Last Minute Christmas Ideas
Hello everyone! I’m back from having the flu and taking care of all the sick people in the house. Last week was rough!
For the past week or so, I’ve been thinking about Christmas. It’s not my favorite holiday, but I do love to spend time with family. What better excuse to do so than Christmas? This year, my husband and I have not really bought any gifts for anyone. We simply cannot afford it! It’s been a rough year for us financially, and our focus is on our daughter’s first Christmas, so we put off buying gifts for people until the last second. Knowing us, we probably won’t be buying anything crazy for anyone. Of course Christmas is about togetherness more so than gift giving/receiving, but it is kind of a bummer that we aren’t able to share in that part of it all this year.
That being said, I got to thinking about all the times I waited until the last minute to buy someone something for a holiday or birthday and figured it would be a good topic for today’s post! So if you’re like me and wait until the week of to buy Christmas gifts, here’s some ideas for you!
Food: You Can’t Go Wrong
Food is the key to a person’s heart. I love to cook and bake, so for me it makes sense to use those skills for gifting. If you have the time to make something yummy for someone, do it! Nobody ever turns down free food!
If you don’t have the cooking or baking skills to make something completely from scratch, there are tons of box mixes out there that are very delicious. The time and effort you put into something infuses it with love, and that’s what makes it good. Try getting a box mix for sugar cookies, getting premade frosting, and have an evening making Christmas cookies for everyone you love! It’s way more fun than stressful. After all, you just have to follow the recipe.
Greenery
I am a big fan of plants. If you don’t know, I have about 50 plants squeezed into our tiny living space, and despite not getting a whole lot of sun, most of them are thriving! A plant is a nice gift for anyone who needs a little green in their home.
Some people do not have green thumbs. Because of that, I suggest getting something easy to take care of, like a pothos or a mother-in-law’s tongue. Both need different things, but I’ve found that they can survive under low light and if you forget about them, they won’t immediately die. Other good plants that need a little extra TLC are ZZ Plants, spider plants, and succulents. If you don’t have a garden shop near you, you can usually find something at grocery stores. Hell, even buying a basil plant from the produce section counts!
We Love A Good Experience
Lately, I’ve seen people talk about gifting experiences. What that means is that instead of buying a physical gift, they’ll buy tickets to someplace or event that they can go to later as a family. I think that’s a great idea for kids who are old enough to appreciate it! It’s also a good idea for couples, especially long term relationships (any excuse for a new and exciting date is always going to be a hit).
There are TONS of things to do in Columbus thanks to our ever growing population. Even when you expand your horizons to the rest of Ohio, you can find something fun to do together. I suggest going to the zoo or an aquarium, having a day at the movie theater (seeing multiple movies, not just one), having a shopping spree at their favorite mall, going for mini golf, axe throwing, laser tag…there are so many things to do it’s almost overwhelming!
Of course, tailor your experience gift to the person you’re gifting to. If they don’t like movies, maybe don’t take them to see multiple in a day. If they can’t walk for long stretches of time, don’t take them to an amusement park or a zoo. Know your giftee!
I also think it’s good to have something physical to give them to promise that the experience will actually happen. Whether that looks like tickets, a handmade certificate, a letter, whatever. Something tangible makes it so that they can cash their present in when it’s time to enjoy it. I think it’s super important to do that because you can promise something big, but completely forget to do it later on down the line. Don’t be that guy! Make sure you’re actually giving them the experience you want to give them, or else it can become an empty promise…which is never fun.
When In Doubt…
…buy a gift card. Sure, some people think they’re a lazy gift. But I LOVE getting gift cards. It’s basically the equivalent of getting cash! Free money is never bad, especially if it’s towards a place you like to shop or eat.
The best way to go about getting gift cards for someone is to have a general item in mind while shopping for them. For example, if your giftee likes art, buy them a gift card for an art supply shop. If they like fashion, buy them a gift card for a nice boutique or department store. If they like to read, buy them a bookstore gift card. If you have a general idea of what a person likes, you can get them a gift card that’s a little more personal than just a Visa gift card.
There’s a little bit of help for some of you all who wait until the last second to buy Christmas gifts! Hopefully you all can find something special for all the people in your lives. I’ve got lots of ideas for everyone I love…but for next year’s holidays! This year, I’ve gotta think of my family’s financial well-being.
Happy holidays everyone!! I hope you enjoy this time of year with lots of laughs and love. I know I will! Gifts aren’t the focus of Christmas for our family, it’s more about getting together and having a good time. I know gifts are my favorite part of all of that, but it’s not too important at the end of the day. So if you don’t get anyone anything, don’t sweat it. Just spend time with your family, blood or chosen. That’s the spirit of Christmas, baby!
Thank you for reading, as always! Feel free to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to me here on Medium if you’d like to keep up with my posts. I’ll see y’all here next week!
