Gift Giving

It is officially the holiday season and gift giving is upon us. Our Gift that Matters resource is a great way to discover gifts for those you love. Their answers lead you to experiences, consumable items, and ways you can help. Most importantly, the gift you choose from their answer will include spending your most precious resource (time) with those you love.

So, what to do with the answers you gather? Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing. If you have gift ideas for any of these categories, please comment and share (you can never have too many ideas!).

Gift-giving shouldn’t bring your stress (financially or mentally). There are lots of ways to show someone you care about them (and most of them don’t end up as clutter).

Here are a few of our ideas:

Well That Was Fun

• May sound silly but the journey is oftentimes more memorable than the destination. Choose a day trip to anywhere within a 2-hour radius. See what you discover!
• Gift card for a board game and gift card for food while playing.
• Offer to host a game night – be a part of the experience.
• Attend a local presentation at a library, historical society, school, etc.
• Go axe throwing.
• Book a virtual reality session or an escape room.

Enrichment

• Host a cooking event (just you and the gift recipient or a group), purchase ingredients for what they like to make, provide snacks & drinks for the occasion
• Photography adventure – watch a YouTube video or read an article on a photography subject (ex. still life, animals, people, architecture). Go out together and use the knowledge you have gained to take pictures.
• Master Class subscription – works for everyone regardless of age or interests.
• Olive and June manicure kit – teach the steps and do them together.

The Great Outdoors

• Plan a hiking date (their choice of location or yours), be responsible for snacks & transportation. Rent a bike, kayak, or canoe.
• Try a new sport together (pickleball, golf, tennis, cornhole, or horseshoes in the backyard).

Watch This

• Performances at: The Grove at GPAC, Levitt Shell, Live at the Garden. Orpheum
• Choose a favorite group or someone you are unfamiliar with and can learn about together!
• Tickets to a show at a local community theatre.
• Date to watch a streaming movie (provide take-out or cook).

Perfect Day

• Pick a date and fulfill all or portions of their answer.
• If it is a child and they answer video games, pick their favorite, challenge them at the game, play together and the winner picks dinner – go enjoy dinner together.

Don’t Wanna Do It

• Be an accountability partner.
• Pick a date to come help with the project they are struggling to complete.
• Gift your talents (cleaning, meal planning, cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, organizing).
• Have a loved one who hates to cook but you love it? Prep meals for them. Whether it is daily, weekly, or once a month – it is something you can both look forward to and nothing shows love like a homecooked meal.

Eat Up

• Pick a date to go eat together at a restaurant you haven’t tried.
• Buy ingredients and cook your favorite meal together.
• Pick random recipes that sound good online and cook together.
• Pick a country and make recipes (each responsible for a different course).

Exploring

• Go where they say and make it a day date exploring places you haven’t gone.
• Book a stay at one of Pettigrew Adventures new rooms at Crosstown Concourse and enjoy all the things the property has to offer. You will have a wonderful weekend without moving your car once!
• Try a scavenger hunt or photo scavenger hunt.
• Put locations in a jar and draw one – go.
• Create an experience centered around a place you would locally like to visit. Example: Italy – pickup Lucchesi’s locally or use Goldbelly and ship a favorite food (maybe a cannoli kit from NY) and watch your favorite Italian movie.

People Person

• Plan an event that mirrors their answer.
• Make reservations for a group at a restaurant (trust us just making a decision and a plan is as lovely of a gift as buying the food).
  Host a get-together – make it a themed event or casual get together
• Spend quality time one on one.
• Soak up the energy of the crowd at a Grizzles game, 901 FC, etc.

Local Likes

• Incorporate what they answer into an outing.
• Cookie decorating class at Frost Bakery, cheese/wine tasting at Grey’s Fine Cheeses, or pottery class at Bell Tower Coffeehouse & Studio
  Strolling through Dixon art gallery, visiting Elmwood cemetery, trolley ride on Main St.

Giving Back

• Plan a date to volunteer together – animal shelter (Collierville Animal Shelter is fantastic), a soup kitchen, at a local 5K race or dropping off No Show Ball meals for the Forrest Spence Fund.
• Support a cause that means something to them. The time together is meaningful, but a donation in the gift recipient’s name is a great choice too!