You know who you are, so don't bother pointing your finger at the person sitting next to you. It's a fact of life for some of us -- that chronic tendency to put off for tomorrow what you really should have done last week. Before you know it, you're pulling an all-nighter like you did back in school just to achieve a minor miracle, except that this time, we're talking about the holiday season and guess what...the clock waits for no one! Instead of rationalizing in your head that you have a few more weeks to go -- pleeeeeenty of time (or so you like to convince yourself) -- think again. Take a gander at this list of tips specifically geared toward people suffering from last minutitus -- hopefully you will be inspired to get crack-a-lackin' so that you can enjoy a little smooth sailing ahead in the weeks to come!
To Shop At The Mall, Or Not To Shop At The Mall...That Is The Question.
Going to the mall in search of elusive gifts is a notorious time sucker-upper since there is far more traffic on the road at this time of year -- plus, fighting for parking spots can be a true exercise in patience. Once you finally gain admission to the palace of potential presents, then you need to consider your personal investment of time as you navigate all of the stores and weave among increased pedestrian traffic. From a green perspective, I'm not quite sure that internet shopping is any better for the planet given the fact that desired items are shipped vast distances from warehouses to your front door using a ridiculous amount of excess packaging, but there is a plus. While you'll still be spending a great deal of time searching for gifts online, at least it will be in the comfort of your own home and your car will remain in the garage...good for your personal carbon footprint and wallet. Plus, you can reuse the majority of the materials that manufacturers ensconse your gifts in for even more greenification. Hmmm, but what if you could avoid both options altogether and embrace your inner grandma instead?
Give 'Em What They Really Want...Cold, Hard Gift Cards.
Barring cash (which has a tendency to slip out of envelopes and mysteriously vanish into thin air), gift cards are slightly more secure...unless they slip out of envelopes and, well, you get the picture. To make the gift far greener, be sure to purchase them from retailers that use bioplastic cards or avoid the plastic altogether and purchase an e-gift card from Amazon, Victoria's Secret, Macy's or number of other retailers. Even greener still -- make your own gift certificates out of recycled materials and actually deliver on your promise to the recipient!
Um...Ever Thought About Regifting & Calling It A Done Deal?
This form of recycling is normally frowned upon, but I have a sneaking suspicion that as with fashion, everything old is new again. Why is it a bad thing to recycle a gift that's just not up your alley? As long as you give it to someone who will likely be happy with it, then no harm done, right? Even better, hold a "Regifting Swap-A-Thon" with your best buds and loved ones so that everyone goes home with exactly the right _______________ for Uncle Elmo. Orrrr, if it the gift that's been taking up room in your attic is absolutely ungiftable, then deconstruct it and repurpose it into a trash-to-treasure creation that you can be proud of. Hey, you might even be able to offer your Frankenstein creation to someone on your gift list!
Use The Two Hands Attached To Your Arms To Create...Drumroll Please....Handcrafted Goodies.
This is hardly an original suggestion based on what Greenwala community members (and everyone else in the cybersphere) have been focusing on lately, but it definitely bears repeating. In many cases, you can cross off everyone on your gift list by committing just one weekend to gift making tasks (if you're especially gung-ho about it) or even a mere weeknight or two if you tackle simple food related projects. Either way, identify one or two thoughtful handmade gifts that you believe you have the skills to pull off and ban forces with friends so that you can crank out a whole bevvy of diverse goodies for the lucky people on your list. Be strategic about capitalizing on the personal talents of everyone you know (yourself included), which will make for a relatively minimal time investment with maximum results.
Give Your Manufactured Decorations A Vacation In Favor Of Natural Materials.
Some might beg to differ, but I find that using found objects from the great outdoors requires a lot less time to display than what might be purchased from a big box store. Placing a few sprigs of holly along with boughs of greenery around the house does wonders to enhance the holiday look of your home with minimal effort, as opposed to conventional decorations that often have to be artfully arranged. Consider pouring a bunch of cranberries in a centerpiece bowl, scattering pinecones around the exterior, gathering cinnamon sticks into bundles adorned with a piece of star anise and voila -- instant cheer with seriously minimal carbon footprint. Stud oranges with cloves and ribbon or just slice and dry them -- then add them to a bowl of edible fruit for a barely arranged "arrangement" that smells great and looks very appealing. Focus on whatever materials you can locate that reflect the color palate you prefer, or give them a little coaxing with a quick coat of paint and you're an instant Martha Stewart with none of the jail time.
When In Doubt, Find Safety In Numbers.
Make the holidays a family affair! In our fast paced society, we are far too often distracted by the seemingly pressing concerns of life, which often forces one member of the household to step up to the plate and create that holiday feeling all by their lonesome. That's no fun...in fact, it can be a bit of a bummer and generate that feeling of stress that you read all about on magazine covers, etc. Instead, assign a different holiday responsibility to each member of your family...or create themed nights where all of you take care of a "fun new project" that will in turn, enable you to be a member of the Recovered Procrastinators Anonymous club. Even if you are footloose and fancy free, you can still apply the same concept to your circle of friends. I scratch your back, you scratch my back...we're all happy!
Nancy Rielle
said on December 08, 2009