Women

101 Clutter Free Gift Ideas for Women

“It is great to receive a gift that does not need to be cleaned. Just enjoyed and used.” – Flybaby in Redlands Ca

“My brilliant mother in law just ASKS me every year what I want for my birthday and for Christmas! One year, she bought me two new shrubs. Last year, she bought me an expensive book on childhood education that I dearly wanted. A much-wanted gift, especially for a mother on a shoestring budget, is so much more useful and dear to me than some expensive, useless doodad or bauble.” – a FlyBaby

Note to the ladies reading this list: First, thanks to everyone who sent in their clutter-free gift ideas. This list is the best one yet! Second, if you decide to email a link of this list to that guy in your life, please select which number(s) you are specifically interested in. This list is long! Enjoy! – FlyCrew

Note to the guys reading this list: It is long, but full of great ideas. One thing is for sure. Spending some time with this list will save you MANY hours wandering aimlessly through the malls the week before that big day! Also, each idea is numbered, so your special gal can point you in the right direction. Who knows? After being inspired by this list you may come up with something totally new and wonderful on your own. Enjoy!

SHEs made her list, SHEs checked it twice…ladies you are wonderful! Thank you for your ideas!

  1. Last Christmas I gave my mom and dad a paper shredder. Often people are afraid to put their personal papers in the garbage nowadays. I thought this would help to get rid of some of the papers with a sound mind.
  2. Peppermint foot lotion is my mother-in-law’s secret desire. I give her a bottle every Christmas, and she even pursuades my father-in-law to rub it on her feet! (Don’t tell HIM that I know! lol 🙂 Now, if I could just get his son …
  3. So many of us are really busy, and don’t take much time for ourselves! I like presents that push us to take a bit of that time, and explore new ideas. With that in mind, some things I really like…- gift certificates for a bookstore or music store
    – tickets to an event — classical concert or hockey game, whatever the recipient likes!
    – the registration fee (or a gift certificate) for a fun workshop or mini-course — maybe it’s a one day flower arranging workshop, or a ‘quilt-in-a-weekend’ session, or a watercolour class… Happy holidays!
  4. Gift certificate to a home improvement store to help with the cost of home maintenance. It’s not glamorous but I need to overhaul my bathroom so I know I sure could use some of these.
  5. Don’t know if you can use retailers’ names, but I am getting my sister a “subscription” from Williams-Sonoma for three months of bread. Every month, she will get two partially-baked loaves of specialty bread, which just have to be baked for about 10 minutes. I have seen flowers of the month before (they would also be a great no-clutter gift!), but never bread.My sister-in-law will most likely get a certificate for a massage.Older daughter has already asked for a certificate for her favorite mall to stock up on makeup.Younger daughter just bought a new house – she will probably get a gift certificate to a home store.I asked my husband for a vanity license plate for my new car and homemade gift certificates for him to take the car to the car wash (something I am always procrastinating about). We are big fans of gift certificates in our family!!!!
  6. When giving at Christmas it’s not out of the question to “think spring”. If there is a woman in your life who likes to garden, a gift certificate for a local greenhouse would be a great gift. Attach the gift certificate or wrap it up with a boxed fertilizer and voila! A green thumb for Christmas! 🙂
  7. For a sister, mother or friend, a good book they might have mentioned, movie tickets. Schedule an afternoon get together once a month in lieu of gifts to each other. These could be lunch out together, a walk in the park, a visit to the zoo, a matinee, any other activity you enjoy together. Time is a gift of love. – Wichita, Kansas
  8. This year my sister and I are giving manicures and pedicures by taking our mom, my MIL, and my SIL directly to the spa and making it a day for all of us!
  9. LeavesYou’ve probably had this idea written to you many times but here goes: Tickets, Tickets, Tickets!!! To see a movie, to watch a comedian, for a concert, for a play…whatever that person enjoys! You could offer to baby-sit! Of course you can’t forget the gift certificates to the spa!! A massage, a pedicure, a manicure…pick one or give her a day!! These things fall under “me time” too, and she doesn’t have to feel guilty about the money or make arrangements for the kids. Another words she doesn’t have to the arrangements! Also, the tickets idea works great for family time! For Christmas one year my grandma gave my daughter and I tickets to see the play Miracle on 34th Street. It’s was wonderful to dress up and spend time with her! And I will always have the gift from my grandma who has now passed. We took my son to see Sesame Street for his birthday present when he was younger, again special time without the clutter!
