I call mine a "loot bag" and have things in there I pull out for birthdays, Xmas, a hostess gift, etc. I am down to one bag after having a couple and now say before I buy any more gifts, I check the loot bag first! I think it is always good to have a spare gift or two on hand. We all have had those last minute invites to things where you need to bring something.

Number 4!

Excellent holiday ideas, everyone!!!

I read somewhere that we're better off paying for experiences than paying for things, and that's what we try to keep to with gifting. My DH and I are gifting each other with a few days at a B&B with a grand piano and fireplace in our room. I've taken relatives to plays or concerts for their birthdays, and when my son was younger he (we) would bring friends to the movies instead of buying them gifts. It always went over well as it was an outing away from siblings, and parents liked it because it gave them a bit of free time. Bonus - less stuff cluttering the house!

Jazzy: love your tree! Especially that penguin ornament! And the card is just beautiful!!

Excellent idea, MrsM. I saw a blog by Becoming Minimalist on this subject,, giving experiences instead of actual items. I love it. For me, a gift card to the movies would be perfect. **relatives,, are you listening?***

Mandy- I love your idea of doing donations for the holidays instead of exchanging gifts. I come from such a ridiculously materialistic family that it makes it hard to do, but think next year I am going to do it for at least "part" of a gift. Ease them in to the idea?

Helping others is what this time of the year should be about, regardless of religious beliefs. I am donating a bunch of stuff every direction to charities in town and otherwise.

You will never feel sorry for being kind to others.

I always get into the holiday spirit of giving. I have a friend who has a small "Santa" charity---all of the work is done by volunteers to 100% of what is donated goes to buying toys and other items for the families in need that he is able to support. What a wonderful way to spend the holidays---giving to others. Needless to say, I have already given generously to his charity (it is a regular tax exempt organization) and will continue to do so.

My friend has a post on her face book that from November 1 to January 15, there are approximately 29 holidays celebrated by 7 of the world's major religions. Whichever ones you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Hugzz

Mandy1313

One summer school in college I roomed with a friend. Her previous roommate came and told me she was messy. My previous roommate said the same to my friend. We discussed it mid term (before we didn't know we'd each been warned) and decided to let "the chair" decide. The layers were her clothes, my clothes, her clothes, my clothes and so on. Neither of us was the least bothered about it.

Jazzy - my Mother was determined that there would be LOTS of things under the tree. Since they were raised during the depression, I guess I sort of understand. But Mom took things apart & wrapped separately to make more gifts. Like each sock of the pair was wrapped separately. If there was a 3 bowl set, each was wrapped separately. And mind you, we never lived in the same state so she mailed all this stuff!!!

Wren - when we were teenagers, my Mom let my brother & I pick what beds we wanted in our rooms. My brother picked a double for the room. I picked twins so I could have friends over. Except my entire extra bed was always covered with stuff - clothes, books, homework, purse, makeup, etc. I remember lots of nagging but don't remember ever keeping it cleaned off.

In the last 4 days I've filled 5 paper grocery sacks with paper trash. And put another bunch through the shredder. Hooray.

"That room." Yikes.

lol. Both dh and I have our own "chair". Mine is a rocker next to my bed. I do find time to clean it off every week or so, tho on occasion, it will have scads of clothes to be ironed hanging on the back. Dh has a very tiny room across the hall where he keeps his clothes, and the chair in the corner rarely gets cleaned off unless I do it, about twice a year.

I'm going to copy and paste an article from "Becoming Minmalist" I got in my email today. It's a timely piece about dealing with "stuff" and I found it insightful. Maybe you will, too. A while ago, my son mentioned being a "rational" minimalist, and I'd say that's what I gravitate towards, not sparse, not crammed with everything but edited down to what speaks to my senses.

Becoming Minimalist

3 Steps to a More Peaceful Home in the New Year

Note: This is a guest post from Melissa of Melissa Camara Wilkins.

While watching our kids play, a friend and I noticed how very quickly the little ones took out every toy they could reach. I think the room went from "clean and clear" to "buried up to our ankles in legos, doll clothes, blocks, and trains" in about forty-five seconds.

"And pretty soon there will be even more stuff," she said. "Just think what this room will look like after the holidays!"

I kind of don't want to.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Kids will always be kids, and toys will always need tidying up—but not every toy needs space on our shelves. We could probably do some editing, and this is a great time to do it.

As the year comes to an end, we all tend to look back at what worked and what didn't, and on how we grew and changed over the year. We think about where we've been, where we're going, who we are, and who we want to be.

While we're doing that, why not reimagine what our homes can be, too? I want my home to be welcoming. I want it to be a place where my family feels comfortable, a place where it's easy for us to enjoy time together, and a place that helps us each do our own work.

What do you want your home to be? Make plans now to start the new year in a space that feels more peaceful and more purposeful.

1. Reflect on the past year.

As you're thinking over the year that's coming to a close, think about how your stuff has served you—or not. Think about whether you own things that have fallen out of use.

Are there things in your house that never got used this last year? Do you have a stockpile of stuff for old hobbies? Are there books on the shelves that haven't been cracked open even once in the last twelve months?

More importantly: how has your life changed over the last year? How have your priorities shifted? What could be removed to let you focus on what matters most to you, where you are now?

2. Ask better questions.

I used to look around at our stuff and ask questions like, Does this work? Do we like it? Is it any good?

Those were fine questions, but just because a thing is good (or good enough) doesn't mean I have to own it.

To really figure out what we needed and didn't, I had to start asking better questions—questions like, Could we live without this? Would we be just as happy without it? If we didn't have it, could we use something else for the same purpose? Could we borrow one if we needed to?

I realized there were plenty of things in our home that we didn't dislike, but that we didn't need or love, either. There was nothing wrong with those things, no particular reason to pass them on—except that someone else could use them better than we would, and we didn't want to invest any more energy in storing and maintaining them. We found more joy in letting go of those things than we did in having them available "just in case."

3. Imagine the possibilities.

Look ahead to the new year. Let yourself wonder, what would life be like without this stuff? What if cleaning up wasn't such a chore? What could I tackle if my workspace were clear? What could my family do together if we didn't have to spend as much time cleaning and organizing?

How can you rethink your space to help your family do more of what matters to you? How could you make it easier to host family game night, or to read aloud before bed, or to invite friends for dinner? What gets in the way? What can change?

A little reflection and planning now lets you make better choices about which holiday gifts you might purchase to be used in the year to come—and which you might pass on. And paring back ahead of time lets you make space for all the possibility the new year offers.

There's no rule for which things stay and which things go, or for how many things you can have in your home. There is no right number of toys to keep on the shelves. (And no matter how many there are, they'll probably all end up on the floor at some point. That's okay.) You'll decide what's best for your family.

Reflecting back and imagining the year ahead just gives us a chance to find a fresh perspective. When you think about which things you need and which get in the way of what's most important to you, you might just find there really is more joy in having less.

Excellent article!! Thanks, MrsM!

Posted on the Insomniacs thread and re-posting here!

I like question #9.