Stuck for a Gift? Send a Subscription

Subscription boxes are a great #gift for the foodie, the pet parent or the person who has (almost) everything, says the Mint Notion blog. Available to suit any taste or interest, boxes deliver comestibles such as coffee, chocolate and international snacks — or even a complete meal with a produce/recipe box such as HelloFresh. There are wine and cocktail kits for the aspiring oenologist and mixologist, and a yoga subscription for those seeking inner peace. Whatever you choose, these gifts won’t take up much space for very long.

Give the Gift of Knowledge

COVID-19 has left many of us with unused extra time at home. To help your friends and family make the most of that time without adding any paper, gadgets or other extra stuff to their already #cluttered lives, #give the #gift of knowledge. MasterClass offers online lessons taught by celebrity experts in topics such as cooking (Gordon Ramsey, Alice Waters), writing and filmmaking (Margaret Atwood, Spike Lee), and even tennis (Serena Williams). You may help your giftees open the door to a lifelong avocation.

Shopping for Christmas … From Your Screens

The novel #coronavirus has upended life as we know it. Even the holidays haven’t been spared, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommending that more than 330 million Americans reconsider their Thanksgiving travel plans to stop the spread.

Generally speaking, the fewer people you come into close contact with, the better. And with Christmas, Hannukah and other celebrations due up, CDC lists “Going shopping in crowded stores just before, on or after Thanksgiving” as a high-risk activity.

Since it rarely requires interpersonal interaction, online shipping is low-risk. It has been growing apace with the internet for more than 25 years, and it is now set to eclipse all other channels for holiday gift-giving during the pandemic.

Retailers are ready to provide home delivery and contactless pickup if you’re willing to offer a credit card number. The deals aren’t bad, either; many outlets are offering loss leaders just to get you through their online storefronts.

Sitting in front of a screen trying to source great gifts can be tedious — there’s just no way to browse as fast as you might in a physical setting. That’s where online gift guides can help: They can point you in the direction of good gifts for anyone on your list.

Stuck for ideas? Just Google “gifts” and few keywords of the things and activities your giftee likes, and you’ll soon have a page of links to lists suggesting products with click-throughs to online stores ready to take your money.

Whatever they like — be it tech, gaming, music, movies, pets, exercise, cooking — there’s a gift guide for it. At the Organizing Blog, we like to give gifts that don’t add to clutter, meaning they are immediately useful or take up little space. Gourmet foodstuffs, a subscription to a streaming service, or a charitable donation are good options.

To help fund valuable veterans programs during a particularly stressful and often isolating holiday season, consider donating your extra stuff to ClothingDonations.org or making a direct donation of money or a vehicle to VVA.org. The veterans appreciate the help. Now get shopping!

Shop the Thrift for an Ecofriendly Valentine’s Day

Still stuck for a Valentine’s Day gift? Try the local thrift or secondhand store! Supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org, many thrift stores are full of gently used clothing, accessories, books and gifts that people will love at a fraction of the price of what they might cost new; they are also a great place to find cookware if you’re preparing a special feast. It’s an ecofriendly choice to reduce and and recycle gifts, and proceeds from the sale of donated goods help support veterans’ initiatives nationwide!

Sweets for the Sweet

Does your sweetest have a sweet tooth? Chocolate and other treats are a natural choice for Valentine’s Day gift-giving, and there are plenty of options that won’t break the bank. Chowhound suggests heart-shaped chocolates in rainbow colors, peppermint bark or a selection of raw artisanal honeys in addition to the classic “conversation” cookie, ultra-budget-friendly Reese’s hearts or chocolate-dipped strawberries. Best of all, when you give a gift that’s consumable, it can’t add to the #clutter of everyday life — the lucky recipient can indulge without worrying about where to put it.