Give a Unique Gift with Zero Stress This Year

I know you already love shopping for yourself at the farmer's market, but have you ever considered that the farmer's market is also a great place to get gifts? I struggled with gift-giving so much as a 20-something. I was always self-conscious if what I was giving wasn't of "equal value" to everyone. I would worry someone would be offended. As I became more aware of the waste associated with gift-giving, it added another layer of stress to the process, and I grew to HATE the holidays. (Like borderline Scrooge hate)

A few years ago, I discovered how easy it can be to give a gift basket. Of course, this isn't a new concept, but it was new to me. I was still conscious of the potential waste with off-the-shelf gift baskets you typically find at big box stores and online, so I went to my favorite two places to make my own: the thrift store and the farmer's market.

I find second-hand baskets in good shape at the thrift store and give them a thorough cleaning. Then I wrap each item in newspaper (often in holiday ads for more "stuff", which gives me a little kick knowing I'm sticking it to the man, ha!). To elevate it from “awe this is so nice” to gasp “oh my god, this is beautiful!” I add my own home grown dried flowers. They turn out so great every time, and it seriously has made me love Christmas again.

If you are finding yourself stressed out or stuck with your gift-shopping, this is really a great option.

Check out the video to see how I do it. (The image above is a video by the way, ha! When I went back to look at this blog post again, I was like, “wait, where’s the video?!” So I figured you may not see the little play button in the center either ;)