Presence is the Best Present for People and the Earth
of the word. One popular alternative is charitable giving instead of gift giving. Each person contributes whatever amount they see fit to a chosen nonprofit. Each year, a different person gets to choose the organization. Do-good/ feel-good gifts are amazing.
by Nancy DeVault
Reason for the season. People
exchange gifts for many reasons, including obligation, tradition and joy. Maybe we really don’t want to get anything for the boss, and backing out of the family secret Santa swap could seem rude, but finding the perfect gift for a loved one can be priceless.
Good Tidings of Time. Holiday gifts
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and more stores offer receipts via text or email. This decreases paper copies that end up trashed.
can connect us to the time when three wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus to celebrate his birth in the manger. It is said that Saint Nicholas gave gifts to the poor. Today, Santa Claus rewards children that have behaved well. We are not necessarily being a Scrooge without material presents. Distributing fewer presents can actually grant us the opportunity to be more present during the holidays than ever before. For many busy people, time is much more valuable than stuff that comes with a receipt. Instead of spending hours shopping for loved ones, we make more time to experience jolly jubilation together. Rather than spending hours in big box stores, we can spend quality time marveling at neighborhood Christmas lights, attending holiday happenings and building gingerbread houses.
Become a sustainable shopper.
Seasonal Sanity. Holiday stress can
uring the most wonderful time of the year, we may notice iconic green and red hues everywhere. But, in reality, the holidays can be far from green. Think about all the waste that accumulates during the season and harms our plant. Global warming will impact the temperature of the North Pole, so we’re “making a list and checking it twice” for ways to truly embrace being green. Here are some ideas.
center to see if area programs convert used Christmas trees into mulch.
Double-click on card sending.
Don’t leave a paper trail. More
This digital greeting of e-cards via social media is eco-friendly, plus it’ll save both time (with the elimination of penning cards/envelopes) and money (no need for postage stamps). Receiving Christmas cards snail-mail style is still nice, so use cards made from recycled paper or go with a photo card that could be kept as a keepsake. Plus, cards can be repurposed into homemade gift tags.
Do good with decorations. Don’t
just toss old decorations, explore donation options. Pass them along to a friend, secondhand store or nonprofit.
Extend tree trimmings beyond Christmas. Contact a local recycling 18
Ocala/Gainesville FL
Curtail excessive wrapping paper use. Gift bags may be a better choice
compared to wrapping paper because bags can be reused, whereas paper is commonly ripped and tossed. And don’t shy away from using household alternatives like newspaper and paper grocery bags.
We’re in control of our purchasing power. Choose brands that use eco-friendly materials. When applicable, gift homemade presents crafted with love.
Gift no gifts. We all like giving pur-
poseful gifts on occasion and receiving them, too. But holiday shopping can be all-consuming; evaluate why we purchase so many gifts. We may buy for our partner, children, colleagues, neighbors, relatives, friends and household service workers. It can be a lot, in every sense
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bring out the worst in people, such as Black Friday stampedes and parking lot
