Experience Gifts

At the beginning of February Micah celebrated his third birthday.

Instead of giving him a physical gift, we planned a family experience gift by booking a room at Blue Harbor.

Our family lives intentionally and minimally and experience gifts have become one of our FAVORITE ways to celebrate together.

You may have noticed over the holiday season that Micah gets ONE Christmas gift from Santa.

Instead of focusing on the getting part of any holiday, we draw awareness and attention to GIVING. We donated to several local charities and explained to Micah the importance of our donation. Micah LOVED getting items off charities wish lists and helping those in need.

But back to the birthday experience gift.

Why give experiences over physical gifts?

In our home, experiences and memories made together mean more than any physical item.

When I go into my memory bank of my own childhood I cannot recall any birthday gift I’ve received. What sticks out MOST in my childhood memories are the trips we took. The places we visited. The restaurants we enjoyed. The time spent together.

Becoming a parent my husband and I keep and hold our minimalist values around holidays and birthdays.

If someone feels inclined to get a gift we recommend experience gifts (local destinations, trips to the zoo, visiting a new local restaurant).

Another suggestion if someone wants to give a physical gift is books. Books are truly the gift that keeps on giving so we welcome books with open arms.

Another gift recommendation is asking for consumables. We love cooking and enjoying meals together so anything we can experiment with or create together is not only an experience gift, but also a physical gift.

Living intentionally and minimally with kids is a lot of fun. We adults get to enjoy the experiences as well, so it’s a win-win-win for everyone.

TANCKS for reading!

February 2022