a frame of the family. And she was also a short bread connoisseur. So that’s usually what we gave her along with some homemade jam that she likes as well.
My grandmother mentioned this one year - she and grandpa received five fruit baskets and several boxes of chocolate lol. One of my favorite memories.
I love to purchase a box of specialty chocolates from a local chocolatier that reflects their age... 80 pieces for an 80 year olds are so happy! Of course I try to match their tastes...creams, jellies, no carmels, dk or milk! It can run into the $ 60's but it's a great gift who cares😊
Regarding children. Our tradition started because we couldn't afford to do otherwise, but I'm really glad it turned out this way. We don't give our son Christmas presents. Never have. Instead, we take him to all the different Christmas events around town throughout the month. The concerts and movies and activities with Santa and train rides and so on. They add up! It really extends the holiday and gives us so much fun together. And he still has plenty under the tree on Christmas morning from grandparents and aunts/uncles. He's 10 and still hasn't noticed nothing is from us.
My son is grown now, but I can't help remembering one of the best gifts he got from a good life long friend of my husband's family. He was a senior and would go over and help her whenever she would need it. She gave him a gift card to the local movie theater. He thought this was great since it has gotten so expensive to take a date to the show. :)
Last year i made a "home movie-kit" for my sister and her family. I used a container that could be used as storage in the kitchen/pantry after they finished the gift. I added a movie clapper🎬 and typical movie-snacks. Popcorn and different sweets. I chose to buy american-style snacks to make it more special (we are in Norway), and they loved it.
We often won’t spend the money on ourselves for things we want but don’t need. For example, if you have a crafter in the family with a cricut, supplies for their cricut would be nice! I’m a nurse and wouldn’t even buy insoles for my shoes but a visa birthday gift card from my family was enough to make me go get them and I’m so thankful!
I am the same exact way!!
Funny how we as nurses will serve others and "instruct" our patients to take good care of their feet, but don't provide the same service to ourselves! Hope your feet are happier! (You AND your patients need them!)
I love the Cricut supplies idea...or gift card to craft stores. I have a Cricut, and many many of the items I made are gifts....so sometimes it IS nice to get those supplies!
When our kids were young, and before our world went nuts, we purchased amusement park annual passes for the immediate family. The kids grew to expect it knowing it would lead to MANY family outings over the coming year.
That is cool.
My kiddos are old enough to do this now. On the last day the water park was open he said while we were leaving, I sure hope I get a pass for Christmas again because I love coming here we have so much fun. Made my heart happy, because we were all together and we made so many memories!
Our in-laws gifted annual passes to my family for a few years and it was a wonderful gift that we enjoyed all summer. When my son was young I printed out 12 "coupons" to go to different places around town (children's museums, other activities he liked) along with a modest amount of spending money for the inevitable little souvenir item he would want, and each month for the next year he could pick one place to go. Probably things we would have done anyways, but it made it a bit more exciting to turn it into a gift.
Check your local areas, lots of organizations do this sort of thing, theaters, museums, zoos, etc. Some even "share" and grant admission to multiple locations.
When my kids were growing up, their Grandparents gave them a shopping trip with them at the bookstore. Everyone enjoyed the time spent together.
When our daughter was born, a family member paid for a housecleaner to come to our home twice a month for 3 MONTHS. BEST PRESENT I'VE EVER RECEIVED!
My husband and I raise our own beef. Our Adult kids 7 total, get a box of beef. Easy, appreciated, and useful.
Great gift!!!
Love the gift box idea…
Gardener- Seeds, pots, soil, gloves
Movie buff-Theater gift card/streaming service enrollment, popcorn, candy, blanket
Home DIYer-Home store gift card, favorite beverages or on the move snacks, notebook or calendar to track projects
Sunshine boxes with everything yellow or Pink me Up box with everything pink…so many fun things out there!!!
I gift the Japanese garden knife from Amazon. $20 and it is literally the best garden item we've ever bought. It's loved by everyone
Love this! Here’s a challenge…. Male teachers. I’m good with a gift card but would like something to wrap with it and don’t really know what any of them like. What could you did to spruce up an Amazon gift card? I have a much easier time with female teachers.
