{"id":71589,"date":"2024-03-27T15:06:33","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T08:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/?p=71589"},"modified":"2024-03-27T15:06:33","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T08:06:33","slug":"the-best-gift-comes-from-your-heart-not-a-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/the-best-gift-comes-from-your-heart-not-a-store\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Gift Comes From Your Heart, Not a Store"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time is the one gift that no one ever outgrows\n
Years from now- or even one year from now given how fast our children grow-your kids will have long since outgrown every single thing you put under the Christmas tree this December.\n
That hot toy you spent weeks hunting down will find its way to the Land of Forgotten Toys (aka your attic). The cute matching pajamas, the stylish sweater, the super cool shoes\u2026all gone to Good Will long ago. Oh, and let\u2019s not forget about that new iPhone you surprised your teen with. It was obsolete before they even unwrapped it!\n
But like I said above, there\u2019s one thing that no one ever outgrows. One thing that never, ever, ever becomes obsolete: memories. And the only way to make those lifelong-lasting memories of tomorrow is to give the gift of time today. The best thing about this gift is that it doesn\u2019t have to cost a single dime.\n
5 Fun Ways to Give the Gift of Time Without Spending a Single Dime\n
Okay, so yes, you can get \u201cfancy\u201d with this gift if you want. I love giving my whole family meaningful experience gifts, like vacations and whatnot.\n
But if you\u2019re on a tight budget, there are SOOOOO many ways to spend time together and make beautiful memories without opening your wallet. I\u2019ll skip the usual \u201ceat dinner together four times a week\u201d or \u201ctake walks together.\u201d Those are great ideas, but let\u2019s have a bit more fun with this and make some really amazing memories, shall we?\n
1. Create a secret family language together\n
Spend a lazy Saturday afternoon coming up with a secret language that only you and your kids know. You don\u2019t have to make this complicated. I\u2019m not saying make up new words for every word in the dictionary or anything. Just pick a few phrases or words that you say often (like \u201cI love you\u201d) and get creative!\n
I had a friend who used to say, \u201celephant shoes\u201d to her aunt, because when you mouth those words, it looks just like \u201cI love you.\u201d Now, every time she sees an elephant, she thinks of one wearing shoes and thinks of her aunt.\n
True love requires faith, trust and loyalty. Not chocolate, flowers, and expensive gifts.\n
2. Put a fun scavenger hunt twist on a family book club\n
On its own, a family book club is a great way to spend time together and encourage your kids to read. Rather than just choosing Oprah\u2019s latest favorite, though, put a fun spin on it. Here\u2019s how:\n
\n
You pick the first book to read as a family. Say, Alice in Wonderland.\n
The next book has to start with the last letter in the title. In this case, D.\n
Together as a family, hunt through the library to find a bunch of books that fit.\n
Then, you can either vote on which to read or choose one at random. Either close your eyes and grab one or ask your librarian to pick one.\n
Repeat with the next book, and the next, and the next.\n\n
FYI, this idea works for all book clubs, not just for those with kids. So, if you don\u2019t have children, try it with your siblings or even your best friends.\n
3. Research your family history together\n
I know what you\u2019re thinking, those genealogy websites are very expensive. You don\u2019t have to use them, though, to research your family history. Use free resources like libraries, archives, and your family.\n
In fact, make calling on your family your first step! Not only will it help you put together your family tree, but it\u2019s a great way to reconnect with a cousin you haven\u2019t talked to in ages. Plus, you may actually find that someone in your family has already done the family tree!\n
4. Write the story of your family\n
You can do this on its own or along with the last idea. Ask everyone in your family- even those 3rd cousins you\u2019ve never met- to write down their favorite family stories and memories. Tell them anything goes, no pressure. They can jot down a few lines or fill a whole journal, totally up to them.\n
Then, gather all of those stories into one big word document and either print it yourself or turn it into an ebook (printer ink is pricey, but an ebook is free). If you do go the digital route, though, make sure you back up a copy on a thumb drive and put it in your family treasure chest.\n
Wait, you don\u2019 have a family treasure chest, you say? Well, let\u2019s make that our next idea, then!\n
It isn’t the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it.\n
5. Make a family treasure chest together\n
First, find a strong box or bin that won\u2019t break down or degrade over time (so, a cardboard box won\u2019t really work). If you\u2019re crafty with wood, you can even make one. Instructables has a good tutorial. Decorate it together as a family.\n
Once it\u2019s done, you have a great \u201cforever box\u201d that can hold all of the little things that remind you of each other, or time spent together. Ticket stubs, photos from a special day (or thumb drives with them), love notes, your kids\u2019 artwork, etc. Basically, anything that will remind your loved ones of that special day when they look at it years from now.\n
These are just a few of the countless ways to give the gift of time without spending money. Anything goes, so get creative!\n
The greatest gift you can give someone is your time. Because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back.\n
Remember the cardinal rule of giving: it\u2019s the heart in your gift that counts, not the price tag on it. Nothing says \u201cgift from the heart\u201d quite like time.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Time is the one gift that no one ever outgrows Years from now- or even one year from now given how fast our children grow-your kids will have long since outgrown every single thing you put under the Christmas tree this December. That hot toy you spent weeks hunting down will find its way to\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":71632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"The greatest gift you can give someone is your time. Because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life...","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[642],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-71589","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-moral-story"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/The-greatest-gift-you-can-give-someone-is-your-time.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}