Dreaming of a low-stress Christmas? A few years ago we switched to the Want Need Wear Read style of gifting and have loved the simplicity. It is hard to believe it is that time of year again. Bust out the gift wrap and ribbons because I have an early present for you! A set of cute and easy printable gift tags that will make the usual holiday hustle and bustle just a teensy bit easier!
Whoever Came Up With This Idea is Brilliant
Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. Four gifts cover all the bases and leave the recipient feeling loved, with items they will be using well after the Christmas season is over. The something to read gift is usually my favorite on a Christmas afternoon where I hide away with a small tin of treats and a new book to devour!
What Do We Need?
We could get by with so much less. Our basic needs are food, water, clothing, shelter and warmth. I also include cleanliness, health, self-care and school supplies in the “needs” category when I’m shopping for this gift. Some ideas can include bedding, oral care appliances, room cleanliness items, sunglasses or goggles to protect the eyes, bicycle helmets or other sports gear that protects the body and recreational equipment that promotes general good health and exercise, such as proper footwear or hydration needs. Family time together can also be considered a need so day hiking gear and a membership to a nearby state park make a wonderful present. Either way, I love how it teaches us what is truly necessary for healthy survival and what is fleeting or frivolous.
I’m Dreaming of a Slight Christmas
I enjoy minimalism but a tiny number of presents on Christmas morning can’t help but tug at my American consumer heart strings for a split second. Last year, for our family of three, there were eight wrapped presents under the tree: Four for our son (want, need, wear, read), one from him to each parent, and two more addressed to each dog. My Christmas present from my husband was the chicken coop and my gift to him was the new tools he wanted to purchase to build it!
Thoughtful and Simple
In each package our son unwrapped was a very thoughtful gift, lovingly selected and of good quality because fewer gifts meant we were able to invest in something useful that would last. Absent was all the junk, clutter and breakable garbage that fills the recycling bin only a few months later. I noticed that once all the presents were unwrapped, it did not matter how many there originally were and clean up was a breeze.
Wrap Happy
When you look at magazine images of Christmas trees, how many presents are under them? Not many, but they are all cutely wrapped and coordinate with the tree. I have found that doing the same adds to the festivity of the season. I also appreciate that the overwhelming task of shopping, buying and wrapping almost every single present our family gives is reduced. We give more gifts to neighbors than we place under our own tree. Maybe that is how it should be and why it feels so good.
Easy Gift Tagging
Let me help make your holidays even easier with free printable gift tags that you can use year after year. There are three Want/Need/Wear/Read designs: a classic holiday wreath, just text and one with only nature elements. I use double sided tape to affix mine to packages but if you need to punch a hole, I love this mini-punch that makes a hole just big enough to fit ribbon or twine.
Download All the Gift Tags Here:
One Last Category
Our holiday is made more fulfilling by the Something to Share category. This doesn’t have its own tag but instead involves our family doing something anonymously for another. It can be anything. We have realized the most precious Christmas memories involve all of us giggling excitedly as we surprise an unsuspecting family with an anonymous gift. Then at dusk on Christmas Eve, we pile in the truck for what my husband calls Texas Hot Chocolate (chocolate milk shakes) and go look at Christmas lights as carols play over the radio and we feel that all is right in the world.
From our farmhouse to yours, enjoy these want, need, wear, read gift tags and have the most joyous holiday season!
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