Looking for ways to buy less stuff and spend more quality time with loved ones this Christmas? These bright ideas will help you to swap the frenzy of shopping, wrapping, and over-consumption for a slower pace that nourishes the soul.
- Give thoughtfully. Instead of buying gifts for the sake of it, think about what those you love would really love. What about sourcing some recycled bricks for that pizza oven dad has been wanting to build, with a ‘voucher’ for a day of your labour (add an expiry date so he is tickled into action and knows your offer is serious!) Got a friend who’s been wanting to learn how to cook curry the way you do? Put together a scrapbook of favourite recipes with an invitation to Sunday dinner, with a menu of dishes you can cook together. Use your imagination to make the dreams of friends and family a reality.
- Give experiences not stuff. Not only will your gift be waste free, the memory of an inspiring activity will last way longer than another gadget or DVD. Ever wanted to try stand-up paddle boarding? Or aerial yoga? How about tickets to the theatre, music, or the cinema. Why not surfing, drawing or pottery lessons, a make your own terrarium workshop. Or a massage, spa session or personal growth workshop. Red Balloon has loads of experiential gift ideas grouped by state and territory. Have a skill to share? Your gift of experience might involve you offering to teach someone how to play the ukulele, or make their own sourdough.
- Give the gift of time. Offer your babysitting services for the night or book a restaurant–every busy parent will love the chance to go out for an evening. A ‘voucher’ for a year’s worth of monthly mother-daughter outings. These can be free art exhibitions, walks in nature or a simple afternoon tea where you bake together. Make some suggestions and let your daughter come up with the rest-with only one rule, shopping is off the list. Offer to drive your grandparents to the plant store and help them in the garden, they will be completely delighted to have the help and to be spending time with you. If you don’t have time personally, you can give credits on Airtasker and let someone else help out!
- Give homemade. Some seedlings or succulents in a painted pot. Christmas pudding wrapped in muslin. Jams, chutneys and mulled wine. Handmade cards with a heartfelt message or poem. Hand-painted scarves, home knits and home-brew. A recording of a song you penned just for the listener. The time, effort, creativity and love put into these gifts says far more than dashing out to the shops on Christmas eve for last minute stocking fillers. As well as avoiding the queues, parking and stress of shopping, you’ll get the enjoyment of creating it too. Stuck for ideas? Here’s list of the best 35 craft sites on the web.
- Give again. Many of us have cupboards full of unused clothing and bric a brac, and sporting goods or books that we’ve never got around to reading. Re-gifting is not about ditching your junk onto others, its about finding the perfect home for objects you don’t have a need for but which have value to others. Passing on the tea service you know your Aunty will get greater pleasure from, or giving a favourite book from childhood yo your kids with a personal inscription. Baking some gingerbread or savoury treats from whatever is in the pantry. Framing a photo from a recent family holiday in an old picture frame, turning household glasses into pretty candle holders. You can always re-gift to charity if you can’t find the right home for your unwanted gift or item.
- Gift your gifts unwrapped. Wrapping paper is expensive, and unnecessary – especially the fancy stuff that contains chemicals. Its all about the reveal – so use old fabric, scarves, tea towels and brown paper decorated by you or the kids, and natural twine or raffia rather than plastic ribbon. You could even put together a selection of fabric squares in festive colours and re-cycle them each year. Christmas colour can be made from recycling items around the house. Try decorating a fallen branch, hung with painted pinecones, and hand made baubles. Instead of buying a christmas tree each year, why not decorate a pot plant that you can continue to enjoy for the years ahead. At our house we decorate the dwarf eucalyptus in front of the deck with solar lights and hang recycled Christmas decorations from my parents that are nearing 40 years old!
- Give a goat. Giving donations to charity — a goat or chicken from Oxfam unwrapped have been a popular hit!–is a great way to give twice. Choose a charity that you know the receiver supports or would like. Or make a family donation to a worthy local cause that everyone can feel good about. You could also volunteer your time to local charities over the holidays. I’m giving to FNPF in Indonesia an amazing non-profit who help protect wildlife and support local people. You can help their efforts following the devastating fires in Indonesia and plant a tree for as little as $2.
If you are buying gifts, go for local, fair-trade and sustainable gifts. Pay a little more to support local designers and craftspeople, and stay clear of plastic and packaging!
Finally, when it come time to give your gift, give pause. Take a moment to connect with loved ones and soak in the gift of presence, not presents. And where possible, try to avoid the ripping and tearing frenzy – its tiring and overwhelming, even for kids.