5 clutter-free gift ideas for the holidays

Shopping for the holidays? Calm Order recommends giving a gift than can be experienced or consumed. This way, your loved ones can enjoy their gift without adding unnecessary clutter into their lives. If you’re having trouble thinking of gift ideas, don’t just buy something at random. Chances are, whoever gets the gift won’t be able to use it and will end up having to give it away or put it in storage and forget about it. Don’t be afraid to buy gift certificates or tickets for gifts that won’t turn into unwanted clutter.

 Enjoy dinner and a movie

This classic weekend activity is a great gift to give anyone on your gift list. It can easily be customized to everyone’s tastes and interests because you can be general movie passes that aren’t specific to a certain movie, theatre or time. This way, your gift recipient can make plans to use their gift whenever works best for them. Better yet, it can be a completely clutter-less gift! Consider buy the movie passes and restaurant gift certificate online and sending them over electronically. You can print out a certificate or card that can be opened the day of but doesn’t need to be saved (and most likely lost) when the recipient goes to use it. This idea also works well as a couple or group gift.

Give a night at the theatre

Calgary is home to many different theatres and performance groups that provide entertainment for all ages. From musicals to comedy shows and family-friendly performances, there are many different performance companies like Theatre Calgary, Pumphouse Theatre and StoryBook Theatre that can also make great gifts for family and friends. If there is a specific show you know your loved ones will love, then it might be a good idea to purchase specific tickets for them and other friends and family before they sell out. You can even consider purchasing general admission tickets, so they can see a show whenever they want. This gift can be a unique experience, and an activity they may not have thought to do on their own. If you have friends or family that really enjoy seeing performances, consider also buying them season passes to their favourite place.

Explore Calgary’s museums and galleries

For an even more engaging gift, consider giving friends and family passes to one of the many museums and galleries in Calgary and the surrounding area. From places like the Glenbow Museum, Heritage Park or even the Royal Tyrrell Museum, season passes, or one-time admission tickets make a great gift for any individual or group. Admission passes will allow recipients to make a visit at a time that works with their schedule and be a fun afternoon or day activity for them to experience by themselves or with other friends. If you’re looking for a bigger gift, you could buy multiple admission tickets to multiple places, and cut down on the number of physical items your loved ones will receive this holiday season. Give them a gift they can actually experience and remember!

Test culinary skills and taste buds

If you know anyone that likes to cook, bake, or eat food, find a cooking class or demonstration on a food type or cuisine they like, so they can enjoy an afternoon or evening learning about (and eating) something they love! Most classes can be group or partner activities, so this could be a great idea to do with your recipient, or to give them to do with someone else. There are classes available in Calgary from a variety of organizations like ATCO Blue Flame, The Cookbook Company Cooks, Sunterra, and more. If your recipient isn’t a fan of cooking, try a tasting or pairing event instead, which usually offers beverages and food samplings for guests to try. Restaurants and bakeries offer events like this that allow people to purchase tickets in advance, which makes for a great gift to enjoy after the holidays. Not only are they engaging activities, they can also be very educational!

Treat your loved ones

After a busy holiday season, nothing is better than getting a relaxing day at the spa! Whether it is a massage, pedicure, or full treatment, consider giving a gift certificate to a spa for your friend or loved one. It could be their regular treatment, or something new they wouldn’t normally get to do. There are also spa treatments available for couples or groups that you can also give. Some packages may also offer the option to get food or drinks to turn it into an even more engaging activity. A spa-day is the perfect gift for friends and family who may need rest and relaxation after spending a busy few days with family or travelling.

Give a gift that won’t just take up space in the homes of your friends and family. This year give them something they can actually experience and enjoy. Not only will it save you time and eliminate your gift-wrapping time, you can be assured that your recipients will actually use and appreciate their gift without adding more clutter to their lives.

Avoid holiday clutter! Black Friday is HERE!

With holiday products now available in most stores, and a major sales weekend coming up, it can be hard to refuse the allure of buying and accumulating more. This is especially true when many of us have the excuse of buying gifts, hosting parties, and feeling stressed. However, there is a way for people to prevent themselves from overbuying and adding more clutter into their lives over the holidays.

Take stock of what you already have

Before you even step into the grocery store or shopping centre, make sure you take a look around your home to see what you already have. This can save you from buying duplicates of anything or buying unnecessary items. For example, if you are doing holiday baking, check your pantry or the back of your cupboards for any leftover ingredients from the year before, or anything else that you can still use. This will keep you from buying another bag of sprinkles or more icing when you don’t need it.

