Some people have too much stuff. And some people like to complain that they have too much stuff. If you have either of those types of people in your life, you’ll want to avoid buying them more stuff this Christmas. You know, potpourri, socks, books – some people love ’em, some people will fix you with a steely glare if they unwrap them at Christmas.
The best gift for these types of people are experiences. It’s adding to their minimalist life without un-minimalising it, essentially. Plus, they need very little wrapping and people who obsessively hate stuff usually also hate wrapping, so there’s an extra win.
Here’s a bunch of solid choices for your experience gift shopping.
Musicals are the best. DISNEY is the best. So combine the two and you’ve got an A+++ good time on your hands. Aladdin has been given the musical treatment, and we’re bloody well here for it. The show is a “shining, shimmering splendour” according to Channel 7, full of huge production numbers and stunning special effects. It’s currently showing in Melbourne through ’til Jan 28, and then moves up to Brissie in Feb before heading to Perth in July, so why not gift your Disney-obsessed mates a set of tix, and make a group hang of it?
Nan’s and mum’s love high tea. In fact, plenty of people love high tea – it’s delicious and fancy. We’ve picked Lilianfel’s in the Blue Mountains as our one of choice, because it’s set in a beautiful property and not too far outta Sydney – but any high tea in a nice hotel or heritage listed property is a good bet.
RED BALLOON V8 BUGGY DRIVING EXPERIENCE
Driving weird vehicles is really fun. It’s just good FUN. Pick anyone you know with a bit of daredevil in ’em, and gift them this – or a similar, “drive a fast or bulky car around a track for several laps” experience this Christmas and watch their smile get to 10/10 levels.
Cultured folk’ll love a one year membership to their local art gallery – the NGV’s Gift Membership entitles the recipient to a free exhibition ticket, discounted entry and priority access to future exhibitions, and access to the swish NGV members lounges – plus more. Various other galleries and museums around Oz offer similar deals.
MARVEL: AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N
Have you got any Marvel fans in your life? Uh, yeah you absolutely do. The superhero lords are finally bringing their Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N exhibition Down Under, and it’s the perfect ticket to gift for Xmas if you’re keen on making them gasp with excitement. Basically, attendees get to simulate recruitment as if they were training as agents. NASA even got involved to make the experience feel authentic – it’s a completely immersive experience c/o modern tech and movie props, so it’s more than just a show of Marvel gear.
If you’ve got some makeup obsessives in your life, why not gift them a tutorial at beauty powerhouse MAC? The $120 cost is fully redeemable in product purchased on the day, which they’ll no doubt wanna take up after learning nifty tricks. It’s also personalised to their skill level, so everyone from noobs to pros can benefit.
THE RAW KITCHEN WORKSHOP VOUCHER
Fremantle‘s The Raw Kitchen does amazing workshops on everything from vegan cooking to DIY gifts. If you’ve got creative kitchen types in your life, this is a great way to give them something that’ll really improve their skill set – or, if they’re newly vegan or vego, some new recipes to whip up. There’s plenty of amazing restaurants and cooking school’s in other parts of Oz, too.
