Embracing Simplicity
Looking for ways to make the holidays more meaningful this year? Embracing simplicity is a great way to make the holidays more joyful, less wasteful and less stressful.
Looking for ways to make the holidays more meaningful this year? Whether it’s the global economic meltdown that’s got you rethinking your holiday gift budget this year, or your desire to live more simply, embracing simplicity is a great way to make the holidays more joyful, less wasteful and less stressful. These five easy ideas are good for your heart, good for your budget and good for the earth.
1. Give hope, not stuff. Donate on behalf of someone you love to causes they and you care about. One idea: consider giving the gift of Oregon, in the form of an OEC gift membership. You can also give gifts of service to those you care about. Offer your time and talents instead of another sweater or tie. The holidays are also an excellent “teachable moment” for families with children. Involving your children in volunteering locally, or in giving gifts to others who may not otherwise receive gifts at the holidays is a powerful way to connect as a family and focus on the meaning of the holidays.
2. Give home-made. If you have the time and inclination, consider making gifts. A plate of cookies or jar of jam is often enjoyed as much or more than many other things you can buy. Including your recipe makes it a gift that can be enjoyed over and over.
3. Give locally & sustainably-made. If the thought of crafting home-made gifts has you stressed out, relax. That’s not what the holidays should be about. This is SIMPLICITY, right? So if you don’t have time to bake, brew, stitch or knit gifts, but you don’t think your Uncle Joe will get excited by a gift of your time or service, you could consider shopping locally for sustainably-made or harvested gifts. The super-hip online craft website Etsy has a great little tool you can use to find artisans in your area: http://www.etsy.com/shop_local.php Or, for the school-aged tots on your list, you can give an eco-healthy lunch-box kit.
4. Give fair-trade. If you can’t find just the right thing locally, but you want to give a gift of some sort that also supports a cause, there are tons of wonderful sites out there. Here are a few ideas:
5. Rethink wrapping. The amount of waste we Americans produce goes up about 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s! [PDF]
Consider these creative ideas for packaging your presents:
- Cloth wrapping or re-usable cloth gift bags.
- Reuse wrapping or bags from last year
- Use last year’s holiday cards, cutting out images you like to use as gift tags on this year’s gifts. With a pair of scissors, a hole punch and a bit of yarn or ribbon, you’ve got unique, beautiful gift tags better than any you can buy!
These are just a few simple ideas. Do you have great ideas on local and regional resources? Share your non-material gift ideas or other traditions that align with voluntary simplicity on our blog.
Here’s to a happy, peaceful and relaxing holiday season for you and yours!
