With only two days to go until #Christmas, you might want to check the options at a #thrift store supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org if you’re short on #gifts. Not only do they offer plenty of lightly used goods at nice prices, you can often find unique #gifts that might be just right for a particular person on your list if you browse for a few minutes, no shipping required. And if you’re feeding a crowd over the weekend, you can get necessities such as linens, baking pans, serverware and other essentials for the holiday table — and maybe even the perfect ugly #holiday sweater or white elephant #gift. #HolidayTips
Tag: Christmas giving
Three Shopping Days Until Christmas
With just three shopping days before #Christmas, it’s go time on the gifts you forgot to get or procrastinated on. Gift cards and cash are fine for a lot of people, but if you want to make it look like you gave a lot of thought to your giftee’s needs, your choices have now winnowed to Amazon, something digital or something sourced locally. Good Housekeeping suggests 55 good last-minute gifts — some of which deliver electronically and won’t create #clutter, and some of which will keep help everything clean, like an in-car vacuum. And subscription boxes for cheese, self-care, flowers or craft beet will keep giving throughout the year. #HolidayTips
Last-Minute Shopping After Dark
You may have to shop in the dark on the shortest day of the year in order to check everyone off your #list, but depending on what you want to buy, you won’t necessarily have to do it in person. Major retailers such as Amazon, Target and Macy’s can still deliver within three days, CBS News says, but today is the deadline for many shipments. You can always visit a physical store location for #last-minute convenience, or pick up a fistful of gift cards. Many mainstream #Christmas and #holiday traditions actually started as pagan winter solstice rituals, so you can also consider decorating an outdoor tree, lighting some luminaria or hanging some mistletoe, Mother suggests.
Go Digital for Last-Minute Gifts
Stuck for a last-minute #Christmas #gift? Go digital, says the Washington Post. While once seen as a lazy choice in gift-giving, digital options have been proliferated to the point where you can match a gift to everyone on your list. Pay for a niche streaming service; buy them an e-book, video game or mobile app; sponsor them for an online experience such as a cooking class or tarot card reading; or buy them a digital newsletter or magazine subscription. Not only do digital gifts take fewer resources to ship and deliver, the story says, they won’t add to the #clutter in one’s home. #HolidayTips
Celebrate the Season Your Way
The Organizing Blog offers a lot of advice throughout the year to inspire readers to lead #tidy, #organized and #productive lives. During the #holiday season especially, we suggest ways to save money, reduce waste and cut #clutter even as you celebrate and give gifts.
But the #holiday season can be overwhelming and inspire just as much anxiety and stress as it does joy. That’s why we urge you to celebrate in a way that’s true to yourself this year — even if you have to put your #decluttering goals temporarily on hold.
The holiday season exposes us to lots of unusual demands and expectations, CBC says. Don’t overcommit or try to live up to unrealistic ideals, or you’ll burn out before you unwrap your first gift.
Many traditions were delayed, cancelled or otherwise upended during COVID, and it’s OK to mourn their loss. But you can use your creativity to can create new traditions, Psychology Today says, that help you relax and get in the spirit of the season.
That might mean baking cookies, relaxing by a fire, candlelight yoga, putting up decorations or hosting a #Christmas movie marathon. Or it might mean none of those things — there’s no wrong answer when it comes to treating yourself to a happy holiday.
Some people prefer to skip the gift exchange and family feast altogether, says Refinery 29. One woman — a retail worker — likes to get Chinese food after the holiday rush, and another uses vacation days every December for a bucket-list trip. Another writes a letter to herself every year.
Don’t forget yourself and your needs as you make holiday plans. There’s only so much of you to go around, and celebrating in the way you wish ensures that everyone who does get a little of your attention sees you at your very best.
Here’s to a safe and happy holiday season from ClothingDonations.org!