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holiday wrapped presents

Giving the gift of time

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It’s not about how much you spend on a gift or how big the gift is, but about the emotions and experiences you create. Check out these 30 time/experience gifts, guaranteed to create memories with your loved ones.

Have you ever received a gift during the holidays that you thought was useless junk? If you said yes, you’re not alone! Last year, an Ipsos poll exclusive to Global News showed that one-quarter of people surveyed said most of the gifts they get during the holidays are useless junk.

How we feel about a gift usually comes from the emotions we get from it. Receiving another coffee cup provides us little emotion or satisfaction while receiving some type of experience can cause a variety of emotions and satisfaction, especially those that leave a lasting memory.

This holiday season consider giving the gift of time/experience and making homemade coupon vouchers for your loved ones – guaranteed to create smiles, build relationships and make memories.

Below are 30 voucher ideas to give to your loved ones.

10 ideas for kids

  1. Picnic at the park
  2. Car cleaning – inside and out
  3. Breakfast in bed
  4. Personalized chef for the day
  5. Control of the remote for one evening
  6. Breakfast for dinner – your choice
  7. Backyard camping night
  8. Date night – you pick an activity
  9. Foot rub
  10. Day of ‘I Love You’ – every hour list one thing you love about your significant other.

10 ideas for parents

  1. Sleepover at Grandma’s house
  2. 1-hour reading time with parent or grandparent
  3. You pick the supper menu tonight
  4. Movie night in – your choice
  5. Pillow and blanket fort building contest
  6. Game night – your choice
  7. Stay up 30 minutes past bed time
  8. Pick one item to add to the grocery cart
  9. Day of tobogganing
  10. Day of skating

10 ideas for couples

  1. 1-hour yard work
  2. Breakfast in bed
  3. An evening of babysitting so you can go on a date night
  4. Folding and putting away all laundry
  5. Spa day at home
  6. Cleaning of the bathroom – toilet included
  7. Parents day off – stay in pajamas all day
  8. DIY photo album day
  9. Homemade dinner including serving and kitchen clean up
  10. Design a scavenger hunt for the whole family

 

When creating vouchers for the ones you love consider their age, who they are and what their interests are.

This holiday season remember it’s not about the amount you spend on a gift or how big the gift is but about the emotions and experiences you create. Gifts that come from the heart are usually the best gifts of all.

What other gifts of time/experiences ideas do you have or have you given? Share with us in the comments below.

table with several wrapped wedding gifts

Unique wedding gift ideas

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Trying to find the best wedding gift can sometimes be stressful. It shouldn’t be about how much you spend but instead the thought you put into the gift. Here are a few unique wedding gift ideas, perfect for showing your love for the newlyweds, that won’t break the bank.

Wedding season is here! As the invites start coming in, we often start to see dollar signs rather than wedding bells. When we think of a wedding gift, our automatic go-to is cash but then start to question what is too much, or what is too little?

Instead of stressing out on how much cash to give, consider giving a wedding gift unique to the couple – one that truly shows how much you care about them and doesn’t break the bank! Below are a few unique wedding gift ideas to get you started.

Basket gift ideas

  • First wine basket – Wine lovers? Put a package together to help celebrate “A Year of Couple Firsts”. Include a bottle of wine or champagne for every occasion and create printable tags. Ideas for “firsts” can be: First Home, First Baby (non-alcoholic bubbly), First Fight, First Trip, First Christmas, First Anniversary, etc.
  • Dessert basket – Create the perfect ending to date night with a dessert basket, which also provides the new couple with some household staple items. Use a large mixing bowl as the basket and include items such as brownie mix, spatulas, measuring spoons and cups, his & her aprons and a cute pair of oven mitts. If your budget allows, consider adding a bottle of dessert wine or port
  • Romantic night basket – Give the gift of a ‘spa-day-in’ by creating a spa basket. Purchase two inexpensive robes and take to a local seamstress to get monogrammed with the bride and groom initials. Package together and include foaming bath soap, bath salts and a brush and some lotions and oils for a romantic tub night for the newlyweds.

On a budget

  • Group gift – Will a large group of friends be attending the wedding? Consider doing a group gift and all chip in for a bigger ticket item on the registry. A big gift will make a high impact and depending on the number of people you can rally together you might be able to bring the budget down.
  • Cleaning service – Alleviate some wedding stress by gifting a cleaning service for a practical gift that the new couple will love. Often you can find a deal on Groupon for maid services.
  • Tickets – Music or lovers of the arts? Or perhaps sports fans? Find some less expensive tickets on Stubhub and gift them the perfect date night!
  • Meal service – Take the stress out of having to cook during the week with a taste of meal delivery service. Hello Fresh offers gift cards for 3 meals for 2 people under $80! This provides a basic necessity while giving the couple something fun to do together.

Forever memories

  • Framed night sky – Capture the night sky of their wedding night in a framed picture frame. Take your own picture or use a site such as The Night Sky who will create a custom star map for you. All you need to then worry about is finding the perfect frame.
  • Capture the honeymoon – Is the couple going on a destination honeymoon? Help the couple capture their first few days on their honeymoon by giving a gift card for a vacation photographer, such as Flytographer.
  • Mini-getaway – Give a gift of adventure with a gift card to Airbnb. The couple can choose a destination and put the money towards a night stay in a destination of their choosing for a mini vacation after they’re married.

Remember, weddings are about celebrating the commitment of two people. You shouldn’t stress about gift giving. As the saying goes, it’s not the gift but the thought that counts. Giving a thoughtful gift that the couple will enjoy is sometimes better than spending a lot of money. Just like we invest our money we should also invest in relationships as that is what’s really important!

holiday cup and pastry

Holiday entertainment on a budget

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The holidays can be quite busy and costly, especially if you’re hosting a holiday party with family and friends. Here are a few tips on how you can save when entertaining for the holidays.