  10. My sister is in DESPERATE need of FLYlady, but I know that she will never get started without some support. She has joked about “hiring” me to declutter her house, since I am making so much progress with my house in just a couple of months. I think that for Christmas this year, I will give her a certificate worth 10 hours of help in decluttering. Once she sees what we can accomplish in that amount of time, I hope that she’ll want to keep going on her own! – Flybaby in Maine
  11. I don’t quite know which category to put this idea in as I use it for almost everyone. I do the 12 months of Christmas. For each person I use 12 envelopes, one for each month. I fill each envelope with a different item such as January, a gift card from the grocery store, Feb. the local gas station, etc. I have put in pizza cards, movie rentals, restaurants, ice cream stores, manicure or acrylic nails, movies, book store anything that I can think of that would be useful. For a friend that went to sports events on a regular I got her game schedule and put in the amount of parking money she would need each month. For the kids, fast food coupons, ice cream, dollar bill for a trip to the dollar store, movies a special event with Grammy, a coupon for a class at the park or one or two months of special lessons. The list of ideas is endless, the only wrapping is licking the envelopes and putting each persons into a gift bag. I spend as much or as little as I need to. One of the really nice things is that I hear from everyone at the beginning of each month when they open that months envelope. Kids especially get so much at Christmas that they can become overwhelmed. and this way it is something special every month. Christmas used to be so hard for me but thanks to all of you, I started to think about what would be really useful and best of all clutter free. You have helped all of us so much. Thank you. Flybaby in CA
  12. This is not just for women, but for everyone. For years I have given my in-laws tickets for a play at a dinner theater. Buying event tickets is a perfect gift if chosen with the person’s taste in mind. You can add dinner gift certificates, or offer free baby sitting if they will need that (it is so hard to totally enjoy time out when you know the meter is running at home). This makes the gift special and then the person gets the fun of anticipation of the event in the future too. – in Madison
  13. The ONE thing I would love as a gift but am totally unwilling to spend the money on myself would be a massage. Something like a gift certificate paired with babysitting would be the BEST present for me. Anything that says you are special, take some time for yourself. Hugs, An Army Wife Flybaby in GA
  14. My daughter gave my husband and me a wonderful gift for our 25th anniversary. She gathered pictures from our collection, our parents’ collections and her own and made an album starting with our childhoods, courtship, marriage, children, etc. It is a most cherished possession. She made it so special by adding stickers, drawings and quotes throughout. She limited it to pictures of our immediate family so it wouldn’t get so huge! She cut the pictures in different shapes (my perfectionism would never of let me do this!) which added to the festive air of the album. She worked on this over a year’s time, but it could be done on a smaller scale. She scanned pictures that were ‘one-of-a-kind’ so as not to ruin the original. She grouped pictures of her and our other dd and ds – for instance, all three used the same ‘bubble’ walker when they were little – she put one of each of them in the walker on the same page. It was so fun to see them all at 6 months old – the girl’s are 9 years apart, but look so much alike in their baby pictures it’s hard to tell who is who. It’s something we all continue to love to look at and comment on and ‘remember when’ . . . my husband and I can’t look at it without misty eyes – it brings back such good memories.On a smaller scale, several years ago, she put together a mosaic of snap shots into a big frame which hangs in our hallway. I still love looking at this, too. – Fun to look back in Oklahoma.
  15. Clutter-free gifts for my mom : Her birthday is January 1 and I always make sure she gets both Christmas and birthday presents. For Christmas, a “certificate” for cleaning her bathrooms once a month (along with pictures of my two children, which usually go in front of last year’s in the same frame). For her birthday, a weekly appointment calendar, with all the children’s and grandchildren’s birthdays and anniversaries marked. She has a business at home, so she really needs this kind of calendar. Then she copies all her important phone numbers into the space allotted and she’s ready to go. – North Carolina
  16. I have asked for years now, please I would love gift certificates to my salon for an eyebrow wax(about $10), a book of car washes(about $35) or a massage(about $60). My MIL is very generous and spends more than this all together on presents for each member of the family. Unfortuantely she is a clutterhound(her word) and doesn’t think of these things as “presents”. Since flylady I don’t have much else to ask for, she gets impatient with me and just buys me STUFF because she says I don’t tell her what to get(suggestions above don’t count to her!). It’s too bad, because gift certificates are easy for her to buy and i would truly enjoy them. I can think of nothing better to get for Xmas!! It’s easy to find out where a woman gets her hair done, or get a certificate to a fancy salon near them. I promise they would love it!!! -fluttering in the Hudson Valley, NY
  17. My mother-in-law loves tea. One year for her birthday (Dec. 22), I put a basket together for her. The centerpiece was a small teapot, and it was surrounded by small boxes of herbal tea (which she prefers), accented by small boxes of chocolate covered cherries (her favorite candy). She loved it!Another year, my father-in-law had some very serious health problems. That year, I put another basket together for my mother-in-law which contained a scented candle, bath salts, and body cream. I told her that she needed to take some time for herself with this, and she did! – Fluttering Flybaby in NJ
  18. Almost every year before Christmas, I take my mother-in-law to a show at the theater. We get to dress up really nice and enjoy ourselves.
  19. My best friend got me a great clutter-free birthday gift this year… Tickets to the ballet! We went out for dinner and made it “girls night out”. – a Pittsburgh Flybaby
  20. Being on maternity leave myself, the funds are tight so here are a couple low cost, clutter free gifts I’ve come up with.For my Mother. I’m making gift certificates on my computer which will be good for an oven cleaning, a bathroom scrubbing and a kitchen floor polishing. These are the jobs she hates the most. So she gets to play with her grandkids (my kids) while I take care of which ever certificate she uses.For my Sister. I’m making a gift certificate for an adult night with her husband. The certificate will state that my husband and I will baby sit the kids, at our house for the night. Having a 2yr, 3 ½ yr and 7 yr old they get very little adult time together.Hope these will help others – Flybaby in Smiths Falls, Ontario
  21. The best gift I ever gave my mom was a “love jar”. Can’t remember where I heard of the idea but she loved it. For mother’s day I put 52 scraps of paper, each with a different typed message telling her about a memory I was grateful for like “I’m grateful for every meal you ever cooked, especially the ones you felt least like making”, and put them in a clean candle jar with a lid, wrapped some raffia and the instructions around the outside. The instructions told her to open one once a week (she does it on Sundays), read the message and think nice thoughts about the person who gave her the gift LOL.I offered to scrapbook the messages when she’s done but she says she wants to put them back in the jar and start reading them all over again – purple puddles.I was concerned she would think the gift was silly. What it taught me was that the most expensive gift in the world can be valueless if the giver’s heart has no part in it and that something that cost nothing is priceless if it imparts love!
