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Every year, family gift giving can quietly turn into something heavier than it needs to be—more guessing, more stuff, more pressure to get it “right.”
This year, I tried a simple system for gift giving as a mom of adult kids and a grandma. It helped me give gifts that are useful, thoughtful, and meaningful, while still keeping a small element of surprise. And honestly? So far, I really like it.
Instead of scrambling or overbuying, this approach brought clarity, calm, and a lot more intention into the process.
Here's the text I sent to each person in my family:
🎁 2025 Gift Guide
This year we'd like each of you to have:
- 1 book
- 1 restaurant outing
- 1 beauty/grooming item
- 1 thing related to a hobby/career
- 1 fun event/venue
- 1 healthyish candy/treat
Can you please give us three items in each category from which we can choose? (Then it will be at least a little bit of a surprise.)
Alison Moore Smith is a 60-year-old entrepreneur. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 39 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons.
She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
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