Minimalist mum refuses to buy her kids Christmas presents this year
- 4 months ago
A minimalist mum is refusing to buy her kids any Christmas presents this year - instead opting for handmade 'day out' coupons.
Dagbjört Jónsdóttir, 40, has thrown away 1,000 items from her home over the years - including sofas, dishes and clothes - and says Christmas presents are a no-go because "they'll clutter the house".
Instead, the mum-of-two is opting for gift cards for indoor play parks or handmade coupons that her kids - six and three - can redeem for a day out of their choice - such as a trip to the beach, a bicycle ride in the forest or a picnic.
Dagbjört admitted her children sometimes want physical presents but says compared to other kids she believes they are "more aware" they don't always need material objects.
Dagbjört and her husband, Thorsteinn Gudnason, 40, a building constructor, also refrain from buying each other gifts - choosing to book a holiday to go instead.
The Jónsdóttir's unique take on Christmas means they are able to spend next to nothing and enjoy the festive period stress-free without having to "run to the shops", according to Dagbjört.
Her minimalist lifestyle seems to have also rubbed off on her kids, as they both recently downsized their room and sold over half of their toys in a yard sale.
Dagbjört, a freelance marketer, originally from Iceland but now living in Odense, Denmark, said: "Every year we get more and more conscious about gifting - more so this year.
"We don't really receive or give material presents at all anymore.
"Our kids get experiences and we don't give them material things.
"We try and focus on something we can make a memory of.
"We usually gift them gift cards for these indoor play parks or we design these little coupons that have a trip to the beach or somewhere fun to go - we try to make it things we can do as the family together.
"It's a lot cheaper with these self-made coupons and all the decorations.
"Almost everyone has this crazy December and we don't get that, the stress on that is zero."
Although her kids tend to receive mostly gift coupons for Christmas, Dagbjört says they do receive material items occasionally.
She said: "Of course, sometimes they want physical presents and when we go out and we see a commercial or something they often say they want certain things.
"When they have birthdays they get gifts from grandparents, aunties and uncles, but this year it's the bare minimum.
"Compared to other children, they are more aware that they don't need the material objects all the time."
A minimalist lifestyle is the idea of living with fewer items and only using what you really need.
When it comes to her minimalist Christmas, Dagbjört decorates her house using re-purposed household items and things found in nature.
She said: "We do have a tree but we try to make the decorations ourselves or we find them in nature.
"Things that don't serve us purpose anymore are also used."
Dagbjört Jónsdóttir, 40, has thrown away 1,000 items from her home over the years - including sofas, dishes and clothes - and says Christmas presents are a no-go because "they'll clutter the house".
Instead, the mum-of-two is opting for gift cards for indoor play parks or handmade coupons that her kids - six and three - can redeem for a day out of their choice - such as a trip to the beach, a bicycle ride in the forest or a picnic.
Dagbjört admitted her children sometimes want physical presents but says compared to other kids she believes they are "more aware" they don't always need material objects.
Dagbjört and her husband, Thorsteinn Gudnason, 40, a building constructor, also refrain from buying each other gifts - choosing to book a holiday to go instead.
The Jónsdóttir's unique take on Christmas means they are able to spend next to nothing and enjoy the festive period stress-free without having to "run to the shops", according to Dagbjört.
Her minimalist lifestyle seems to have also rubbed off on her kids, as they both recently downsized their room and sold over half of their toys in a yard sale.
Dagbjört, a freelance marketer, originally from Iceland but now living in Odense, Denmark, said: "Every year we get more and more conscious about gifting - more so this year.
"We don't really receive or give material presents at all anymore.
"Our kids get experiences and we don't give them material things.
"We try and focus on something we can make a memory of.
"We usually gift them gift cards for these indoor play parks or we design these little coupons that have a trip to the beach or somewhere fun to go - we try to make it things we can do as the family together.
"It's a lot cheaper with these self-made coupons and all the decorations.
"Almost everyone has this crazy December and we don't get that, the stress on that is zero."
Although her kids tend to receive mostly gift coupons for Christmas, Dagbjört says they do receive material items occasionally.
She said: "Of course, sometimes they want physical presents and when we go out and we see a commercial or something they often say they want certain things.
"When they have birthdays they get gifts from grandparents, aunties and uncles, but this year it's the bare minimum.
"Compared to other children, they are more aware that they don't need the material objects all the time."
A minimalist lifestyle is the idea of living with fewer items and only using what you really need.
When it comes to her minimalist Christmas, Dagbjört decorates her house using re-purposed household items and things found in nature.
She said: "We do have a tree but we try to make the decorations ourselves or we find them in nature.
"Things that don't serve us purpose anymore are also used."