My Go-To Alternative to Goodie Bags

I will take yummy treats over a goodie bag with random little tchotchkes any day.

My toddler son’s birthday was this weekend and it got me thinking about goodie bags. I asked myself the question, “How does one approach giving a thank you gift to guests without giving them things that end up as clutter?”

the answer…Food.

My eldest son is twelve now, and I have celebrated many a birthday where I admittedly spent too much money on little trinkets to put in goodie bags: small packs of crayons with just the primary colors, those miniature coloring books with like 5 pictures, tiny handheld puzzle games that immediately break, candy to hype your children up, those plastic/gummy toys that stick to things, etc… All of that stuff, at the end of the day, is really just bad for the environment and your wallet. I also feel like the concept in itself is a marketing tool to train you to spend your money on things you don’t need—more on that in another post.

That is why the answer for me, as an alternative to goodie bags, is a yummy treat.

I love this so much and here’s why!

- Buying from a local bakery means you’re supporting your community!
- If you buy from a small business, you’re supporting a fellow human!
- Making them yourself will save you some money and get you to practice your baking skills!
- With food, you won’t be left with any unwanted leftovers that clutter your home—you will most certainly 100% find someone to eat the leftovers.

Do you have any favorite baking recipes or go to bakeries for yummy treats? Please share your ideas below!

Thanks so much for reading!