Here are some easy ways to
lessen your thumb print this holiday season. Many of these ideas came from Crissy Trask. This book is both a great guide and a great gift idea.
1. Limit the Number of gifts you give. Try drawing names out of a hat and give a gift only to one person. We no longer buy for the adults in the family, only kids.
2. Choose gifts that support reuse. For example, find a treasure at a local antique store. What about those great earrings you never wear?
3. Give gifts that don't require a lot of packaging. How about concert tickets, gift certificates or a some kind of membership.
4. Give a non-material gift like babysitting, pet-sitting,teach a special skill or task, or grant a special favor. Or my favorite, Christmas cookies!!
5. Buy a permanent tree instead of a real one; it will be with you a lifetime.
6. If you buy a real tree recycle it immediately following Christmas. Mulching, chipping or composting is an earth friendly method of disposal. Check with your local recycling company or visit gardenweb for ideas on how you can use it at home.
7. Make your own gift tags. Why not use last years cards?
8. Use less energy: use LED lights, which are energy efficient;
use
strings with fewer bulbs & the fewest watts per bulb; and limit the
amount of time you operate your lights, limiting use to 4 hours per
night.
9. Start new traditions that don't revolve around gift giving such as, cook-offs, crafting or some kind of game or tournaments. Try Monopoly or Bowling
10. Be creative with gift wrapping.
Use items you already have, the comic section of the newspaper, last
year's wrapping paper, wallpaper scraps, magazine photos and old
scarves or pillowcases. Otherwise, buy paper that has been recycled. There is no reason to wrap the toys from Santa to your kids, is there?
