Which got me thinking about gifts and trees. These are inseparable from our experience of the winter holidays (Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Hanukah). The tradition of getting together with family, expectation and receiving of presents, and unwinding after a long year is beautiful, it warms our souls.
But does grandpa really need ANOTHER sweater? The moments when I see his eyes sparkle, are when I come over and just hang out with him and Grandma, ask him to help me with my welding projects, and just give them my attention.
What do you give someone for Christmas?
Do we really need another PSP, handbag, or sweater? Do we want to keep going down the downward spiral of consumption, rewarding unfair labor practices, pollution and depletion of our natural resources with our hard earned cash, all the while making ourselves work more so we could afford more of the same?
My dream of the perfect gift, isn't full of Chanel handbags but of adventure, experiences I’ll enjoy in the moment and remember for years, and of the connection with the people I share these experiences with. I think the most highly valued commodity now is time. Time spent talking to someone, making them a gift that makes them feel special. If we still want to exercise our buying power, why not give a gift that gives to others?
I searched for gifts that represented this – giving experiences, making someone feel special, or gifts with a higher purpose.
Customized Walking Tour
Give a friend from out of town your key to the city. Share those special places to watch the sunset, have the best meal, see new art, and have a few drinks. No packaging or GHGs produced in the process!
Make yours here
If you know someone whose soul longs for tomato vines, check out Farm City - a fantastic resource on urban farming and sustainable agriculture. Sign them up for an Intro To Urban Farming Class or one of their Farm Tours.
My personal favorite sustainability-oriented and an all-around awesome place, Cafe Habana, sells these great Chicas Habana Calendar 2010 "Girls Gone Green Road Trip" - colorful photos of local ethnically-diverse girls photographed on their bikes and around New York's iconic neighbourhoods.
Make them Homemade Organic Tomato Sauce, they'll love it and keep the jar forever!
Find recipe here
Another way to promote sustainability in your neighbourhood is purchasing a gift certificate to a local eco-friendly establishment, such as an organic restaurant.
Yelp has the answer, naturally!
GIFTS WITH A PURPOSE
This sterling silver faucet pendant supports the UN’s “Water is a human right” campaign, which funds clean water initiatives in third world countries.
This sterling silver faucet pendant supports the UN’s “Water is a human right” campaign, which funds clean water initiatives in third world countries.
For more gifts that allocate a portion of proceeds to charitable causes, click here
This one is perfect for the man of the house.
Solar-powered Shaver
If you like experimenting and know the person it's for will appreciate the effort, make your own here
Alternatively, buy one from EnviroGadget
GIFTS OF EXPERIENCES
I also like it when I get a gift that forces me to get out of my work-school-home routine. It's so easy to get sucked in, the year goes by in a blink and I feel like I haven't stopped to enjoy the moment. When we got married, my husband's family got us a gift certificate to a spa somewhere up in the mountains of Northern Spain. Just being there, without a laptop, taking in the snow-capped cliffs from the outdoor jacuzzi, talking, really talking and really seeing each other, felt like time had stopped.
This is one of those things you can enjoy with another person or give to a couple.
Picnic at the Vineyard
Nowadays, few have the resources to give to charity, but instead of getting another gift that'll collect dust in your overflowing apartment, I believe many would prefer to receive a Charity Gift Card. You can go directly to the charity of your choice (or theirs if you know it) or purchase from sites like CharityGiftCertificates.com
My last point is about the Christmas tree. Just like with fur, it's ok to fake it! There's nothing sadder than the piles of dead trees lining the sidewalks the days after the holidays. Here's my solution
Peace and Love
Happy Holidays!!
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