  22. Thank you for helping me “rethink” about gift giving. We all have tooooo much stuff. My friends and I have started something new called “our favorite things”. When we find something that makes our lives a little easier or puts a smile on our face, we “share” it with each other and put on the tag (one of my favorite things). It has ranged from scented foaming bath soap (something I had never tried) to an inexpensive cooler that we keep in our car for those trips to the warehouse store (makes my life easier) to a favorite recipe (easy diet cola cake…..low calorie) and even paper towels that have pretty angels printed on them. We do this throughout the year and don’t focus so much on holidays and birthdays because we have “given” to each other when we needed it most. It doesn’t have to be expensive…….it just has to be a “favorite thing” that makes you smile.
  23. I’ve finally reached the point where I have enough “stuff”. Last year for Christmas, I asked DH for a gift certificate for a massage at a local spa. DH did it one better – I got a certificate for a full day – one hour massage, one hour facial, manicure and pedicure, plus a “spa lunch.” I put off using it until May because I was afraid that once I used it, I wouldn’t get another one. Guess what’s going at the top of my list this year? Flychild in South Florida
  24. I got my mother (and father) a gift certificate to the local playhouse for two – they loved it ..and they could pick out the play and the time for the season!
  25. For mother’s day this year I got just what I requested. I wanted wire shelves with hanging rods to go around my laundry room. Now I can keep my hangers and laundry stuff all in the same place and safely away from baby. DH put them up and I love them.
  26. My husband and daughters bought a gift certificate to our bed and breakfast here in town and included some goodies from Bath & Body to pamper myself on my personal retreat.
  27. Flowers! I don’t think we give flowers enough anymore! Every woman feels special when she gets flowers!
  28. Just about any woman who hasn’t changed her hair style or wardrobe in several years would really enjoy makeover! (if she dares!!!) This can be as simple as spending an afternoon with a couple girlfriends who are good at helping her find clothes/makeup/hairstyle that make her feel great to sending her to a spa or other professional for a complete makeover hair/makeup/wardrobe. I know I could use help with this myself!
  29. This is a Clutter-free gift idea which my MIL often gives to me. A large basket or box full of muesli bars,snack packs,juice boxes, and convenience foods,easy meals etc. this way when I’m feling overwhelmed and making lunches or dinner sounds too much, I can dip into this box and something is prepared for me. A Godsend as I usually can’t afford such things myself. Fluttering in NZ
  30. Get a six pack of their favorite soda (the kind with the plastic bottles and cardboard carrying case). Remove the two middle ones and in one side stuff a couple of bags of microwave popcorn and in the other place a couple of bags of M&M’s and a movie rental gift card. Add some ribbon and a card saying “Have a great Date Night…I’ll keep your Kids! – in Texas
  31. The most favorite “clutter free” gift I have ever recieved was my hobby size P Touch label maker! It is about the size of a wallet,fits in my desk drawer and is a favorite with my DH,DS’s (21 &19) and DD ( 14). I have used it all over my home and my Mom’s home ( I’m an only child!) It helps me keep my necessities organized! Thanks for all you do fly crew! We love You! Flying in NVA
  32. This is something that I came up with for all the (many) women in my DH’s and my family. 9 total! Some of the other Flybabies may already be doing this. Anyway. For Christmas this year I am giving everyone a gift basket full of pampering stuff. Simple things: bubble bath, bath salts, beads, a poof, chocolates, a candle, moisturizer, etc. I’m buying the bubble bath and salts in bulk and using 8 oz. jelly jars to make it managable. I’m also putting a wine glass into the the over 21 gifts. Even juice looks elegant and a bit decadent in a wine glass. Most of these items are very, very inexpensive and easy to find. I love this idea so much I’m making one for myself! – Flyng thru the holidays in the South.
  33. If the women in your life use a particular brand of cosmetics, check to see if the company has a website where the woman can make a gift list and have it emailed to you or printed out. My sister and I have been doing this a couple of years and it’s great – right products, right color. You can even include some splurge items.
  34. Hi, Whenever we go on vacation, I always bring a little gift back for our dearest friends and they do the same for us. We have started bringing each other jam made from local berries native to the area we visit, like mooseberry jam from Yellowstone or cherry jam in Wisconsin, or maybe local honey. When the jam is gone, the jar is recycled, and no cluuter! But we had a “taste” of each other’s vacations. Fluttering in Iowa
  35. I think the best clutter-free gifts to give and receive for women would be a gift certificate for a massage, manicure, pedicure, haircut or any type of “pampering” gift. These are especially affordable at beauty schools and massage schools. Also, gift certificates to a restaurant and/or the movies/professional theatre for a girl’s night out or a couples’ night out. – Flybaby in Spinnerstown, PA
  36. Give the gift of taking something AWAY: old car in the driveway, big pile of branches, pile of dead computers, whatever.
  37. Gift certificates to their favorite store, you know…the one they love but rarely splurge on …and include free babysitting!
