give the gift of experiences

after reading this cnn article, i started thinking 
about how true it is that gifts of experiences are 
so much better than actual material gifts. my 
entire life i have always said the only thing i ever 
want for holidays/special occasions is the gift of 
travel and experiences..because these types of 
things truly are gifts that "keep on giving!" so i put 
together a little list of some examples of great 
experience gifts you can give for christmas or 
any occasion. i might have some fun ones for 
husband this year, and anyone who is still in 
need of a gift or two...think about 
doing something like this!

1. book a unique experience: i found the most brilliant experience website, and it's the best discovery of my YEAR: it offers all different adventures to do in every place imaginable. from vespa rides in paris, to pasta making classes in sf, to riding elephants in thailand, to having surfing lessons in santa cruz, to local eating tours...basically it is amazing. check it out NOW and pick something near you, or for an upcoming trip! http://www.vayable.com/

2. sign up for a class! whether it's a cooking class, pasta making class, floral design class, photography class, etc..this is such a great type of gift. and, there are always groupons for different types of classes! so you can get a great deal on a perfect experience gift for someone.

3. reserve a camp site: camping is always an adventure, and it's pretty inexpensive as long as you look for spots in advance! this would be a fun gift to give. the next place i want to camp is kirby cove beneath the golden gate bridge, or this cool treehouse campite.
 
4. book a train ride. after living in europe i fell in love with train travel, but here in the U.S. no one uses trains quite the same way...however i did just discover that you can get train tickets from SF to seattle for only $75 so we might be taking advantage of that!!
 
5. restaurant gift card. sometimes it can be hard to go spend money on a nice dinner..so giving the gift of a gift card to a great restaurant is the best idea!

6. surprise getaway...this is my ideal gift to be given, and i loved when i did it for my husband's birthday last year. surprise someone with a night/weekend/week stay somewhere fun. it can be fancy and faraway, or cozy and close! the surprise and excitement of it all will make it a great memory. once my husband surprised me with tickets to NYC over valentines day, complete with broadway tickets, the empire state building, and our favorite meals. i will remember that gift far longer than any material thing he could have given!

7. concert/ play tickets! nothing is better than a night out to see a great concert or some live theatre. chase is always on the lookout for shows and artists coming to town, and it's the best gift when he gives me something like that to look forward to! wrap it up with the singer's CD or soundtrack to the musical and put the tickets with it.

8. make a book of date nights/outings for you and your loved one. buy little gift cards to a few restaurants, pick up some movie tickets, print out some local art showings/ events, and give someone a basket full of date nights. they will love it, and you'll have some fun nights out planned and paid for ahead of time!

these are just a few examples of ways 
you can give experience gifts..
comment with any other ideas! 
cheers to christmas in one week!

xo