The Art of Homemade Gifts

I have always been a fan of gifts that were homemade. Cards, pieces of art, even letters in the mail - anything that someone took the time to put together have always been my favourite type of gift to receive. I have a small box full of the special items that loved ones have made me over the years, and I highly doubt I will ever let them go because I enjoy looking through them from time to time.

Of course, not all gifts are given for long-term usage purposes. Maybe you want to give a neighbor gift to let those in your neighborhood know you’re thinking of them or perhaps you want to send a card of encouragement to a friend. Since it was my birthday not too long ago, here are some ideas that will help you cultivate and appreciate the art of homemade gifts.

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Create with the Recipient In Mind

People enjoy simple gifts that they enjoy. If you make a special kind of granola your recipient loves, a mason jar or tin full of it will bring a smile to their face. If you know they love beautiful wall hangings, make one in their favourite colour (or maybe learn how to make one if you don’t know how to). Pick some eggs from your chicken coup or collect a jar of honey from your hive. You get the point. Honestly, a homemade or well picked-out card always brings a smile too!

Be Creative with Packaging

Creative packaging is so fun! Side note, I actually used to follow a blog that posted design ideas for packaging that graphic design students mocked up. They were so creative! Maybe wrap a food item in a kitchen towel, or craft your own gift bag. Paint a plant pot to accompany some green goodness. Maybe you are mailing a card and want to personalize the stamp or the way you write the address. You know your gift and recipient best.

Do Not Overthink It

Don’t overthink gift giving. The purpose of a gift is to show someone you appreciate them and are thinking about them.  It could be a simple handmade or handwritten card or note or even some flowers or herbs from your garden! It doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive or hard to put together. What they say really is true: it’s the thought that counts.

Expensive Does Not Mean Meaningful

Speaking of the thought that counts, there is no reason to break the bank to share a gift with someone. Keep things simple. Honestly, you could box up a cupcake or two after you made a batch and it would be appreciated to whoever receives it (be mindful of allergies).

Some More Homemade Gift Ideas:

Homemade Hand Soap in a cute jar (you can buy inexpensive foaming soap lids like these on Amazon!)

Body Wash

Homemade Granola

Biscuit Mix

Handmade Card

Loaf of homemade bread

Something crocheted/knitted

Soup in a jar

Hot chocolate mix

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Do you enjoy giving or receiving handmade gifts? What do you love about it?

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Related: An Aspiring Minimalist’s Guide to Gifts

Untraditional Simple Syrup

Summer for me means a lot of fresh lemonade and iced tea. I remember the days of powdered mixes in a can that you mixed with water and at the end of the drink there would be little granules at the bottom - and it would get sweeter as you got to the bottom. I know I’m not the only one who was annoyed with that.

Besides canned and powdered mixes being full of chemicals and dyes and sugars that are not the best options during the summer, it is incredibly easy to make your own drinks that contain less ingredients and taste just as great - if not better!

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A couple of things makes my simple syrup untraditional, the first being that instead of white refined sugar, I use raw organic cane sugar. The reason I use raw organic cane sugar is not necessarily for health reasons (gasp!). First off, I find white sugar a little bland. It’s just sweet and there is no depth of flavor. Maybe it’s just a personal preference, so feel free to use white if that is what you so wish. Organic cane sugar just means that the sugar cane used for the sugar was grown organically and is produced without any synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Which is nice to know. Not only does this decrease the amount of pesticides you are potentially intaking, but it is a step towards lowering the pesticide load on the environment.

In conclusion, there really isn’t a difference nutritionally between the two sugars, and you should be careful to not intake too much of a good thing anyway ;-)

The other thing that makes my simple syrup untraditional is the ratio of water and sugar that I use. Usually, there is a 1:1 ratio. I, however, use 2 parts water to 1 part sugar. It’s a small difference, but still a difference nonetheless. I’ve been curbing my sweet tooth, I guess. Don’t worry. It is definitely still sweet enough!

This simple syrup is perfect for lemonade and sweet tea and anything else you may want sweetened - without the granules in the bottom of your glass!

The best part? It’s quick and easy to whip up! And even easier to store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks!

Simple Syrup

what you need:

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup raw cane sugar

what to do:

1) Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to boil

2) Simmer for about 3 minutes, until syrup is clear

3) Allow to cool down before using in the drink of your choice

4) Store in an airtight container (a mason jar works well) in the refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks (if it lasts that long!)

