Themed Christmas Gift Giving

Instead of guessing at what each person on your list wants or needs, make it a themed gift-giving year!

When you and your family or friends gather this year to exchange gifts, come up with a theme.

You can draw names to exchange the gifts, or put all the gifts in a pile and draw numbers. Number one will pick the first gift. Then number two will either take number ones gift or pick another gift out of the pile. The person that draws the final number has the best advantage cause they can see all of the presents to choose from.

Some ideas for different themes are you can do a funny theme. Each person brings one gift and it has to be a funny gift. It may bring back a memory of something funny that happened or just a funny gift.

You could do a memory theme. Each gift has to have a story to go along with it from something that happened during that year.

A spa theme is perfect for a group of girlfriends. Each person can bring nail polish, bath salts, a robe or slippers and exchange them in a gift exchange.

If you have a group of friends that like to read a book exchange would make a great theme. You can either purchase new books or use books that you have read before and could recommend as a good read.

A home-made them would make each person be creative in what they are going to bring. You could require each person bring something they made. You could bring food, an ornament, a frame with a picture in it, anything that the person would have to put some thought in to and can’t stop at the store on the way to your home.

You could have an under ten-dollar theme. This will force people to not over spend and it will force them to be creative with how they are going to spend the ten dollars.  This will help if you have a diverse group, some people can afford to spend more than ten dollars and some cannot afford it. This will put the whole group on the same playing field and will not make those that cannot afford expensive gifts feel bad.

Be creative and come up with a fun unique idea that will bring lots of laughter and memories to the group.

Making Memories at Christmas

Christmas doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Who can remember what they got when they were seven anyway? You remember who you spent Christmas with or you remember the family traditions that your family created.

This year, come up with some ideas that you can do with your friends and family that does not cost a lot of money. Get your camera out, take pictures and videos and create lifelong memories.

Invite your friends and family over to make Gingerbread Houses. This is not only fun, you spend time with your loved ones and everyone gets to be creative with their houses.

Have a cookie making night at your home. Ask each person that is attending to bring one of the ingredients to the cookies. Not only does this help the host not spend all of the money for the craft but everyone feels like they contributed. Spend the evening making your favorite Christmas cookies. Take pictures of each step and each of the different cookies with the person that made that cookie.

Let each person take home their cookies or go as a group and give them to people. It will bring a smile to your face and the person receiving the cookies.  Bring the cookies to your local convenience store clerk, pharmacist, hair dresser, bartender, mail clerk, school office, teacher or anyone else that you see all year long and would like to give them a little something at Christmas.

Ask around at your church or ask your friends what families are not going to have a Christmas dinner this year. Find out their name, phone number and address. If you would like, you can call them and ask them what they would like for Christmas dinner or you can surprise them with dinner.

Gather your friends and family and go to the grocery store to purchase items to make dinner for the needy family. Go home and spend time together peeling and mashing potatoes, carving the turkey and baking a pie.

Once dinner is finished, bring it over to the family and present it to them. Be sure to bring them paper plates and napkins, you never know if someone has dishes in their home and it makes an easy clean-up for them.

Bring your camera along and take pictures of your kids bringing in the food to them and the proud look they will have on their face.

Creating last memories during the holidays doesn’t have to involve toys and a lot of money. Just being thoughtful and having your loved ones around is all you need.