It's the holiday season, when you can usually score a good deal and most of us spend way more money than we should, but with all the lights and holiday cheer, it is hard to not be in the giving mood. But I can't help but be overwhelmed by all the "stuff". It doesn't really hit me until after the holidays, when I have all of my unwrapped gifts under the tree and I have to make room for it all. Don't get me wrong, I love getting and giving gifts and am grateful for everything I receive but I wonder how many of us purchase something just so we have a gift to give someone without thinking about the quality or where it came from. I know I have done this many previous holidays.
So this year I wanted to focus more on quality vs. quantity (this is a concept that I really believe in and will definitely be covering more in future posts). I figured I would rather spend money on more meaningful gifts than spend either more or less on items that were either mass produced or did not have much quality or meaning to them. This also tied into the handmade gifts as well. Most of my gifts were handmade this year and even though I may have spent more on the materials than it would have been to just flat out buy the item I produced, I think most will treasure the handmade gift more than any store bought gift. So in this case, quality overruled.
It is also kind of funny how this rule applies to gifts I am getting this year. I will be the first to admit that I am very hard to buy for. I think it's because I am into very different things than the average person and because I am so particular in my interests, I tend to be very particular about my possessions and I think that really intimidates those who want to get me gifts. Like I said before I am happy with anything I receive but I think those who really know me what to support my interests.
So this year I already know what most of my gifts are going to be, only because they were purchased at local fairs and I got to pick them out - with permission from the gift giver. I would see something and a member of my family would say "well, I could get you that and wrap it up for Christmas?" So I get an artisan made gift that I am going to absolutely love and the giver knows I am going to adore it? I think everyone wins. Plus the element of surprise when you are an adult is not as important as when you are a child. I know what I am getting, but I am still excited to receive it and am deeply touched that the giver cared that much to make sure I received something that was high quality, locally made and that I will treasure for years to come.
So my point is to be mindful of gift giving this year. Take the time to really find a meaningful gift for each person you are giving to this year. It may not be the most expensive thing on their list but money doesn't mean a thing when it comes to gift giving. Take the time to find out what people's passions are and get them a gift that supports that passion, buy something locally made or made by an artisan, or flat out MAKE THEM SOMETHING! You will be pleasantly surprised how touched people get when you give them something you made - hence playing into that "it's the thought that counts" theory.
Let the holiday season begin!
