We have had clutter – the kind of clutter we didn’t really have before kids. Last week, I cleaned out the play room (AKA “the house”) and took so many many things elsewhere to be enjoyed by others. Where those things have left a void, I hope very few things fill it this holiday season.
Another word for our clutter is ‘toys.’ They have come from everywhere but most have been gifts. We are grateful and appreciative, but the sheer amount was starting to make me lose my mind. Plus, our kids are still under 5 – we have years and years of gifting ahead of us! But gifting will happen. How are we going to change the course of this madness?
With the holiday season soon upon us, here’s my list of things to ask for or give in the spirit of being clutter-free (and, by the way, more environmentally friendly! All that plastic, packaging, battery-powered goodness cannot be good for mother earth!)
- Memberships: The zoo, museums, gyms, YMCA, dining clubs (like KidsDineFree), and big box stores like Sam’s Club and Costco offer memberships. A membership offers a child and his/her family something enjoyable they can do together all year long! {Lest ye scoff at Costco memory-making, going there is kind of like a vacation for us. Exotic fruits, free food, beach chair displays…!} Memories are more precious than things any day of the week and giving a gift of a membership is giving a lifetime of family memories.
- Subscriptions: Magazine and book subscriptions, or TV and movie related subscriptions (Netflix, DVR, Cable TV) would be great gifts. Our kids love their age-appropriate magazine subscriptions. The magazines have stories, poems, puzzles, games, exercise, recipes, and more. We even save them and re-read them later! Groupon and Living Social occasionally offer discounts on these. I know magazines sound like more clutter – but they are recyclable.
- Services: Think professional cleaning services or babysitting services! Wow. […] Oh – sorry – I blanked for a second, daydreaming about how much I’d love somebody to give us a professional cleaning service… even just once or twice. I’m back in reality now!
- Lessons: What kid doesn’t want or love some type of lesson? Music lessons, dance lessons, swim lessons, gymnastics, art, you name it…. what a great gift. Again, an *experience* that will stay with them much longer than that plastic toy.
- Relaxation time: Think about something a family might need for a weekend getaway (or date night for mom and dad) or a fun thing like a concert or movie. I love daydreaming as I look through the Groupon Getaways, or read about a great place not too far away where I’d love to take the kids. This type of gift would require a little more communication between gifter and giftee but if you can have that, totally worth it!
- Food! Ahh, luxurious food. To keep it clutter-free, make sure it’s something people will be sure actually eat and enjoy, and package it in something that’s recyclable or returnable to you.
- Gift Cards – for now and future necessities. I don’t know about you, but all the help we can get with ‘necessities’ the better. Think – gift cards for gas, groceries, children’s’ clothing places, or school supply places… things the family may need that doesn’t involve unnecessary clutter. This is especially a great idea for teachers and other service providers!
- Organization services or supplies. Clutter isn’t clutter if it’s meaningful or precious, but sometimes it can feel like clutter if it’s unorganized and overwhelming. Think about gifting something to help your loved ones organize the non-clutter. Think – extra computer storage for digital pics, or software or a service to help create photo memory books. Or – think about a closet organizing service or service to handle all the real clutter and get it out of the house.
- Last but NOT least: Make a donation to charity in somebody’s name. As with any gift, you’ll be the expert on whether your giftee will truly appreciate this gesture – but if they will, then game on! Research the charity and make sure it’s something that both you and the giftee think is a worthy cause. An alternative on this idea? Do some volunteering – maybe even with your giftee! There is nothing more valuable than the gift of yourself and your time.
The downside to non-clutter ideas: It may not feel very ‘gifty’ to hand over a plastic card or envelope containing your subscription info, but make the presentation stand out. One idea? Create a little ‘booklet’ with one card in a little pocket on each page and hand-write or decorate the page to describe how you see them using the card or gift.
Do you have any other clutter-free gifting ideas? We’d love to hear them!
About Mary Beth Cox