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This Holiday Season – Five Ideas That Keep on Giving

November 24, 2021 by Julie Cole

The one thing that always bothered me as a child was that once that Christmas morning unwrapping was done – you were left with a bit of a present hang-over, lots of garbage, toys that might not be appreciated and the dread of having to wait another WHOLE year to do it again.

As the mom of six kids, I’ve always tried to shape giving a little differently.

  • Give Experiences

When grandparents and relatives ask what my children need, the real answer is nothing. BUT – I am a big fan of shared experiences. I would rather my mom take my children to a play; my friend has them over to bake cookies or even offer to pay for swimming lessons or a dance recital costume. These experiences are meaningful, teach valuable lessons, and quite frankly – get the kids out of my hair for a few hours. It’s a gift both child and parent benefits from!

  • Give the Gift of Giving

My siblings and I decided years ago that we were not going to exchange gifts among the cousins. Instead, we pool the money we would have spent, buy gift cards to local coffee shops, and gather the children to write friendly greeting cards which include the gift cards. Then, we take all our children and wander the streets finding our friends who live with homelessness and gift them with the cards. This has become the favorite holiday activity for the cousins – they love this tradition.

  • Supporting Local

Many local (and mom owned businesses!) have felt the impact of the pandemic. Many very special items and artisan toys and treasures can be found through local business. You will experience an elevated kind of joy when buying and gifting from local vendors.

  • The “Not Now” Gift

I have a niece who always feels stressed when asked for a gift list. She never really knows what she wants and feels bad writing a big list. What works well for a kid like this? It’s a “three free gift passes”. What is this, you may ask? Just let the kiddo know that they can get three gifts throughout the year. If they see something they want in March – it’s theirs! See something else in August? You get the idea.

  • Subscription Boxes

I’m a BIG FAN! Every time a subscription box arrives, you are reminded that someone was thinking about you, you are experiencing the “rush” of getting a present throughout the year, while enjoying a carefully curated gifting experience.

If you are trying to have your family share “experiences” and make the holidays less materialistic, I hear you – and these tried-and-true tips have worked for my big and busy family!

 

 

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Filed Under: Holidays, Parenting

About Julie Cole

Julie is the mother of six and a co-founding VP of Mabels Labels, the leading provider of labels for the stuff kids lose!®. After her son was diagnosed with autism, she shelved a legal career to monitor his therapy and launch a business that would strike a better work/life balance. Mabels Labels has grown from a basement start-up into an award winning international phenomenon. It has been featured everywhere from The View to Forbes.com and is widely recognized for its business and product excellence. As company spokeswoman, Julie is a well-known personality amongst mom entrepreneurs and her dynamic personality has led to numerous speaking engagements, from morning TV to university business classes. With humor and candor, Julies writing focuses on her experiences raising a big, happy family while running a successful business, and has appeared in Chicken Soup For the Soul - Power Moms and numerous websites. Follow her on Twitter @JulieCole Julie Cole
www.mabelslabels.com

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