@@michellejones7708 - a steak?
@@laceybiddy2434 I was thinking of gift items that were considered consumables but that is a great idea for a new gardener💚👍🏻
@@michellejones7708 Male teachers/coaches: Barbecue sauce & a grocery store gift card to choose their steak
Dawn, this was a great and timely message. I am a grandma to a 4 year old and a 2 year old. They have a sea of toys which I helped contribute too. But after spending time with them, I spend more time picking up and putting pieces together (Lego with Lego, puzzle pieces with puzzles, etc). My daughter, their mom is super busy and doesn't have time to sort through the toys, rotate them, or even purge on a regular basis. So this year, I wanted to give the 4 year old a room makeover, or at least something like a reading teepee. Or give them each a stuffed animal beanbag to at least corral the mountain of stuffed toys they each have. I like giving craft gifts to do with them or books to read to them since they are both too little for many experience gifts like museums.
On another note, we just moved and it was embarrassing to see how much junk, duplicate items (2 households) and items we just don't need). Even our mover said you have a lot of stuff. Now that we are in our small condo, we are sorting through the clutter and trying to get rid of stuff. I want to but sometimes have a hard time because I do the what if? But I am trying to use the 20/20 rule. If I can replace it, I can part with it. My husband though is not on the same page so he has tons of truly useless items that he refuses to part with. It is an uphill battle!
Thanks for always having great content and uplifting information! Love your family.
Just want to suggest that if you help give the kids’ rooms a makeover… you might include taking a photo of every shelf and what goes there. And then attach it some way. That helps kids know where things go and makes clean up more simple for everyone involved. We do that in daycare and kids learn well that way. Good luck!
This year I made DIY cleaning kits for the adult kids in the family … I’ve spent the last two years modifying my home cleaning products and tools in a low-waste, lower-cost, more sustainable direction, so I decided to put together “starter kits” for everyone else! Each kit has my favorite glass spray bottles, cleaning concentrates, microfiber cloths, laundry detergent strips, and dryer balls, which I know our kids will appreciate and use in their own homes. The kits are totally customizable, surprisingly gorgeous gifts, presented in a reusable storage bin, wrapped in a giant fabric ribbon (also reusable)!
Thanks for the excellent video, Dawn - you offered along several great ideas I will most definitely use this year! ☺️👏🏼❤️
As someone who was given story worthy as a gift, I must say it’s a gift that comes with a lot of work for the recipient!
True. You want to ASK them first if they want it. My parents were thrilled and have written a TON. Not all people may want to invest that much time though. I’m fortunate they wanted to do it as our family will feature their stories :)
I told my parents that I'm going to help them paint their bedroom. I have a week off before Christmas already and hope that I'm going to get finished with the room before the holidays :)
One of the best gifts as a family, even extended family is sponsoring a family or child here or abroad who is in need- what is wonderful is that it can be done for years to come.
My niece gives my husband a little container of her homemade buckeyes at Christmas. My sister gives him a container of her sloppy Joes. She makes them ahead of time and freezes them. His aunt used to give him a little container of her homemade cream candy.
In each case, these were special recipes and foods that my picky-eater husband likes. It's very thoughtful of them, and it shows that they know him and they care about him.
What are buckeyes?
@@deeb8733 It's a type of candy, made with peanut butter, coated with chocolate.
@@MelindaPlainandSimple Ohmygosh. Yum. Now I want some! 🤣
@@deeb8733 They are yummy. I think you can find recipes online. I've never made them, so I don't know if it's hard. I think we got one at a store once. It was not good. Homemade is the way to go.
@@MelindaPlainandSimple very easy and no bake = happy dance!
This is a FANTASTIC video. Side note, as a teacher I love gift cards because it gives me permission to splurge on a coffee or treat my kids to a 1:1 special time with me. We also love to give our kids' teachers at he movie/ game night boxes! Anything to promote special time!