How to Keep Christmas Gift Giving Simple, Memorable, and Minimal

When I was a kid, my older sister and my younger brother (that’s right, I’m the poor middle kid) were often jealous of me on Christmas day. This was because I would receive more gifts than anyone else. My family was fairly well-to-do so the number of gifts I got each Christmas mounted up to anywhere from 80 to 100 or more. I don’t know why my siblings were jealous of this fact (they, too, received tons of gifts by the way, I just for some reason always received a handful more), because I rather disliked it. The vast majority of these gifts I don’t remember at all. Some I even dreaded upon opening. Why? Because they were just random things, most of which I never asked for, didn’t need, and didn’t particularly want. Sure, there were always a handful of gems in the mix, but I truly didn’t want most of the gifts.

However, there was always one gift I looked forward to. And that was the one that my dad rushed out to get for me at the last minute on Christmas Eve. I had to open all the other little gifts first before I was allowed to open this one, but it was well worth the wait. That’s because Dad’s gift was always something I had actually asked for, was something I really wanted or needed, and was usually something that was more expensive. These gifts I remember, got excited about, and cherished.

My point in sharing this? Don’t overdo it at Christmastime! Even if you do have the money to spend, that doesn’t mean you have to. Keep Christmas gift giving simple, memorable, and minimal.

I’ve often heard about the “Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read” gift limiting concept and had already planned on putting it to use, but I recently came across this graphic on Pinterest which added a few more great ideas which I’m also gonna give a try (plus one more idea I came up with). This gift simplifying concept ensures that my gift giving will be more purposeful as I {at least attempt to} give useful, memorable gifts to each family member at Christmas. It promises that each family member receives a grand total of eight gifts (nothing more, nothing less) that are worthwhile. Will they remember, be excited, and cherish what I give them? Not necessarily, but I do hope they will at least some of the time! Here are the seven gift categories that this concept emphasizes (including the three new ones of my Pinterest find and the extra I added) and how I’ll apply them to my own family:

[dropcap]1[/dropcap]Something they WANT. This is where the wish list comes in. For this item, I’ll pick something my child or hubby has been passionate about receiving. Be it an expensive or not-so-costly item, I want it to be special, high-quality, and, hopefully, something they will cherish and maybe even remember into adulthood (or old age in the case of my hubby).

[dropcap]2[/dropcap]Something they NEED. This will vary based on the life season of each of my loved ones. It could be anything from a new bed comforter to a coupon saying we’ll match money earned towards the purchase of a vehicle (when they’re like 16).

[dropcap]3[/dropcap]Something to WEAR. Now I probably won’t be giving them something basic like socks or underwear (talk about anti-climatic and maybe even awkward), but I will try to give them something practical yet enjoyable. For example, any tee-shirt with super heroes on it will simply thrill my boys at this stage. As they get older, this item could be those spiffy shoes they’ve been eyeballing or the lovely dress that my daughter has been raving about.

[dropcap]4[/dropcap]Something to READ. Reading is important to me and my hubby (hence the reason I sell Usborne books). We want our kids to have a love for reading. So blessing them with an intriguing read is a definite must.

Need some gift-giving inspiration? Check out our Christmas Gift Guide!

[dropcap]5[/dropcap]Something to SEE. My family is big into DVDs because I don’t particularly like having the TV on. DVDs are great because they can be pre-approved for your children, can be watched over and over, can limit screen time (one long DVD or two short ones watched per day) and can be taken along on long trips. My kids also love the fact that they can choose what they’re in the mood to watch.

[dropcap]6[/dropcap]Something to MAKE. I found this concept intriguing. It is a gift that has the potential of creating future memories. Maybe it could be a tool kit to construct a wooden project or a painting kit and paper to put artistic abilities to action. In case my hubby is reading this post, I would really like a grown up’s coloring book for my gift in this department!

[dropcap]7[/dropcap]Something to EAT. This is a handy gift because it doesn’t take up space for very long! For this gift, I’ll make or buy them their favorite treat. For my hubby and me, this could even be just a night out together sans children.

[dropcap]8[/dropcap]Something ELSE. This other thing can vary from year to year. What I’ll probably do for this year at least is give a $10 (or so) gift card. That way, if my other gifts missed the “memorable and cherished” target somehow (in spite careful observation and planning), then at least they can get something they really want with the gift card!