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What are your go-to summer drinks? Have you ever made a simple syrup before?

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So You Want to be More Minimalistic

Minimalism is something I’ve been working at for a few years now. I feel that I’ve always had some kind of craving to have less and to be surrounded and burdened by less. Even when I was much younger, I enjoyed throwing things out and organizing things, but it got to the point where I would get rid of things, but then accumulate more. It got harder and harder to let go of things. As I’ve mentioned in other posts before, it took going abroad for me to realize that I really don’t need stuff. I was perfectly content and well cared for with only 2 suitcases worth of things, and even then I didn’t use every item. Just over a year ago, I finished reading the life-changing magic of tidying up - and it was truly life-changing (I talked about it here). It got me re-energized to declutter and reclaim a full life - which was ironically not full of things!

It came down to choosing what brought me joy. I’ve had several requests to talk about some minimalist living tips, and so I’m sharing the steps that helped me!

Envision Your Minimalist Life

Why do you want to live a more minimalistic life? What does your minimalist lifestyle look for you? What do you want to do in your everyday life? Write it down and consider it your “why.” Here are some ideas:

• I will come home to a tidy home so that I have time to relax after work and pursue creative hobbies.

• I will enjoy a bubble bath in the middle of the week just because.

• I won't trip over things on the floor anymore.

• I won't spend hours each weekend cleaning.

• I will have a clear mind that is a result of a clear living space.

• I will not be tied to materialistic things.

Write your list. Remember these things as you go through your next steps:

Say Goodbye to Your Unnecessary Things

My ultimate decluttering guide will help you best with this. I will direct you there rather than write it all out again. It’s important to let go of stuff that is just stuff. Keep what really brings you joy. The guide goes through all the areas of your house and just helps you get an idea of what you really should simplify. Find it here.

Quality over Quantity

Even though we are finished (for now) with school, my husband and I still have this poor student mentality. At the beginning, we would always choose what we perceived to be more affordable, just to find that later it would fall apart, or we just really didn’t like it. Seriously, never buy a bookshelf from Walmart. Haha. In the end, it was cheaper to choose the quality items we enjoyed right off the bat. It eliminated buying multiples as well. Quality will last and is worth the initial higher cost.

“Choose to keep items that bring you joy!”

TWEET IT!!

Realize the fragility of Life

I know this sounds extremely morbid, but you will probably die someday. Do you really want to spend your days unhappy and surrounded by things that bring your life no joy? I sure don’t. I also don’t want to leave my junk for my children to clean up. I would rather leave a legacy of time they spent with me rather than the things I had.

Don’t Try to Do it All At Once

Step-by-step, friends! The decluttering process alone can take up to 6 months. You’ll get there if you keep at your convictions and chip away bit by bit.

Be Mindful

Think about the value that each of your curated items brings to you. This goes for everything from the physical things you can touch, to the apps on your phone and the emails you sscribe to. Everything should have a purpose and add to your experience. in some capacity. Of course, there will be things you have to keep that aren't necessarily too exciting, but reduce what you can.

Some Other Things to Consider Simplifying:

• Your finances

• Your eating habits

• Your email inbox/physical mailbox

• Your chores

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What are some of the ways you embrace a more minimalistic lifestyle?

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An Aspiring Minimalist’s Guide to Gifts

There are plenty of gift-giving guides for when you want to give something to a minimalist, but what if a minimalist (or aspiring minimalist, like me) wants to give a gift? I had to really think about this!

Take Christmas, for example. It's around the corner and it seems that most people expect to receive a gift and give one in return. I’ve been caught in situations where I’ve had to give a gift, so I just grabbed something off the department store shelves with little thought as to why I was giving it. On the other hand, I’ve also received those same kinds of gifts. Full disclosure: those don’t often last long in my house at all. So why do we even bother?

When I give a gift now, I like to be intentional about it. I like to ask myself a few questions:

Why did I choose this particular gift?
Will my recipient value this gift?
How can I make this a meaningful experience?

With the gift-giving season right around the corner (and just coming out of one - can someone say weddings?), I thought I might share some of my thoughts and ideas on giving gifts.

