Amongst all the recent worldly turbulence, I’ve somehow found myself very satisfied with my life, possessions and day-to-day activities. Perhaps it’s just seeing life from a different perspective, but most of my friends and family feel the same way. So we’ve decided to do gift giving differently this year. Some require no money whatsoever, and all of them are more about quality, not quantity. Click below for a few things were’re looking at that will last beyond the holidays.
5 Gifts that Keep Giving Beyond the Holidays
Un-Gift Guide 2008
1. Donate to Charity
A couple I know is forgoing gifts and is instead donating a set amount of money to the charity of the other’s choice. I love this idea, and obviously it doesn’t have to be a large amount of money, just something to give back.
2. Carbon Offsets
What do you give to someone who drives a Prius, charges their electronics with a Solio charger, and heats their water with solar panels? How about cover the rest of their emissions with carbon offsets, like the TerraPass? Last year my coworkers and I got our employer a TerraPass to cover his family’s car carbon footprint. He liked it so much he decided to offset the entire office’s footprint.
3. Spend Time Together
Rather than give each other presents just because it’s a holiday, both my friends and my boyfriend and I have decided to give each other the gift of time together. A dinner gathering will be fun, and everyone has something to contribute.
4. Subscribe to a CSA
Everyone needs to eat, so why not make it fresh and organic, and support your local farmers? We’re asking for a mini subscription to Fresh Picks, a local and organic produce delivery service – just something to get us through the winter until the farmers markets start up again in the spring.
5. Craft Together
Rather than have our only activity be unwrapping presents, this year my mom’s asking to make something together with my sister and me on Christmas Day. We’re going to try making either a rug or blanket out of our collection of old wool sweaters. We’re also thinking about making lunch totes out of grocery bags – we’ll let you know how it goes!
Image by jorsfeldt via stock.xchng
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Maybe it's the state of the economy, but I'm feeling particularly cynical this holiday season, much more so than in past years.
I told my siblings not to give me or my partner gifts this year. Every year, I go through this routine where my sisters tell me to list things I would like on my amazon.com wishlist, and they pick and choose from it.
This year, I told them that if they feel compelled nonetheless to give something to us, then give a donation to a nonreligious, nonpolitical charity of their choice on our behalf.
view david's profile
All good ideas - subscribing to a CSA is one you don't see listed very often.
For more ideas, I have a whole series of posts about clutter-free gifts, at a wide range of price points. There may be something for even the most cynical. (But reducing the number of gifts that get exchanged can be a good strategy, too.)
view Jeri Dansky's profile
adopt or sponsor a pet!
view evamae's profile