1) Decide what matters most to you.
What do you want more of? What do you want less of? Your answers to these questions will guide you in deciding what matters most to you.
In 2016, we sold nearly everything we had and moved into a 5th wheel for 18 months. It’s one of the coolest things we’ve ever done, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
I loved the simplicity of living with less. Everything had a purpose. There weren’t piles of clutter lying around, and it felt like a breath of fresh air to be in that space.
Because we had less stuff to occupy our time and energy, we ended up doing more of what we love. Life was intentional instead of busied with stuff.
2) Give experiences, not things.
When living in the trailer, my kids had three creative building type toys and a box of books. I was in awe as they happily entertained themselves and were more imaginative than ever. Cleanup was a breeze with little complaining, as opposed to when we had an overstuffed playroom littered with toys.
We spent loads of time outside together hiking through forests and playing at beaches. I felt like we had discovered the hidden secret to getting kids to explore, create, imagine, and expand their world.
This time changed the way I look at gift giving. We no longer want more things; we want to give experiences.
Here are a few favorites to get your creative juices flowing.
- Fun family activity – bowling, ice skating, pottery class, painting class
- Annual passes to the local museum, zoo, or aquarium
- Tickets to a special concert, musical, symphony, or play
- Classes for an activity your child is interested in trying. We’ve done karate, ballet, and tumbling but you could try an instrument, cooking, or art classes too.
- Monthly subscription boxes. We’ve tried science experiments, computer coding, and craft boxes. They’re always a hit.
- Plan a mini trip to look forward to and wrap a few items needed to open Christmas morning.
3) Get family members on board.
I know this can be a tricky one. Over the years when family members have asked what to gift my children, I’ve simply expressed how much we value experiences together more than things. This has been pretty easy as they see the value in learning new skills or spending quality time together.
One favorite way we’ve done this is by having grandparents contribute to an annual pass for a local museum. Many museums have a family pass that allows you to bring 2 extra guests in addition to your immediate family members. We’ve loved this and so have the grandparents because we can all enjoy time together exploring and creating memories.
As you’re brainstorming what to give this year, I encourage you to put a little thought into remembering what you want more of. What matters most to you.
In our family, each one of us fondly looks back at the time we spent together when living in our trailer. We created amazing memories we’ll keep forever that revolved around experiences we shared, not things.
The gift of time means more and creates more memories than any material possession can. That’s my favorite gift of all.
