As I’ve mentioned previously, one of the key principles of minimalism is to buy experiences over things. This holiday season, instead of buying something from a store, why not buy that special someone on your list the give of an experience instead. The memories will stick with them long after the holiday season.
Below I’ve rounded up my top favourite experiences for everyone on your list.
For the Family
One of my favourite activities to do is horseback riding in the mountains. This fall, a friend and I had a weekend getaway and went to a local ranch and there was a family with two children having the best time. My friend said she would love to come back and bring her kids. This year, instead of buying your children another toy they may or may not use, give them a hourseback riding adventure. If you are in the local Calgary area, I recommend checking out Boundary Ranch and Horseback Banff. I did a 2 day back country trip with Horseback Banff during Covid with my friends and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever had; picture below is from that weekend trip.
For the Adventurer
This is one of my favourite gifts to give. There are endless options depending on what type of adventurer. But one gift I’ve given in the past that has been a hit has been tickets to the mountain film festival. They show films virtually and at local theatres, but why not make a trip of it and stay in the mountains for the weekend and hit up the slopes. Another gift I haven’t given yet but I’m tempted to gift myself is a helicopter ride. My friend’s boyfriend recently gave her this for her birthday and she said it was amazing! I would love to go during larch season, see picture below.
For the Wanderer
Another one of my favourite types of people to buy for! Like many, I have been longing for travel. In the meantime, I’ve been finding some neat little local spots across Canada and adding them to my list. Why not give an AirBNB gift card and give someone a night or weekend away? The options are endless!
If you need suggestions, the top 4 Canada AirBNB locations on my list are the Stix Cabin in Nordegg Alberta (if you follow me on Instagram, you will know I booked a weekend in May 2022), a converted windmill in Rosebud, Alberta, luxury glamping in Kelowna, British Columbia and The Summer House in Southampton, Ontario. Just try and keep these suggestions to yourself as I still want to be able to book them 😉
For the Foodie
This one has so many options! The easy suggestion would be to buy them a gift card to their favourite restaurant or the newest restaurant in the city. But thinking outside the box a bit, I would suggest a food tour. When I travel, this is the #1 thing I book. You get to taste some great local food as well as get a bit of history about the city itself. Why not give them a food tour in the city they live or a city closeby. My second option is to do a “theme.” For example, if they love Italian, buy them a nice bottle of Italian wine (maybe from somewhere you have been or an area of Italy you really want to go) and pair it with a gift card to the local Italian market and include a recipe. What a fun day – picking out the food and then going home to cook it while drinking wine! I would love that gift. This is also a great idea for co-workers, as a host or hostess gift or for the person who has everything!
For the Movie Buff
This one you could two directions. I would suggest a gift card to the local theatre (I always try to support local although you can’t go wrong with Cineplex). Maybe throw in a gift card for a winebar or restaurant nearby to enjoy before/after the movie. The second alternative would be to do an at home movie experience. This could include a subscription to Netflix or a gift card to buy a movie (Cineplex online or Apple) and then include some nice snacks. Maybe hit up one of the local holiday markets – you can often get handmade sweets, popcorn or chocolates. This is a great gift to enjoy over the holidays.
For the Bookworm
This one can be easy but again, I encourage you to think local and think of it as an experience. I want you to picture giving the afternoon of heading to a cute local bookstore, picking out a book, heading to a coffee shop after and enjoying your book and a treat. If you live in the Calgary area, my favourite local book shop is called The Next Page in Inglewood (can I just say they have a ladder to get the books at the top) paired with a gift card to Canela, the new vegan bakery. Whether or not you are vegan, the treats look tasty!
For the Music Lover
The options are endless here, and exciting now that music venues are starting to open again. I have to say, next to travel, music was the thing I missed next. This could be anything from music lessons, to a small local concert, to the big stage or to an outdoor music festival. I will say that I recently experienced the Candlelight Series that is touring worldwide and it was truly magical. So check it out to see if they are coming to your city!
I could go on but I hope these ideas get you started. Start with the person you are buying for, think about their interests and then think about how they would enjoy spending a day! If I’ve missed someone on your list, comment below and I can add some additional ideas. And Happy “Holly”days 🙂
1 Comment
Yes ! Boundary Ranch would be at the top of my wish list!