A minimalist mum is refusing to buy her kids any Christmas presents this year - instead opting for handmade 'day out' coupons.<br /><br />Dagbjört Jónsdóttir, 40, has thrown away 1,000 items from her home over the years - including sofas, dishes and clothes - and says Christmas presents are a no-go because "they'll clutter the house". <br /><br />Instead, the mum-of-two is opting for gift cards for indoor play parks or handmade coupons that her kids - six and three - can redeem for a day out of their choice - such as a trip to the beach, a bicycle ride in the forest or a picnic.<br /><br />Dagbjört admitted her children sometimes want physical presents but says compared to other kids she believes they are "more aware" they don't always need material objects.<br /><br />Dagbjört and her husband, Thorsteinn Gudnason, 40, a building constructor, also refrain from buying each other gifts - choosing to book a holiday to go instead. <br /><br />The Jónsdóttir's unique take on Christmas means they are able to spend next to nothing and enjoy the festive period stress-free without having to "run to the shops", according to Dagbjört.<br /><br />Her minimalist lifestyle seems to have also rubbed off on her kids, as they both recently downsized their room and sold over half of their toys in a yard sale.<br /><br />Dagbjört, a freelance marketer, originally from Iceland but now living in Odense, Denmark, said: "Every year we get more and more conscious about gifting - more so this year.<br /><br />"We don't really receive or give material presents at all anymore.<br /><br />"Our kids get experiences and we don't give them material things. <br /><br />"We try and focus on something we can make a memory of.<br /><br />"We usually gift them gift cards for these indoor play parks or we design these little coupons that have a trip to the beach or somewhere fun to go - we try to make it things we can do as the family together.<br /><br />"It's a lot cheaper with these self-made coupons and all the decorations. <br /><br />"Almost everyone has this crazy December and we don't get that, the stress on that is zero."<br /><br />Although her kids tend to receive mostly gift coupons for Christmas, Dagbjört says they do receive material items occasionally.<br /><br />She said: "Of course, sometimes they want physical presents and when we go out and we see a commercial or something they often say they want certain things. <br /><br />"When they have birthdays they get gifts from grandparents, aunties and uncles, but this year it's the bare minimum.<br /><br />"Compared to other children, they are more aware that they don't need the material objects all the time."<br /><br />A minimalist lifestyle is the idea of living with fewer items and only using what you really need.<br /><br />When it comes to her minimalist Christmas, Dagbjört decorates her house using re-purposed household items and things found in nature.<br /><br />She said: "We do have a tree but we try to make the decorations ourselves or we find them in nature. <br /><br />"Things that don't serve us purpose anymore are also used."
