Last Updated December 11, 2021

It’s my favorite time of the year! Not going to lie, I’m one of those people who listens to Christmas music in July and have to fight the urge to put up our Christmas tree on November 1st. I love the soft glow of Christmas lights, the smell of pine, and like I mentioned the Christmas music.

When shopping this holiday season think about your fondest memories and what you love about Christmas. It’s rare that our favorite memories are the presents. Our best holiday memories are usually something hilarious our best friend did during a holiday party or the smell of Christmas dinner your grandma cooked. Cut yourself some slack and keep this in mind when shopping for a gift.

Give Time

My best friends and I stopped exchanging gifts years ago. And instead, we go to a nice dinner, catch up and enjoy each other’s company. The holiday season is about spending time with the ones you love, not spending money on them.

If you have a closet full of gifts from your friends that you never use, maybe it’s time to bring up the subject with your friends/family.

By spending time with your friends/family, you create memories without creating more clutter!

Ask What They Want

Yes, this takes the surprise out of your gift but as an engineer, I’m a practical person. And the practical engineer in me wouldn’t want to waste money on something my friend or family member doesn’t like! So, go ask your loved one what they want!

Experiences

If you don’t live near your friends and family, then gift them with experiences. Help them create memories (and not clutter) by giving them:

• surf lessons
• art classes
• cooking classes
• wine tasting
• a round of golf
• dinner at a local restaurant
• yoga or dance classes
• create a hiking guide or give a local trail book
• tennis lessons
• kayaking tour
• concert tickets
• sporting tickets
• passes to a museum or zoo

Memberships

Similar to experiences, does your friend love their local museum, zoo, or local non-profit. Gift them a membership! The Surfrider Foundation has gift memberships of all different levels!

Consumables

Can you tell I’m not a fan of clutter? Consumables are another great gift that doesn’t add clutter to someone’s home. Some ideas for consumables include:

• bottle of wine
• holiday drink kit (alcohol & mixers)
• candles
• fresh fruits
• homemade holiday cookies

For wines, we always have a stash of Menage a Trois wine in our house. I call it our “house wine”. It’s a delicious, solid red wine that’s reasonably priced. You can also get it at Costco, Whole Foods, and Target!

For homemade cookies you can package them in a metal holiday tin:

Or paper box:

Or even a holiday paper bag:

Plants

If your friend is a plant fiend, like so many of mine are, add another plant to their collection! Plants give us oxygen and make us happier. Why not give your friend or family member a little happiness with an orchid or house plant?

Gift Cards

If none of these sound like the right fit for your friend or family member, try a gift card to a small business they like to frequent. Yes, this might involve a plastic card but it’s better than buying them a physical gift that they’ll never use and they’ll feel guilty leaving in the back of their closet.

Like they say, it’s the thought that counts!

Books

Yes, books are a physical gift, but they can also be donated and given away to add value elsewhere. Here are a few of my favorite books to gift.

The Midnight Library

Easily, the best book I’ve read in years. About a woman who kills herself and in between life and death she ends up in the Midnight Library where she can test out different lives if she had changed a single decision. Such an original concept and loved the story!

101 Ways to Go Zero Waste

You’ve heard me rave about Kathryn Kellogg before. She’s a rad human being and gives such great zero waste content on her blog and Instagram.

Expedition 196

Cassie De Pecol was the first woman on record to travel to every country in the world! Her whirlwind journey was inspiring and informative for anyone who wants to travel.

A Promised Land

*Sigh* This book just made me miss Barack. He provides a behind-the-curtain look at his presidency and just reminded me of what a good human being this man is.

Gifts for Kids

While time, experiences and consumables might work for your adult friends, you might need a physical gift for the kids in your life. For plastic-free kids gifts, I usually recommend buying toys made from wood or metal. Not only are they plastic-free but they usually last longer too!

Wooden Block Set

My kids love seeing who can build the tallest tower using these wooden blocks from Melissa and Doug.

