Intentional Gift Giving: How to Avoid the Stuff Overwhelm

Gift-giving season is upon us and I’d love to share a few gift guides for women, men and kids! But first, I want to talk a little bit about how we simplify gift-giving and avoid overwhelm.

Our heart and desire at Christmas is to keep our hearts and minds focused on the reason we celebrate Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ. We can so easily get caught up in consumerism and the magic of the season and miss the wonder of why Jesus came if we are not intentional in how we celebrate.

We also want to cultivate a generous, giving spirit in the hearts of our kids. We try to keep our focus more on what we can give and do for others, than what we ourselves will receive. One way we like to do this is by packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of sending shoe boxes filled with Christmas gifts to children in other parts of the world who have nothing.

We also bake treats and bread to give to friends and neighbors, just a simple way to let them know we are thinking about them in this season. You can check out this blog post where I share 14 budget friendly gifts for friends and neighbors.

Our family has a three gift rule at Christmas: something to wear, something to read, and something to play with. We also fill stockings for each person. This keeps things delightfully simple and helps avoid overwhelm, both in giving and receiving.

When it comes to gifts other people give, here’s a few tips to minimize the stuff:

1. Make Amazon wishlists or use an app like Giftster to share lists of things your kids (and you!) actually want or need with extended family.
2. When it comes to gifts given that you know your kids won’t play with, I generally allow it to be out for a few weeks and then once interest fades I pack it away or donate it. It was still a kind and thoughtful gift and we try to encourage thankfulness for it, even if it was not something we would have preferred.

Be sure and download my FREE Holiday Homemaking Planner with printable sheets you can use to keep track of who you need to buy for and what you’ve already purchased. It also includes a 21-day decluttering guide, Christmas bucket lists, easy meals, and lots of other printable to help you keep organized this holiday season.

One note of encouragement before we dive into the gift guides. The best gift you can give your family is a peaceful, joyful, present mama, and that starts with you. I want to remind you to honor your limits this Christmas season – your time, commitments, emotions, and finances. Keep things simple and stay present, your children will remember it far more than any gift.

GIFT IDEAS FOR WOMEN

So many of my personal favorite things on this list or currently on my wishlist. Dazzle Dry minis and facial serums make perfect stocking stuffers or gifts for any woman on your list.

1. Plaid flannel jacket
2. Wool socks
3. Adjustable dumbell set
4. Stanley insulated mug
5. Multi-tool pen
6. Meat shredder claws
7. Hunting field dressing tool
8. Work gloves
9. Rechargeable hand warmers
10. Double sided measuring tape
11. Smokeless fire pit
12. Leather watch

GIFT GUIDE FOR GIRLS

1. Fabric flower bouquet
2. Flower slippers
3. Gingerbread pajamas
4. Monogrammed crossbody
5. Pink watch
6. Stacking bracelets
7. Beading kit
8. Headbands
9. Plaid dress
10. Camera
11. Scrunchies
12. Hair tie cutter
13. Hair clips

GIFT GUIDE FOR BOYS

1. Christmas pajamas
2. Lego set
3. Drone
4. Light up football
5. Walkie talkies
6. Carhartt beanie
7. Digital watch
8. Camera
9. Brown henley
10. Plaid shirt

SCREEN FREE GIFT GUIDE

There are so many wonderful, screen-free activities out there. The Yoto audiobook player will always be top of my list because we love it so much and use it every day in our house. We love the items on this list and many of them make great travel toys too.

1. Yoto player
2. Yoto cards
3. Pixel art
4. Jigsaw puzzle
5. Picasso tiles
6. Air dry clay
7. Rainbow scratch book
8. Qwirkle
9. Magnetic drawing board

StoCKING STUFFERS FOR KIDS

Stocking stuffers might just be my favorite part of Christmas. I love finding meaningful and intentional small items to fill a stocking. Many of these are things that we have used and loved for a long time, a few are on our wishlists for this year.

1. Fabric doll book
2. Yoto cards
3. Paint marker sticks
4. Tic Tac Toe game
5. Pop it game
6. Squigz toys
7. Pop tubes
8. Scavenger hunt card game
9. Infinity cube fidget toy
10. Sensory squeeze cube
11. Water wow
12. Mini gliders
13. Chap stick
14. Wikki stix
15. Welly bandages
16. Coloring book
17. Monster socks
18. Sorting stacking rocks
19. Llama socks

GIFT GUIDE FOR THE HOME

Making a house into a cozy, inviting space, especially in the cold months, is something I love doing. All of these items help me accomplish that goal and would make great gifts or hostess gifts for anyone in your life.

1. Scalloped edge baskets
2. Flameless taper candles
3. Chunky knit blanket
4. Tineco wet dry floor cleaner
5. Gold mirror
6. Beeswax taper candles
7. Candle stick holders
8. Leaf mugs
9. Flower lamp
10. Artwork
11. Wooden hutch

GIFT GUIDE FOR THE KITCHEN

These are my favorite, daily-use kitchen items, with the exception of two, which are on wishlists for this year.

1. Instant read meat thermometer
2. Crossback apron
3. White tea towels
4. Plaid cream towels
5. Linen striped table cloth
6. Cast iron waffle iron
7. Cast iron skillet
8. Pellet ice cube tays
9. Garlic press
10. Immersion blender
11. Silicone muffin cup liners
12. Wooden spoons
13. Ninja foodie

I hope these gift guides have give you some inspiration for your holiday shopping this year!