The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the year. There’s so much to do, so many things to plan and prepare for. Most people have lots of events to attend and some to host. Some people have guests that visit from out of town and others travel to be close to friends and family.
During this time work schedules get shuffled around to accommodate the season and in doing so our workload may drastically increase for a period of time and then suddenly be lifted. But the craziness doesn’t end there; the pressure is on to find the perfect gifts for those we love and for most of us, we have a limited budget to work with.
In the end, is it any wonder that we associate the holidays with stress? We can do better than this!
Getting Back To Basics
It’s been said many times that we just need to slow things down a bit and get back to the basics. When it comes to the holidays there are some simple ways to do that. We can look at giving gifts that come from the heart rather than gifts that come from the mall. That is, why not make a gift for someone? If you can sew, knit or crochet, this will be a very simple thing to do. But there are lots of DIY projects that can be turned into great Christmas gifts.
You can make soap, candles, or bath oil to give. These items are ideal for gift-giving and they can be used to create your own gift baskets. But don’t be misled into believing that all gift baskets have to be about bath products – they can contain anything at all. That’s the fun part of creating them! They make the perfect gift for anyone because you can personalize them for the person you are giving them to.
You can purchase inexpensive baskets (or other containers) and fill them with things that will matter to the recipient. For instance, for a gardener you could use a pretty flower pot as the container and fill it with gardening gloves, flower seeds, a hand rake, or other gardening tools that would be appreciated. A dog lover might appreciate a dog bowl filled with dog treats for his furry friend. A pretty soup bowl could be filled with a great recipe and all the seasonings needed for a wonderful soup or other dish. The options are limitless.
It’s From the Heart
The best part is, when you create gifts in this way, you know you are putting together something that will be liked and used. And the gift shows you put thought into what the person is all about. It is a gift from the heart.
You’ll take pride in putting together the gift because you will know it will be unique and it will be appreciated. The entire process is therapeutic – in other words, it provides a form of stress relief.
Think about it – you save money on the gift, you end the hassle of trying to find the perfect gift, and you get to enjoy a new found hobby of sorts as you put together the baskets for your friends and family. What more could you ask for in gift-giving?
Debbie Allen is a freelance writer and blogger – she says her first letter from Santa gave her encouragement to pursue her dreams.
