Holiday Gifting: Thinking Outside the Box
By Caitlin Marshall
It’s the holiday season, and in America, that always means one thing: it’s time to buy stuff. A lot of stuff.
The core of our tradition of gifting is lovely; who doesn’t love cultivating generosity and celebration? But when we’ve reached a new norm of “Door-Buster Deals!” and “Cyber Monday Starts Saturday!!” – we’ve lost our way.
So, let’s think outside the box! Here are a few fun ways to spread the love and skip the stuff when holiday gifting.
- Custom Coupon Book: A great option for kids; things like “you get to pick the music for the car ride,” “dessert before dinner,” or “stay up an extra half hour,” to be cashed in when they please. But it can work for adults, too! “Hot cider & snowshoeing,” “I’ll bring beers and we’ll weed your garden together.”
- Yankee Swap: “White Elephant” style is the best: nothing should be purchased new, or even be useful. It should be the most ridiculous, tacky item already at your home, innocently wrapped up and added to the pile.
- Contribute to a Cause: There are many excellent climate-focused organizations, international to local. CharityNavigator is a great resource for vetting the quality of an organization.
- A Handwritten Letter: Everyone appreciates a sincere, handwritten note. Especially in this age of emails and texts, a card written by hand shows you’re giving the gift of your time and attention.
- Invent a Tradition: Instead of thinking of free / low-impact gifts, consider simply de-emphasizing gifting and building up other traditions. If your family already makes huge batches of tamales, or has borscht on Christmas Eve, lean into those. But you can also start from scratch! Bake cookies for the neighbors, read the same book, bundle up for a night walk to look at the lights.
May your holidays be joyful and light!
Caitlin Marshall is a Portland resident and member of the Portland Climate Action Team (PCAT).
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets the third Tuesday of the month, 6 – 7:30pm. All are welcome! FMI: portlandclimateaction@gmail.com.
