You may or may not have heard of the recent collapse of the supply chain. If you aren’t aware, the world is experiencing a global traffic jam of goods coming from Asia into North America, Europe, and other neighbouring countries. Prices for products are climbing and goods are taking longer to get to the store shelves and your front porch. If you haven’t started Christmas shopping yet, you should have started weeks ago. At this point in time, if you were to order an item from any online store, it is projected that you would receive that package in the new year. Don’t fret though, alternatives to the usual Christmas gifts you get off of Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart aren’t as far of a stretch as you’d think, but some may take a little more effort than just clicking a few buttons.
My family has slowly moved from caring about quantity over quality to quality over quantity. The past couple years my family has toned down on the festivities of Christmas. The effort for us to set up decorations and dress up was too stressful for all of us to handle. This will be the first year we won’t be putting up the tree. Don’t get my family and I mistaken, we love Christmas as much as the next gingerbread house making, Christmas caroling, winter wonderland enthusiast, but that type of celebration does not mesh with the type of lifestyle we are accustomed to. On Christmas day we have a big breakfast, then everyone gets one or two presents. After that we do as we please for the rest of the day till dinner time. Everyone takes part in making dinner. We believe the day should be spent with family so we make room to do that.
Pixabay / JillWellington
The list of gifts I have compiled are easy to obtain, cost effective, and embody the spirit of Christmas. Since you’ve been stuck inside with your family for so long, you should know what they like. Right? However gift giving shouldn’t be judged solely on the monetary value the gift holds but instead by what emotional weight it holds. I can’t deny receiving a car or a new game for Christmas is a great feeling, but for some that isn’t realistic. To commercialize your holiday experience blocks you from enjoying the full extent of Christmas.
My first gift suggestion to all those looking to give an affordable but meaningful gift to a loved one is a photo album. A collection of memories one could say. It could be a specific moment in time you want to capture, or a book capturing that person’s life. I like the thought of a photo album because of the strong nostalgic feeling it can give to the person receiving it.
Last Christmas my Dad, my brother, and I gave my Mom a photo album filled with pictures of her when she was growing up. We took photos from her parents photo album and scanned them onto photo paper, pasting them and decorating them into a book. She was so delighted to see the pictures of herself that she hadn’t seen in years. We also labeled the photos with the date and location of the picture. It was a great experience learning more about my Mom. It’s sometimes difficult for people to open up about what their life was like as a teenager or young adult with no incentive to. The process of making the photo album and then giving it to that person opens up a door to great conversations and stories. I found that I related to my Mom more than I expected after she told my brother and I stories related to the pictures. I definitely recommend making a photo album. It shows that a little effort can go a long way.
Pixabay / Pexels
The Second gift I would suggest to anyone who wants to impress their loved ones but also hit them right in the heart strings is a visual memory bank. This past year my grandparents played a big part in getting my family through lockdown. Making food, calling us almost daily to check to see how we were doing, and much more. They were the backbone of our family during a scary and depressing time. My cousins decided to repay them with a mini video story detailing how much they meant to us and telling the story of their marriage. My cousins had us all over for dinner on my grandparents anniversary to show the video. It was a very emotional moment for the whole family. I realized in my family we never told one another how much we mean to each other. This video hit the nail on the head and set the mood for the rest of the night. It was the most lively dinner we had to date, laughing and connecting with each other. Although this gift wasn’t given during Christmas, it would undoubtedly fit perfectly as one.
This last gift is so simple but brings so much joy to the ones you give it to. Food and snacks have become the staple to any good gift among my friends and family. Every year my brother and I give each other a couple snacks and favourite foods. It’s surprising how excited he gets when he looks inside his stocking to find it full of food. My friends and I hold a secret Santa draw every year and snacks are always on the table for eligible gifts. No one is disappointed to find out their secret Santa got them food for Christmas.
Hopefully by now you are planning on following one of my gift ideas or creating your own. There are plenty of more gift ideas, you just have to put in a little more effort. Don’t limit yourself to what is advertised to you on the screens of your devices. Overall the holidays are for spending time with loved ones and showing your appreciation for all they do. Gifts are just the icing on the cake.