I can’t go into these holidays with the stress that most holidays create. I just can’t.
As your Go-To Littleton Family Photographer, you know very well that portraits with Santa and family photos are happening right now, and have been since September.
This year has been about embracing Slow Living, and being more present in my life with creativity and planning. And I’ve been grateful to be able to share it with each of you.
I don’t like to jump on the “pandemic” and what some people are terming “The Great Resignation.” It’s definitely a time we won’t soon forget, and I’m not one to go through something this big and not be transformed on the way through.
I’ve heard people say that they’ve become closer to family, learn more about who they are, live more simply, need less, or step away from the “hustle” culture. Some have found their way back into those pieces, even though they said they wouldn’t.
This is what I want to get at with the Holidays fast approaching. Time doesn’t change, it’s a constant. We will never get it back.
Unlike money, which many of us have massive stress over, it’s not a commodity. You have as much as you’ll ever get and it’s mine and yours to decide what we do with it.
It feels like we’re coming through this pandemic. This holiday is different. And I want it to be. I get to be different with it.
As I embrace the slower and more intentional me that has evolved, I want to share how I’m approaching gifting this year. It’s reflective of not going into the fear of what we don’t have, and choosing to be empowered in my gifts. To really feel good about all of it.
Planning Gifts
Yes, I put this first for the one person I know who does all of her shopping on Christmas Eve.
Yes. This person exists.
And I’m sure she’s stammering as she reads this with excuses and defensive statements about how it’s not totally true, and, blah, blah, blah.
Ok, enough is enough. Planning works for many reasons. And when you want to create a more present presence to your presents, planning takes precedence.
Part of being more intentional in life bleeds into money and finances. It’s a key idea to start with how much money you plan to spend this holiday and setting a cap on it. Living in abundance doesn’t mean you spend all of your money. There’s a level of consciousness that keeps you in abundance and not letting your bank account look like a sieve.
When you honor what is available, you actually start making room for more. We can talk about that in a later post. For now, I recommend setting a budget.
Once you have that, write out all of the people you’d like to get gifts for. Consider too, any parties you may be planning to attend and hostess gifts you may bring.
Now that you have a budget and list, you can start the other parts of your planning. This includes items that you value and want to share with others, support of programs that need some cheer, and what could benefit people in the next six months.
Small Business and No-ship Ideas
Well, maybe not 100% no-shipping. It’s always nice to be able to open something. Smaller items are part of this one.
Many small businesses are no longer because of everything that’s going on, and well, not to get too political, but from what I’ve seen, the top 1% made a serious profit the past two years.
If that gets you a little bit, then look to the small businesses that have made it through and are doing their best to hang on.
The Facebook page, Becoming Minimalist, came out with “52 Clutter-Free Gifts” and many of them can support small businesses. A few of my favorites off of the list have to do with experiences and consumables.
Local Farm Shares: Does a family you know live near a local farm that offers food shares? Consider a small share with one of these paired with a cooking class. They also often have farm-to-table dinners, which would be a wonderful experience for a couple.
Local Foods: This in general could be anything like a butcher, cheese maker, winery, jelly and jam maker, coffee roaster, beer or whiskey distillery, etc… Consider purchasing items from someone local to who you’re thinking of for this and see if they can ship it (oooh, yes, I said it).
Classes or Memberships: These ideas are for anyone in the family. There are so many small wine and art studios that do things with kids too that would be a fun experience for the whole family. Museums, zoos, trampoline parks, or state and national parks are all great options. For families, consider gift card options that can be put towards summer camps. Other classes could be online classes paired with the equipment to do them, like a watercolor class with paints and paper. There are some great classes that are incredibly cheap. Check out Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, Thinkific, and LearnWorlds.
Wild Rides: Hot air ballooning anyone? Escape rooms, rock climbing, local sledding or ski passes/lessons, scuba diving (we have this in Colorado!!), or on a slower note...a winter hayride and dinner can be found too.
Don’t forget about PICTURES! Gifting a family member a photo session is an AMAZING gift! And of course, yours truly can help you with that. Reach out and email me and I can send a personalized gift certificate for a family photo session in 2022 to you or to your gift recipient.
If you know the types of food or favorite restaurants, gift cards to those places are an easy go-to. As well as their favorite hair salon, massage studio, or spa. If you have someone who doesn’t give to themselves that way and often wants to, this is a great option to give them a special treat.
A great surprise for a family member you don’t talk to very often would be sending something simple like a coffee mug, their favorite tea/coffee, and planning a video date.
Things I love to Gift
There are things about me that I really love to share with others.
One is Norwex cleaning products. They have a great system that is high on the environmentally friendly scale, and they WORK. No dirt here. Or at least it doesn’t last long.
Pampered Chef. Of course. I make sure to plan out these gifts in advance and share them with a recipe or some of the ingredients as part of the gift. There are so many options here that can brighten anyone’s kitchen experience.
Wine. I really don’t need to expand on this, but I did find an awesome electric corkscrew and aerator that I love to share as hostess gifts. Oh, wait, maybe I shouldn’t tell you that!!!
Giving
You have your budget, your list of people, you’ve paired ideas with each one and you’re awesome!!
Action loves urgency, so get to it. What needs shipped (give it a few weeks, at least these days), what’s local to you, and can be dropped off on a night of Holiday Cheer (you know, make a highway gas station worthy mug of hot cocoa, don your stocking cap, and turn up the music while you ring doorbells!!).
Watch eyes light up and joy bring warmth to the colder nights. This is the best gift of all. We need to see each other. Share yourself and let me know how it goes!!
Cheers!
~Kim
This peek into Kim’s world was brought to you by Emily Kamala. Emily is a freelance writer and life coach who loves to share stories, write blogs, and experience life so fully she has to bring it to life on the page. If you’re interested in reading more of her work, you can visit: www.EmilyKamala.com
Kim Morgan has brought her passion for connecting and telling stories through photography to life. Her ability to put you and your family at ease is so palpable you don’t even realize she’s behind the camera getting those precious moments for you to carry with you many years later. She lives in Colorado with her husband, son, and dog, where they enjoy exploring the mountains and laughing at every opportunity. Her website is KWDesignsPhotography.com to see her amazing work and set up your session!