the poor girl's guide to gift giving {works for boys too!}

here it is, in today's economy, most of us are probably pretty poor. the reality is that the ole holiday classic "it's the most wonderful time of the year," should be changed to "it's the most stressful, financially difficult time of the year." i'm sure, we're all aware of how commercialized the season has become. what happened to the days when kids got a peppermint candy, a penny, and a calico dress?

okay, so i don't think we should revert to prairie times, but i do think we should slow down for a minute, remember that the most important thing is creating memories and loving people, and stop feeling like we need to spend a lot of money in order to make someone else happy.

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so here are my suggestions for giving from your heart this holiday season, not your bank account:

treats

there are so many yummy treats you could make with ingredients you already have, or can pick up on the cheap at the grocery store. cookies are always good, or if you want to get more creative, the interweb is a goldmine of great treat ideas. in the past {and for our wedding} i did mulling sachets, hot chocolate on a stick, and pies in a jar {although this is more dangerous if you're shipping your gifts}. the ideas out there are endless, and with the right packaging, you could whip up some pretty fun gifts in your own kitchen!

good deeds

has your partner, roommate, friend or family member been complaining about something they need to get done or fixed, but just never has the time? devote your energy to doing it for them. it's usually not a fun task, which will make it all the more meaningful for your loved one ~ a truly selfless act that captures the holiday season.

knit

i can only knit squares and rectangles, but that's all you really need in order to make some great scarves as gifts. i have also made fingerless gloves by knitting a rectangle with a thumb hole, then sewed the seams together. for those of you who are actual knitters, you may be thinking, "oh kim, that is pretty ghetto. you should be ashamed of yourself." but honestly, it works for those of us who aren't great knitters, and still looks cute, feels warm, and gets tons of compliments {of course if you are a good knitter, doing a fancy version is good too}. you can also knit fun coffee cozies for the coffee lover in your life by knitting a rectangle with button hole and a cute button!

draw something

are you an artist? that's fine, you don't need to be a paid artist ~ we are all creative! so try creating some original art as gifts. this could be making a print to be framed, a series of cute cards {thank you cards, postcards, or any kind of cards} for your loved ones to send out, bookmarks, or a funny comic book full of real life stories you share {slightly exaggerated, of course}.

flowers

some handpicked wildflowers in a pretty recycled wine bottle {or any other type of pretty bottle you already own} is a really dreamy gift! a friend once did this for my birthday and it brightened my days for the following couple weeks. i love fresh flowers!

magazines

is it time to renew a great magazine that you already subscribe to? this time of year, most magazines are offering free subscriptions as a gift when you renew your own. since it probably won't start coming until january, you can buy the current magazine with a card proclaiming what you've given them!

perform

remember the days when you performed johnny be good in your livingroom, complete with hairbrush and complicated dance routine, forcing your entire family to watch? or was that just me? well there is a more adult version that most of your partners would be psyched about. remember this commercial ladies?

of course it can be a little more innocent than that too. one year i secretly learned how to play a sweet love song on the mandolin and sang it for the mister on christmas. he loved it!

magnets

we all have refrigerators, and they're probably all full of those gross advertisement magnets, because hey, we need to post things! but a refrigerator can be an awesome canvas for putting something pretty. you can use those old magnets as the backing for art, a photo, cards, all sorts of things! sarah sent me some awesome vintage playing cards that spelled out joy. i slapped some magnets on the back and viola! refrigerator cuteness! you can also make bubble magnets super easily with just a few craft supplies and this great tutorial.

make a book

a lot of people i know have all sorts of great photos from their life, or big trips, just stuffed away in clunky boxes or in a computer folder. if you have access to them, compile the photos into an organized and pretty album, using some artistic flair. they'll be protected for years to come and make great coffee table books full of memories!

make something else

there is really no shortage of ideas and tutorials for making your own gifts on the interweb. i've listed a few here, but spend some time online and i'm sure you'll come up with dozens of other great ideas for each person on your list.

so that's what i've come up with. have any more ideas?

ps - yesterday on a little blue, jenna posted ten gift ideas that give back. go check it out for more ways to make the world a better place while you shop! and if you missed it, check out my previous post on raven + lily for the same sorts of ideas!