Curious of the ways you are avoiding buying mass-produced junk as gifts for people this holiday season. Share your ideas and tips, what you make or do, or how you otherwise partake of the joys of togetherness this time of year, without consuming for the sake of consumption.
Curious of the ways you are avoiding buying mass-produced junk as gifts for people this holiday season.
By ignoring the holiday completely.
That’s valid, that’s my normal strategy, as well. Branching out this year.
My gift to my friends this year is to help them pick colors, and then paint 1-2 rooms in whatever colors they buy. This is something they have talked about doing in the near future anyway, so they were pretty stoked. None of them have the tools for it, so each would have bought a bunch of stuff they would use once, probably would have used painters tape (something I don’t use other than for non-corner color splits/stripes), and it would be a hassle and take forever. I’m not a professional painter or anything, but I am rather good, and fast, at it because I need change in my own environment every few years, so everyone is pretty happy with this arrangement.
Making my partner a photo album
For the kids in my family I am still getting them each a small gift but I’m also taking half of what I’ve budgeted for them for a donation.
But I’m (hopefully) going to make it fun. I’m researching non-profits where they live and I’m going to put together a paper with a list of them and their missions and website. I want each kid to pick the charity and write a letter (which I’m providing a template for so they can just fill it in) to tell the non-profit why they picked their charity. I’m also going to include a card that they can send it in and a stamped envelope to mail it.
My hope is that they can find some joy in picking a cause that means something to them and feel those good feels when you can help someone less fortunate.
And for the adults, my partner has a friend who roasts and grinds his own fair trade coffee so we bought a bunch of bags from him to give as gifts. It’s hyper local and won’t create waste but it’s also not your typical unhealthy fare like chocolates and baked goods (which are fine too, but I have a lot of family who are diet conscious so it’s a win from that perspective).
The coffee sounds lovely, and I hope the donation thing works out!
My family does secret santa, so I buy 1 gift per year.
The King’s Touch, mercury, and prayer.
Oh wait I thought you were asking about tuberculosis.
I’m OK buying quality mass produced items, and if Trump follows through on his tariff nomsense, it makes sense to do it now.
For example, Le Creuset is imported from France (cast iron) or SE Asia (ceramic), prices on all that will explode under Trump.
Nordic Ware is also great stuff, and it’s made in the US, but tariffs on imported aluminum will move demand to US sourced aluminum, which will also raise prices. :(
