Bonus 2: Experiences as Gifts

I truly enjoy the holidays, but sometimes it makes me sad how quickly the warm glow of Thanksgiving togetherness pivots to the mass materialism of Black Friday. Don't get me wrong—I did take advantage of a few Cyber Monday deals here and there. But as I felt myself becoming consumed with what I could buy (both for myself and others), I started wondering about what the antidote could be.

And just as I felt my materialistic side taking over, I saw an article about the benefits of giving experiences as gifts.  

Turns out, experiences—like a family vacation, learning to paddle board or being a race car driver for a day—leave a more lasting impression and can even strengthen the relationship between the giver and receiver.

Steve and I with our nephew during his graduation trip to New York.

Now that I think about it, some of the best gifts I've ever given and received have been opportunities to share quality time with a loved one, whether enjoying a musical production with my grandmother as a kid or taking our nieces and nephew on special trips for their high school graduation.

And it doesn't have to be expensive. My brother's mother-in-law gifts my nieces a "Special Day" every year for their birthdays that involves a day of shopping, dinner, movie, etc. with their grandmother. They look forward to every year (even though it gets more challenging to schedule as they grow older).

As I try to resist simply succumbing to the materialistic fog of the holiday season (a fight I am quickly losing), I'm going to pivot and put an emphasis on experiences.

So I'd be curious to know: What experiences have you given or received? What recommendations do you have for gifting experiences? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!