A Gift Guide for Your Well-Being

As someone who helps people declutter their unwanted possessions, I’ve come to believe that gifting experiences is preferable to gifting physical objects—the last thing most of us need is more stuff. In this Minima Journal, I put together an experienced-based holiday gift guide with a focus on services I’ve engaged to enhance my well-being.

At its core, my gift guide is a collection of powerhouse small businesses and artists who have deeply influenced me and added immense value to my life through their services and/or friendship.

Niche Pilates Studio

Niche Pilates Studio

Niche Pilates Studio

I started my Pilates practice with Niche in 2019 after nearly two decades without regular exercise. I’d tried it all—Zumba, dance classes, yoga, gym memberships—nothing stuck until Pilates. It’s a high results minimal impact type of movement; I leave feeling refreshed and stronger, not broken and in pain. I look forward to seeing the instructors and the friends I’ve made through class. The beautiful studio space is located in the Fan, so I’ve incorporated a 20-minute walk to and from class into my practice.

I’m not being hyperbolic when I say Pilates at Niche has changed my life. After every class I feel better, both physically and mentally.

You can purchase a Niche gift certificate here.

Jelena Nikolajevic, Boketto

Boketto

For over a decade, I struggled with gut health issues; my conventional medicine practitioners weren’t able to find a solution. A friend suggested acupuncture as a possible therapy, so I began receiving treatments from Jelena Nikolajevic, owner of Boketto. In addition to acupuncture, Jelena is licensed to order and analyze GI labs as part of her holistic approach to gut health support. Based on my lab results, she recommended a combination of customized supplements and dietary shifts; my symptoms are at bay and I feel better than I have in years.

I’ve continued routine acupuncture appointments and always look forward to chatting with Jelena in Boketto’s beautiful space—we’re aligned on many levels.

You can purchase a Boketto services gift certificate here.

Molly Jaek, Molly Scott Photo

Molly Scott Photo

Molly Jaek, owner of Molly Scott Photo, and I first connected in 2016 when she hired Minima for her beautiful Southside Richmond home. Then in 2020, I hired her to photograph my and my husband’s minimalist elopement.

Since then, we’ve grown from one another’s clients into close friends. Molly and I both value simplicity, downtime and rest, world travel, and the beauty in simple things. The attention to detail she captures in her photography and video work is stunning. You can see samples of her work on her website here and on her Instagram account here.

Her family portrait sessions would make a great gift. For more information about pricing and availability, contact Molly here.

Rebecca Thomas, Not Another Diet

Not Another Diet

Rebecca and I have a ton in common (aside from cute short hair and a love of striped shirts)—whenever we get together, it’s hard to wrap up the conversation. We both understand the power of simplicity and enact it in the work we do with our clients. Rebecca helps her clients learn about real food and its preparation, so they can eat well, often, and with joy (without dieting, which never works long-term).

Rebecca’s teachings helped me and my husband understand the difference between real and processed food, which enabled us to make better decisions at the grocery store. She packaged her expertise into an online lifetime-access course called Cook! I interviewed her about it here: “Kitchen Simplicity: Interview with Rebecca Thomas of Not Another Diet”.

You can buy a gift subscription to Cook! here (affiliate).

Joshua Fields Millburn, T.K. Coleman, me, and Ryan Nicodemus

The Minimalists Podcast

Every single episode of The Minimalists Podcast is filled with well-articulated gems of wisdom around the subject of intentional living—it feels like therapy and I recommend it to everyone. No matter what I’m sorting through in my life, their conversations are always relevant and on point.

After appearing as their podcast guest in 2023 (Episode 390 | Organized Home), I upgraded from their free 30-minute podcast to their paid Patreon subscription. This includes the full two-hour private podcast conversation plus access to their Patreon community of like-minded minimizers. They end every episode with their mantra: “Love people and use things, because the opposite never works.”

You can gift a Patreon subscription to The Minimalists Podcast here.

Megan Perry Fisher

Pens​é​es

Megan Perry Fisher

Megan is a composer, pianist, and musical artist who has written and performed music for film, ballet, and runway shows. She and I first connected on Instagram through our mutual appreciation of beautiful architecture and design. When we met in-person several years ago, we became fast friends.

Megan recently released her first full-length album, Pens​é​es (listen here). It’s stunning (so much so that I cried when I first listened) and would create the perfect ambiance for your next relaxing evening, meditative work session, date night, or dinner party.

You can follow Megan on Instagram here or buy her album here.

Carlton Bodyworks

I’ve been receiving massage therapy from Jason Carlton, owner of Carlton Bodyworks, for nearly a decade now—which is a testimonial in and of itself! He is a skilled, consistent, and kind therapist. We’ve connected over topics such as minimalism, financial independence and FIRE (early retirement), holistic self-care, and home organizing. His massage space, currently located in the near West End, is warm and calming.

You can purchase a gift certificate for his services here.

Personal Finance Club

Jeremy Schneider founded Personal Finance Club (PFC) to provide accessible, transparent financial literacy education. After completing his online courses, I shared what I learned with my husband and we implemented his recommendations. For the first time, I understood things like stocks, bonds, index funds, setting a target retirement date, and more. His approach is simple, effective, and fun—there are no gimmicks or “get rich quick” schemes. His slogan is “Live below your means and invest early and often.”

The trajectory of my and my husband’s financial future is clear and we feel empowered. The courses are so good, I bought them for the Minima team—everyone needs access to this information.

You can follow PFC on Instagram here and purchase PFC’s financial literacy courses here (affiliate).

Minima

I would be remiss if I neglected to mention that Minima offers gift certificates for our home organizing services. Our organizing action plan makes a great gift (here’s the link to buy one). If you’d like a custom gift certificate amount or have questions about our services and pricing, contact us at admin@minimaonline.com.

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Kristen Ziegler