Five Ways to Simplify the Holidays
by Wendy Priesnitz
Photo © Shutterstock |
Celebrating the upcoming holiday season doesn’t
have to create stress, expense and unfulfilled expectation. Here are some ways
to save money and protect the planet while still spreading Christmas cheer.
1. Give yourself and the environment a break this
Christmas. Leave all those fragile and fiddly, dust-attracting, energy-guzzling
decorations in the basement. You don’t have to go overboard with the picture
perfect decorations in order to enjoy the spirit of the season. In fact, often
the trappings of the season get in the way of enjoyment. So use the “less is
more” principle and decorate with kids’ art, a few cherished heirlooms,
or some
colorful fruit and greenery. If you must have a tree, buy a potted one and
plan to grow it in your garden next year (or try to locate an organically grown
one if you can’t change the cut tree tradition).
2. Simplify gift wrapping. Instead of buying
wrapping
paper, which is expensive and wasteful, use younger children’s artwork as
wrapping paper. Or reuse old paper, like the Sunday comics section, old maps, and
decorated brown grocery bags. Wrap a gift in a colorful piece of scrap fabric
or make the wrapping part of the gift...as in encasing a sushi bowl and
chopsticks in a tea towel, or some bathroom soap in a plush bath towel.
3. Make your own gifts. One of the advantages of
doing that is that you
lessen or eliminate the time spent at the mall. Use that time together with your
family and friends instead. Hold a gift-making session with your children or
friends. Host a potluck meal during the holiday season. Keep
it simple for everyone but make getting together a priority. Invite some other
families for a walk in the park or for a sledding party. Spend an evening by
candlelight just telling family stories – all electronic media gets unplugged!
4. Do you enjoy holiday baking but don’t have a lot of time? Host a
cookie swap among your friends and neighbors, where each of you makes a few
dozen of one kind of cookie and gets together over a coffee or glass of wine
(organic, of course) to share them among yourselves. This way each person has a
great cookie assortment without all the work.
5. And finally, the traditional theme of the holiday season is
“Peace on earth and goodwill towards all.” No doubt we’d all like a peaceful
world that is full of justice and good will. The holiday season is a great time to involve children in some
peacemaking and community support. Be part of an alternative gift fair in your community, make a
charitable contribution in your kids’ name or volunteer (with your children if
they are of an appropriate age) at a children’s shelter over the holiday season.
Spend some of your gift-giving money on someone who really needs some help
instead of adding to collection of things that will just be returned to the
store or sit on someone’s shelf.
Wendy Priesnitz is the co-founder and editor of Natural Life Magazine, the
author of 13 books, and a journalist with
over 40 years of experience.
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