Four bloody good experiences to gift in Wellington this Christmas
December is the worst.
Your parents are visiting and you've got to tidy up the spare room and you still haven't put up the tree which they're definitely expecting 🎄 For some reason, you decide you simply MUST get your hair done 💇🏽 before the 24th December. You then forget this critical item on your To Do list until today. Your friends are here from overseas but their free days clash with the 5 Christmas Parties 🎉 you have to go to this week and you're currently racking your brain for what your friend said they wanted in May earlier this year (you had thought at the time "I'm going to remember this and they're going to loose their shit when they realise I've remembered😏) while you're trying to reverse into a parallel park 🚗 6 blocks away from David Jones where you're planning to spend a bunch of money 💸 you'd prefer to spend on yourself but that's not what Christmas is about.
We've known that this time of year should be focused on spending time with family and enjoying ⛱ good food 🍴 and reflecting on the year and what we're grateful for ✨ But it's always in opposition with the mad rush that EVERYONE experiences as a year closes and the commercialisation of everything - packaging and cards that just go into the bin, Secret Santas (which, by the way, are literally the only reason $2 shops still exist) and the expectations for and from our friends and families.
That's why personally - we're gifting experiences - if we're gifting anything at all. We've compiled a list of our favourite companies that offer epic EXPERIENCES ⚡️ that you can gift to either yourselves or others to make 2018 about feeling good, learning more and engaging in your community - instead of looking guiltily at the bubble wrap and stupid "to/from" tags in the rubbish bin on boxing day. Without further adieu!
#1. Shut Up & Dance Gift Cards 💃🏼
Of course we're going first! We have $50 and $100 options but if you email us and request a preferred value, we will sort you out 💁🏼 Write a message to your recipient and they'll receive the code in an email and be able to purchase services to come along to a class - learning a Beyoncé routine is literally therapy ✔️ and you can't go wrong by gifting a fitness class crossed with a comedy show to your pal to show them how much you care 💖
Purchase a Shut Up & Dance Gift Card
#2. Yoga Rhapsody Concession Cards 🙏🏽
100% hands down the best experience I've had doing yoga was with this dynamic duo. Jemma and Paul offer yoga classes with live acoustic music 🎸 I was in some bizarre pose - as you are in yoga - in a candle lit, New York style loft apartment, and a slow acoustic version of Greases' "You're the One That I Want" 🎤 was played to me by the phenomenally talented Paul, as the magnetic Jemma talked us through the next move. The whole class was like a cuddle for my body and I can't recommend them enough. They have competitive prices too - a 10 Trip at $120 and a 5 trip at $65.
Purchase a Yoga Rhapsody Concession Card
#3. Courtney Durr's Body Love Bootcamps 🏋🏽
We seriously rate this woman. Courtney created Body Love in response to the harsh and unforgiving world of gyms, scales and mirrors 👊🏾 Body Love put on regular retreats and community events through the year as well as running their 5 and 10 week Bootcamps. These are not your traditional get-on-the-floor-and-give-me-50 💦 A perfect gift to share with a friend (who you can't convince to come to our dance classes) so you can still do something fun and different together 👯
#4. Organic Dynamic Board Shaping Workshops 🏄🏼
We might be bias but we're genuinely obsessed 🌊 Jack Candlish is Clair's partner but happens to own Organic Dynamic - a surfboard company where the surfboards are made out of sustainably sourced Paulownia, bio-resin and 100% recycled polystyrene 👌🏽 You can buy a shaping workshop for that salty friend of yours and give them the joy of creating their own board.
Purchase an Organic Dynamic Board Shaping Workshop.
DISCLAIMER! There is nothing sponsored about this post (we're not cool enough to do that kind of thing yet). This is a small collection of a few people we are genuine fans of. Do you know of any other local business that offer great experiences? We'd love to hear!