Giving with Intention
Graceful Spaces Lead Organizer Katie Blake weighs in on giving presents with purpose.
If we’ve worked together in person, odds are, you’ve met Katie Blake. Katie is Graceful Spaces’ lead organizer and ultimate ball juggler.
Her ability to create serenity in the midst of a massive project is a gift she gives the team time and again.
Katie has a talent for making everyone she meets feel heard and special, meaning she’s the perfect person to weigh in on giving gifts with intentionality.
We asked Katie to share her ideas for gifting this season. Her thoughtful tips will be influencing our own lists, and we hope they’re helpful to you, too!
Shop for the holidays all year-round.
It can be overwhelming to start my shopping list when I look at everyone I want to buy for and think of how the costs will add up. I’ve found that starting early is a huge help. I keep a note in my phone titled, “Gifts” and anytime throughout the year that I get an idea, I jot it here.
Click here to see our Holiday Gift Guide (including gifts you may not have thought about!)
Keep tabs on ideas for yourself.
Because I’m an organizer and picky about the things I keep, I’ve been told it can be hard to shop for me! For this reason, I also keep a note with wishlist items for myself so when my husband or family desperately needs an idea, I can share it with them and we know I’ll love it!
Create a drop zone in your home for gifts.
I keep a basket at home labeled “Gifts” and this is where I store items I buy early, so I don’t forget about them!
Give quality time.
My girlfriends and I decided last year to stop giving gifts to one another and instead book a holiday outing together. Cooking classes, craft workshops, movie nights, bowling, a fancy brunch… the options are endless! My mom will always prefer time with me over any gift I might buy, so we’ll get our nails done together or go for massages and a special lunch.
Gifts don’t have to equal “stuff.”
I love sending flowers or treats from a favorite local shop. Harry & David pears are one of my go-tos. Last year, my siblings and I gave my dad a DNA test for his dog (he’s obsessed!). We had so much fun reading about the different breeds and qualities in the pup once the test came back.
See our team’s favorite “outside-of-the-box” gift ideas.
Take a risk (and get a gift receipt!).
Gift cards are always fun, but if you know someone has a specific hobby or favorite store, picking something out for them is more thoughtful—and they can always return or exchange it with a gift receipt! My brother is an avid fisherman and I don’t know a ton about fishing, but I’ve heard him talk about traveling and always struggling to find a spot to clean his catch. This year, I found a portable fish cleaning table online and I can’t wait to give it to him!
When in doubt, put yourself in their shoes.
Don’t spend a fortune just to give someone something to open. If you’re getting down to the wire and haven’t found that perfect present, put together a little basket of things you’d love to receive.
