As you’re thinking about your Christmas or Hanukkah gift list this year do you think you could approach some of the adults on the list and propose that you not exchange gifts at all?
Tagged with: ease, gift giving, gifts, holidays, worth repeating
I’m a big proponent of letting the holidays be easier by planning ahead. This year it’s more important than ever to plan ahead for holiday gift giving.
Tagged with: ease, gift giving, gifts, holidays
My father, Gene Adams, turned 90 on September 11. He lives in Walla Walla, in remote southeastern Washington state. I usually visit about four times a year but because of COVID, I hadn’t seen him since early February. I couldn’t stand the idea of not being with him to celebrate such a big day, but I also wasn’t comfortable flying there and potentially picking up and transmitting the virus to him. So I drove. It was a 4,000-mile roundtrip journey and I had a great time despite the weirdness of COVID-era travel. (I promise a post on the trip and the precautions I took.)
Tagged with: geralin thomas, gift giving, gifts, trello
I first wrote this post back at Christmas 2015. I’m proud of this cookbook, which is still selling fifteen years after publication. If the idea of using some of your extra at-home time to bake for your dog is appealing, I encourage you to try out some of the recipes!
Tagged with: dogs, gifts, pets, w north repeating
I wrote this post in 2013 and am still enjoying the painting my relative passed on to me. In fact, a couple of years later, another cousin of my mother’s gave me a painting by my grandmother that she had been given and I hung it up with pride. I so enjoy living with these two paintings. If you have unloved items in your home that you can regift to someone who will appreciate them, I urge you to let them go and make someone happy.
I know from working with clients that people have a very difficult time parting with items that were a gift.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, gifts, organize your family history, worth repeating
This time of year I always receive requests for gift certificates. The inquiring person wants to give a session or sessions with an organizer or organizing team. Is this an appropriate gift? It can be.
Tagged with: gift giving, gifts
I almost never give an item I’ve knitted as a gift. And that’s because I’ve seen among my clients a real difficulty in giving up an item that was a gift. And it’s even harder to give up hand-made gifts, even if they’ve never been used or loved. Sometimes the gift recipient just doesn’t share the taste of the giver.
Tagged with: gift giving, gifts, holidays, martha stewart, worth repeating
I’m a big believer in not giving people clutter as gifts. In my clients’ homes, I often see how hard it is for them to let go of items they received as a gift, even if they don’t like or don’t use the item. As I’ve blogged about before I’m in favor of making the holiday season easier on gift givers by simplifying or limiting the gifts you give and receive.
Tagged with: ease, gift giving, gifts, holidays
This Sunday is Father’s Day and it’s also the second anniversary of the day my other passed away. When I was on the airplane on my way to my mother’s bedside the day she died two years ago, I wrote a post about giving our parents our time, not stuff. Here’s that post. I truly believe that we benefit, as do our parents, when we make an effort to spend time with them, especially on holidays. It’s a much better gift than a tie or after shave!
Father’s Day is Sunday and that always makes me want to encourage you not to give gifts that will become clutter. I think this is particularly true of gifts to parents, who may have an especially hard time letting go of items you give them.
Tagged with: father's day, gift giving, gifts, worth repeating
One of my refrains around any holiday is urging folks to give the gift of experiences, not stuff. I see how gifts can so easily become clutter, because people tend to resist discarding anything they received as a gift.
So I was really pleased to get an email from Sparefoot about their recent study that found that most people don’t use the gifts they receive and that 81% would rather receive experiences.
Tagged with: gift giving, gifts, spare foot
It’s a little late in December to be offering up gift ideas, but perhaps this is a gift you can give to your dog (and yourself) without needing the excuse of a holiday.
It’s the You Bake ‘Em Dog Biscuits Cookbook, written by none other than yours truly. This cookbook is the last book I had published a dog writer before starting my organizing business in 2005. Ten years after publication it’s still selling.
Father’s Day is Sunday and that always makes me want to encourage you not to give gifts that will become clutter. I think this is particularly true of gifts to parents, who may have an especially hard time letting go of items you give them.
Tagged with: father's day, gift giving, gifts
I know from working with clients that people have a very difficult time parting with items that were a gift.
When this comes up with clients, I always urge them to ask themselves whether the gift giver would want them to keep an item that they don’t use or love. (Usually the answer is no.) Then I encourage them to give the item to someone else. That someone else could be a stranger (via a charity) or someone they know.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, gifts, organize your family history, worth repeating
Mother’s Day is in a week (and my mother’s birthday is today!), so I’ve been thinking about gift giving again. If you give your mom an experience, service or something consumable, you don’t have to worry about cluttering up her home. Here’s a post from a couple of years ago that I think is worth repeating. (I’ve updated it a little.)
