Not Everything Has To Be The Latest, Shiniest – Sometimes Simpler Is Better

What can you give your tech-savvy nephew who lives for the bells and whistles, and was first in line for the latest gadget?

How about a baseball glove — and an invitation to go to the park with you and throw the ball around?

Or a kite. Set a date to go fly it together.

Or an old-fashioned board game. Schedule a game night, with pizza.

Buy someone a Crock-Pot or casserole dish, and spend an afternoon demonstrating how to use it. Share your favorite recipe, then enjoy it together.

Take a loved one to a play, a sporting event, a museum or the zoo. Schedule a day trip to a national park or historic site. Dig out the sled, gather the family and go find a park with a snowy hill.

Introduce children to gardening, or bird watching or coin collecting. Teach them how to fish, or knit, or build a model.

Give the gift of your company. It might not be on anyone’s wish list, but it’s sure to be a gift they won’t get anywhere else.