20 Non-Toy Gift Ideas

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about our disclaimer here.

We hear it all the time. Parents are tired of all of the toys laying around. They are tired of buying toys that only get played with a few times. They are tired of every special occasion being about toys. There IS another way. Gifts don't have to be toys. There are plenty of good non-toy gift ideas out there that won't put a hole in your wallet just to take up space in a corner collecting dust.

You probably already know by now but we value experiences over things and know that this way of thinking can be instilled early on in a child's life. We've shared 10 Things to Get Rid of for a Clutter-Free Home and also released a 30-Day Minimalism Challenge.

Below is a list of our picks for non-toy gift ideas! Think of anything we left out? Let us know in the comments below!

20 Non-Toy Gift Ideas

1. Money in a savings account

You could start a normal savings account, a 529 plan which is a savings college account, or you could buy stocks. Something that I think would be really cool is to start the accounts but not even tell the child about them until they are older! How awesome would it be to have someone tell you when you are 16, 18, 21 (whatever age you choose) that you have XX amount of money in an account that you didn't even know existed!?

2. Membership (museum, zoo, amusement park, etc)

Purchase a yearly membership to a local establishment. It's a gift that keeps on giving! A few ideas include amusement parks, the zoo, or museums.

3. Movie tickets

Sure, the parents probably pay for the child to attend movies normally but movie tickets are always a great idea. It makes them feel more grown up with their own movie ticket and they can choose which movie they want to see. You could even include some goodies for them to take with them to the movie!

4. Subscription (little passports, etc)

Subscription services are the latest craze and there are quite a few for kids. Little Passports is one that I've heard of recently and it seems like a really cool option. They inspire children to learn about the world and each month the child will receive a new package in the mail. Another one is Kiwi Crate. Kiwi Crate inspires kids to see themselves as scientists, artists, creators, and makers.

5. Dress up clothes

Some might consider dress up clothes as a form of toys but I think that they spark creativity. You could even go to a secondhand store and get some really cool vintage dress up clothes!

6. Luggage

Having your own piece of luggage as a kid is so cool! It makes you feel like an adult. Whether they just use it to store things or actually take it on trips, either way, it's going to a piece that they love and think of you each time they see it.

7. Tickets to an event

Have a child that loves sports or theater? Consider buying them a ticket to an event! You could even get them multiple tickets so they can take friends!

8. Books

This one doesn't take much explanation. Books are a great educational gift. If you don't want to buy any full price check out the local thrift store or take them on a trip to the library. Amazon is one of our favorite places to buy books!

9. Lessons (art, music, sports, etc)

Pay for your child (grandchild, niece, nephew, etc) to take lessons on something they are interested in! Things like gymnastics lessons, art lessons, and sports club fees can all be presented as a gift.

10. Family vacation

Experiences are always better than things and going on a family vacation is definitely an experience! Gift them with a vacation that the whole family is going to take. Print off fun articles or pictures are where you are going and box those up and wrap them. Even if the vacation is far away you can make it fun by giving them a way to countdown the days.

11. Room decor

Kids (and adults!) are always wanting to re-design rooms. Gift them with the tools they need to do that! Have the room painted and/or buy new decor. Bonus points if you can sell the old decor!

12. Sports equipment

Does your child need a new football or baseball gear? Instead of just buying it, give it as a gift. If they are already into the sport, they will love it!

13. Telescope

Know a child interested in astronomy? Get them a telescope. Even if they aren't interested now I bet they will be! Amazon has small travel telescopes, telescopes made just for kids, and large professional telescopes!

14. Gift card to a restaurant

Similar to the idea for movie tickets, getting them their own gift card to a restaurant will make them feel very grown up. Pick their favorite restaurant, get the gift card, and then set a special date that you will go together, if possible.

15. Sleeping bag

I remember having my own luggage and sleeping bag as a kid. For some reason, it was so much fun to take it and watch movies while curled up in it. Maybe that's why I like to backpack now and sleep in my sleeping bag. Amazon is also another great resource for sleeping bags!

16. Hobby kits (cake decorating, model cars, sewing, etc)

Again, this could be considered a toy by some but I believe that it gets their brain going in a different direction. They have to concentrate on what they are making or building. Some good ideas include cake decorating, model cars, and sewing!

