It’s mid-December and it seems all our energies and money goes into buying the perfect gift for those special people in our lives. Some people are easy to shop for, but others are a real challenge. I know that I have been struggling with shopping for a few years now. Christmas is always the hardest. For some reason, I seem to be able to find something that works for birthdays and anniversaries. Perhaps it’s because those don’t all happen at once and in the middle of decorating, parties, and social events!

So this year, I did something different. I have been giving people “experiences” rather than “things.” I gave my parents tickets to a concert they’ve wanted to see. I gave my expectant sister and her husband a coupon for me to bring them dinner one night. My husband gave me a full detailing of my car (that’s been splashed with milk and is full of dog hair). I love getting experiences. They are so much more valuable to me than a thing.

In future years, we’re planning to take the money we might spend on gifts and set it aside for a big family get-together. It might not be at Christmas, but it will be far more valuable than a few pairs of socks and a sweater (unless of course, you knit the socks and sweater yourself). Now, of course we will be giving gifts to the children. After all, Christmas is about children. But, the grown-ups will spend their money on making a wonderful memory.

I’d encourage you to consider shifting your gifting thoughts. Great gifts can be found just about everywhere. Maybe the best gift is a couple of hours of babysitting so a new mom can get out of the house and get her hair cut. Perhaps it’s a certificate for a class tuition that the recipient has wanted to take. What about a house-cleaning for someone who’s been laid up with an injury or illness? The possibilities are endless – if you use your imagination and creativity.

Here’s some more great ideas:

• Take a new neighbor to an evening with your friends so she can meet people in the area
• Give your friends a knitting class (or a scrapbooking class, or any other craft class), but don’t make it one of the direct sales parties where they are expected to buy something.
• Take someone who can’t get out a warm meal and spend some time with them.
• Give certificates for something the person needs – grocery cards, gas cards, oil changes, pharmacy cards. That way, they can splurge on something special for themselves.
• Invite your kid’s friends over for a play date, and have a special tea for the moms.
• Take your children to the zoo or the park or the pool.

Can you see where I’m going with this? I’ve been talking about commercialism at the holidays for many years now. It’s just getting out of control from where I stand. If you’re feeling like this Christmas thing is just way too hard or just way too expensive, I encourage you to give experience this year. Your friends and family will really appreciate your thoughtfulness and creativity. I promise they won’t receive another gift like it this year!

By Lisa Akers, fiber arts instructor and owner of be still & knit. This article can be found at http://www.bestillandknit.com.