With the holidays coming up and many beginning to stress about what our loved ones might like for a gift, it might be worth thinking for a minute about the bigger picture. I feel a sense of emptiness walking through a store in the first half of November, which is festooned with holiday decorations. I despair having to listen to “I Am Dreaming Of A White Christmas” muzak blaring, and the inescapable aroma of faux (phthalate-laden) mulled wine/holiday spice everywhere. Is there a way that we can all commit to Givings gifts that are made to last?
Many of us are stressing about money this year and to have to be reminded this early that we need to start stocking up on stuff, much of which is cheaply made in China, is downright depressing.
How can we make this run-up to the holidays a little more meaningful or soulful? An activity becomes soulful for me if it is creative and joyous – when I lose track of time. Yesterday I was in a gardening store stocking up on air-cleansing plants for my bedroom when I noticed a side room full of eclectic ornaments, wreaths, and toys. I sauntered in while my plants were being packed up and found a table laden with beautiful handmade toys. I believe they came from Denmark, so not a great carbon footprint, but they were exquisite. I was particularly enchanted by a painted wooden box, which opened up into a little bed. Tucked cozily underneath a detailed teeny quilt, lay a brown calico mouse in a hand-stitched nightgown and knitted cap. The detail was extraordinary and despite it being rather expensive, I knew I had to buy it for Lola because it’s something she’ll treasure for her whole life and probably pass down to her children. Browsing this store and watching the sales assistant loving wrap a gift that was clearly made with tremendous care was a soulful experience for me.
On the other hand, I walked through a giant mega-mart style of store today and watched two sales assistants stacking up hundreds of electronic games onto a front-of-store display. We all know that this kind of gadgets and electronics have a purposely short life span. Either the newer one will be out next year, making the 2010 gizmo obsolete, or the device will break within two years (most of them are designed to do so). I know it’s tough because we want to give our kids what they want, but ugh – it’s just depressing to think that many of these games, computers, and devices drain our hard-earned cash and may end up on top of a toxic trash dump in India.
The most positive action that we can take while shopping this year is to try to buy items that will last a long time. I’ve always thought that this is truly the greenest way to shop and something that my husband has always been very good at. He buys very little for himself, but when he splashes out, it has to made really well. Whether it’s a sweater, a guitar (his passion), or a kitchen blender – he wants an item which is preferably made in the U.S. in a responsible manner – an item which is made with pride and made to last.
Obviously, not all gifts that are made to last – candles, chocolates, cosmetics, etc. run out rather too quickly, but we can make sure that these items are soulful too. Find a local candle-maker at your farmer’s market, choose fair-trade chocolate, or buy cosmetics from an ecologically responsible company (all of which you should find in the G.G. Store!). However, if you’re looking at bigger ticket items – saucepans, blenders, clothes, shoes, and even electronics – ask yourself the following:
1. Is the company ecologically responsible (not just green-washing)?
2. If you’re buying an electronic item, find out if the company/brand has a responsible recycling program. Go online and read reviews/blogs about how long the device generally lasts for.
3. Pay-per-use: Try to estimate how many times the item will actually be used. My daughter wanted a DS player last year (only because many of her friends had one). Knowing she’s not really into that kind of thing at all, I estimated she’d use it about once every two weeks (if that), so they pay-per-use didn’t make sense. If I was going to shell out over two hundred bucks, it better be something she’d play with almost every day.
4. Consider what the gravesite of your purchase will look like. Is the item recyclable?
5. Can you find a similar item with less packaging? So many kid’s toys are so heavily packaged that it takes an hour to get all the plastic and ties off.
6. A gift certificate for things like a day of babysitting, homemade dinner for two, dog walking for a month, or a romantic massage, are a great idea because there’s no packaging and it’s likely to create lasting memories for the recipient – far more meaningful than a jar of artificially scented bath salts!
7. Less is more – don’t feel you have to over-do it. Sometimes a tiny thoughtful gift is all it takes.
8. Make your own! I’m making all my friends the “Exfoliating Facial Scrub” from Do It Gorgeously this year. I plan to use beautiful glass jars and include the ingredients on the label so that the recipient can keep in re-filling and make their jar last.