In terms of holiday gifts, this is also a good idea, especially if you have been buying for people throughout the year. Sometimes it can be easy to forget a small item you may have purchased for someone back in March, so check all your usual storage areas and take a look at what you have already purchased for the people on your list.

Stick to the list

Now that you know what you have, make a list of what you need. This will help you stay on track while doing any shopping and curb any temptations to buy impulsively. Start by making a separate list of what food and drink items you  need for entertaining. Go through each dish you have on your menu, and what ingredients, condiments, serving dishes, and utensils you might need. To stay even more organized, group your ingredients into different categories based on the aisles and sections of your grocery store. This way, you can go through the store and get exactly what you need and prevent you from doing any unnecessary browsing through aisles where you don’t need anything.

For your gifts, make a list of everyone you need to buy for, and what they all need. For example, is it a small Secret Santa gift with a specific price limit? Is it a stocking stuffer, or a major gift? Is it for a co-worker, or a close relative? When you’re putting together their list, keep in mind what your relationship is and what kind of gift you want to give them. This will help you formulate gift ideas or know what to choose when you’re doing your shopping.

Know your limits

Holiday shopping can be expensive, so make sure you know what your budget is! Having your budget in mind can help keep you from overspending. Knowing what money you have to spend on gifts can also help when formulating your gift-giving list, and keep you from overbuying your gifts. When you’re shopping, keep in mind that you also want to reduce the clutter in other peoples’ lives, not just your own. So try and think of gift ideas that are not only cost-effective for you and within your budget, but also something useful and practical that your friends and family can actually appreciate.

The holiday season can be a big shopping holiday – but this year, try to avoid the temptation to add clutter to your home and spend more than you have. Consider your shopping needs carefully before you head to the store, know what you actually need and what you already have, and make sure you follow your budget. This way, you can enjoy the holidays without any shopping or financial regrets when the season ends.

Holiday Planning Guide

This year the holidays will look a little different for everyone. While the usual gatherings and activities might not be possible, there are still many activities you and your household can get ready for before the holiday season starts in earnest!

Inventory decorations

For many it might be too early to put up decorations, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pull out what you have and start to do an inventory of your collection. Go through what items you have available and where you want to use them. Check through ornaments to make sure nothing is cracked or broken and test out lights to make sure no bulbs are burned out. By going through what you already have, you can avoid purchasing unnecessary decorations and also make sure you have time to order anything that might need replacing.

 While the weather is still nice, it is a good idea to get outdoor lights and decorations up (even if you don’t turn them on for a couple of weeks). If you have a tree in storage you can pull it out and make sure it is still in good shape or look at ordering in a real tree in advance. Plan out your strategy and holiday decorating early so even if circumstances change, you have everything you need.

Prepare gifts

If you haven’t already completed your holiday shopping, check out our post on getting a head start on your holiday shopping whether online or in-store. Regardless of where you are at with your gifts, it’s a good idea to sort out what materials you have to wrap, decorate and distribute gifts to your family and friends.

Check how much wrapping paper you have left over from last year and estimate how much more you might need. If you already have an idea of what gifts you are purchasing, think about what else you might be able to use. How about reusable gift bags or boxes? In our current circumstances, you may also want to consider whether more sturdier materials are needed if they are being mailed or delivered in advance.

As always, at Calm Order we recommend when possible to consider giving a gift that doesn’t involve any clutter. This is especially important now when limiting physical contact is essential. You can still personalize electronic gifts by designing a festive e-Card or video message. Check out our post for clutter-free gift ideas!

Get packages mailed

With online ordering and mailing gifts more popular than ever this year, it is extremely important to prepare any gifts for friends and family out of town well in advance. Look into delivery times and options for wherever you need to send gifts and make sure you have everything packaged correctly and in the mail before those timelines. To make the process easier, consider if there are other options, like arranging with family and friends to send gifts at a later date. Online certificates or video announcements can also be sent in place of physicals gifts until they can get to their destination in time.

Plan festive crafts

To keep you and your family entertained during the holiday season start researching and planning for holiday baking and crafts. Pull out the festive cookie cutters, construction paper and other supplies to see what might need replacing or replenishing. Not only do these activities keep everyone in the holiday spirit, but they can also turn in to cost-effective decorations and gifts! Many of these materials can be purchased online or at stores with curb side pick-up to make planning safe and easy. While it is not safe to do activities with others in person, you can always consider hosting virtual craft and baking nights to get other family and friends involved.