Americans are getting ready for Thanksgiving, the celebration of giving thanks. While the day started as a way of securing harvest for the future year, it’s taken a different turn. Ultimately, harvest holidays exist all over the world. But, you can be sure that this year, the American Thanksgiving will be a thoughtful celebration after a tough year.
While we don’t have Thanksgiving in the UK, 2020 feels like the best time to introduce thoughtfulness, especially as we are in the middle of a second lockdown. The year has been challenging for everyone. The pandemic has transformed our way of doing things and forced many of us to self-isolate. If there is a time to remind the people you love that you’re thinking of them, it is now.
So, perhaps, this year, we can create a Thanksgiving party to reach out to our friends and relatives with homemade presents that can warm their hearts. Think of it as a little pick-me-up that can put back a smile on someone’s face. After all, we all need a mood booster from time to time. While there is still a lot of time before Christmas, we can seize the opportunity to make someone unique and special.
#1. A feel-good calendar
When was the last time you saw your best friends? It’s probably been months! It’s hard to stay in touch, and there’s only so much Facetime can do. But you can remind them of all the good times together with a personalised calendar that combines all your favourite photos. You can also use your creative skills and tools to add some inspirational imagery. Why not create a calendar of what you’d like to do together once the covid situation dies out? Or you could make someone’s day with positive quotes and dynamic creative works rather than photos. Ultimately, a calendar is unlikely to break the bank, but it can be a personal and meaningful present.
#2. Homemade soap
How often do you wash your hands these days? Most households are going through hand gel bottles and bars of soap at high speed. We never have too much soap. So you can seize the opportunity to give someone handmade soap. To make soap, you’ll need sodium hydroxide, oil (olive, coconut, and palm), and grapefruit seed extract of vitamin E to act as a preservative. These are the essential ingredients, but it’s a good idea to add a personal touch to your soap bar. You can mix dried flowers to the mixture or some playful glitter for a disco look and feel. If you are considering a nourishing and skin-friendly recipe, the addition of fruit peels, herbs, and freshly pressed juice can elevate your soap.
#3. Lovely Christmas biscuits
Who doesn’t like Christmas biscuits? But why wait until Christmas to indulge in those delicate bites? You can bake handmade biscuits that will look exciting and taste amazing. Gingerbread biscuits are a no-brainer, and they are quick and easy to prepare. You can melt fruit-flavoured boiled sweet to create a colourful centrepiece. These make beautiful presents. If you present something more accessible, bourbon biscuits are a classic that’s always exciting. Ginger cookies pack plenty of seasonal spices, but with a delicate freshness. What’s especially interesting about baking biscuits is that you can send them for next day delivery. If they’re packed carefully, your friends will have a sweet surprise in the post!
#4. A little box of happiness
We all have bad days where nothing seems to make sense. On those days, you just want to pull the blanket over your head and go back to sleep. In winter, when days are short and nights are long, the reduced light exposure can dramatically affect your mood. But, in a normal situation, you can meet up with friends and have a casual chat around a glass of vino, and ta-da, you forget everything about your mood. But in a post-pandemic world, it’s hard to reach out to friends. So, you could help someone who’s having a bad day by creating a little box of happy thoughts for them. Whether you choose to write down a positive thought for each day of the year, or the top 10 reasons why your friend is awesome, it’s up to you. But there’s something deeply soothing about having a chest of positivity sitting on the desk. It can erase a bad day in a matter of seconds.
#5. A unique art piece
Let’s be realistic. Every home has a few carelessly selected art pieces that come from high street shops. Thousands of people have purchased the poignant portrait that hangs in your living room to decorate their walls. In the end, every house looks the same. You may not be a professional painter, but you can create unique masterpieces at home with everyday objects. Take a look at these tutorial ideas that makes abstract painting accessible to all.
#6. A friendship bracelet
The last time you saw a friendship bracelet, it must have been the 90s or early 2000s. Knotted bracelets have a nostalgic edge. But they are also easy to make. You can find plenty of patterns online that are easy to follow and reproduce. Whether you knot or braid your strings, a friendship bracelet can be a stylish addition that reminds someone you think of them.
#7. A custom onesie
As we’re spending most of our time at home, we all crave cosy loungewear. That’s precisely where an onesie can make a huge difference! While onesies may not be workwear material for a Zoom meeting, they are naturally soothing. The ideal outfit to relax at the end of the day! Admittedly, nobody suggests you should take on sewing. But you can reach out to an onesie specialist to create a custom onesie for a friend or relative. You choose the patterns, fabric, and accessories. The only thing you’re not doing is putting the pieces together, but you’ve got enough creative input to truthfully say you’ve made it for them!
This year, we need to spread kindness. Thanking the people you love for being there and being awesome despite covid and lockdown is perhaps the new Thanksgiving in the UK. Regardless of whether you call it Giving Thanks or Spreading Joy, thoughtful gifts can dramatically transform our perception of 2020. Let’s finish on a positive note!
*Contributed by *Header photo Unsplash - CC0 Licence
Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Instagram
Subscribe to GirlGone Dreamer by Email
No comments :
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.