When I was younger, my idea of fun was throwing everything in my room onto my bed, getting rid of things I no longer liked or needed, and then putting the rest back neatly.
Yes, that is a real thing I did. (And, ummm, still do occasionally.)
When we moved into our tiny house this past June, I hit another level of obsessive minimalism and have since thrown out approximately 70% of things we moved in with. But we still have space issues. Currently:
- We have a Kitchen Aid mixer on our bedroom floor.
- Every time we use our oven we have to take out a stack of pot and pans. Many-a-time I’ve pre-heated the oven only to have to take the burning hot pans out and put them on our porch to cool. Not ideal, but remembering to take them out is now a ridiculous source of pride.
Needless to say, we still don’t have a lot of room for activities.
The great part about it? I’m now understanding the value of quality over quantity. I’d much rather spend money on quality experiences and a few good items that will last instead of just adding more quantity. (Does this mean I’m growing up?)
Now it’s the time of year in which we’re flooded with a billion “gift giving” articles. I always spend (too much) time looking for unique, meaningful gifts but am usually pretty underwhelmed with the ideas I find online.
To me, the best gifts are things you wouldn’t normally buy for yourself. I also think we all have so much stuff and that there’s more value in getting out and living life, so today I bring you:
(And no, no one asked or paid me to write a single one of these ideas.)
A package at their favorite fitness studio. I love the local, home-y feel of boutique fitness studios. Instructors are properly trained and talented, and I tend to always walk away from my favorite studios feeling sweaty and accomplished. Classes can be expensive and I’m usually forced to ration out my class credits, so gifting a set of classes or an unlimited month helps eliminate that “DAMN IT I’M OUT OF CLASSES AGAIN AND DON’T GET PAID UNTIL NEXT WEEK issue”.
It’s science.
Yoga or wellness retreat. There’s a yoga retreat out there for everyone (who likes yoga). Yoga and cycling? Yes. Yoga and hiking? Yes. Wine and Yoga? YES. (<—that is actually a thing). Some are lavish, overseas affairs, but there are also less expensive local-ish options that don’t require any time off work. I search for them on Daily Bliss Yoga (generally just California retreats + abroad) but you can also contact local studios; they generally have options as well. Book Yoga Retreats also has a bunch of options, searchable by location.
Subscription to a website or access to something that will make their life/job easier or more enriching. Is your person trying to learn something? Maybe they want to brush up on their photoshop skills. Maybe they run a website and would love a consultation on how to make money with ads, or they’re a business owner who could use some social media consulting. It’s easy for us as individuals to deem these kinds of things as “frivolous spending” or say “I’ll just google and teach myself”, but at the end of the day, we’re just putting it off and wasting time. (That’s where you come in, you generous gift-giver you.)
Some ideas:
Lynda or LinkedIn Learning – Both give access to tons of different online courses. YAY LEARNING!
Make Me{dia} Over – An example of a blog consultant – Katy has helped me and is so fantastic to work with.
6 Months of Spotify or Pandora – If they’re like me, they’re too cheap to spring for the premium version (even though I still get ads for New Jersey businesses every 2 songs on my Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems station, which is amazing BTW). The real gift here is no more workouts interrupted by ads!
Online Classes: There are so many subscription sites full of workout videos that don’t require you to leave your house. Daily Burn, Yoga Glo and Grokker are good ones.
That thing they’ve been talking about trying. I know, this is vague, but hear me out. You’re listening when they make those little comments and resolutions, right? Meditation? Boxing? Rock-climbing? Wine tasting? Do they simply want accountability for a workout? Get creative. Find a local trainer or instructor for a private session and give them that little nudge toward their goal. Have they mentioned wanting to be a better cook? Find a cooking class. (Be sneaky and ask them in advance what their new year’s resolution is!) Do they simply want to drink more water? Buy a little notebook or calendar and design them a tracking program with checkboxes (and add some sweet notes!). I really believe it’s the thought that counts.
Comedy club tickets. Okay I’m cheating. This isn’t exactly fitness-y…but who doesn’t love that feeling of laughing so hard your stomach hurts all night? It’s basically a workout in itself. (For a cheaper form of entertainment, watch the video below.) If you live in LA, here’s a good comedy club.
Something luxurious. Massage, pedicure, facial, a month of blowouts. These things can be hard to justify spending money on, but fitness-lovers totally need to pamper themselves. Especially with the services that are a step or two above “what’s the cheapest option on the menu” status. Bump ’em on up to the deluxe edition.
Not luxurious: Normatec hip sleeves. I was sweating and breathing so hard from the uncomfortable squeezing that I left feeling like I worked out.
A race entry. Be sure they want to/can participate, but it’s another way to say “I support the fact that you sometimes choose running over cooking dinner”. Bonus points if you sign up too.
What’s the best “experience gift” you’ve gotten (or given)?
Great ideas! I’m all about experiences over more stuff.