Affordable Housing in California
November 30, 2018
Minimalist Resolutions for a New Year
December 27, 2018It can be challenging to find thoughtful holiday gifts for tiny house residents whose lifestyles necessitate less rather than more. Traditional gifts may not work for them, not only because they lack the space to accommodate an abundance of material items, but also because those who gravitate toward tiny house living are often minimalists by nature.
The ideal gifts, then, are either intangibles like experiences, or items that will help rather than hinder their minimalist lifestyle – in other words, something they do not need to figure out how to store, manage, or maintain.
With a commitment to creativity and a move toward the unconventional, you can choose from a veritable treasure trove of tiny-house worthy gift options. Here are ten ideas to help you create your shopping list.
#1: Surprise them with experiences.
Treat your tiny house friends to a gift card, a night out, tickets to a concert or sporting event, or a night of free babysitting. These gifts offer a fun experience that your friends may not pursue on their own.
#2: Wrap up consumables.
Items like food baskets, wine, firewood, candles, and environmentally-friendly bath products make fun gifts that your friends do not need to store permanently: They can enjoy them, then dispose of them.
#3: Bring them potted plants.
Gifts of greenery offer a double benefit: They add a fresh touch to a home while keeping the air inside a confined space clean, fresh, and pure.
#4: Purchase a subscription.
Subscription-based gifts honor your friends’ interests or hobbies, from cooking, to wine,to reading. Gift your foodie friends a subscription to a meal preparation service like Hello Fresh or Produce Box, and secure a subscription to Amazon Audible for the bookworms on your list.
#5: Offer them practical items.
For the thriftiest of your friends, a practical gift like plain baby onesies, kitchen utensils,or even a basket full of pantry staples can be a boon – especially for things the people were going to buy anyway. If they’ve recently bought their tiny home and are on a tight budget, even better: These gifts will help them stock their tiny home with essentials while saving money.
#6: Commit to a house-related project.
Help your friends achieve their maintenance or renovation goals by either offering to help them knock out the project or providing the supplies for them. This will help them make their tiny house feel more like a home and will inspire them to get moving on long-neglected, but worthy, projects.
#7: Donate to their favorite charity.
Donations make a fantastic present, especially when they are gifted to an organization that is important to your friends and family. Find out which organizations they support and pledge a generous donation in their names.
#8: Help them achieve a goal.
Figure out what goals are on your friends’ New Years’ resolution lists. Is it finishing school? Starting a business? Writing a book? Completing an art project? Gift themsomething – tangible or intangible – that will help them realize this goal. For instance, if a mother of three young children is trying to finish a degree, offer to babysit her children once a week so she can do her homework. If a friend is saving for college, make a small contribution to his college fund, offer to take him on campus visits, or review his admissions essays.
#9: Track down collapsible or adaptable furniture.
Tiny house residents are perpetually seeking furniture that suits their hyper-efficient living spaces. Gift them a highly versatile piece of furniture like this collapsible table that fits over the arm of a chair.
#10: Connect a projector to a smartphone or tablet.
Most tiny house residents lack space for a TV, but if they want to entertain or host movie nights, a projector enables them to display a movie on a wall. That way, they can entertain their friends, but don’t have to buy an actual set that would consume valuable living space.
Finding creative and thoughtful gifts will show your tiny house friends that you respect and appreciate their lifestyles. With these ten unique ideas, you can help your friends embrace and enjoy their minimalistic lifestyles, give them permission to do something fun, and make their lives just a tiny bit more beautiful.
At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods,and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.
The ideal gifts, then, are either intangibles like experiences, or items that will help rather than hinder their minimalist lifestyle – in other words, something they do not need to figure out how to store, manage, or maintain.
With a commitment to creativity and a move toward the unconventional, you can choose from a veritable treasure trove of tiny-house worthy gift options. Here are ten ideas to help you create your shopping list.
#1: Surprise them with experiences.
Treat your tiny house friends to a gift card, a night out, tickets to a concert or sporting event, or a night of free babysitting. These gifts offer a fun experience that your friends may not pursue on their own.
#2: Wrap up consumables.
Items like food baskets, wine, firewood, candles, and environmentally-friendly bath products make fun gifts that your friends do not need to store permanently: They can enjoy them, then dispose of them.
#3: Bring them potted plants.
Gifts of greenery offer a double benefit: They add a fresh touch to a home while keeping the air inside a confined space clean, fresh, and pure.
#4: Purchase a subscription.
Subscription-based gifts honor your friends’ interests or hobbies, from cooking, to wine,to reading. Gift your foodie friends a subscription to a meal preparation service like Hello Fresh or Produce Box, and secure a subscription to Amazon Audible for the bookworms on your list.
#5: Offer them practical items.
For the thriftiest of your friends, a practical gift like plain baby onesies, kitchen utensils,or even a basket full of pantry staples can be a boon – especially for things the people were going to buy anyway. If they’ve recently bought their tiny home and are on a tight budget, even better: These gifts will help them stock their tiny home with essentials while saving money.
#6: Commit to a house-related project.
Help your friends achieve their maintenance or renovation goals by either offering to help them knock out the project or providing the supplies for them. This will help them make their tiny house feel more like a home and will inspire them to get moving on long-neglected, but worthy, projects.
#7: Donate to their favorite charity.
Donations make a fantastic present, especially when they are gifted to an organization that is important to your friends and family. Find out which organizations they support and pledge a generous donation in their names.
#8: Help them achieve a goal.
Figure out what goals are on your friends’ New Years’ resolution lists. Is it finishing school? Starting a business? Writing a book? Completing an art project? Gift themsomething – tangible or intangible – that will help them realize this goal. For instance, if a mother of three young children is trying to finish a degree, offer to babysit her children once a week so she can do her homework. If a friend is saving for college, make a small contribution to his college fund, offer to take him on campus visits, or review his admissions essays.
#9: Track down collapsible or adaptable furniture.
Tiny house residents are perpetually seeking furniture that suits their hyper-efficient living spaces. Gift them a highly versatile piece of furniture like this collapsible table that fits over the arm of a chair.
#10: Connect a projector to a smartphone or tablet.
Most tiny house residents lack space for a TV, but if they want to entertain or host movie nights, a projector enables them to display a movie on a wall. That way, they can entertain their friends, but don’t have to buy an actual set that would consume valuable living space.
Finding creative and thoughtful gifts will show your tiny house friends that you respect and appreciate their lifestyles. With these ten unique ideas, you can help your friends embrace and enjoy their minimalistic lifestyles, give them permission to do something fun, and make their lives just a tiny bit more beautiful.
At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods,and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.
