With so many gifts to buy and so many people to buy for, the holidays tend to be pretty hectic. But with the right mindset and a new, effective routine, new traditions can be made that create a more environmentally friendly yet still extravagant holiday season.
Planning:
The most important step to take in preparation for the holidays is to plan everything: decorations, gifting, budgeting, planning events, and any other thing that goes into this busy time of year. I like to keep a running list of gift ideas on my phone for the people in my life so that I can keep track of things I can get for them, and I do this year-round so that I have some ideas and don’t feel rushed as the holidays approach. Writing down gifts that I buy, their prices, and who it’s for is a very simple task that helps me prevent overspending and overbuying. It’s important to me, as well, to consider thoughtful gifts that a person might need, rather than something that might get put to waste or end up unused. Thinking about these things over time also prevents the stress of buying anything you can find at the last minute, which might not end up being something that you really wanted to get.
Gifts:
One thing about me is that I absolutely love (giving and receiving) gifts that are personal to me, such as something handmade or something that serves as a sweet reminder of the people in my life and the relationship with the person who gave it to me. There are so many ways to give gifts like these, and what makes it better is that these kinds of gifts can be earth-friendly. Photo albums, crafts, ornaments, picture frames, and Pinterest DIY’s are just a few sentimental gift ideas that can be reused and repurposed. Otherwise, if you’re not so crafty, there are websites where, when purchasing one of their items, it donates a percentage of the money to protect wildlife, national parks, oceans, and other organizations of the like, which make for another cool eco-friendly gift for anyone. Shopping locally from small businesses is also a way to reduce the impact that online orders and piled-up boxes would otherwise have on the environment.
When it comes to gift wrapping, rather than using wrapping paper that is bleached, dyed, and laminated, a more sustainable option is recycled, natural-colored paper that you can paint or draw on yourself. It can be fun to customize the paper to the person you are gifting it to, and you can top the gifts off with pinecones or ribbon for some extra festivity. Fabric gift wrap is a great option as well, which comes in lots of patterns and colors and can be reused over and over again!
Decorations:
Let’s face it, it doesn’t feel like Christmas until the tree is up and there are lights and decorations all around! Something to consider is which is more effective for your family: a real Christmas tree from a tree farm that replants these trees yearly, or a good quality artificial tree that will last you for many years. Both are sustainable options, surprisingly, and it is a good place to get started with thinking about earth-friendly holiday decorating. There are lots of kinds of holiday home decor that can be DIYed from home and makes for an exciting family/friend activity. Ornaments are a fun one, that can be crafted from pieces of wood, paper, popsicle sticks, small photo frames, and salt dough which can be shaped and molded. Aside from home crafts, however, it’s important to have decorations that are of good quality if it is store-bought so that you get what you pay for. Buying cheap Christmas decorations that could break even before the next holiday season would add more unnecessary waste to our landfills, just imagine how much waste the holidays create. Thrift stores usually have a huge variety of Christmas items and would be a great place to find things that can be upcycled or gifted as well.
This extremely busy time of year may not be the ideal time to think about being sustainable, but it is important to start somewhere because any small change is still making a difference. Starting your eco-friendly holiday journey will create a unique experience that might even end up as a newfound family tradition. So, don’t just start dreaming of a Green Christmas, make it happen!
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