Experiences Make the Best Gifts

I couldn’t agree more with IIya Pozin’s article “The Secret to Happiness? Spend Money on Experiences, Not Things”. That’s why, since my daughter was born, she has never received tons of ‘stuff’, but she has always received at least ‘one experience’ on special days. These have include little ‘experiences’ – a gift certificate to the movies, a trip to the ice capades, and big ones – last year she got a ticket to Disney from Santa. They have taken the form of lessons, and camping, and creating. I often deny my little sugarplum souvenirs at places we visit – as to me the real present is the gift of going to the place, not the over priced trinkets sold at them (I mean $20 to get your picture taken with a cardboard cut-out of a Disney Princess - REALLY?!?!)– but I never deny her the opportunity to meet new people, visit new places, and try new things.

My sister shares my sentiments in this matter, and so often we ‘gift’ one another time spent together doing things we’ve either never done or have done and loved. In the past these gifts have included sensory deprivation tanks, horse back riding under a Costa Rican waterfall, physic readings, and enjoying singer/songwriter night at the famed Bluebird Café. In fact, one of our favorite things in the world is the Playhouse Square subscription package we share. It assures us at least one date night a month together enjoying good food and live theater.

So this holiday, it’s not a huge surprise that I choose to give a gift that was another experience to both my sister, and my daughter.

Here were the presents I planned out as clues. How many do you think it took them to figure it out?

Present Clue 1:

Present Clue 2:

Present Clue 3:

Present Clue 4:

Present Clue 5: This one had "I'm a clue" written on the bottom inside of the box. This is also the one where things started clicking!

Present Clue 6:

Present Clue 7: A big red apple

Present Clue 8:

Present Clue 9: Hmmmm.....I wonder which luggage tag goes with which girl?! Anyone who knows us can probably easily figure this one out!

But what are we going to NYC for?!

Present Clue 10:

Present Clue 11:

Present Clue 12:

They were both SOOOO excited, and really it's a present to myself as well; I can't think of a better present then a long weekend in June with two of the people I love most in the whole world visiting Central Park, the NYC library, the Statue of Liberty, and of course "Times Square" (refer back to Clue 1. Thanks Jensen for helping me with that one, and Steven and Stacey for the "Rockettes" clue).