  38. You’d have to be careful with this suggestion, but a great gift is a membership to a women only health facility. They run about $275/year and have the added benefit of getting clutter of your body as well as being consumable. Obviously this is only for someone that you know *wants* a membership like that. Hehehe. Seriously though, there are plenty of people who would say they don’t have the extra $$ but would love to be able to do something like that.A gift certificate for a manicure/pedicure (approx $35 where I live) is wonderful too. Pick a salon that is really nice and has the pedicure spa chairs!Or, a gift of time like watching the kids so the parents can have a night out – that is great! I know I’d sure like that!!! I have free movie tickets I can’t use because I need someone to watch DD LOL!
  39. A mushroom growing kit. After the mushrooms are harvested the soil can be dumped in the garden. I’ve given my mother this for her birthday for the last 4 years and she loves it! Trenton, NJ
  40. My hubby’s grandma lines shoe boxes with tissue and fills them with all kinds of delicious homemade cookies and each family gets a box and everyone looks forward to them:).
  41. Gift cards or gift certificates for car washes during the winter (or anytime during the year!)–these can often be purchsed in lots of 1, 5, 10, etc. The same can be for oil changes!
  42. For Mother’s Day I took my mom on a date!! We went to dinner and a movie and had a great time. My mom loves going to the show and who doesn’t like to eat for free? At this point in our lives time is really our most valuable asset and a gift I was glad to give. – About to step out of the nest in Arlington, TX
  43. A lot of my clutter are things that still have some life left in them. For myself I’m planning to ask for new dish towels. My sink is shiny and my counters are mostly cleared. My dish towels are old ragged and gray, but they still work! If I get new ones I’ll throw away the old ones immediately A new tablecloth to brighten up the kitchen or dining room would be nice. A gift of some pretty new dishes, then give away some of the old mismatched pieces. Food gifts are nice to receive and share over the holidays.For someone who uses their computer a lot you could gather screensavers, games, pictures from the internet for desktop wallpaper, family pictures for wallpaper or a screensaver, recipes, fun links or links to information about a hobby and copy them to a disk for them. The possibilities are endless and there’s a lot of room on one disk!You can buy or make gift certificates for about anything, for going out to eat or to a movie, babysitting, an afternoon of help decluttering, a haircut, fake fingernails, help planting the garden the list is endless.A Christmas bouquet would be lovely. I’m thinking about giving more Christmas decorations. I know these can be clutter but they’re only used once a year and can be used to replace some of the old ratty ones we have decluttered.And of course a flylady duster! Have a safe and happy Holiday Season!! – New York
  44. Donate a “brick” in her name. For example: I bought a brick for our new library and had it engraved with my mother’s name to commemorate all the times she took me to our hometown library as I was growing up and the love of books she instilled in me (I’m an English professor now!).-Give her a gift membership for an organization she enjoys or cause she believes in. Exs: local humane society, Nature Conservancy (they have local chapters and sponsor hikes, canoe trips, clean-ups, etc.), her college alumni association, a local attraction (zoo, art museum, etc.)-Buy her season tickets for an athletic team, opera season, local theatre, symphony, etc.-Buy her a pack of local movie tickets.-Pretty, reusable gift basket filled with healthy edibles: fruit, whole grain baked goods, soup mixes, teas, etc. You can “borrow” the basket back and refill for future occasions to celebrate her.-online shopping certificates to her favorite places: Lands End, Amazon, etc. I like these b/c I don’t have to venture out in traffic to use them. 🙂 Flybaby in Delaware
  45. I think a nice gift idea for a mother, father, or a couple is a gift certificate to have a portrait taken. Most famililes love to have nice picture. I recently bought one for just one 8×10 photo for around $30. Shop around, studio’s have various prices on sitting fees and some don’t charge sitting fee’s at all.
  46. This is probably more a family gift (meaning not just for women), but this is what my parents gave me and my 4 year old DD (DF lives in the US) last Christmas – a year pass to the zoo near us. We have and are still enjoying this gift a lot! Flybaby in the Netherlands
  47. Hi! This is my first email to Flylady.net. I am amazed at the change in my house, life and attitude. Thank you all so much. In reference to your idea for clutter free gift suggestions, I give my Mom the gift of time and labor throughout the year. Each time I get my haircut (every 5 weeks or so), I call my Mom about a week in advance and let her know I will be stopping by for “chore day.” She then puts a list of tasks together and I call the night before find out what items are on the list. That way I know what tools to bring with me. It is a fun way to spend time together and help her out as well. By attaching it to a pampering mission (getting my hair cut and styled), it is very easy to remember. I have to laugh when I hear her bragging to her friends that her daughter stops by to fix things. (It was always my father and brothers who repaired items around the house when I was growing up.) Mom enjoys the visit and getting the little household things taken care of too. 🙂 Before flylady, I would have never thought I would be able to find the time to do this for her. Big cyber hugs!!! Bless you all! (a fluttering flybaby) in Colorado.
  48. Breakfast in bed! It’s a favorite gift for my dd to give and for me to get.
  49. Hi – This was something that was done for me one year for Christmas. My mother and father gave my husband and I food. Mom must have cooked extras for weeks and everytime she went grocery shopping she picked up extras. There were three banana boxes of food – some cooked and ready to pop in the oven and others just waiting for me to cook up. She even bought a turkey. This was a great idea and I really wish she would do it again – it was such a great gift. Maybe this would be a great gift for brothers and sisters to do for each other. I may just do this for my sister-in-law and her husband this year for Christmas. Maybe on not as grand a scale as mom did – but who wouldn’t like to get a few homemade casseroles to put in the freezer. I know I would. Maybe I’ll even tell her about it and we can swap casseroles – sounds like a plan to me.
