Wondering what to gift a minimalist or that friend that has everything this holiday season?

After moving from our home of 20 years, I was dumbfounded by how much STUFF we had accumulated through the years. I purged, donated and sold 2/3 of our possessions and I’m still feeling the need to downsize even further. Freeing myself of our non-essential possessions was liberating on so many levels. It meant fewer things to store, carry with me, clean, tend to and most importantly, less stuff to weigh me down and clutter my house and mind alike. So here I am without meaning to sound ungrateful, please save your money, spare the landfill and do not gift me any more things!

Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot of passion for things (art, fashion, cool cooking gadgets… to name a few); I just no longer want to own those things. I’m working hard on my goal of learning to be happy appreciating things from afar – a photo, online art, a day trip to a gallery… while contemporaneously avoiding bringing anything else into my possession.

That said, there are some people that just love to give gifts. If you fall in that category, I have some suggestions for you when considering a gift for the minimalist in your life as well as those friends and family members that already have everything they need!

One of my favorite and go-to gift ideas right now is an an Airbnb Experience gift card. These gift cards aren’t just great for overnight stays – Airbnb also offers many great experiences in the form of adventures, tours, unique shows and classes. When looking for that perfect adventure, tour or experience, start with the “experience” tab on the Airbnb website and then enter the region and dates you are searching for. You’ll be amazed at what comes up; everything from hiking up a mountain, rappelling down and camping overnight in a tent suspended cliffside in Colorado (think Free Solo!) to less adventurous activities like learning how to eat fire classes in Los Angeles ($55/person), ride a One Wheel in Tahoe ($55/person), some very entertaining magic and comedy shows in Chicago as well as virtual and in person classes teaching you how to make pasta or a fabulous painting. There’s definitely something for everyone on your list!

Check out this link to get started exploring your next adventure:

https://www.airbnb.com/s/experiences

They also offer online experiences for you to choose from:

https://www.airbnb.com/s/experiences/online

To explore the link for this Colorado experience click here…

https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/234689

To check out the Learn How to Eat Fire Airbnb experience in LA, click here…

https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/180579

1) EXPERIENCES

• Plan a sunrise or sunset hike with a picnic for the two of you to share. Think waterfalls, nature, and getting a healthy heartrate boost going with lots of beautiful scenery, chatter and laughs with a friend to distract you from the beneficial burn you are feeling in your legs and lungs!
• A date – think local hot springs, a movie, museum, dancing, dinner, lunch, coffee or wine tasting
• Take your friend to your favorite yoga, pilates, or gym class
• Explore a new town square together and go window shopping
• Day trip to the ocean or to the snow for skiing or sledding
• Arrange a fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding or sailing day trip
• A spa day, gift card for a spa treatment or a mani/pedi date. Spa related gifts were my kryptonite when my kids were young and sleep and “me” time were my most precious commodities!
• A weekend away
• A sleepover camp for the favorite kids in your life
• Lessons/Classes: There are virtual and online classes for everything now. Think master classes and lessons for everything from pasta making, painting, photography, and intimacy workshops. I’ve even seen an online class for achieving optimal vagina health! Yep, I’ll spare you from the details but I will share that this class involved dangling and suspended objects! Gulp – like I said, there’s something for everyone!

2) Consumables

• Special spice/herb or blend that you love to cook with – along with a recipe to accompany it. My current favorite unique spice blend right now is Berbere and I love making Ethiopian dishes with it.
• Flavored cold-pressed olive oil or balsamic vinegar https://santafeoliveoil.com/. I love cooking with the garlic olive oil and using the Sicilian Lemon vinegar to top off my Greek salads.
• Chocolate, coffee, wine, loose leaf tea or a beer of the month club
• A hand-crafted scented soap, candle, lotion or bath salts – even better when they are made locally
• Your favorite lipstick, gloss or chapstick
• Journal
• Baby root vegetables or a fruit basket https://www.harryanddavid.com/h/fruit-gift/seasonal-fruit/32333
• Flowers or a plant
• A specialty smoked salmon, jerky or box of nuts from a local farm

3) Acts of Service

• A heartfelt letter telling that special someone why you love them
• An offer to pet sit overnight, babysit, make dinner or deliver a meal after a stressful day or wash their car after a storm

4) Functional Items or Gear

• Warm mittens, hat, or blanket if (and only if!) your friend is in need. I’m currently in need of a new Boos Block cutting board (mine just cracked down the center and is developing mold in the crack) and also on the hunt for Yaktrax for our winter adventures on ice!

5) Digital Goods

• An online book, podcast, music, exercise class or news subscription

6) Gift Cards

• An annual National Park pass (America the Beautiful Pass link below), restaurant, Airbnb experience or 23 & Me DNA Analysis gift card

https://shop.usparkpass.com/products/america-the-beautiful-national-park-pass

7) A Fur Baby!

• Last but definitely not least if nothing else jumps out at you, there’s always a puppy!

Whatever you decide to gift them this year, it’s important to choose with intention. Always start with asking yourself these five questions…

1. Will my friend want to receive a gift from me or am I buying this to make myself happy?
2. Would they prefer an experience, something digital, an act of service, a donation to their favorite charity, a gift card or a tangible item?
3. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and ask yourself will this gift spark job for my friend AND is that joy enough to outweigh the burden of my friend having more stuff and the fret over the environmental impact that accompanies this gift.
4. Think purposeful. Will this gift serve a purpose in the minimalist’s life? Is it something they are lacking and in need of… i.e. new running shoes, a warm hat or mittens for winter?
5. Lastly, consider the environment and ask yourself will this “gift” end up in a landfill next week, next month, next year… Consider this scenario, if the person receiving this gift were to move today and could only pack 4 boxes to take with them, would this gift make the cut or will it weigh them down and make them feel guilty for leaving it behind because a friend gave it to them.

So what’s it going to be?

If you feel inclined, please leave me a note in the comments sharing your favorite gift to give as a minimalist, to a minimalist, or simply for that person in your life that already has everything they need and want!