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.

Eliminate your holiday meal stress!

Hosting a Christmas meal can be exhausting and expensive. A lot of preparation goes into planning a menu, buying the ingredients, and putting each dish together the day of. Then, there is always a home to clean, a table to set, and beverages to be put together as well! This makes the holidays tiring and stressful, and doesn’t let the host enjoy the meal with family and friends.

Planning early or making a schedule only goes so far – a lot of work must still be done the day of, and a lot of the stress cannot be avoided. However, if you’re hosting a holiday meal, consider lightening your load by assigning others to bring a dish!

Just because you are hosting the meal, doesn’t mean you should be afraid to ask for help. Side dishes like casseroles or vegetables are easy for others to bring and quickly heat once they arrive. You can also ask some of your guests to bring one or more desserts. If your aunt makes the best green bean casserole, or your sister has time to make a dessert, don’t be afraid to ask them to contribute to the meal. Beverages or appetizer dishes are also easy to assign to others.

Allow yourself to enjoy the meal by taking some of the load off of your feet. Many of your guests will be happy to help and contribute to the meal. To prevent people from bringing the same item, or bringing a dish that doesn’t fit with the meal, consider delegating a specific dish or giving each guests a couple of options to choose from. This way, you will still have control over the menu and dishes, but won’t have to prepare everything yourself. You can also stay more organized the day of by confirming with each guests a couple of days before whether or not they will need to heat anything in the oven or microwave, so you can plan your own cooking.

Make the holidays more enjoyable this year, and spend time with your family and friends. Too often, hosts spend most of their time organizing menus, shopping for ingredients, and preparing turkeys, and don’t get to visit with their loved ones. There is only so much organizing you can do beforehand – the only way to really cut down on stress is to eliminate some of the tasks that need to be done for the meal. Get your guests to help and bring a dish of their own, or even dessert – anything to help you enjoy the meal with them!

This year, have a relaxing an enjoyable holiday!

Get Organized this Holiday Season!

This week is a busy time for many people. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Boxing Day (or Week), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are all happening within days of each other, and these holidays usually involve parties, family meals, gift giving, family visits, and a whole host of seasonal activities. We’re here to offer some advice on how to stay organized during this busy time!

Keep a calendar

With all of the events and activities going on, it’s important to make sure you have everything written down, either on a physical calendar or in your phone. You can set reminders a couple days before the event so you know what is coming up, like Christmas dinner, and what you need to be doing before that event. If you’re having family over, this is also important so you can make sure the house is clean and the guest bedrooms are ready. This way, you can enjoy time with your family and not have to run around the day of.

Don’t try to do it all

Many people feel pressured to squeeze in every holiday-themed event or activity that they hear about or get invited to. This should not happen! The holidays are supposed to be a time to relax with friends and family, the keyword being relax. The holidays don’t have to be stressful unless you make them stressful. Sometimes, it’s best to say no to some people and arrange to meet them before or after the holidays in a time that works best for your schedule. December, especially the week before Christmas, should not be the time that everyone tries to get together. It’s okay to say no – it may be that your friends and family are going through the same thing!

Leave some time to relax

The holiday season is notorious for being stressful (see points one and two!) but it doesn’t have to be. Take some time for you to relax – whether it’s at home or with friends and family, as long as it doesn’t involve you feeling stressed or disorganized. Taking this time can help you get back on your feet and assess what needs to be done. It can be easy to forget what’s happening or what needs to be done during this week when you’re constantly moving from one event to the other. Once the week is over and the holidays are done, you’ll be left dealing with all of the other things you may have pushed aside to make room for these activities. Take the time for yourself to re-organize your coming days, relax, and give yourself a break!

Pack ahead of time

For people who are travelling over the holidays or visiting relatives, it’s a good idea to pack as much as you can before you have to travel. This seems like common sense, but it’s easy to put packing off during this time, especially if you’re travelling after Christmas. However, it will make your life easier and more organized if you get as much as you can packed before you have to leave, so that you can enjoy your other holiday events without having to leave early to pack or be rushed to pack the day of. Clothes, shoes, accessories, books, and other items that you don’t use day to day can be packed in your suitcase ahead of time. Toiletry items like toothbrushes and hair accessories can be packed in your travelling bag but left out for you to use. This way, it’s ready to go but still available for you to use before you leave. If you’re travelling by air, it might be a good idea to check-in to your flights online 24 hours in advance, and either print out your boarding tickets or save them on your hand-held device ahead of time.

Once you’re ready to return from your travelling, our Unpack to Organize after Summer Vacation post can help you stay organized before you even get home.

Enjoy the holiday season by staying organized and keeping track of what is happening. Cut down on your to-do list if necessary, and make sure you take time for yourself. If you’re travelling, get as much as you can done as early as you can. This week doesn’t have to be stressful if you don’t want it to be!