Setting Gift-Giving Guidelines for a Minimalist Holiday Season

A question I frequently hear from readers aspiring to live a more minimalist holiday season goes like this:

“How do you handle holiday gifts? I especially struggle every year to keep toys to a minimum. What can I say to loved ones to let them know that we don't need all the stuff?”

Sound familiar?

The first Christmas after our family began living a minimalist lifestyle, I found myself asking the same question.

While I loved all things Christmas and the tradition of gift-giving, living minimally had dramatically changed the way we viewed possessions and holiday purchasing. I knew we'd have to put guidelines on gift-giving for Christmas to align with our simpler lifestyle.

With two kids, both who have birthdays around the holidays, we easily were on track to inherit over 50 new items that year. At the time, we lived in a cozy, 1,000 square foot home and we didn't have the space (or the need) for an unchecked influx of new stuff.

I knew I had to say something to our loved ones, even if the conversation seemed unconventional.

But how? Would my extended family and in-laws be offended if I requested fewer gifts for our girls? What about people whose love language was gift-giving—certainly they would be upset, right?

I mulled over the questions and came up with a way to gently explain my “less is more” philosophy around gifts to my extended family.

I use the same three-part formula every year to keep excess stuff (and stress) to a minimum during the holidays. It's a positive approach that has helped keep our Christmas more simple, calm, and more meaningful.

Here's how to set gift-giving guidelines for a minimalist holiday season:

Read the full article here!