When you think of December the first few words that may come to mind are busy and expensive. From the parties, work events, concerts, school activities and more, it all starts to add up not only in costs but also time.

Hosting a party  can be a daunting task in itself and when you factor in the stress of costs, it may not seem worth it. To help save on costs, and stress, we’ve put together a few tips for holiday entertaining, ensuring to make you the hostess-with-the-mostess.

Invite guests by e-card

There are tons of great free ecard options available online that allow you to invite your guests by email. These sites are quick and easy to use and also give you the ability to design the invitation to fit your party theme. As an added bonus, some sites even allow you to manage RSVPs and message guests through the invite! A site we recommend for all your party invitation needs is www.evite.com.

Image via www.evite.com.

Host a potluck

Potlucks not only make it easier on the host but also are a great way to save on costs. Instead of planing and purchasing every food item for your event, request your guests each bring a dish.

To switch it up from the usual random potluck, select a theme and have everyone bring a dish related to that theme. You can then carry the theme throughout the rest of your party in your decorations or even a signature drink. Check out a few great potluck theme ideas here.

Borrow from the outdoors

Decorating can be the most expensive part of hosting a party. Luckily you shouldn’t need to invest too much into décor since you likely have already decorated for the holiday season. To add that something extra to your table setting, try bringing the outdoors inside by using spruce trees, branches and pine cones as your centrepiece. We love the idea of using pinecones as a name tag holder or to label your guests’ potluck dishes.

Image via DIY Cozy Home.

Holiday mug gift exchange

Having a gift exchange is a great way to get into the holiday spirit of giving. Why not put a spin on the gift exchange and ask your guests to each bring a holiday mug to your party to exchange. You can set a price limit on a mug and have your guests purchase from a local store, or you can do a re-gift only where your guests will bring a holiday mug they already own for the exchange.

Take the theme further by having a dessert hot chocolate bar where your guests can use their new mugs. Don’t forget to include the marshmallows, whip cream and all the candy fixings to go on top!

Image via Home Cooking Memories

Cozy Up With The Classics

Nothing screams the holidays like a classic holiday movie! Have your guests bring their favourite holiday movie and then get everyone to vote on which one to watch. Most votes wins. All you’ll then need to do is pop some popcorn and cozy up to watch a holiday classic!

Here are a few of our favourites:

  • It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
  • Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
  • A Christmas Carol (1951)
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
  • A Christmas Story (1983)
  • Home Alone (1990)
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
  • Elf (2003)

The holidays are about gathering with loved ones, reminiscing about the past year and filling your home with joy, laughter and fun. Your party should not be measured by the amount spent, but instead on the memories made. Spending more money can make your party look more impressive, but it’s the experience and the memories you share that make the night priceless.

homemade holiday gift

The secret ingredient is love: DIY gifts

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Homemade is always the best type of gift. Here are a few DIY gift ideas sure to impress those you love and help you to save money.

We all know that the holiday season can be stressful. Trying to find that perfect gift for the ones you love, while also not breaking the bank. Sometimes the best gifts are the ones we personalize and that come straight from the heart with love. Here are a few DIY gift ideas that are sure to impress the ones on your list, and help you save a little on your gift giving this year.

Holiday baking

 

Nothing says I love you more than a delicious, homemade treat. The Food Network Canada has several tasty recipes that make perfect gifts this holiday season – check them out here. Consider making a few different items and packaging a variety of deliciousness in a holiday tin.

Edible gifts in a jar

Know someone who is on the go all of the time and needs a quick-fix meal? Or someone that wants to bake but without all of the hassle of buying the ingredients, etc.? Consider putting together an edible gift jar specially made for the person in mind. There are so many different options you can do from muffins, brownies, soup, salsa, jams and more. Check out 30 recipes by the Taste of Home here.

Date night jar

Date night ideas on sticks in a jar

Date Night Photo by Meaghan Morris @MeaghanMorris.com

We all know date night can get expensive – dinner, activities, babysitter, etc. The planning also can become quite exhausting. A great idea way to ensure date night does happen, without having to break the bank each time is a ‘Date Night Activity’ jar.

To create, first make a list of different date night activities – check out 101 examples here. Be sure to include items that won’t cost you anything such as going for a walk or items that will cost you very little such as going for a coffee. Organize your list into three groups: $0 Dates; Under $20 Dates; and Over $20 Dates. Then paint large popsicle sticks three different colours. Each will represent one of the groups above. Once dry, write the different date activities on the sticks based on their group colour. Put in a jar that you have decorated to say Date Night.

When it comes to date night, leave the planning up to the jar. Determine what type of date it will be – $0 date, Under $20 date or Over $20 date. Then select the corresponding coloured stick and away you go.

Movie night in

movie night at home gift basket

Movie Night Gift Basket Photo via Kidsz Paradise Inc.

Going to the movies can add up by the time you buy the tickets, drinks, popcorn and of course, paying for extra butter! A great way to save a few dollars is a ‘Movie Night In’ gift basket. Pick up a few of your favourite drinks and treats and put together in a homemade gift basket. Include a DVD or a coupon for one Netflix movie night in. The best part is that you can cozy up on the couch in your pajamas!

Gift certificates of time

Nothing beats the time we spend with our loved ones. Consider giving the gift of time by creating activity or ‘time’ gift certificates. You can include activities such as going for a walk, doing a craft or going tobogganing – the options are endless. Not only will you save money, but the memories you make will last a lifetime.

There are many different ways you can save money this holiday season and these are just a few ideas for you to use. Another great place to find homemade gift ideas is Pinterest.

Have another DIY gift idea? We’d love to hear them – share with us by commenting below.