17. Coupon book (that you create)

Create a coupon book for them that includes things like going to the movie, going bowling, going out to eat, playing in the park, etc. You could even include a coupon or two in there about YOU cleaning their room. ;-)

18. Craft supplies

If they are really interested in taking that hobby kit to the next level you could invest a little bit more in the supplies they need. Our nephew loves to get sketchbooks and art supplies.

19. Board games

Another memory I have of growing up is board games. Maybe your kids have too many board games already and you consider this another piece of clutter but again, I think some of them make kids think in a different direction. My favorite game growing up was always Monopoly!

20. Money

And the best gift of all... MONEY! I honestly don't care if people think it's not personal enough or whatever reason they come up with... I've never met anyone to turn down money. If you are giving it for Christmas turn it into a money tree (tutorial here).

10 Things We've Learned In 10 Years of Marriage

It's December 1, 2017, our tenth anniversary. TIME FLIES. So much has changed but so much has also stayed the same.

Yes, we got married young. Yes, we were high school sweethearts. ;-) We are very similar as neither of us are people pleasers and we don't really care what anyone else is doing, saying, or buying...as Scott's mom likes to say, "we march to the beat of our own drums." We do have some differences, but those are the things that make us compatible...for example, Scott is extroverted and I am quite introverted, so we do fine in social situations because I just let Scott do all the talking (and then re-charge away from people). ;-)

I'm not saying that we have the perfect marriage, I'm pretty sure that doesn't exist...but I do think that we have experienced and learned some things that could help others. Since this is a very special anniversary (10 years!), I wanted to do a post and sort of recap our 10 years and also share 10 things we've learned in 10 years of marriage.

P.S. We don't exchange any gifts or go to expensive dinners...our "gift" to each other is always in the form of travel (usually to Jackson Hole!).

This list was so much fun to come up with and reflect back on the last 10 years. You'll notice nothing that stood out to us had to do with material possessions...they are all experiences.

• We became debt free (excluding the mortgage)
• We visited 22 states
• We hiked more than 1,000 miles in 16 National Parks (click here to see the list)
• We visited 2 countries (Jamaica and Canada)
• We climbed Half Dome
• We climbed Mount Whitney (the highest peak in the lower 48)

• Traveled to St Louis for the 2015 NLDS Cubs Playoff Game
• Traveled to Chicago for the 2016 Cubs World Series (Game 3 - the first at Wrigley in 71 years)
• Took a road trip from Jackson, WY to Salt Lake City, UT to Death Valley, CA (and nearly got stranded during a winter storm in the middle-of-nowhere, Idaho)
• Went to The Masters Golf Tournament
• Went to games at 9 MLB Stadiums
• We both have put at least 10% of our annual income into retirement accounts since we were married
• Declined a job offer in Yosemite National Park to stay with a company that Scott loves
• Declined a job offer in Bozeman, Montana (this one was hard - it's #1 on our list of places we want to live)
• Sold our first home to downsize
• "Raised" two cats ;-)
• Started a business together AND kept it going!
• Traveled to 4 different states (NY, AZ, IL, FL) to partner with brands

---

10 Things We've Learned in 10 Years of Marriage

Our marriage is the most important relationship

• Put your marriage first and don't let anyone come in between the two of you. Of course, other relationships are important but your marriage should always come first.

You don't have to like the same things...

• It's okay to have a hobby or two that the other person doesn't like (it's actually preferred...we both need our own space from time to time). And it's okay that the other person might not want to join in or learn. This hobby can be part of your alone time or time with your friends.

...But you do need to like some of the same things

• If you don't like to do any of the same things, how will you connect?  You have to have a few hobbies in common. We love to go hiking together. Any chance we get quality time to spend together, we spend it on the trail. This allows us to spend time together, disconnect and reflect on the important things in life. 
   
• Don't forget that friendship is a very important aspect of a viable marriage and try to communicate with your spouse as you would a friend rather than coming at it from the perspective of husband and wife (which can be combative at times).

