I spent this past Thanksgiving holiday with my son and his extended family in Florida. Traveling during a major holiday has never been my first choice, but as a professional organizer, I realize that being organized helps to lessen the stress that holiday travel can bring. Most would agree that Thanksgiving has the best part of Christmas (family gathering) without the gifts getting in the way. In my profession, I see many gifts go unused regardless of the generous spirit in which they were given. Some of my clients dread the pending influx of additional clutter and want suggestions on how to curb the CRAP.
As a result, I often recommend clutter-free gift giving. A clutter-free gift is the gift of time, memories, an experience, or health. You can also give a gift that helps others who have needs beyond our imagination. Here are some suggestions:
CLUTTER-FREE GIFTS
- Car wash coupons
- Cooking lessons
- Dance/Yoga lessons
- Gym membership
- Movie tickets
- Museum membership
- Pottery/glass-making glasses (think Goggleworks)
- Savings Bonds (purchase online at www.treasurydirect.gov)
- 529 plan contributions
- Self-defense classes (think young women)
- Tattoo in honor of someone (my son did this for my husband and me)
- Tickets to the symphony/theatre
GIFT CARDS (not entirely clutter-free)
- Garden nurseries, home improvement stores, and bookstores
- Gas stations, grocery stores, and convenience stores
- iTunes, eMusic, and Ticketmaster
- Restaurants, coffee shops, and fast food restaurants
- Spa, facial, and massages
NON-PROFIT GIFT GIVING
- Cash donation to a charity in honor of the recipient. Let the recipient know via a card.
- Give a gift certificate so they can choose what charity to donate to: www.justgive.org.
- International Relief Fund: www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com
- Green gifts for global impact: www.thegreenguide.com
- Life-sustaining gifts to help abolish global poverty or renew our planet’s environment: www.altgifts.org
- Donate an animal in honor of someone: donate.worldvision.org or www.heifer.org/gift
- Participate in the local toy drives
- Give a tree in honor of someone: www.newgrowth.com
- Donate a book on health information to communities all over the world at www.hesperian.org
GIFTS OF TIME
- Join a friend (instead of exchanging gifts): local art studio classes, yoga, book club, film club, craft and scrapbooking classes
- Babysitting coupons for nieces, nephews and grandchildren
- Take a child: to lunch, on a day trip, to the museum, to a local college for a sports event, to the zoo
- “First Christmas Together” (or other name) coupon book: Make a list of the things you know your partner would enjoy and include practical and fun things: e.g. a back rub, do the dishes for a week, make a candlelit dinner, do grocery shopping, etc.
Finally, if you can’t go clutter-free, choose a gift that donates a portion of its profit to a favorite non-profit agency of your choice. Verify the charity at www.give.org.
Organize your best holiday season by starting early and focusing on family. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson
About the Author
