One of the things I enjoy the most about the holidays is the thought of gift giving. I grew up not expecting a lot, but I was very lucky (and grateful) that I received even just two gifts. My mom would ask my sisters and me to write out our Christmas lists and I would, even though I knew I would probably not receive anything on the list. Over the years, I’ve realized that I don’t need to spend large amounts of money on gifts for people I care about to show them how much I care. These are a few simple gift ideas I’ve done or have seen.
A Jar Full of Love
Junior year of high school, my teacher cadet class did this thing called “Pot Notes.” Essentially, you would have your own little jar and the people in your class would write little notes of hope and compliments that made you feel better. The term “Pot Notes” came about because of Virginia Satir and her views on self-esteem. If you have a “low pot,” your self-esteem is low and if the pot is high, then your self-esteem is high. I was in a class full of seniors and even though they all graduated and I don’t talk to them anymore, I still look at those notes, because on a bad day, they mean a lot. You can purchase a jar at any craft store near you; the ones I usually purchase are 1 dollar. Then you can decorate however you want and know that your friend will enjoy.
Scrapbook
I have not tried this one for the holidays yet, but my sister has this really large journal in which she writes passages and glues little notes and newspaper articles together and it looks really cute. During the summer, my family and I made a scrapbook for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary and they adored it. We glued in some of their old wedding photos, memories from their life in Portugal and the United States, their children and grandchildren and then the photos we took on their actual anniversary. If it’s family, find photos that you are willing to glue or tape and add little crafts around it or even quotes. If it’s a friend, then only use photos if you have them. I have a lot of little notes we used to write each other from 8th grade to junior year, so I would probably use those or maybe even tickets to stuff we have been to together.
Baking
When I was little and lived in Portugal with my grandparents, the one thing we always gave to half of the people in the village (especially close friends), were these things called filhoes. They are basically fried dough sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. As much as I would love to share my grandmother’s recipe, I only know the ingredients and not the measurements. Her idea of measurements is “a little bit of this and a little bit of that,” so no numbers. You can also bake cookies like my friend did last year. One of them was a little Christmas tree — the pretzel was the trunk and the icing was the actual tree.
Books
I’m very lucky to say that one of my friends is just as obsessed with books as I am. I’m always taking in new books, if people are giving them away, mostly for myself, but also for the holiday season. My friend isn’t really picky when it comes to books, so I will simply look at my bookshelf and find a book that I know I probably will not be picking up anytime soon. Of course, I look into the plot and make sure it’s something they will enjoy or at least make sure it’s not something boring. I always write a letter to go with it and sometimes make a pun or two about the novel, depending on whether I read it or not. Make sure you’re someone who owns a lot of books and doesn’t mind giving some away. I have too many books for my own good.
Holidays can often seem very stressful because of the fact that you want to give all your close friends and family members gifts. Maybe you’re going through financial struggles and can’t afford new things for everyone. These gifts are more meaningful than anything you buy for them because it was you who went out of your way to make them or put them together. You put in the effort and poured your heart into it. Not only are you saving some money, but the gift is more special when it comes from the heart!
