Hi Friends!
Anyone else sick of the basic gift guides? I am guilty of creating pages and pages of item collages, so I also wanted to offer some options that are more meaningful. Many of these ideas are focused on quality time (in person and virtual) and experiences – with your friend(s), significant other, family member, etc. – because we have missed out on a lot of that this year. Additionally, I wanted to think of some budget friendly options since this year has not been very kind financially. Many of these ideas are buildable, so you are able to make them cost as much or as little as you want to budget for it.
- Coupon book: growing up I always made a coupon book for my parents for Christmas! I actually gave my Husband one last year too! Some ideas for coupons are: doing the chores (dishes, vacuuming, laundry, etc.), breakfast in bed, foot rub, their favorite meal, their favorite hobby/activity, and a freebie of their choice!
- Share Recipes: put together some of your favorite recipes into a collection of cards or a booklet! Don’t have favorite recipes? Look on Pinterest for ideas! If you want, you could pair kitchen utensils with the recipes too.
- Volunteer or Donate: Let them choose an organization they are passionate about and then donate to it or spend time volunteering! You could also volunteer together to spend time with each other!
- Coffee date: a cup of coffee and some 1:1 time is great for the soul and incredibly meaningful! Not to mention, fairly inexpensive (just the cost of 2 coffees)!
- Movie night: stream a movie and grab some popcorn! You could even make a basket with wine/drinks, candy and other snacks for a cozy night in!
- Game night: find your favorite old school board and card games, then grab some snacks and beverages! This would be great for the competitive person (or people) in your life!
- Cooking together (virtually): send a grocery gift card and list with ingredients (or drop the ingredients off at their house) and then cook the same meal while over zoom/Facetime!
- Virtual pajama party: send your friend(s) matching pajamas and have a virtual pajama party! You could also send some snacks and beverages if you would really like to get the party started!
- Golf date: playing mini golf or hitting a bucket of balls at the driving range is such a fun date idea that pretty much anyone can do and would enjoy! Social distancing / mask friendly too!
- Dinner at fave restaurant: Especially for a significant other, taking them out to their favorite restaurant is a wonderful way to spend some time together and get a bite to eat! If they enjoy getting dressed up, go glam!
- Target challenge: The first version involves partners walking down the aisles of product categories they want (i.e. ice cream, chips, beauty products, etc.) with one of them swinging their arm until the other partner says STOP and then buying whatever they’re pointing to. The second version involves each person buying products off of a list and then revealing them to their partner: favorite drink, favorite snack, favorite color, something that reminds you of them, an everyday thing.
- At home wine tasting: You could find a professional wine tasting video or Zoom session online, or you could buy several bottles of wine to try on your own!
- Day trip to local spot: Go for a drive and spend the day at a nearby town or get out of the city and go for a hike! You could let them choose where they would like to spend their day, or plan out a whole day of activities to surprise them with!
- Cooking lesson (in person or virtual): sign up for cooking lessons (in person or virtual) together! If virtual, buy all the ingredients that are required ahead of time, grab some wine if you want, and have a fun night in!
- Staycation at local hotel: this one may be more spendy depending on where you live, but a fun way to get out of the house and not go too far is to have a staycation at a local hotel! Order room service or bring your own snacks and beverages – these days everyone could use a change of scenery!
I hope that you found these ideas to be helpful for providing your loved ones with meaningful gifts that are also mindful of your budget! What was your favorite idea??
Happy Holidays!
~ McKenna
