Giving the Gift of Presence

"Giving the gift of an experience is something you can always cherish and remember."

I have 3 little nieces and I love and adore them grately. Over the years for holidays and birthdays I have been pulling on back getting them physical gifts (suchsas toys etc.) and giving them an experience instead.

It is something they enjoy and I enjoy!

Thinking of the details and tailoring it to meet their needs, something that they love and enjoy.

From learning and listening to people over the years, I heard again and again that memories of moments in time are what people cherish and remember the most. So I took that and made it my gift giving policy. I believe creating an experience is more of a lasting memory that can be talked about and reflected on more than a toy that they may play with once.

"Remembering an experience is why I enjoy giving people the gift of presence over a physical gift."

An example of an experience I share with my one niece, she loves going to the beach, so I planned a beach day with a picnic for me and her. To this day we look at photos and talk about our beach memories.

Experiences as gifts can add up, but they don't have to. I always recommend getting creative, keeping it simple and use your resources. It may require a little research/planning if you want to attend a theatre show etc. But, I also think having an evening where your decorating the Christmas tree (if you don't mind a certain look), having hot chocolate, cookies and listening to music can be just as fun!

Another experience is a trip to the beach which is free and you can bring a book to read together or toys they have to play with in the sand, pack a picnic or bond over fries on the beach.

The biggest take away from my gift giving approach is the perception shift of how your give. By moving away from buying "things" because it is someones birthday, holiday or you went on a trip you can create lasting memories and bonding time with each other.