Hey all! I am linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 5!
Today, I'm going to share 5 ways to give EXPERIENCES instead of STUFF this holiday season! Last year we tried to give our family as many experiences as Christmas gifts as possible and it was a big hit!
1. Tickets, tickets, tickets! Whether it's a concert, comedy show, musical, movie, sporting event... you can't go wrong with giving someone a pair of tickets to something they will enjoy!
Local ideas: Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Dutch Apple Dinner Theater, Hershey Bears games, Senators baseball game, Oxymoron Improv
2. Subscriptions/Memberships. This could be a magazine subscription or something like Blue Apron. Or, go for a membership to a local museum, garden, or science center.
Local ideas: Pennsylvania State Museum, The Whitaker Center, Hershey Gardens
3. A day out to do a fun recreation. Think of what the gift recipient would enjoy. Kids are easy... snow tubing, bowling, ice skating, roller skating, laser tag, arcade, go-carts, amusement park, rock climbing, one of those crazy trampoline places. Adults may like some of those ideas too! Adults may also like something like Paint Nite, hot air balloon ride, race registration,
Local Ideas: Carlisle Sports Emporium, Ski Roundtop, Twin Ponds, Knoebels, Hershey Park, Sky Zone, Monkey Joes, Color Me Mine
4. A homemade dinner. This gift is perfect for parents and grandparents! Invite them over to your house for a delicious meal with all the trimmings! We started doing this for my parents and they come over in January for a meal. It's nice to have something to look forward to during the winter months!
5. Lessons or classes. Think outside the box! Pay for music lessons, dance classes, or martial arts classes. Buy your friend or family member a cooking class, painting class, guitar lessons... anything, really!
6. Pampering. Nails, hair, massage, sports massage... Seriously, just get every adult on your list a message for Christmas and it will be their favorite gift!
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any other suggestions for "experiences"?
What was your favorite "experience" gift?
What was your favorite "experience" gift?
For my birthday I always ask for an experience not a material gift. I think my fave was Costa Rica!
ReplyDeleteCosta Rica sounds like and awesome gift! Is it dangerous there now? I saw a tourist was murdered!
DeleteThis is excellent! I've been subscribing to this train of thought for years now! My favorite experience gift was when Scott bought me race registration and hotel accommodations ( and of course shoes and all the gear) for the NYC half marathon. That was my favorite gift ever!
ReplyDeleteEvery year I buy Scott a fishing license because I know it's something he will use and I try to get my mom a certificate to a spa or massage or something we can do together.
I remember that weekend and race recap you did of NYC. They
Deleteat was totally an awesome gift!
These are all awesome ideas! I remember one year asking my inlaws for a race entry to a run, and instead I got a bunch of junk that I donated. I'd almost rather not have a gift than get something that is junky or I won't use at all (I'm kind of a minimalist)- after all, it's my time and effort to take something to Goodwill or charity. I think offering a day of babysitting/taking kids out to family members would be an awesome gift because the kids AND the parents get a day of fun from it.
ReplyDeleteI'm turning into a minimalist as well! I don't like getting a ton of "stuff". You made some good suggestions, I could write a post of "services" to offer people- like baby-sitting, house cleaning, delivering dinner...
DeleteGreat gift ideas! I would almost always receive experiences rather than things, and since I live close to you, I can use some of your examples! I have never heard of the Improv. I will have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Randy is in the group and they are hilarious. They perform in the Harrisburg Area mainly. But I am SURE there is some great improv in Lancaster!
DeleteI love experiences! We often forego material gifts and travel instead. One I got my dad and his wife concert tix and all he could tell me was about how crummy the seats were. ;p
ReplyDeleteOh dang, come on dad!!
DeleteAMEN to all of this! I actually just discussed this with my family because none of us need anything but I mentioned maybe going on a family trip as a holiday gift. I would much rather travel and have experiences than material things.
ReplyDeleteA family holiday trip sounds perfect! That's memories made and time well spent together!
DeleteI'm asking for airline gift cards this year--I'd much rather travel than anything!
ReplyDeleteOh great idea, Wendy!
DeleteIt's not quite an experience, but something I did for a friend was donate to WWF and adopt an animal. She's always been into saving animals, and I thought something like that would be great.
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome idea. Agreed, not an experience but something even more meaningful.
DeleteThese are all 10x better than material gifts!!! This is awesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks Patrick!
DeleteI love "experience" gifts... I wish it was easier to give them to family/friends overseas but it's hard to get gift cards online (DON'T ask me why - it should be standard these days!).
ReplyDeleteWow that does sound odd that a gift card would be hard to get overseas! It just sounds like such a hassle!
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