  50. Gift Ideas for Women? Well, I started this a while back. I take some nice paper from the office supply store. Sometimes I can get it on sale. I also buy some envelopes. I use my computer and customize both the homemade “stationary” and envelopes with my friends name. I then tie them with ribbon and presto there’s my gift. It’s not hard and for $17.00 for a ream of paper and $5.00 for a large box of envelopes, I can get many gift out of it. Flybaby in TN
  51. This is something I got last year as a gift that I just LOVED and totally clutter free. I traveled alone last Christmas with my then 3yr. old DS on a plane to visit faraway relatives. As a Gift from my aunt, I got a pretty large gift bag which had the following in it: A coloring book, crayons, and non-perishable snacks (to take with me back home on the plane for my DS), some kitchen sponges, (it’s always nice to have new ones) and some glad cling wrap bowl covers. She also included some of those glade scented candles. It may not seem very exciting but just the fact that someone thought of me and that I didn’t have to shop for them myself was really nice. love, Flybaby S in Franklin WI
  52. My sister-in-law is pregnant and will be about 7 months along at Christmas. I’ve already decided to give her a gift certificate for a “pregnancy massage” at a local spa. No clutter after she uses it and it’s one thing I wish I had done for myself while I was pregnant (I’ve heard they’re wonderful)! Thanks for all you do! A Georgia Flybaby
  53. Hello–Just want to share an idea for the woman that does not need anymore clutter. I have an aunt who gets her hair professionally washed and styled weekly. Several family members chipped in money and we sent that to the salon as a credit to my aunt’s account. (Make sure you speak to the salon owner and let them know what you are doing!) My aunt was given a homemade gift certificate–signed by all of us to let her know that she had several months of free haircare waiting for her at her favorite salon. It was an easy gift and no clutter to dust or hide when company comes. Wisconsin
  54. Perennials from your garden (My sister in-law used to tell me how much she admired our garden. So for Christmas I gave her a small handbook on perennials and as a bookmark made a list of the ones I would give her from my garden as soon as Spring arrived. When Spring came, my husband and I divided up our plants and placed the extra divisions in the trunk along with our gardening tools and some manure etc., for the soil. We then drove to her house and spent a few hours turning the sod and setting in the plants. She watched and learned how it was done. That summer she had a garden to die for, the knowledge of how to care for it and to this day says its one of the nicest gifts she has ever received.)
  55. My favorite Christmas present has always been the “date-in-a-box” (or at least that’s what I call it.) The box generally includes some kind of gift certificate-to a restaurant or movie theater, or both if it’s a big present, PLUS an “I will baby-sit your kids for the evening while you go out” certificate. NO clutter and it gets me a great date with my dh without all the usual hassle of lining up a sitter and figuring out where to go for dinner.In close second place are the pampering gift certificates-good for a facial or manicure or whatever. Items I normally wouldn’t have room for in the budget but absolutely love. If *that* comes with a babysitting offer I am in seventh heaven. – Flybaby in Northern California
  56. I buy my mom and myself tickets for the local Community playhouse for the next season. I have doing this for mother’s day/ birthday present for her for the last 7 years. We end up celebrating all year long by going to some fun plays.
  57. Once I gave a dear gardener friend a truck load of manure delivered to her garden. She was absolutely thrilled. No clutter and it cost only a little money for gas and I got shoveling exercise.Give a chocolate party to a friend… I wrapped a chocolate cookbook in slick white paper; made a bow out of chocolate (she ate it off…no clutter; Made a poster size sign, gluing chocolate kisses for letters; made brownies, chocolate mousse, and chocolate covered srawberries.
  58. Hey, this is a way to free up clutter in your home and pass a small present to someone you love. My dh and I never know what to do w/ those too tiny pictures that come in the school packages or in the pic. pkgs. They were too small to give out to our family and there weren’t enough for all of our dd’s friends. I took them to the local printing shop and laminated them in a book mark fashion. the girls made little “strips of love”–I love you grandma, I miss you uncle so-n-so” etc. and we had that laminated on the back. Now my family has updated pics of my girls that they see each time they open their book of choice (my dad and my grandma keep theirs in their bibles b/c they look at them everyday). They don’t have to keep finding somewhere to put the newest pics of our girls and we don’t have to feel guilty throwing away pics of our children. A hole punch in the top and a cute ribbon make them even cuter and they can go right in the christmas card. I only send out 2 a year, because that’s all I have enough for. That way every couple of years someone will get an updated version.
  59. This year, I have 2 clutter free gifts on my wish list for those who ask what I’d like for my birthday & Christmas. One, time away from home to scrapbook. Dh gave me a weekend away at a Scrappers Dream Vacation for Mothers Day last year. Since it can be expensive, this might be a “chip in” gift from the family & dh will ask his mom to come down to help out with our dd (4) and twin ds (5 mos). The other is scheduled babysitting time so I can go out alone. Time to pamper myself or use gift cards I’ve received during the past 2 years. Going with an active preschooler & 2 babies can lead to impulsive purchases if I’m not careful =) Hope these are helpful to someone. NJ Flybaby
  60. Everyone has been so impressed with my 6 week rotating menu that everyone wants to see it. This year I am printing out copies of each week on nice paper and then adding all the recipes for the week behind each menu. I mentioned it to my dh last year but he thought it was corny, then my m-in-law caught wind of it and asked of my lasagna recipe would be there..lol. I will also add some my favorite recipes from last years x-mas posts on this site. Since there are several newlyweds in the family I know it will be appreciated.
