Two things popped into my inbox last week that really got me thinking.
First, my friend Pam, of Stella & Chroma, sent a really heartfelt email to all of her customers with her thoughts about the current economic situation and how it’s become a challenge for so many people in her community. And, even though she, herself, is a small business owner, she wanted to remind her clients that purchasing new gifts should never take precedence over taking care of one’s family. It is ok to sit this buying season out if that's what's best for your family.
The other came from my friend, Allie, of Well Here We Are. Allie wrote a wonderful blog post entitled, 10 Non-Material Gift Options for a Mindful Holiday. It is a timely reminder that gifting can come in many forms.
Both of these things got me thinking about a few other ways we can gift the people in our lives this holiday season. Here are some of my favorites -
• Nature
Plan a hike, pack some food, and hit the trail. My husband takes one day off a month to hike, he calls it his mental health reset. Sometimes he goes alone, sometimes with me, and sometimes we grab a group of friends and make a day of it.
• Game Night
If you’ve never gotten your friends together for a raunchy game of Cards Against Humanity, I promise you, you are missing out. Or, you could go traditional with charades, classic card games, or, our family favorite, Clue.
• Wellness
The city I live in, Sacramento, offers weekly free Yoga in the Park. Perhaps your city has something similar? What about a spa night with your girlfriends? A little
clean beauty with some bubbles is always a good idea.
•
Art
Grab a friend for coffee and browse some galleries. Galleries are always free and a great way to get to know your local art community.
• Music
Attend an Open Mic for a live music outing or small venue concert. Our city offers free concerts in various parks throughout the summer that are a lot of fun.
• Food
This season, I'm getting together with friends and we are finally getting our sourdough starter started. I have another friend who does an annual end-of-summer canning party where they get together and can tomatoes. The possibilities are endless when sharing good food with good people.
• Volunteering
I know this might not seem like a gift per se, but I have never felt better than after a day spent being in service to others. My husband loves getting together with his work team to volunteer at the River City Food Bank or Habitat for Humanity. Our entire family does regular river cleanups with the American River Park Association. Groups like Surfriders put together fun beach cleanups. There’s a whole lot of togetherness when you help others.
Thank you so much for mentioning us! I love the gift suggestions. Experiences are so important as well and they get forgotten so easily at this time of year.