Last minute gifts? Yeaaaaaa. This one is for the people left at procrastination station, whoops! The ones whose family has been sick nonstop (hand raised), the ones who have been doing everything and still have everything to do, and the ones that could just never seem to find that perfect gift.
This is for you.
The good news is these last minute gifts also make for pretty eco-friendly gift giving!
Gifting experiences are something I have come to love. Forget amazon next day. Not only is gifting an experience a great last-minute gift, but it also keeps giving and provides moments to live in with the ones we love. And, it usually supports a local business which is just the best. Here’s a roundup of a few of my favorite experiences to give.
Experiences to Gift the Adults
–Candle Making. When I lived in Boise, I did candle-making with some gal friends, and it was such a blast. And I have a delicious-smelling candle I have enjoyed for the last year. Look for something like this in your local area for a good time and to support a small business.
-Local brewery, winery, or distillery tasting and tour
-Activity classes like pottery making or bouquet arranging
-Tickets to a local theater or comedy club
-Lessons, like cooking lessons or learning a new instrument
-A membership to a gym or wellness studio
-Book a night at a hotel or spa
-Give a subscription box like a monthly whiskey-tasting experience. There are non-alcohol options too like Monday
-A kit, like a garden starting kit
-Offer free babysitting and gift the gift of free time
Experiences to Gift the Kids
-Local Zoo or Aquarium membership or day pass
-Tickets to a local kid’s museum or science center
-Movie passes or tickets to a local children’s theater
-An afternoon date to the movies or park
-Getting mani/pedi together
-Amusement park passes
-Lessons like swimming, golf, or art
-A kid’s subscription box like Kiwi Co or Lovevery
-A reading subscription box like Bookroo, Literati, or Lillypost
-Book a holiday or summer camp
-Tickets to a sports game
Budget Friendly Experience Gift Ideas
Quality time together doesn’t have to cost a lot or break the bank. Try these ideas to gift something meaningful and affordable.
-Movie night basket with snacks and goodies
-Day trip road trip, no reservations necessary, just a day of wandering and exploring some place new. The gift of time can be the best gift!
-Scrapbooking kit, you provide the photos
-Prompt journal
-Scavenger hunt
-Provide a homemade meal kit for them to make
-Offer to spend a weekend afternoon helping organize and make their kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room more sustainable with the swap ideas from this blog!
Lux Experience Gift Ideas
A touch of lux never hurt anybody. Gift something incredibly magical and memorable you can experience together.
-Plan or book a trip
-Hire a home designer for a room in their home
-Book a photoshoot for their family
-Find a unique guided tour, like hiring a boat for the day or renting mopeds
-Schedule a limo or lux car for a fancy date or fun night out together
-Hire a chef to cook a fancy dinner on site (I want this, husband take note)
Experiences are not only sustainable but intentional, meaningful, and memorable. You may be thinking last minute gifts won’t be cool, but you’ve got this, 4 days left until Christmas and 16 days in the holiday season (remember the 12 days of Christmas are AFTER Christmas… this also gives you a totally reasonable excuse for a slightly late gift if you’re needing some extra time). Enjoy the magic, take time to be together, give yourself time to rest, and truly enjoy.
What transitions and experiences do you treasure most each year?
the home sustainable 