  61. I would like a gift of having all my knives professionally sharpened. So I am guessing that at least one other person who cooks a lot might like this same gift.
  62. Hi, this is not necessarily just for women, but I think it will be a good idea for my mother-in-law (who introduced me to Flylady!). How about paying for a month (or 3, etc.) of her internet service provider? She wants to upgrade to AOL Broadband, but is putting it off due to cost. I think it would save her time (if she doesn’t get sidetracked!). Thanks! I can’t wait to see the ideas you get! – Galveston, TX
  63. Aunts…boy, are they tough to buy for. Last year, I got my aunt one of those pretty postage stamp dispensers, and filled it with a roll of postage stamps.
  64. A toolbox all her own, with just the basics — hammer, regular and Phillips screwdrivers, tape measure, perhaps a level (handy when hanging pictures that need more than one nail), pliers (regular and needle-nose), and a SMALL supply of nails, screws, cup hooks.
  65. I got this idea just in time for my birthday! I had lots of 8×10 pictures of my kids and family that had not been framed for various reasons, the most common being lack of money. So I asked each family member to take just one picture and have it framed for me. The great thing about this gift idea is that 1) they can spend as much or as little as they want, 2) you get your pictures framed, 3) you can enjoy those pictures that you spent so much to get (and if you hang them up they aren’t cluttering your tables and bookcases!). This was also a good exercise in letting go of my perfectionism since I had to let each person choose the framing they liked (instead of being so wrapped up in thoughts of “will this match ____?” I can’t wait to see the results! Flying Pharmer in OK
  66. My mother never learned to drive. Being immigrants, my parents were always frugal. After my dad died, Mom used the bus for transportation but sometimes it was a long walk after the bus ride to get where she had to go, especially in the rain or snow, but she thought taxis were too expensive. For her birthday every year, I bought her taxi vouchers with an expiry date. That way she had to use them or they would expire. She would call me every time she used one to thank me for the luxury of a taxi. – Erin, ON
  67. This year I am going to ask my parents and my siblings to give me two days with my mom and sister–they both sew very well. I want them to come and help me reupholster the living room furniture and make new curtains for the living room. It’s not much furniture so I know three grown women could do this in two days!
  68. Hi all! One gift that I’ve given that people really enjoy is a year’s membership to a local museum. Some of these are pretty expensive (around us, there’s the SF Academy of Sciences, the Monterey Aquarium – these memberships are around $150 for a family). But look for other, smaller, museums– I bought my cousin a membership to the Ansel Adams Center for Photography – only cost about $30 for a year (individual membership). Look for a local history museum, natural history museum, art museum, science museum, children’s museum…Having a membership is really great, because you can go whenever you like. There’s not the same pressure to “get your money’s worth” as there is when you buy a one-time-only admission. It’s OK to stop by after work for 1/2 hour, or take a detour on the way to the grocery store. Great for families with kids that might not want to stay all day! – FlyBaby in Santa Cruz
  69. Instead of getting separate gifts for my brother and sister and their significant others, my DH and I give them gift cards for a date night (they are all college students). We give them $25 gift card for dinner and “movie money”. – FlyBaby Indiana
  70. I always get women a make over at a salon or a facial. They love it and it don’t clutter. Family gifts I go to a specialty shop in the area and get a couple loaves of Jalapeno cheese bread or a special kind not normally found, maple syrup, honey and gift certificate to a restaurant and put it nicely in a basket. Children love museums or YMCA so I always get them passes to those.For my mother I get her a gift certificate to a fabric store and my father one to a book store One year my sisters and I pitched in and sent them on a cheap vacation just a little cabin 2 1/2 hours away.Not expensive but they enjoyed it. – Flying through clutter in U.P.MI
  71. This gift idea will really work for anyone. Find out what they *need* and give it to them. I am friends with a family that lived in a really dark apartment — just not much natural light. I bought them a beautiful lamp that was just their style and gave it to them for Chanukah. They loved it — and it’s still out in the open in their new apartment! (Also, I always give receipts with my gifts and make sure they understand that my feelings will absolutely not be hurt if they want to return it or exchange it for something else.) FLYing in GA
  72. I put this on my Christmas “want” list several years ago and it’s been on it ever since. Nice PAPER printed napkins. The kind you use and toss. Unlike, the cloth, which are just another thing to wash! (I 27-fling boogied all but one set of cloth–I had lots of sets that I NEVER used.) My sister gave me a whole box full of various sizes (Dinner & Cocktail) & designs (Christmas , Autumn, Floral, Birthday, Patriotic, etc.). It’s so nice to have all these on hand and they get USED UP! No running to the store at the last minute if you’re having a party or nice dinner (or if someone comes over unexpectedly). They’re even nice if you just want to perk up a weekly family dinner & make it a little special.
  73. I am a single Mom with almost adult children. I joined flylady because I am truly a SHE and have too much STUFF. I tell my children about things that I need or need to replace for gifts, but when I don’t need anything I ask for time – the most precious gift you can get… since they are working… a movie and lunch or a dinner out … an invitaion to the high school play etc. I enjoy the separate time with each of them and nothing has to be wrapped, washed, ironed, put away or returned. Va Flybaby
  74. I love getting and giving gift certificates for classes at local craft,sewing or cooking stores. They are fun, you learn something new, meet new people and don’t have to be stored or dusted! Gift certificates for a massage are wonderful also!
