Gift giving

I have been reading books and articles that discuss the need for simplification. The context could be mental and physical. I'm a person that loves to declutter, design and organize and I love reading this types of material. It inspires me to live a simpler life with less and be richer in other areas.

But then I get conflicted with gift giving....Does anyone NEED more stuff? What if we gave the time that it took to find the gift instead to our loved ones?

As Mother's Day approaches, I'm looking forward to the handmade treasures that my children will present to me. The "I love you's" scribbled across the page. These are the items that you can never buy at the store and will never end up in the Goodwill pile.