Don't remember where I stumbled across this concept, but I know it was last summer or fall at some point. I was reading up on environmental conservation, and one of their suggestions for the holidays was giving 'disappearing gifts', or gifts that typically don't come in a lot of packaging and don't wind up cluttering up your house. As soon as I read it I heard the echo of my mother saying "Please, don't give my anything I have to dust!" and I knew I had found my calling!
I don't take the disappearing gift concept too literally: if I find a 'thing' that will be absolutely perfect, I will of course get it. But more often than not, I will purchase the ephemeral. Here's what I mean.
* My parents: gift certificate to their favorite restaurate, a Black Friday deal flash drive for dad and a cert to her favorite stylist for mom
* DH's parents: car rental and gas money so they can make a trip to see family in the middle of December (otherwise they weren't going to go)
* My sister & her DH: a bottle of their favorite tequila and a cert to their favorite sushi restaurant
* DH's sister and her boyfriend: a neato knife block and a cert to the new natural foods store
Lots of things can fall under the heading of a disappearing gift, some more obvious than others.
* gift certificates of all sorts
* food and beverage
* candles
* bird seed
* animal treats (for pet owners, obviously!)
* subscription to a cleaning service/yard service/garbage service, etc
* a weekend getaway at a hotel
* subscription to NetFlix (or similar)
I'm trying to find more and more ways to bring the 'disappearing' concept into the rest of my holiday celebration. I've found Christmas cards made on recycled paper impregnated with wildflower seeds. After the holidays, simply toss the card in your yard and in the spring you have a patch of wildflowers! Don't know if I'll buy some yet, but I like the thought. Wish I could find wrapping paper that did the same!
November 27th, 2006 at 07:20 pm 1164655259
November 27th, 2006 at 07:31 pm 1164655918
November 27th, 2006 at 08:43 pm 1164660185
November 27th, 2006 at 09:04 pm 1164661443
We were big on gift certificates until one day dh's mom handed us a movie g.c. to use. Since it had been obviously bought in OUR city - dh said - "Hey - we gave this to you 3 years ago for christmas!!" LOL. & they go to the movies every week - such dorks.
But we do buy them a zoo membership every year so they can take our kids, in their city or ours, or San Francisco, for free. At least I know they use it. IT was $65 so all they got this year. I gave my mom a donation in her name. I should think of gifts in those terms since those are my kind of gifts I guess. I like the concept!!
November 27th, 2006 at 10:39 pm 1164667190
November 27th, 2006 at 11:21 pm 1164669662
in general though, almost everybody we know is trying to downsize (space is tight on crowded island) so we don't want to buy them more stuff...
November 28th, 2006 at 01:16 am 1164676596
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