Give the gift of an experience or time together

This is probably a great place to start. One of the coolest gifts we got as a wedding gift was a night out to see a Broadway musical. It was seriously cool, and it is a memory we still talk about to this day. Gifting experiences is a great idea and focuses more on your friendship than any material thing I can think of at this moment. Gift dinner reservations or unique local experiences or special events and make memories, not dust collectors.

Cash

I know it sounds impersonal and unromantic, but cash is way better to get than a gift card. It’s still tangible and doesn’t risk the use to being resold online or forgotten in a wallet. Plus, cash can still be used pretty much everywhere. There are creative ways to gift it too!

Something personalized and practical

If you still want to give something, you might want to consider giving something from the heart. Personalized items can still be practical. Put the “fun” in “functional” and explore options like personalized cutting boards or socks - okay, maybe not socks, but you get the idea. Thinking of needs and adding a personalized twist is, in my humble opinion, thoughtful!

Give a charitable donation

There are many opportunities to give a charitable donation in your recipient's name. All it takes is one Google search.

Give a consumable

Ummm, who doesn’t love food? I haven’t met that person yet. I love this, because you can get really creative with it! Visit a foreign country? Bring a packaged specialty! Have you heard of gourmet olive oil? Because it's amazing. Love chocolate chip cookies? Put together a kit so they can make their own (you can even pair this with an experience and do it together)! The possibilities are endless and are so fun!

If there is a registry, stick to the registry

If you are going to a shower or a wedding, chances are the hosts have created a gift registry. Stick to it. They know what they need, and if you want to stay true to helping others own only what they need, value, and what brings them joy, I highly suggest going that route.

So what about receiving gifts?

Receiving gifts is a little tougher for me - especially now that we have downsized greatly and don’t wish to acquire more [useless] stuff. But I also don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings!

Explaining your “new way of life” to family and friends who normally shower you with gifts can be difficult, but not impossible. I see gift-giving as a way of sharing love, but gift-giving is not restricted to material things.

Your loved ones are called your loved ones because they love you. Trust that and make your expectations and intentions clear. They will be happy to support you. Isn’t that just what gift-giving is about anyway? Showing our love? They’ll be glad to do that however you decide!

Instead of saying, “I will not be collecting gifts this year,” and leaving it at that, why not give specific ideas to your loved ones about what they can give you. If you would like a charitable gift, set up a charity fund they can donate directly to, or pick a soup kitchen and request they accompany you too. If you want consumables, hand over your grocery list (I mean, why not?). If you think it will help, why not send them the link to this blog post? Whatever you choose, I’m sure they’ll think it’s a fabulous idea and they might start picking it up too!

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What kinds of gifts do you like giving and receiving? Let me know in the comments!

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True Hospitality Made Practical: 3 Easy Tips

Last week we talked about hospitality and some myths that surround it, as well as how we are called to practice it. As promised, here are some practical ways to be hospitable even if your guests are extremely last-minute. 

Create A Warm Atmosphere

While fresh flowers and candles do go a long way to creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere, nothing is as refreshing as a warm, loving smile and willingness to serve. That being said, light some candles and cut some fresh flowers for your guests to enjoy as well! It’s simple and makes a great impact.

Welcome everyone into your home. Let them feel loved, not only by you, but also by God.

Related: The Myths & the Calling of True Hospitality

Be aware of needs

Be aware of those around you. Remember that hospitality is not limited to inside your home. Pay attention as you interact with others, and do not let anyone go unnoticed. Take time out of your day to encourage someone, to pray with someone, and to show kindness.

In your home, make sure your guests have what they need, and feel comfortable enough to ask for it. For overnight guests especially, I suggest making everything as accessible as possible. They should feel that they are at home. Make warm drinks and water easily available and stock the bathroom and guestroom with essentials like towels of every size, toiletries and extra toilet paper.

Serve Meals With Love

Meals do not have to be extravagant or use expensive ingredients. Make simple meals with love, and do not feel pressured to make something new or complicated (there's always the danger that something new will flop anyway!). Your guests are not there to judge your cooking. They are there to be blessed by you (whether they know it or not). Don't let them leave just thinking about the spectacular meal you just served them, let them leave rejoicing that you have served their souls.

Build a relationship with those around your table and talk about the things that truly matter. Our motto should be like John's; Less of me, more of Jesus. And remember: entertaining is to impress, but hospitality is to bless!

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How do you show hospitality? Tell us about it in the comments!

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