I love to buy people presents. Giving gifts is my favorite. Knowing a celebratory occasion is coming up, I like to pick up a few things as I’m casually strolling the aisles of Target.
You remember what that’s like, right? It’s that fun hobby we shared before a global pandemic hit.
Now none of us have the luxury of going to the store, grabbing a coffee, and hitting all those glorious end-cap clearances. So it’s time to get creative. To think outside of the box. Or, in this case, the basket.
Shop Local
Our community has upped the ante these last few weeks, making it easier to shop from the comfort of our own homes. If you’re filling baskets for kids, little online boutiques, like Hoot are offering unique, monogrammed Easter basket treats that can be paid for electronically and retrieved without any human contact.
Toy stores, like Be Beep Toys on Forest Drive, are offering curbside pickup. You can even call them for ideas! For teens, The Local Buzz and others are delivering gift baskets to your doorstep. And lest we forget the adults, why not swing by your favorite coffee shop for curbside pickup and grab some coffee beans? Pair it with a gift card to your favorite restaurant and your significant other will be pleased.
Also, consider keeping an eye on Facebook marketplace or for sale groups on Facebook. Many people are sanitizing their items and doing porch pickups to keep the germs at bay.
Shop Online
Yes, I hear you. We are running out of time and Amazon is prioritizing how quickly some items ship. But many big box retailers are offering drive-through pickup. Target and Kohl’s are just two examples.
Get Your Crafty On
Are you a crafty person? Raid your stash or look around for things you can repurpose. Make bookmarks for the bookworm in your family. Personalize some things with your vinyl cutter. Grab an empty notebook and turn it into a pandemic journal.
Think Food
Here’s the thing about food, it is perishable and therefore does not create unnecessary clutter in your house (can I get an amen?). If you’re already going to make the trek to the grocery store before Sunday, consider throwing in some extra candy, glass bottled sodas or a favorite BBQ sauce. And if you have extras, might you consider throwing together a basket of hand sanitizer, masks, and a roll of toilet paper? It’s a weird time but that’s one way to remember it!
Other Fun Ideas
If you’re like me, right now finding the mental energy to brainstorm gift ideas is hard. It’s difficult to grocery shop, educate our children, work and be together 24/7. I get it.
So think dual-purpose items: what does my kid need that could also be perceived as fun? (Flip flops? Sunglasses? T-shirts?)
Here are things going into my family’s baskets. Maybe sharing with you will help get your creative juices flowing:
- chalk
- bubbles
- socks
- candy
- Hatchimals
- stickers
- stuffed animals
- activity books (dot do dot, WaterWow, etc.)
- chapter books
- sunglasses
- craft kits
- t-shirts
- jewelry
- nail stickers
- hot wheels cars
- candy
- did I mention candy?
- candy