Your guide to scented-soap alternatives.
I live in a 847 square foot home with a cat, two dogs, and a man! Living in a smaller house has allowed us to “spend” our space wisely in so many ways and one thing that can be difficult to navigate is receiving gifts. We so appreciate when people show us they love us through gift-giving, but at the end of the day if it is not an item we will use very often it is not something that can take up space in our home. For us, this has actually been very freeing!
If you have someone in your life who loves to live clutter free, lives in a tiny home, or is just a little more difficult to buy for, here are a few ideas they might love!
Help keep the place clean.
Dyson Cordless Vacuum.
With all those pets in my small little house, pet dander adds up quickly!! I have been a lover of the Dyson brand for a long time and when they came out with cordless vacuums, I was hooked. This vacuum is completely cordless meaning I can vacuum the house easily, take it outside and clean up the car, and then add an attachment to groom the dog!! When I decided to open a studio, this vacuum was one of the first things I purchased because I loved my home model so much.
It is so easy to use, Nick even vacuums more often. (Priceless).
This is an expensive gift for sure. They have less expensive options available around the $200 mark and you can often find deals around the holidays.
If you really want to go all out, you can also consider a robot vacuum such as a Roomba!
The gift of knowledge or adventure.
Kindle Paperwhite or Digital Books
Books where one of the things we had to take a hard look at when we decided to move in to a smaller home. I certainly would not advocate getting rid of books that truly mean something to you. The ones you are excited to share with friends or family members or books that you got at a truly unique place. But for us, we had a LOT of books that were “someday maybe” reads that were taking up space for no true reason.
I adore having a kindle (or any e-reader) because I can have access to all the books I want within such a small device. Did you know you can even borrow books from your local library and read them on your e-reader without ever leaving your house?! They are easy to travel with although it does take a bit to get used to not having a real book in your hand, now books actually are harder for me to hold and read at night because the Kindle is so convenient.
Most people hate giving standard gift cards, but if you know someone with an e-reader, you can gift them a specific book digitally! Hint hint: this is a gift I LOOOOOOVE.
The gift of services.
A little help they may not buy for themselves.
Investing in services can be a great way to pamper someone you care about, give them something practical, and spend your money locally. A few ideas for services based gifts are:
- Car detailing: who would not love an extra clean car?!
- Yard treatments: mosquito treatments could be a super fun gift if you have a friend or family member who loves to entertain in their backyard during the summer.
- Manicures and Pedicures: cheaper than a day at the spa and oh-so-relaxing.
- The gift of organization: give a gift or a professional organizer’s services! I would personally love to receive this, but make sure the intended recipient knows you well enough to understand you are not insinuating their house is a mess! If you are local to Lexington, I highly recommend Eliminate.
What other ideas do you have for good service-based gifts?
The gift of experiences.
Instead of a thing, give them an experience!
I am seeing this plea more and more from parents: please no more toys! Instead of gifting a loved one with another thing, what else could you enjoy WITH them?
- Zoo or aquarium passes
- Movie tickets
- Museum passes
- Sporting event tickets
- A fun app with premium membership (I am loving Drops for language learning)
- New skills! (Ceramics, photography, painting, dance, etc).
Gifts for organization.
Step one is have less stuff. Step two is make sure your stuff is stored well.
I use to think the whole point of organization was storing things. Out of sight, our of mind right?!?!?! Then I read The Joy of Tidying Up and it really helped me to see that LETTING GO of things was the secret to a cleaner and happier home. However, for the things that are left, I still love fun organizing tools. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Magnetic bar from Ikea: for $16, this little thing is so handy. I use it as a knife rack in my kitchen, but I have seen people use it to organize keys, bobby bins, and basically anything else you can stick a magnet to!
- Tool organizer: I love getting things up off the floor. This simple little gadget can be installed almost anywhere and bring organization to your brooms, rakes, mops and more.
- Spice rack (that actually looks nice): as we cook more and more, I adore having a big selection of spices on hand in the kitchen. However, I do NOT love having to hunt for what I need and I do not like to keep them out on the counter. This adjustable spice rack helps me see what I need, store more on one shelf, and I prefer it to the metal options you often see in store.
- Cord organizers: nothing makes a space feel cluttered like cords everywhere! I love these little cord organizers AND them come in white which I love.
- Wireless Charger: have one less cord to deal with every day! I love wireless charges which typically will work even if you phone has a thick case on it. They make it easier to grab your phone and do and eliminate a charger cord hanging from the nightstand or counter.
Gift giving can be stressful, but it can also be incredibly joyful! Do not be afraid to try something new this year and when in doubt, include a gift receipt! 😉
This list is amazing! You rock!!! Thanks for putting this together 🙂