Wood Mop & Broom Set

I don’t know why but my kids are obsessed with cleaning. Not that they want to actually help clean, but they just want to mimic my husband and I when we clean. 😛 So, this mop and broom set is great for any other kiddos who like to pretend to clean.

Wooden Train Set

I am a fan of any toy that comes with it’s own durable box. Don’t give me a toy in a box that gets destroyed! This wooden train set is adorable and comes with it’s own reusable box!

Metal Construction Vehicles

I don’t thing I’ve ever seen a sand pit without an excavator or digger. These ones are made from metal and built to last.

STEM Model Car

For the kid who likes to tinker and put things together, this model car is made from metal.

Tiara

I got this tiara for my daughter a few years ago and she loved it! It looks beautiful and is priced low for its value!

Tube & Pipes Building Blocks

Yes, I know this is a big plastic tub with a bunch of plastic pieces, but this is one of the more creative building sets I’ve seen. We saw it at a friends house and after I saw my daughter playing with it, I knew I should get a set for my kids. And let’s be honest, I spent 20 minutes building a little car that could flip around…what can I say, it’s the engineer in me.

Word Search Books

My kids love doing word searches, so I bought them a whole book of them to keep them busy. Same with the puzzle books.

My Favorite Things

Of course my gift guide wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t put my Oprah hat on and tell you about a few of my favorite things! These are all things that add value to my life and if I lost them to a house fire, I’d buy them again!

Aloha Collection Splash Proof Bags

I have several of these pouches of various sizes that I use to pack toiletries and other items when I travel as shown below. I also have them in my swim bag to carry wet bathing suits. For any moms out there, these are the perfect wet bag for when your baby spits up on themselves (or worse).

For more details on the other items in this photo, check out this post:

They also have totes, which I use as my gym bag or travel tote:

Truffle Travel Case

Another item shown above in my travel photo is my truffle toiletries pouch. I love this pouch because it’s clear, so I can go through TSA but it’s structured and feels nicer that a plastic zip lock bag.

Hotel Lobby Candle

Hotel Lobby Candle was started by Lindsay Silberman. She wanted to capture the smell of various hotel lobbies she visited through her travels. And when the hotels didn’t sell that scent, she captured it herself!

This Island scent makes it feel like I’m vacationing on a tropical island…exactly what I need when I’m working at home. 😛

Sand Cloud Towel

I have two Sand Cloud X Surfrider Towels that I LOVE! They are light weight and dry quickly, which makes them the perfect beach, pool, or gym towel! I have one in my pool bag, and one in my gym bag! You can get the ones that benefit the Surfrider Foundation here, or their regular ones on Amazon.

Pasta Maker

I use my pasta maker at least twice a month. I LOVE this thing. I make a Chinese style noodle with it that my kids can’t get enough of. For a recipe and directions on how to make pasta, check out this post:

Wave Ring

I’ve owned a lot of wave rings but this one is by far my favorite. The shape of the wave is perfect and because it’s solid gold, I can wear it all day, every day, in the water and wherever and not worry about it fading or turning some weird color.

Eyelash Growth Serum

My BFF mentioned getting eyelash growth serum in her stocking last year and said it really worked. So, I tried Grande LASH MD eyelash serum earlier this year and was really surprised. Granted, I’m Asian and my eyelashes were pretty sad to start with, so my growth was probably slower than most people. But it still worked!

My brother-in-law (who is an eye surgeon), mentioned that most of these serums have ingredients that are similar to glaucoma medication, which is known to make your eyelashes grow.

All Metal Pen

So, I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of Zebra pens but they recently came out with an all metal pen that even has all metal refills! I bought a few and now these are the only pens I use!

It writes smoothly like all the other Zebra pens and just feels classy.

Strawberry Lip Balm

Finally, it’s small but I love this Strawberry Lip Balm. It smells like strawberry heaven! You can usually find these at Sephora too, if you’re already at the mall.

What do you think? Did you get some good gift ideas to get you through the holidays?

For related and random posts, check out:

• 3 Plastic-Free Gift Wrapping Options
• My 2020 Plastic-Free Holiday Gift Guide