Less is more for the holidays

by CHRISTINA CLARK
Nov 10th 2008 @ 2:54PM

Filed under: Home, Tips, Green Giving

I try my best to write about things on Green Daily that I would actually do or try myself. And what I am about to write is a big one at my house this year. 

Less for Christmas. I know. It's difficult to really embrace this idea. I am working on it though. And the more I read around the web, other people are thinking about it too. 

How can you get started? Keep reading. 


Decide first if you want an eco-friendly focus, a money-saving focus, or both. We are going more for a money-saving focus at our house but many of our choices are turning out to be green.

• Talk to family and friends who would be receptive to the idea of exchanging simple, homemade gifts or services or skipping gifts altogether. One of my cousins is really into canning and eagerly agreed to swap homemade gifts. I didn't broach the subject with my bachelor male cousin who is into video games and TV dinners. Maybe next year. 
  
• Be realistic about the time until Christmas. 
  
• Keep it simple. Don't plan to bake 15 varieties of gourmet cookies (unless that's your thing). It will cost you more time and money than regular Christmas shopping. 
  
• If you have a closet full of wrapping supplies, use them before getting any more. And if you don't, look for alternatives like comic pages or newsprint with potato stamp images that your kids can make. 
  

We have a variety of approaches at our house. I have several knitted scarves in process (I am an habitual starter or projects). I have family members who have commented that they liked this or that one, so I am working to finish those for the family members that liked them. 

We canned a wide variety of jams this year and my husband bakes all of our bread. So, we will be giving many friends a loaf or two of homemade bread along with some jam. Family members will receive these in addition to other gifts. 

I just got married in June, so for some immediate family members, I am making mini wedding scrapbooks (I already scrapbook so I am using various scraps and bits and pieces from other projects). For others, a framed photo of my husband and I with them on our wedding day. 

And finally, the biggest thing we are doing is just buying less. For many cousins that I don't see regularly, we are simply giving a Christmas ornament. For my nephew we are spending the largest portion of what we budgeted for him on a savings bond. Everyone else will buy him toys. We will get him a sleeping bag, some hiking boots and a nature book with a coupon good for a camping trip with us. 

It was hard for me to let go of the idea of buying really cool stuff for everyone. I had to admit I was doing it partly to find something they would like, but also partly to feel good when they told me it was a really cool gift. So this year, I am working on making changes that will be better for the planet, better for my wallet and just better for everyone all around. 

What are you doing differently?