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Are Your Holidays Filled with Clutter?
What did your holiday look like last year? Was there a large pile of stuff that sat in your living room for a week after Christmas? Did you have to ‘make room’ for the new stuff you are adding to your space? Maybe it’s time to jump on the trend of parcel free gifting. Non-physical gifts have their benefits. You definitely don’t have to spend too much time finding just the right gift. Usually, these types of gifts are general enough to fit the receivers needs. The other benefit is that you can technically buy the gift as you are leaving your home. Office parties and Gramma’s house could be covered with a single touch of a button on your smartphone while you are traveling to them. How great is that?!
Have I convinced you?
Here is a list of intangible gifts to give (or try for yourself) this Christmas:
General Shopping and Apparel-
Amazon Prime ($99 p/yr) – The online general store where you can buy literally everything and it ships to you for free in 2 days. Except maybe a donkey… I haven’t searched for livestock. The Prime subscription also includes their video service and a free Kindle ebook each month. I honestly cannot imagine not having Prime in my life anymore. Shop Amazon – Give the Gift of Amazon Prime
Stitch Fix Subscription ($20 styling fee per box that is applied to your purchases)- Fill out a style profile with your preferences, sizes or measurements; then let your stylist do the work! For a $20 styling fee, you get 5 pieces send to you on whatever interval you choose. Your styling fee is applied to any items you choose to keep, and if you keep all 5 pieces you get 25% off your total purchase price! They have recently expanded their services to men’s clothing, so it’s a nice subtle way to tell the hubs to find a new favorite shirt. This is a great option for moms who don’t have the time or ability to spend hours trying clothes on at the mall. Get your first styling fee waived here, and try Stitch Fix for FREE.
Le Tote Subscription ($59+ p/mo)- This is a clothing rental service for women and maternity. You tell them how many pieces you want in one box and pay the monthly fee. Once your box arrives, you wear them for however long you want. Send back items you don’t want for new ones, or buy what you love outright. It’s a great way to make sure you really love an item before purchasing it. You don’t even have to send the clothing back clean, Le Tote will take care of laundry services for you. How great is that!? Give Le Tote a try HERE and get your first box for FREE.
Thrive Market Membership ($60 p/yr)- Thrive is an expansive online health food store. They sell everything from food to beauty to household cleaner to pet supplies. They have grown a lot in the last few years, and are continually expanding their selection of natural offerings. Their prices are good too, neck and neck with Amazon and Whole Foods new pricing. You can get 25% off your first order HERE.
Shaker&Spoon ($50 p/mo)- A bartenders box. Inside will include everything but the booze for 3 different cocktail recipes. Find a new standard drink for the next time you get to go out to dinner.
Entertainment/Hobby-
Netflix, Hulu, HBO on Amazon Channels – for movies, television, and exclusive content
Xbox Game Pass ($10 p/mo)- Digital access to over 100 xbox games with this membership
Adobe Creative Cloud ($ varies depending on subscription choice)- for the digital artist or photographer in your life. Memberships include digital storage and access to selected apps via mobile or desktop.
Music-
Spotify ($10 p/mo)- This music service will play the specific songs you want to hear. Bands will release exclusive songs or drop albums early on Spotify. The library is huge, and there is an option to download songs for offline listening within the app. Discover New Music is one of my favorite playlists since it’s tailored to my musical preferences.
Apple Music ($10 p/mo)- Pretty much exactly like Spotify with the Apple interface and intuitive features.
Pandora – ($5 p/mo for Music radio, $10 p/mo for on-demand songs). A radio subscription will give you unlimited skips. You pick a genre, song, or artist and it will play ‘like’ music. The Premium Plan offers the same options as Spotify and Apple Music.
Beauty-
This list could be its own post in itself. The number of subscription beauty boxes is insanely high these days. There truly is a beauty subscription box for every type of person. I will only highlight boxes that cover two common concerns for mommas: 1) Price point 2) non-toxic formulations
Ipsy ($10 p/mo)- Monthly subscription includes 5 mini-sized makeup items and a cute new bag each month. This is one of the highest rated and most budget-friendly beauty subscriptions, so it’s a great recommendation.
Birchbox ($10 p/mo)- Much like Ipsy, you get 5 mini sized makeup or skin care items. One of the 5 items is sometimes a beauty related tool.
Go Organik Box ($40 p/mo)- Receive 4 -5 FULL SIZED products. All are non-toxic, organic, and cruelty-free.
Petit Vour ($18 p/mo)- Receive 4 mini-sized beauty, body, or hair care products. All are non-toxic, plant-based, and cruelty-free.
Kids-
When gifting to children who aren’t your own, make sure you check in with the parents first to make sure they are agreeable with the gift. Sometimes sports, classes or other types of enrichment activities can take up a lot of time. This could prevent follow through if the parents aren’t expecting (or don’t want to participate) in this gift.
Membership to a local zoo, museum, or aquarium near the child’s home.
Enrollment in a class. Consider their interests and age range. Dance, soccer, gymnastics, music, baseball…the list could go on forever.
Hobby courses. These could be either in person or online. There are lots of offerings for kids including cooking, sewing, or creative writing.
Enrollment in boy or girls scouts, firecamp girls, or something similar.
Little Passports ($13+ p/mo)- This monthly box immerses kids in different cultures around the world. Includes activities and “souvenirs” from their trip. There are 4 different boxes to choose from depending on your child’s age and interests.
Kiwi Crate ($20 p/mo)- Picked your box based on your child age, from 0 – 16. Each month your child will receive a high-quality project to complete. Boxes are based on everything from exploration to age-appropriate engineering. It’s definitely a great option for play-based learning
Awesome Pack ($40 p/mo)- This box is novel because it is not an educational box just for kids. The awesome pack comes in two editions to choose from, Family and Big Kid. The family pack includes a family board game, family activity, and fun extras like activity books and items for each child in the family (you specify with details like name, age, and gender). You can even add a pet to your box, so everyone can get a monthly treat! Keep in mind, there are a lot of licensed character associations with this box, so you may end up with a lot of Trolls, or Disney princesses each month.
Moms-
Spa treatments at a local spa.
Membership to a local gym or YMCA.
Classes (online or in person) in support of a hobby or personal interest.
PopSugar Must Have Box ($40 p/mo)- This is a box of curated full sized items from the PopSugar team. It literally could be anything from food, to candles, to makeup, to fitness tools!
Mommy Mailbox ($35 p/mo)- A mix of art, beauty, fashion, and mommy lifestyle. These boxes are for the mom who appreciates modern design and details.
Mama’s MilkBox ($29 p/box)- Finally someone gets that shopping for clothes with a baby is nearly impossible! This subscription box delivers 3-5 stylish nursing tops and dresses to your door every six weeks! They carry several boutique brands, including their own in-house brand. They even have an outlet page! Hallelujah!
Final Thoughts
If you aren’t sure what to buy someone, stick to something general like an Amazon Prime or music subscription. It’ll be a winner for almost anyone on the planet!
Also, keep in mind, that even if you show up on Christmas empty-handed, your gift will be appreciated. Once all the wrapping paper and bows are gone, your gift will continue to be thought of and enjoyed throughout the following months or year.
Ditch the mall, kick back with a spiked eggnog, and do your Christmas shopping on your computer.
Your Christmas Spirit (and nerves) will thank you for it!
Happy Holidays,
