Comments on: Decoupling Christmas From Spending http://www.diamondcutlife.org/decoupling-christmas-from-spending/ Sustainable Living: The Heart Of The Matter Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:24:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Alison http://www.diamondcutlife.org/decoupling-christmas-from-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-52461 Alison Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:29:41 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=279#comment-52461 Donna: YES. My favorite gift in the world would be a coupon promising me help in purging and organizing the stuff in my garage. I reeeaaly hope my friends are reading this comment. Donna: YES. My favorite gift in the world would be a coupon promising me help in purging and organizing the stuff in my garage. I reeeaaly hope my friends are reading this comment.

]]> By: Donna Freedman http://www.diamondcutlife.org/decoupling-christmas-from-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-52246 Donna Freedman Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:47:30 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=279#comment-52246 Handmade rules! I'm not clever with my hands, but I *can* make jam and jelly from gleaned fruit, which cost me 31 cents per jar this year. People go mad for it. My sister makes peanut brittle, which she says is very easy, and people are wild about that, too. She packages it in tins she gets at thrift stores and yard sales; that's where I get my jam jars, too (and if I'm lucky, I find new-ish boxes of jar centers and rings in those places, too). For a few years, while my daughter lived in the same apartment building, I gave her coupons for things like "one item of hand laundry" "one load of clothes washed, dried and folded" and "one pumpkin pie baked from scratch (at least 24 hours' notice required)." The coupon thing can be a bit cloying ("Good for one big hug!"), but it can be swell if someone figures out what you don't like to do and offers to do it for you: organizing the garage, cleaning the fridge, pulling leaves from the rain gutters. Handmade rules! I’m not clever with my hands, but I *can* make jam and jelly from gleaned fruit, which cost me 31 cents per jar this year. People go mad for it. My sister makes peanut brittle, which she says is very easy, and people are wild about that, too. She packages it in tins she gets at thrift stores and yard sales; that’s where I get my jam jars, too (and if I’m lucky, I find new-ish boxes of jar centers and rings in those places, too).
For a few years, while my daughter lived in the same apartment building, I gave her coupons for things like “one item of hand laundry” “one load of clothes washed, dried and folded” and “one pumpkin pie baked from scratch (at least 24 hours’ notice required).”
The coupon thing can be a bit cloying (“Good for one big hug!”), but it can be swell if someone figures out what you don’t like to do and offers to do it for you: organizing the garage, cleaning the fridge, pulling leaves from the rain gutters.

]]> By: Marci http://www.diamondcutlife.org/decoupling-christmas-from-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-23755 Marci Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:12:18 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=279#comment-23755 Another way to wrap gifts with something reusable is to make it part of the gift. I found a lovely kitchen towel at a garage sale and used it as wrap for a small gift for a friend that loves everything kitchen. Thanks again for sharing your insights. Have a joyous holiday filled with people and experiences that bring you joy. Another way to wrap gifts with something reusable is to make it part of the gift. I found a lovely kitchen towel at a garage sale and used it as wrap for a small gift for a friend that loves everything kitchen.

Thanks again for sharing your insights. Have a joyous holiday filled with people and experiences that bring you joy.

]]> By: Marco Fioretti http://www.diamondcutlife.org/decoupling-christmas-from-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-23585 Marco Fioretti Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:50:43 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=279#comment-23585 Well said. I have included the "decouple Christmad from spending" concept in my Prayer for a Sane, Slow Christmas: http://stop.zona-m.net/node/59 Well said. I have included the “decouple Christmad from spending” concept in my Prayer for a Sane, Slow Christmas:

http://stop.zona-m.net/node/59

]]> By: xanz http://www.diamondcutlife.org/decoupling-christmas-from-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-2112 xanz Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:35:35 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=279#comment-2112 Thank you for the "handmade" plug. i have given my own handcrafted gifts for years and that very tradition became my vocation years ago. In the process, my now 25 year old son learned that gifts are not chosen from a list of expensive wants, but an act of love, creativity, intimate, small and only a brief punctuation to a season of humble delights. When i do purchase a gift it is almost always from another artist and i appreciate any effort that keeps us going. i think most of us would far rather receive something unique and maybe even designed just for us than a mass produced, overpriced, over packaged and likely quite temporary addition to our lives from the local Walmart. There is not a thing i can think of not provided by a handcrafter somewhere and i encourage anyone who has a mind to totake the "Hand Made Only" pledge at Etsy.com Your other suggestions are well suited also, especially considering that as we age, there is really little that we need anymore. i have given up the amassing of "stuff" and ask that if someone just MUST give me a gift, let it be consumable (read as perfume, coffee or candles), or a contribution to one of my pet "causes". Intelligent, insightful and above all USEFUL blog. Thanks and have a lovely holiday season. gentle thoughts... Thank you for the “handmade” plug.

i have given my own handcrafted gifts for years and that very tradition became my vocation years ago.

In the process, my now 25 year old son learned that gifts are not chosen from a list of expensive wants, but an act of love, creativity, intimate, small and only a brief punctuation to a season of humble delights.

When i do purchase a gift it is almost always from another artist and i appreciate any effort that keeps us going. i think most of us would far rather receive something unique and maybe even designed just for us than a mass produced, overpriced, over packaged and likely quite temporary addition to our lives from the local Walmart.

There is not a thing i can think of not provided by a handcrafter somewhere and i encourage anyone who has a mind to totake the “Hand Made Only” pledge at Etsy.com

Your other suggestions are well suited also, especially considering that as we age, there is really little that we need anymore. i have given up the amassing of “stuff” and ask that if someone just MUST give me a gift, let it be consumable (read as perfume, coffee or candles), or a contribution to one of my pet “causes”.

Intelligent, insightful and above all USEFUL blog. Thanks and have a lovely holiday season.

gentle thoughts…

]]> By: Colleen http://www.diamondcutlife.org/decoupling-christmas-from-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-2108 Colleen Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:15:45 +0000 http://www.diamondcutlife.org/?p=279#comment-2108 Thanks for this lovely post! Giving "the gift of experience" is a super idea, especially for adults. That's exactly what we are doing this year with our visiting out-of-town family, all adults. The gift to us is the time/energy/money they spent to come, and our gift to them is hosting them and getting 'out and about' in our amazing city and state. Your post did get me thinking about children, though, and their delight in opening a wrapped gift or two at Christmas. I think children, like adults, are capable of appreciating experiences as gifts, but only when they are a little older. Anticipating a promised experience (a trip to a zoo, or a play ,or a children's museum) teaches kids delayed gratification and gets them away from wanting the next new, trendy toy. For little ones, though, I think toys made of recycled materials are good, as are "hand me down" or secondhand toys. Vintage is in! Thanks for this lovely post! Giving “the gift of experience” is a super idea, especially for adults. That’s exactly what we are doing this year with our visiting out-of-town family, all adults. The gift to us is the time/energy/money they spent to come, and our gift to them is hosting them and getting ‘out and about’ in our amazing city and state.
Your post did get me thinking about children, though, and their delight in opening a wrapped gift or two at Christmas. I think children, like adults, are capable of appreciating experiences as gifts, but only when they are a little older. Anticipating a promised experience (a trip to a zoo, or a play ,or a children’s museum) teaches kids delayed gratification and gets them away from wanting the next new, trendy toy. For little ones, though, I think toys made of recycled materials are good, as are “hand me down” or secondhand toys. Vintage is in!

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