Brrr Baskets Might Be The Bane Of My Existence

'Tis the season for overspending. But this year, I told myself no matter how tempted I was to overdo it, I would keep things reasonable. Because who wants to be paying off Christmas until February? It’s not hard to set this boundary, I mean (gestures broadly to the US economy), all I really wanted to shop for on Black Friday was discounted groceries.

Plus, my kids are older—their lists are shorter and more specific (farewell vague descriptions of a random toy they saw on YouTube). I thought getting a head start on shopping would take the edge off. And it did, initially.

Planning ahead seemed to be a step in the right direction. Up until my kids hit me with a request I hadn’t planned for. “Mom, I want to do Brrr Baskets this year.” Cue the confusion and the unsettling feeling that I wasn’t going to like this ask. If it was anything like the Boo Basket trend I’d narrowly avoided over the last few years, I really preferred not to add one more thing to my to-do list.

So when I asked what a Brrr Basket was, they made it seem like no big deal. Apparently, it’s supposed to be a small basket filled with their favorite things. Something cute and cozy people can give to their kids, friends, romantic partners, or really anyone they want to get a little something for. Not quite an official Christmas gift—something to celebrate the season of all things cold and chilly (hence the Brrr).

Sounds reasonable, right? This concept seemed like the new, trendier version of the many secret Santa exchanges I did at their age… or so I thought. But after gathering my kids’ thoughts about what to include in these baskets, I was less than thrilled. Apparently, Brrr Baskets were going to be the bane of my existence this Christmas… just when I thought I’d finally gotten everything else under control.

The expectations for what would fill the baskets seemed to rise second by second. Sol De Janero sprays? A $35 plush blanket? A Kendra Scott necklace? I mean—some of the things belonged on their Christmas list; so much for a small token, a no big deal, reasonable gift exchange.

After I finally picked my jaw up off the floor, we talked about it. Why were they hell bent on these items, and why so much… stuff? Wasn’t it all supposed to fit in a basket, and shouldn’t it be cozy? Why is it called a Brrr Basket if you refuse to buy fuzzy socks to fit in there (apparently, that’s not cool).

In the age of YouTube hauls and TikTok trends, it’s hard to put things in perspective. Especially when this has been the norm for kids growing up in the age of the internet. We watched some of their favorite YouTube families, and their color-coordinated, super-sized baskets were overflowing. I understood where the kids were coming from, but if they wanted to do Brrr Baskets, we would need to take a slightly different approach.

I asked some questions of my kids: Do you think the people exchanging these baskets even use this stuff? Have you considered how many of the things in these baskets are probably “gifted” to the content creators and not a tab they picked up? The older I get, the hotter the rage-flame of overconsumption burns for me. Practicing not buying things just to buy them with no purpose, need, or even want, is a concept we try to actively practice.

Don’t get me wrong, I'm glad my kids are super into the spirit of giving. It’s heartwarming to see them put so much thought into gifts for their friends. But the items they wanted to include were pricey. My kids are too young to work. Sure, they have an allowance, and while I didn’t expect them to fork over all their savings, I wanted them to understand that, as much as I’d like to be, I’m not made out of money. That if they wanted to give gifts to their friends, they’d have to put something towards it too.

In the end, we’re doing Brr Baskets our way. They’re taking a look at different stores stocking stuffer options and picking up their friends' favorite snacks (and of course, that gum they’re constantly begging each other for). Instead of getting each friend a whole Sol De Janeiro Jet Set, we found a multipack of smaller sizes and are splitting them up. But, they aren’t just buying things—they’re spending plenty of time baking Christmas cookies and trying out different special dessert recipes.

'Tis the season to be jolly, they say. And even though I’m not sure I love the idea of Brrr Baskets, I do love the idea of spreading Christmas cheer and embracing the season of giving. The kids could have filled an entire basket with homemade goods and treats, and it still would have sent the same message: the holidays are about showing the people in your life that you care about a little extra love and care.

Holly Garcia writes about parenting, mental health, and all the lifestyle things. She hails from the Midwest, where she’s raising her daughters and drinking copious amounts of coffee.