Last week on the blog, I talked about how darn HEAVY a mama’s mental load is during the holidays. (If you missed it, go check it out!) I gave you some tools on how to lighten that load – one of which was to write down your holiday gift-giving list! At this point in my life, I have quite a few people who I have given countless gifts to – my husband, my parents, my brother…and it seems like I’ve already given everything there is to give! Am I going to get my husband ANOTHER new shirt? Or my mom ANOTHER kitchen gadget? Or my dad ANOTHER jacket? It seems like all the “traditional” gifts that I walk around the mall for are so overdone. I really like to get gifts that are meaningful and creative. But, after a while, it gets tough! And now, as a mama, my mental capacity is pretty much full on the regular, and I’m sure you’re filled to the brim too, mama! And, if you’re breastfeeding, your mental capacity is probably not just full – it’s overflowing.
So how do you find meaningful and creative, yet EASY gifts for the person you’ve already gifted COUNTLESS gifts to?!
The answer: RE-PURPOSE.
What in the world do I mean by “re-purpose?” I mean, find something that you’ve either already gifted to your loved one in the past or something that they already own, love, and use regularly. Take THAT thing and RE-PURPOSE it into a NEW gift!
If you follow @ailana.j on Instagram, you may have seen my post about this on Sunday, which was my husband’s birthday (and, if you don’t, go follow! J). I provide a great example there of re-purposing a past gift! Back in 2017-2018, my husband deployed to the Middle East from November to June. He missed quite a bit in that timeframe, as you can imagine – his birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, my birthday…and I’m probably missing something, but you get the picture. Anyways, as a combo gift for all those things plus deployment homecoming, Nick got a much-deserved new car. For his birthday this past Sunday, I got him a car “spa day” – full car wash and detail! He was STOKED. I made the appointment and paid in advance – all he had to do was show up! And it was SUCH minimal work on my end.
In the past, I've gotten my husband a pair of Jordans for Christmas, then followed up that gift with a Jason Markk Shoe Cleaning Kit later down the road! I've given someone a cookbook one year and then built upon that gift with a basket of seasonings, spices, and olive oils for their gift the next year. My husband gifted me a Cricut a few years back for my birthday, and has since gifted me a variety of different accessories or refills for various occasions!
So brainstorm! Nursing or pumping sessions are great for brainstorming, mamas! What is something you’ve already given to your loved one or something they already own that you can BUILD A GIFT AROUND? Something you can ADD ON to. The options are really endless here, but here are some questions to get you thinking:
- Is there a gadget they own that you could purchase additional accessories for?
- Do they have a membership to something you could renew or upgrade for them?
- Is there a service they love to do, but don’t often treat themselves to?
- Is there something you have purchased for them in the past that is wearing out and could be replaced?
- Is there an updated version or next part to a past gift you’ve given?
When you start thinking of all the things you’ve ever gifted in the past or things they already own, the creative juices really start flowing, don’t they?! And a lot of this stuff is SO easy and do not take a lot of time! I find it WAY easier to give gifts this way, yet they appear MORE thoughtful! I call that a win-win!
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