Embracing Minimalism for a Festive Season

Discover the transformative power of gifting experiences instead of material possessions during the holiday season. By focusing on shared moments with loved ones, this episode encourages listeners to celebrate the season with meaningful gifts that reduce clutter while creating lasting memories. Emphasis on gifting experiences, over material items. Unique experience gift ideas shared by hosts.   Importance of creating lasting memories with loved ones.  Practical advice for gifting that reduces clutter. Reflection on cherished holiday traditions and celebrations. Encouragement to think creatively about meaningful gifts.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, welcome to Getting your Edge how to
Right-Size your Home and LifePodcast.
This is Dennis Day, welcomingyou and my co-host, Judy Gratton
.
How are you, Judy?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
I am very merry, Dennis.
How are you Very merry?

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Excited about Christmas.
My two kids are here, my motherwill be joining us and we've
got an excellent dinner and dayplanned.
How about you?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, we had an early Christmas.
My daughter came with my twograndchildren.
She braved flying at six monthspregnant with a two-year-old
and a four-year-old Spent about10 days with us.
We had one Christmas with herand the girls and then another
with my husband, my son and I.
It will be mellower than thefirst, but we had a blast, A lot

(00:47):
of fun.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, I visited them.
That was fun.
They're good kids, a lot ofenergy and enjoy life.
That's great.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
We are the downsizing experts and this podcast is
devoted to that.
We've gone over two years and55 episodes and I want to give a
little advice.
If you need a last minuteChristmas gift for somebody and
they have a home that is that isfilled with stuff in the garage

(01:21):
, in the spare room, in theclosets with stuff in the garage
, in the spare room, in theclosets I do, most of us do they
don't need more stuff Buy theman experience or a gift card
that does not include wrappingor shipping.
It just gives people a chanceto do something they might not

(01:43):
do on their own.
It just gives people a chanceto do something they might not
do on their own.
Here's an example In our areain the Kenmore, bothell and Lake
Forest Parkier over to Mount StHelens, or just a tour of the

(02:09):
Seattle area.
These are short flights, maybean hour, and you can experience
something truly remarkableseeing Mount Rainier from above.
Or you can get a float plane toVictoria, bc, san Juan Island
or Orcas Island.
It's only a 40 minute flightfrom these things and, believe

(02:34):
me, if you go by ferry it's alot cheaper, but it's a
multi-hour event.
Fly there, find a hotel.
Sometimes they provide packages.
It's not an inexpensive gift,but it was really a cool
experience.
Do you have any others that youmight suggest?

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Well, I think anytime that you can provide an
experience and especially if youare included providing your
time a lot of times to olderfamily members that's more
important than anything isspending time with you.
So we have smaller things thatyou can do, like going to high

(03:13):
tea.
We have lots of places aroundus.
We had a beautiful one inBothell.
Unfortunately it didn't make itthrough COVID, but I do know
the Georgian Room at the OlympicHotel offers high tea.
There is another one that Ihave been to in the university
district called the Empress.
We have a few.
High tea is fun with peoplethat you care about.

(03:35):
Or if you're going to buy themgift cards.
Think of things that they caneat or use, like movie tickets,
or if they have a favorite hobby, something that they can do
that they want to do with a giftcard would be great.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
No packaging, nothing to throw away, no shipping and
not another thing to find aplace for when you already have
too much stuff.
I'm looking forward toChristmas.
Happy Hanukkah.
Unusual that it starts onChristmas Day.
I've never experienced that.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
I'm calling it Happy Christmas-ka.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
Okay, looking forward to the new year.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Me too.
Are you going to join me on NewYear's Day?

Speaker 1 (04:25):
I already have the Rotary does a fundraiser called
the Polar Dip in mid-January,but I can do both.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
What the heck?
At Matthews Beach in Seattlethey give badges for the Polar
Bird Plunge.
We had them all.
We come walking in with ourevery single one of them.
We started the year.
It started 23 years ago.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Every year Is this a fundraiser.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Unfortunately.
No, this is not Okay.
We could do something.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Looking forward to the new year, give us a call,
email, check out our website.
We'd love to hear from you.
We are the downsizing expertsin the Seattle metro area and we
want to help.
Happy 2025, everyone.
See you next year.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
See you next year.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Happy holidays.