  75. Tickets. I suggest tickets for everyone on your list! Two tickets for the gift recipient and a friend. Or for the whole family. If money is no object the best seats to the best show. If money is tight, tickets to a movie or to a local school production. Older gift recipients will especially appreciate the outing – perhaps with supper and transportation included. The first Christmas they were married my lovely DIL asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I said a washable lightweight table cloth. When “Santa” distributed our gifts mine came in a box about the size for a folded table cloth. Inside were tickets to the Nutcracker Suite! for her, my son and me. Each year since tickets to something have come in various shaped packages. The outings have been wonderful. and no clutter!
  76. I would LOVE to get- as a gift- Gift Cards to Home Depot or Lowes- or any home improvement store- It’s money well spent- My husband and I are always working on our home, and the assistance in helping us save up for the next improvement project is always appreciated. – Clarks Summit, PA
  77. One of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received from my husband was last Christmas. He handed me a small book, and my thought was, “Gee, it must have been a more expensive holiday than usual for him, but this is a book I really wanted.” What I didn’t know was inside, there was a gift card for two hours at a local day spa. Talk about pampering and being loved! He had even added tax and tip, all I had to do was call for my facial and massage, walk on in and relax. What a man! A FlyBaby from Packer country
  78. My dh and I have a lovely 11 month old son and quite a few close friends with babies the same age. This Christmas, we’re planning to give each of these couples a pair of movie coupons and a babysitting session. Flybaby in Boulder, CO.
  79. This is really an idea for anyone. Several years ago my DH and I decided to teach our children that the best thing about gifts is giving them. Instead of giving our family members physical gifts, we make a donation to their favorite charity or donate a book to the library in honor of that special person. My children love to pick who is getting “Honored” each year and enjoy the reaction they get when their loved ones find out that they cared enough to remember them this way. — VA Flybaby
  80. This year we are planning to give our young adult children AAA memberships. One is in the Navy in Jacksonville Florida, a long way from family & home (Montana), another is single in Seattle and travels back & forth. The others are young couples who travel a lot with their families and regularly brave our cold Montana winters and scorching summers. They all have cell phones, and help is only a call away.
  81. Handmade cards. I personally use rubberstamps to craft my cards but there are many other ways to do it. My mother and m-i-l just love it when I give them my handstamped cards. I usually do all occasion cards unless they ask me for something more specific. These are also great for teachers, ministers, neighbors etc. – in Michigan
  82. Years ago a friend gave me a wonderful gift. It was a coupon book she had made for me and she included things like “A Free Lunch” (she fixed me a lovely brunch when I cashed in the coupon.) There were coupons for “Free Babysitting” and one for “A Trip to the River – Picnic Lunch Included” and several others.I enjoyed her gift so much because she was giving of herself. And she enjoyed the giving as much as I enjoyed the pampering. I am a great giver, but I somehow feel uncomfortable as a receiver sometimes, so she conned me into using the first couple coupons.The first coupon I used, she called me and said “could you come over about 11 tomorrow?” I walked in, she said “Gimme that free lunch coupon I gave you” and led me into her kitchen for a beautiful meal and a wonderful time of friendship.The coupon book was such a wonderful thing to receive, because it showed me how much she cared. And it was customized just for me, which you could do for each person you choose to bless with a coupon book. You might give your father “A Walk in the Woods” or your DH might enjoy “A Backrub” or you DD might enjoy “I Will Help You Make a Batch of Cookies.” – FlyBaby from Missouri
  83. One of the nicest clutter free gifts I ever recieved was from my girlfriend. We split the membership cost to the local ladies only gym “two for the price of one” and she was my exercise partner several times a week for half a year. It reduced my personal physical clutter and my mental clutter by giving me some “me” time away from my four dear children. – flying in Georgia
  84. My daughters love to receive Starbucks gift cards. They can take their husbands or a friend to the nearby Starbucks store and spend an hour relaxing and visiting while enjoying a delicious beverage. This is a great gift for just about anyone. San Jose, CA
  85. My husband likes to get me things for my bath (I’ve become addicted to the nightly bath since joining FlyLady). Wonderful scented bath salts, beads and oils are perfect gifts that don’t stay around long enough to make clutter. – Air Force FlyBaby
  86. This gift idea works for just about everyone, you just tailor the contents to each person by gender and age. I give gift baskets filled to the brim with homemade goodies, such as cookies, breads, jams, candy and small toys for the kids. I usually add a little ornament to hang on the tree or a little candle, but nothing that takes up much space. Not only are they wonderful and from the heart, but people don’t have to find a place to put them. Eat them and they are gone. The other really important part, is to use a “basket” that will be reused. I either use a brown gift bag and decorate it, a colorful gift bag or a plastic basket that can be reused for cosmetics or to store and keep organized just about anything. I know that the last thing people with clutter issues needs is another useless basket hanging around, so make you basket useful and people will remember that for years.
  87. Our local horseback riding club offers a “taster” package for beginners which lasts four weeks and includes three riding lessons in the arena and a trail ride. The price is very affordable and perfect for anyone who has dreamed of learning to ride or would like to get back in the saddle.
