Tis the season for Christmas lists, shopping ads, and all the in-store deals and online holiday sales. I’m always overwhelmed this time of year with the amount of gifts available to give to everyone on my lists.
Christmastime in our home is usually filled with tons of gifts and toys that the kids play with for about a week and then get tired of them. We’ve vowed to start giving the kids more experiences instead of more toys.
My sisters and brother are also wanting to start a family travel fund so we can enjoy more things together as a family and have all the cousins, Aunts and Uncles, and Grammy together.
I’d also rather give my friends an experience that they can do with their significant other than an impersonal gift that they may or may not ever use.
Here’s a list of experiences to gift this season for friends and family that I’ll for sure be using for inspiration for my friends and family.
Weekend Road Trip
From where we live in Texas is very drivable to a lot of major cities and destinations. I would love to give the kiddos the gift of a family vacation every year instead of a ton of toys. They make so many more memories and have much more fun on a vacation than with their toys.
For friends, you could design a two day itinerary for them to take with restaurant recommendations and must visit locations along the way. They give them gas, restaurant, or hotel gift cards to use during the trip.
Winery or Brewery Tour
There are so many craft breweries and local vineyards all over the country that this would be a great gift for friends and family. Find a local one near them and get them a gift card for a tour and a few tasting flights or a growler for the beer. This is a great gift to get out and explore a new place too that you haven’t been to yet but is still local.
Book a Staycation
I would love to book a nice boutique hotel for the weekend for me and the hubby to head to and relax and get away for a couple days. Somewhere in the city that we haven’t been yet and visit a new restaurant or two or just even be lazy and enjoy the hotel amenities and pool.
Spa Day
My sisters would both be ecstatic to get a spa day gift card. Let them go pamper themselves for a day and relax white getting a massage. If the massage is too much, a gift card for a mani and pedi is great too especially if it’s not something they would normally splurge on themselves.
Concert Tickets
If you know your friends and significant others favorite bands, look up when they’ll be close to them and buy them some tickets. You could also book tickets to a new band for them to discover.
Game Tickets
Along those same lines, grab them some game tickets instead to see their favorite team play. Sometimes these can get a bit expensive but if you can swing it then go for it.
Summer Vacation
I would love to start planning and actually booking a summer vacation with my whole family. We can rent an Airbnb that would hold all of us comfortably and enjoy each other’s company while the kiddos get quality cousin time. Booking in the winter for a summer vacation usually much better also because many people don’t start thinking about their summer plans until after winter, during spring, or even the beginning of summer.
