I've noticed a big change in attitude towards Christmas presents amongst my friends and family this year. Everyone is very conscious of reducing the amount of "stuff" that they're giving, instead looking to give experiences, subscriptions and other gifts that incur less packaging and less waste.
It's the same in our household and I've been mulling over some ideas...hopefully they will be inspiring to a few of you!
- Subscription gifts: I've long been a fan of the subscription gift, and over the years the types of subscriptions have become increasingly varied. For the farmhouse kitchen, there are some great options, from a cheese subscription from Pong to a baking subscription from BakedIn
- Give something to grow: live plants and trees make lovely gifts that last a long time. Houseplants are great, as are young potted Bay Trees and Fruit Trees, and for those with a nice country garden (or smaller town garden for that matter) I can thoroughly recommend Rocket Gardens' Veg Patches which you can buy in voucher form (the actual plants then get delivered in spring). Seeds are great for stocking fillers too.
- Homemade gifts: I know it's hard to find the time to make gifts, but if you have a spare weekend afternoon, you can easily make up a batch of fudge, some truffles, or some homemade jams/preserves to give to family and friends. Homemade cake or brownie mix in a kilner jar works well too.
- Tickets: I often have a little browse online to find out "what's on" in the area...tickets to an interesting workshop, talk, comedy event or play go down really well.
- Things to learn: Us adults always appreciate learning a new skill - I'm thinking cooking classes and art workshops, foraging skills and bushcraft, that sort of thing.
Finally, you could always give a Farmhouse Table...it'll last them a whole lifetime! ;)