Let the little things go

• Sure, he might leave the toilet seat up or she might not put her dirty clothes in the basket right away. While it seems like a big deal at the time, it's really not. Just put the seat down for him and put the clothes away for her. Let it go. Life is short and it's not worth bickering about the little things.  

Money, you have to be on the same page

• Financial decisions must be discussed and you have to agree on a budget early on. Being honest about how much money is coming in and how much money is being spent or saved is key. Even though some people still have separate accounts when married, money is still a topic that has to be discussed prior to marriage and often during the marriage. Be transparent with your finances and have frequent budget reviews or meetings to get on the same page!
   
• If one is a spender and one is a saver there is going to have to be some compromise. If you are both savers, you are probably okay. If you are both spenders and spend more than you make, you might want to seek outside counseling and develop a long-term financial plan. Scott and I were able to meet in the middle, he made me loosen up a bit on saving (in a good way!) and I made him tighten up on spending (in a good way!).

RELATED: How we became "rich"

More money doesn't equal happiness

• Scott left a job that he didn't like mainly due to a long commute for one closer to home and took more than a 30% pay cut.
   
• I left my "stable" full-time job to work on the website full time and be a personal trainer.
   
• We were both able to make these changes because of the way we handle our money. Just because someone has a lot of money doesn't mean they are happy. Making more money won't guarantee your happiness!

Never start the day off nagging or complaining

• No one wants to wake up and hear someone nag or complain. We are all guilty of it and it's not pleasant. Start the day off on a good note, don't let you waking up on the wrong side of the bed rub off onto your spouse.  Find something to be grateful for and give acknowledgment to it first thing in the morning...for us, it's simple, the sun comes through our bedroom window and provides light, warmth, and positivity to start of the day!  This may sound cheesy, but that positive experience first thing in the morning builds on itself as the day progresses.

Don't try to change the other person

• Think about how hard it is to change yourself and you will understand how hard it will be to change someone else. If you think there are things that your spouse could change, model the behavior you want to see and hopefully, they will catch on!  Also, realize that each of you WILL change as time goes by, so you need to accept that early on and love one another unconditionally. 
   
• When Scott started eating healthy and working out, he didn't pressure me. He just did his own thing. I didn't start until a few years after him, but he led by example and when I was ready to join the bandwagon, he was willing and eager to help!

RELATED: Getting started with clean eating

Have a clear vision of what you want your future to look like

• Do you want kids? Do you want pets? When do you want to retire? What does retirement look like to you? These are all important questions that need to be addressed. You could both have opposing viewpoints or goals and never even really know it!

Compromise!

• Of course, I'm going to have to include compromise in here! This is something that you will be doing on a daily basis and with almost everyone around you, not just your spouse! I'll admit, I can be very stubborn and hard-headed but I've learned that I have to compromise occasionally. You might have to compromise on something small like where you are going to eat or something large like finances. Either way, take the time to listen to your spouse and come up with a solution that satisfies both of you!

RELATED: Ways to save money on a wedding

Just for fun, below are a few pictures from our wedding.

Maple Cranberry Brussels Sprouts

Disclaimer: NOW Foods sends us products each month to try. Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Organic Maple Syrup were in our box this month! We also had a LOT of cranberries left from the large bag I bought from Costco. We decided to make these Maple Cranberry Brussels Sprouts to take for Thanksgiving. They turned out fantastic!

You can purchase many of the ingredients listed below here on Amazon or browse NOW Foods products here. They have so many products! Things like the maple syrup and sugarless sugar listed below to supplements, and even delicious energy/trail mixes!

Maple Cranberry Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Brussels Sprouts
• 1 cup Fresh Cranberries
• 3 Tbsp Now Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Now Foods Organic Maple Syrup

Directions:

1. Rinse brussels sprouts and cut in half or quarters

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

3. In a large bowl, toss washed and cut brussels sprouts with everything except for the maple syrup

4. Bake for 25 minutes

5. Remove and stir brussels sprouts, add maple syrup

6. Bake for another 10-15 minutes

7. Enjoy!

Connect With NOW Foods  

•   Like On Facebook
•   Follow on Pinterest
•   Follow on Twitter (@NOWFoods)
•   Follow on Instagram (@nowfoodsofficial)