December 15, 2020
5+ Gift Ideas guaranteed not to break the bank
For the 2020 holiday season, I’m launching my first yearly “Gift Ideas” list. No, it’s not as exciting as Oprah’s, she does have the best!! With all the changes we have and continue to experience this year I wanted to put together additional ideas that would offer you fun and creative family time, keep to a minimal cost, and a few cost-saving tips I’m a huge fan of. I’ll warn you though, it has to do with Dollar Tree!!
BUY OR MAKE THESE & IN SOME CASES BOTH:
Themed Paint Night – Acrylic paint, small mini canvases (5×5, 8×8), kraft paper, wine, snacks, & sodas. Cover the dining table with kraft paper and have paint & canvas for everyone in place. Spend an evening with everyone painting their version of the chosen theme. You could use a holiday theme or something different. Try simple ideas like Christmas trees, 2020, family pets, stars, vacation items, or hearts. Keep your paint colors down to 5 or so total to keep it manageable. It’s so fun to see what everyone comes up with!
Personalized Holiday cards – If you enjoy creating fun things on the computer visit http://www.canva.com and register for the free version. This is the site I use to create all my Social Media posts and presentations. It’s user friendly, tons of templates with more ideas and options you will ever use. Design your own holiday card or letter with images, fun graphics, and colors. Download and make the choice if you want to email or print. Recently added and just as easy, make your own family video to email to the grandparents or siblings all for free with the same fun graphics available!
Book Exchange – This is a fun event easily geared for children or adult books or both. Do you have friends and family members who love to read as much as you? Ladies, do you have a never-ending cookbook collection? Everyone gathers the books they would like to exchange, favorite snacks on hand, and get together via Zoom. You show the book cover, give a little information about why you enjoyed it, or read the book jacket to the group if you never got around to reading it. Do multiple people want the same book? Person A has to promise to pass it to person B within 6 months. After the exchange, make up a cute gift bag with their books, deliver it to the front door, all while staying safe and now you have new reads!
Coffee mug with a variety of coffee or tea – There are those among us who have a delicious addiction to all things coffee or tea. Pick up a festive mug from your favorite craft or dollar store for around $5 or less. Put together an assortment of small mini coffees, syrups, hot chocolate, or tea flavors. Place everything in a glassine bag tied with festive ribbons and voila! Inexpensive, pretty, personalized, and every time they use the mug they’ll think of you!
Movie night gift basket – Much on the same theme as the coffee mug but instead have a basket or large bowl with Jolly Time or Orville Redenbacher popcorn, an assortment of boxed candy or bars, with napkins, and a $10 Netflix gift card. Again, everything in the glassine bag and ready to deliver.
I could go on but you get the idea. Keep them simple but personal. Who wouldn’t love a coupon book to have their car washed once each month? Or make a donation to a favorite charity in their name. Have a mouse pad printed from the children’s latest photo. Do you have a really green thumb and love to share cuttings from your houseplants or exotic succulents? Pick up small cups, bowls, or containers at the Dollar Store. Tie some ribbons on the handle or place a small reindeer ornament in the potting soil.
I mentioned shopping hacks at the dollar stores for you. Last year on a whim I purchased some AA batteries expecting them to last a short time. I have been converted and go there first now. The sizes they normally have are AA’s, C’s, and sometimes 9v or AAA’s. Recently I purchased a 6 pack of AA’s for $1 and they last just as long as the higher priced. For the kitchen – plastic food containers, Zip-Loc style bags, and baking soda. The large boxes of baking soda are perfect for the refrigerator, pantry, laundry room or closets to absorb odors.
On a personal note, thank you for the support and encouragement during my new business launch from the unplanned events in my world. By the time you read this, I will have graduated Wednesday evening from Coach Connections and become a member of their MasterMind group. Together we work to build some of the best resources and practices to work with clients that have been tested for over a decade. How does this help you? I have access to a mastermind to help me be the best coach possible for YOU. When you’re ready to find out if coaching is right for you or if you know someone who may be interested it would help so much if you will pass my information to them. Here’s to the opportunities 2020 has given us!
Thank you again, everyone!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to all my clients, friends, family!
Roxanne
