meaningful gifts for the ones you love | fairfield county family photographer
Each year when Christmas rolls around, I find myself craving simplicity and minimalism. Yes, we buy our kids presents, but every year we are moving more and more away from an abundance of plastic toys, and towards gifts that have meaning. In fact, this year my husband and I have a rule that each present must be meaningful & quality. So it has to be something that our kids are truly passionate about and it has to be made with quality and care (e.g. wood toys over plastic). On our list for them: a canvas teepee tent, a light up globe, a box of craft materials, a wooden double decker bus, books related to the things they love (choo choos, fire trucks, learning to read, and more), and a pin board for Oliver to hang up his art work which he is very passionate about ("I'm an artist, Mommy" he tells me).
I know all too well that it can be hard to shop for the adults in your life, so here are some ideas for them:
1. An experience to remember - there are so many great things to do around Fairfield County, but a few of my favorites for gifting are the Ridgefield Playhouse which has amazing concerts, plays, comedy shows and more, spa packages (I love Noelle Spa in Stamford, Susi Laura Massage in Ridgefield, and Dream Spa in Westport and Greenwich), or splurge on a night away at the Delamar in Southport with dinner at Artisan Restaurant (a favorite of ours!)...for those who are not local, think restaurants, shows, pampering and nights away.
2. A beautiful photo gift - Artifact Uprising is my favorite place for lovely photo products such as calendars, hanging prints, and albums. I bought my husband this calendar last year, and he loved it! You have until Thursday at midnight to place orders for Christmas!
3. An LBP Gift Card - I can't think of any mom, dad or grandparent who wouldn't want beautiful memories recorded with their children each year. When you book a photography session as a gift, I will create a custom printable gift certificate for you. Choose between a range of packages including sessions for families, couples, newborns, and my latest package "A Day in the Life" Documentary sessions. Contact me for my full welcome guide with pricing & packages.
And 3 that cost little to no money:
4. Make a craft with the kids (that's not paper and pipe cleaners): I love this wood sign idea that was shared on the Fairfield County Mom's Blog.
5. A coupon book - this is a favorite of ours. My husband and I make coupon books for each other on Valentine's day (think little acts of love) and for our son's advent calendar we made coupons like "coffee date with mommy," "hot chocolate with marshmallows" and "pancakes for dinner." Here are some printable coupons I found on Pinterest.
6. Write a poem and frame it - whether a love poem for your spouse or a sweet poem for your child, this is a special gift. The most romantic gift I ever received from my husband was a love poem he wrote and framed for me - I keep it in my office now and am always reminded even through the grind of everyday life how lucky I am to have him. Now that I think of it, I think any child would love a poem written about them from their parents.
So there you have it...give meaning this holiday season!
