Mindful Gifting this Festive Season
December is just around the corner, and so the following weeks are likely to be filled with festive commitments such as attending social events, spending time with friends, family and colleagues, and not to mention the pressure of gift-giving. It can be intense and often stressful at a time of year that should be filled with joy and happiness!
Today I’ll be sharing some tips on how to approach the gift-giving aspect of the festive season a little more mindfully; mostly it involves a little bit of preparation and also practising some self control (something I still need to work on!) to enable us to be a little more thoughtful and mindful to truly amplify what already is a joyous festive season.
The first and seemingly obvious pointer is to shop ahead, and prepare as much in advance as possible. I didn’t do this myself until a year ago, I’d be the one who would be dashing through Oxford Street on the eleventh hour – along with what felt like the entire rest of the British population – and I’d often return home knowing I’d paid over the odds for gifts that felt forced, and of course with a high blood pressure to deal with – not how you want to be feeling on Christmas eve!
My greatest piece of advice would be to shop with your friends and family in mind all year long. Have a special drawer or box in your wardrobe where you keep gifts, and then you can rest assured that when the holiday season comes along, you’ve already carefully selected a gift that is truly right for the recipient; and it wasn’t purchased under pressure or in a rush.
A place that you can always rely on for wonderful treats and gifts for loved ones and also for yourself is The White Company. Throughout the year I find myself picking up various luxuries such as scented candles, cashmere hot water bottle covers, gorgeous silk pyjamas – knowing that such treats are always well received during the gift giving season.
By picking up pieces throughout the year, there’s no more mad dash to pick up a present the day before the big event, and whenever you happen to stumble upon the perfect gift for someone, it helps you feel more in control of your gift giving, confident that the recipient will be thrilled with their present, and also helps to spread the cosy of the festive season too.
When it comes to choosing the special gift, you can never go too far wrong when you opt for something meaningful that will bring a positive impact to the wellbeing of the person you’re gifting to. It’s less about what we spend and more about giving a gift that will be appreciated. For this reason, gifts that may be a more luxurious ‘upgrade’ on something they already own and use frequently could be a good option.
With this in mind, I look to The White Company for their cashmere range in particular. A set of cashmere bed socks is a luxurious touch that most would appreciate, but wouldn’t choose to purchase for themselves, or perhaps a luxurious leather frosted wash-bag (above right) – or even a cashmere robe such as the one I’m wearing in this post.
A gift that encourages the recipient to focus on prioritising a little bit of ‘me time’ is also one that brings a multitude of benefits; one of my favourite gift sets is this Spa Restore gift set. While we rarely make time to spend half a day at a spa – and not to mention the expense of it – it is often a lot more realistic to spend an hour or so over the weekend indulging in spa-like rituals at home. Re-creating a luxurious spa in your own bathroom or bedroom, the neroli and eucalyptus notes within the products are warming and invigorating, created with the finest essential oils to energise the mind, and nourish the skin. Complete with a candle, body lotion and sumptuous bath oil, it makes for a perfect pampering gift.
Make it Personal
A gift that can be personalised is always one that will be cherished, and possibly the simplest way of offering this is by picking up an elegant photo frame and filling it with a photo depicting a memory from the year.
From collage style frames to hang on the wall, to ornate pearl style designs that are perfect for a coffee table or mantle piece, The White Company has a wonderful selection. My personal choice is this sleek fine silver photo frame, it comes in a beautiful gift box and is a simple yet elegant display for treasured photos. With silver plated stainless steel and a classic white mount, it would also make a wonderful gift for new home owners – and it’s beautiful design works with every interior style imaginable.
The Fail-Safe Option
I probably wouldn’t be going too wrong if I picked up four sets of the Christmas Votive Candle Collections because they just make such a perfect gift for so many people! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love creating a cosy Christmas ambience with yuletide themed votives, and when it comes to the scents, you can’t beat the bestselling fragrances of Winter, Fir Tree, Highland Escape and White Christmas that come in this limited edition set. I know for sure that Charlie and I will be lighting the candles one at a time in the build up to December 25th to add to the spirit of the season in our own home, and both family and friends will be thrilled to find their own sets in their Christmas stockings.
This week, Black Friday sales are in full swing so there is no better time to get the majority of your Christmas shopping done. The White Company are offering 20% off site wide until Monday so you can treat your loved ones to even more luxurious gifts.
What do you think of the idea of mindful gifting this holiday season?
This post has been created in collaboration with The White Company.