  88. In keeping with the “helping others” theme, I am going to fill my sister in law’s freezer with home-cooked meals for Christmas (in disposable containers!) She has a 4 mth old and a 2 yr old so I know she will appreciate not having to cook for a month. You could also do single-sized portions for someone living alone.
  89. My sister-in-law has not been married very long, and is exploring new recipes on her husband. Last year I got ahold of some recipes from Grandma & her Mom as well as some of my household favorites. I typed them out on recipe cards through Microsoft Works (c), bought nice card stock paper to print them on & a cute little recipe box to put them in. I also bought the ingredients to one of the recipes & laid that recipe on top of the box. It took some time (I started in October), but it was well worth it! Anticipating the holidays in Michigan, M
  90. Thank you for the inspiration of treating myself to a clean house. For several years now, my children, age 12 and 15, have been giving me the best birthday and Mother’s day presents: one cooks lunch and the other cooks dinner that day. Since my husband takes over the other tasks in the house, that means an entire free day to indulge in my passion for gardening. I always photograph the children presenting the meal they cooked and put the photos in the photo album!
  91. My husband and I used to give his mother the privilege of going out to lunch or dinner just with him. She claimed this was the best present she ever had. Her lady friends sighed that they wished their son would do this. To this day, I am not sure which she liked best: the present or being the envy of her friends (LOL). – Fluttering in Pittsburgh
  92. My father promised my mother a rose garden. When he died, I took over the duties of caring for the roses. Every year near their anniversary (which just so happens to be the perfect time of year) I go over to her house to prune, clean out the beds and periodically, add a new rose bush. Mom and I spend the day together sharing memories of my dad. She loves it that someone takes care of the roses because she doesn’t know how and she can enjoy the flowers all year round. I get to connect with my dad who taught me everything I know about growing roses. – Flybaby in VA
  93. Last holiday season, as a newly minted Flybaby, I asked my family for the following gifts for Christmas: I asked my husband to put all the photos from the previous summer’s vacation into an album (it was a big job); I asked my tech-oriented teenage son to take all the little cassettes from our video camera and compile them onto a big VHS cassette, so I can look at them at will; I asked my young daughter to clean my van inside and out. All of my family members granted my Christmas wishes, and I felt very blessed indeed!
  94. My aunt lives in Indiana in a community with many Amish folks. Her housekeeper (Amish) gave her a wonderful birthday gift recently: she offered to throw a Tea Party for my aunt and up to eight guests of her choosing! My aunt invited her children and family members (including my mother) and they had a fabulous time. The housekeeper had a table set with linens and she and a friend had prepared a wonderful meal of appetizers and food (homemade mushroom soup, sandwiches, pies, etc.). It allowed my aunt to enjoy someone else’s fabulous cooking and have a relaxed, no-hassle time to visit with friends and family. Everyone loved it and, of course, it was CLUTTER FREE! My aunt thinks it was the best gift she ever received. – Northridge, CA
  95. This year I am giving Flylady! For my adult daughters, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and Mother-in-law – I am going to give cash inside a little card with an image of Flylady on the front and a short explanation of why I no longer give clutter gifts (along with the Flylady website address of course!). I might even include Marla’s book! Or the purple duster and timer!! My daughter has “her act together” if you look at her house. Squeaky Clean…but she needs a housekeeper and she can never find anything because she stuffed it in a drawer. You never know where a SHE is lurking…they may look like they don’t need Flylady – but they really do! So I am giving the gift of Flylady. — Fluttering and Flinging in Santa Barbara, CA
  96. My family gave me the best ever Christmas present last year. I have always wanted to fly a helicopter, so they gave me a helicopter flying lesson. It was fabulous. I was actually in charge of and handling the controls for about 20 minutes. The Scottish hills and lochs were even more beautiful from that vantage point.
  97. I don’t know if this is specifically for women, it could be for anyone… but since I’m a woman and it’s something I’d like, I’ll put it here. Find out what her favorite causes are and make a donation to a charity that supports that cause, in her honor. What a way to bless the world.. and, it’s clutter free! – gearing up for a running start in CA
  98. If you coffee lovers on your list, flavored coffees or creamers are a great gift. Most grocery stores have a line of ‘gourmet’ coffees that offer a variety of flavors that you can get inexpensively and in one-pot packages so you can give a variety of flavors without breaking the bank or the recipient being stuck with a big package of a flavor they don’t like. If you purchase one or two each time you go to the store you will be well set by December 1st without messing up the budget! – coffee drinker in GA
  99. For Christmas this year, I have asked my husband to have my promise ring repaired. It’s been sitting in a box for about 5 years already and I found it while decluttering this week. I would love to wear it again and it seems to me that it’s clutter in a box, but it is lovely on my finger. – Flybaby in Saskatoon, SK, Canada
  100. When my family asked what I wanted for my birthday this year, they were surprised at the requests I made. From my DH I requested help in painting our guest bedroom (which had been our junk room for too long). I asked my adult DD who is an artist and has a great color and style sense to decorate my guest bedroom (formerly her bedroom) using primarily stuff that I already have. My adult DS graciously has gifted me with computer services–cleaning up all the clutter which causes my computer to run slowly. I am relatively computer illiterate so this will be a wonderful treat. Although they thought I was denying myself by asking for such gifts, they gifted me with them and I am so blessed!
  101. Gardening is my favorite hobby and many of my relatives, so we frequently give each other plants. No clutter! And it meets the flylady rules – if it makes you smile each time you see it. starting to flutter in Miami

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