Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved the holiday season. The child of an Italian Catholic mother and a Jewish father, I celebrated everything — Christmas, Hanukkah, and I sang at the top of my lungs to the Kwanzaa songs I learned in my school choir. My family always made the holidays feel special, and no one is a more thoughtful gift-giver than my mom.
But as I’ve gotten older, the list of things myself and my family want or need has luckily become virtually nonexistent, and giving gifts just for the sake of giving them feels wasteful, especially in the age of overconsumption. Over the last few years, I’ve started to ask friends and family for only three types of gifts when the holidays or my birthday rolls around, and I am often met with raised eyebrows when I say that I only want gifts I can burn, eat, or will die.
Hear me out: Gifts that burn are things like candles and incense, which make my home smell amazing; gifts I can eat are my favorite snacks or going out to dinner with a friend; gifts that die are things like flowers, which lend their beauty to my home for weeks at a time. But in the end, all of these go away, or disappear. I don’t have to dust them or store them, and they aren’t wasteful.
This year for the holidays, I’ve decided to flip the script and use my own rule when shopping for holiday gifts. I’m using the “BED” gifting method to buy thoughtful gifts for everyone on my shopping list. (The same applies to all of my host gifts this season, too!).
How to Follow the “BED” Gifting Rule This Holiday Season
My mom loves ice cream, so I’m sending her pints from her favorite creamery via Goldbelly. My dad also has a sweet tooth, so he’s getting a variety pack of gourmet brownies. My aunt loves candles, especially ones that smell like fresh pine — you see where this is going. In a few months, they’ll use everything up, recycle what’s left, and voilà! No unwanted or unnecessary items to hang on to until the end of time.
Give the “BED” method a try this holiday season and see for yourself how what is seemingly less can most definitely be more. I’ve rounded up some ideas for you below. Happy gifting!
Scents have the power to transform a space, to make it feel cozy and warm, welcoming, and fresh. There’s always a candle burning when I’m at home, and I love to buy my loved ones scents that remind me of them. While some people prefer candles, others prefer incense. And for people who don’t like to have an open flame, an essential oil diffuser gets the job done, no lighter necessary.
Be it a sweet treat, high-quality coffee, or a charcuterie board, everyone has a favorite bite or beverage. The holidays present an opportunity to spoil your loved ones with extra unique and premium versions of their go-to indulgences. Maybe it’s my Italian roots, but I love to show my nearest and dearest how much I love them with food, and it’s a fun way to buy them treats they’d likely never buy for themselves.
Flowers may die, but before they do, they make a thoughtful gift that adds a breath of fresh air in any space (literally!). I love the instant burst of life that I feel the moment I lay eyes on natural beauty indoors, and flowers are just plain cheerful. Flowers can last up to two weeks or longer if they’re cared for properly, and you can even dry them out to preserve them for longer-lasting decor. Just remember, when giving flowers as a gift, it’s always a good idea to give them in a vase so that the giftee doesn’t have to drop what they’re doing to find a vase, clip their stems, and arrange them.
What do you think of this “BED” gifting rule? Let us know in the comments below!
