8 Gift Ideas for Time Together

Enjoying each other and making memories is one of the best parts of life. So what better than to give that as your gifts this year instead of more stuff? You can take the money you save and give to many in need around the world (check out this site for more information on that).

Here are eight gift ideas for spending time together:

1.  Picnic by the fire, either a fire pit or fireplace. Lay out a blanket, maybe make a tent (if it includes kids or kids-at heart) and just catch up on life. You could play a conversation game to find out things you never knew about each other.

2.  Board game party. Instead of getting your friends little trinkets they won't use, throw a board game party. Have a table full of popcorn, flavored or simply buttered, and gather everyone around for a night full of laughter and friendly competition.

3.  Caroling, coats and cider. Simmer cider in the crock pot or stove top, have everyone bring old coats they aren't using to take to a homeless shelter. Then go caroling in your neighborhoods, and brighten the night. Remember to print off lyrics in case someone doesn't know the words.

4.  Organize something together. Sometimes you really need a friend to help you sort through stuff and see it from a fresh perspective. My youngest daughter is a born-organized person who can shift chaos into order in a matter of moments. It's always helpful to me when she assists my clean-up efforts. If you have the gift of orderliness, maybe you could give a coupon for helping out a friend (who's expressed interest, don't give a coupon to someone who might get offended). A few ideas would be: Closet Clean-up, Kitchen Control, Garage Arranging.

5.  Thermos coffee date. It's crazy how much we go out for coffee, but what about brewing your favorite brand and bottling it to go? You could meet at sunrise or sunset. Find a beautiful scenic spot complete with coats, scarves, and blankets then snuggle in to enjoy the view.

6.  Raking leaves and hot chocolate. So this may not sound too exciting, but for elderly grandparents this could be a blessing more than you know! Gather your family and spend the afternoon raking leaves and end it together chatting over hot chocolate.

7.  First snowfall snowball fight. Wrap a ticket for this event and then store ready-made food items and goods in your pantry for the impromptu party. When the first good snowfall appears send out a text that their tickets are good for that day (afternoon or night). You might want to have plenty of mittens on hand or remind them to bring their own. Boxes are also fun for creating forts or storing snowballs.

8.  Book/Movie Club. For the booklover in your family, give a handmade invitation to read a book together and then when the movie comes out, go see it together. This gives you the chance to enjoy and talk about it twice!

What other ideas would be good for times together?