Enjoying Christmas – Clutter-Free Shopping

I am big on reducing clutter as many of my newsletter community would be aware of. It seems that we are drowning in clutter. Our children have too many toys, we have too many things. Did you know that we live in bigger houses with less people and we are still overflowing?

I mentioned about clutter-free shopping a couple of weeks ago. I would love it if we could focus on giving memories and experiences rather than clutter this Christmas.

The thing about always giving tactile (or physical) gifts is that we have to store them. Many attendees at my “DeClutter and Take Back Control” Workshops talk about how they can’t get rid of (insert item here) because it was a gift.

I honestly believe that when we give a gift, we don’t ever want to burden someone with the item. However, so many, and I really mean so many people can’t give away items in their home because they were gifts. They feel obligated and bound to keep them forever.

So let’s not burden family and friends any longer. Let’s give them memories and experiences. It is my mother-in-law’s birthday tomorrow and we are giving her a manicure and pedicure. A simple gift but guess what, her granddaughters (aged 8 and 12) are taking her to the shop and what she doesn’t know is that they are all having a manicure and pedicure. What grandmother wouldn’t want that sort of a gift? They will all be able to talk about it for years in the future and there is not one bit of clutter involved. It is a wonderful memory for them all.

I can just picture her telling all her friends of how her granddaughters took her to the beauty shop and they all got their nails done. Won’t they be jealous friends!!! (In a nice way)

For Christmas, we have bought my brother-in-law time in a flight simulator. Once again an experience to enjoy and something that we wouldn’t buy for ourselves. We still get to give him something physical – the gift voucher – but the experience will be sensational.

For Mother’s Day we purchased a restaurant dinner for my mother-in-law and her eldest grandson took her to dinner. My mother-in-law is a real “foodie” and this was a restaurant we knew she would love, but she wouldn’t ever go there. To go with her grandson was so wonderful for her.

There are so many simple but wonderful ideas out there to give people so that they have memories, not just an object. Think about what you would love to give to the ones who are most important to you this year. Who knows perhaps this year’s gift may become a family tradition down the track.