red striped cat ornament by ashley anna brown - click image to see more

You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
- Khalil Gibran

While I’m sure your holiday gift giving has been evolving for at least the last few years, it seems “easier” than ever to make nontraditional gifts the focus of your exchanges. Of course, I hope you consider handmade gifts this holiday season – both ones you make & ones you buy.

But you can also treat your loved ones to a special experience or simply take the time to send them a personal letter with a pretty greeting card. What’s important, at the dawn of our new economy, is to concentrate on buying gifts that the recipients actually want/need and not just to fulfill some misguided obligation.

I, for one, need no more junk. And so while I’ll definitely be asking for a few key things from a few key people, in general, I want a highly non-traditional holiday.

So, in that spirit, I bring you an Abundant Giving Planner for you to download & print. It’s a simple reminder that the holidays don’t have to be hectic (or a nasty reminder of our obsession with stuff).

Need some ideas for things in each category? Try these:

Buy:

• Food – always appreciated, doesn’t stick around long
• Craft Supplies – useful beyond the initial gift giving
• Non-disposable Replacements – that stainless steel water bottle Suzie’s been eyeing up or Megan’s cozy/cuff.

Make:

• Food – see a pattern here?
• Something to hang on the walls – I love Vana’s new book on silhouette art (review coming soon!)
• Ornaments – most people love handmade ornaments but don’t have the time or skill
• Jewelry – Brittni’s got a great tute here!
• Terrariums – still a great trend and keeps giving long after the holidays

Experience:

• Food – a nice dinner, tapas, too much chocolate cake, fish & chips…
• Coffee – lots of people have given up their fancy coffee habit, treat your friend to an extra special espresso
• Antiquing – this may defeat the point of an experiential gift, but it’s always more fun with two!
• Photo Walk – two friends, two cameras, and a crisp afternoon
• Crafty Party – you bring the supplies, she’ll bring the wine

Greet:

• Write a letter – anyone can sign their name to a card, write a personal letter
• Send along a calendar – try this take along calendar from contributor Julie Green

Anyway you shake it, this holiday season, you’ve got a lot of options. So print out the FREE Abundant Giving Planner and organize your own non-traditional, but abundant, holiday season!