Tagged with: gift giving, gifts, mothers day, newsletter, worth repeating
I’m a little bit crafty. I love beautiful, handmade items. I knit as a hobby and especially appreciate hand knits.
But I almost never give an item I’ve knitted as a gift. And that’s because I’ve seen among my clients a real difficulty in giving up an item that was a gift. And it’s even harder to give up hand-made gifts, even if they’ve never been used or loved. Sometimes the gift recipient just doesn’t share the taste of the giver.
Tagged with: gift giving, gifts, holidays, martha stewart
Father’s Day is on Sunday and it brought to mind my message about avoiding gifts that create clutter. I’ve been writing about that for years in terms of Mother’s Day gifts, but it’s just as true for Father’s Day. Your dad (or husband) probably doesn’t need another tie or bottle of after shave. I thought I’d repeat a post I created last year for Mother’s Day, which actually reprints a newsletter article I wrote in 2007. I’ll share a little secret (because my father doesn’t read my blog): I’ll be giving him cut flowers, like I have been for some years. They brighten his day and and he doesn’t have to find a permanent home for them.
Tagged with: fathers day, gift giving, gifts, newsletter, worth repeating
I know from working with clients that people have a very difficult time parting with items that were a gift.
When this comes up with clients, I always urge them to ask themselves whether the gift giver would want them to keep an item that they don’t use or love. (Usually the answer is no.) Then I encourage them to give the item to someone else. That someone else could be a stranger (via a charity) or someone they know.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, gifts
If you love dogs and cats, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to purchase really special t-shirts (and hoodies and bags) created by my friend, Sally Brown, of Roll Over Rover Threads.
Tagged with: gifts, pets, roll over rover, sally brown
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Since moms tend to want to hang on to gifts their children give them, I urge you to consider giving her something that won’t become clutter.
Tagged with: gift giving, gifts, mothers day, newsletter
Just in case you haven’t already purchased a gift for the teacher in your life, I have a suggestion. It’s the book Less Stress for Teachers: More Time & An Organized Classroom
Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that seems to invite clutter, in the form of gifts. I know I have a hard time coming up with gifts for my mother, who pretty much has all the stuff she needs. I don’t want to add another knick knack for her shelf, so I usually resort to flowers.
Tagged with: allison carter, gift giving, gifts, mothers day
This weekend I’m once again going to the H.H. Backer Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show and Educational Conference in Chicago to help my friend, Sally Brown, with her booth for her company, Roll Over Rover Threads She sells t-shirts with dog and cat themes and at this show will be introducing tote bags and other products.
Tagged with: gifts, pets, roll over rover, sally brown
Traditional Mother’s Day gifts are a recipe for clutter as far as I’m concerned. The thought behind the is great, but since sentiment is attached to them, the recipient doesn’t like to part with them. That can add up to major clutter over the years.
Tagged with: emily wilska, gift giving, gifts, mothers day
Kathy Sena, a fabulous freelance journalist who writes the Parent Talk Today blog is reprinting my “Mindful Gift Giving” post from earlier this week. I’m honored!
Tagged with: blogs, gifts, kathy sena
As I mentioned earlier, I went to the HH Backer Christmas Trade Show in October, to help my friend, Sally. The Backer show is a huge trade show for the pet industry.
Tagged with: dogs, doog, gifts, paw paws, sally brown, trish hampton
If you haven’t already purchased your holidays gifts this year, I encourage you to consider giving gifts that won’t contribute any clutter to the recipient’s home. I wrote about this in the November 2007 issue of my newsletter. My readership was smaller then, so I’m going to repost it here for those who may not have seen it. (If you like it and would like to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter, which comes out on the 15th of every month, please subscribe.)
Tagged with: clutter, gift giving, gifts, online shopping
I’m 46 and I don’t have that many friends who are having babies. Before long, my friends will probably be having grandchildren, though. Whenever I hear that a friend is pregnant, I get very excited, because I love knitting baby stuff. It’s little, it’s soft, it doesn’t take much time.
My company is included in Sauce Magazine’s" holiday gift guide.
Tagged with: gifts, press, sauce magazine
I knit every day, usually while watching TV. It’s how I relax. The bulk of the year my knitting needles have been occupied by Barbara Walker’s Learn-To-Knit Afghan, which has been a wonderful boost to my knitting knowledge, skills and confidence.
Tagged with: deadlines, gifts, holidays, knitpicks, learn to knit afghan, yarn