The consumer-oriented focus of the winter holiday season leads to stress, guilt, debt and over consumption. Most of us already have way more "stuff" than we need or want. Why give in to the pressure to make the problem worse? If your values are leading you away from this way of living, there is no better time than right now to end the madness.More and more people every year are celebrating Buy Nothing Day on the day after Thanksgiving, the most popular shopping day of the year. Some people get a rush out of getting up early in the morning, ads in hand, to get the best deals. I don't, and I consider not needing to shop for gifts a huge relief. You can read more about Buy Nothing Day at this website: Buy Nothing Day.
The very best thing would be to completely opt out of buying things to celebrate the holidays. Instead you could donate to a charity, offer your time and skills, put your crafting urges to use and make a gift or offer something special from your kitchen. But if that won't fly in your circle, consider these options for gifts that express your anti-consumer values. They'll leave you with a clearer conscience and encourage the recipients to adopt greener habits by taking better care of themselves and the planet.
- Reusable shopping & produce bags
- Travel mug for daily coffee junkies
- Fair trade coffee
- Fair trade chocolate
- A bamboo plant
- Organic skin care
- A massage
- Yoga classes
- Natural rubber yoga mat
- Organic cotton or bamboo clothing
- Beeswax or soy candles
- Organic cotton sheets
- Portable solar charger for cell phone & mp3 player
Content by Diana E. Lee.
1 comments:
Hi Diane,
It's Jen (christiangrl32) from LJ. I linked over from your blog. I am all for simplifying the holidays and not participating in Black Friday sales. I have been wanting all year to get back to the simpler times in life.
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