PRACTICAL WAYS TO CREATE MEANING
Post holiday tips to spread the word
Restroom stalls, bulletin boards, daily e-tips and even plexiglass holders on wellness-recreation fitness equipment are great places to spread the Reclaim Your Holidays message. Below are tips designed for you to cut-and-paste into your own templates or e-news.
Give gifts of experience. When our $$ is invested in experiences, the thrill stays with us longer and environmental impact is often less than when $$ is spent buying products.
Give tickets to a movie or theatre performance.
Give a gift of your skills--help your aunt by providing computer support or create unbaked-made-from-scratch cookie kits for friends.
Give skill-building experiences such as funding a day at camp for younger family and friends.
Offer childcare for a night as a gift to friends or family who have kids.
Give an eco-experience—Take friends rock climbing, hiking, or ice skating.
Celebrate the holidays by setting aside a night to cook for friends or family. Make it extra special by using Iowa-grown or -raised products.
Treat your friends or family to a game night where you furnish decadent chocolates, ice cream sundaes, or homemade pizza.
Give a gift of cabin rental—The Iowa Department of Natural Resources allows you to reserve a cabin or lodge (http://bit.ly/9dsgkP) online up to a year in advance.
Buy local, consumable gifts this season such as jams, jellies, meats, specialty cheeses, wine, cider or honey.
See if your community holds a December Farmer’s Market and buy some of your gifts (including hostess gifts) there.
When the holidays are over, recycle your tree to turn it into compost or woodchips. Many cities sponsor tree-recycling programs.
You can find a real tree near you at http://www.iowachristmastrees.com/
Buy local produce coupled with a recipe, cookbook or relevant accessory–e.g., pumpkins, cream, spices, a pumpkin brulee recipe, and/or a bowl.
According to the 3/50 Project, for every $100 spent in independent, locally owned stores, $68 goes back into the community. With national chains, only $43 goes back. Spend it online, and nothing goes back.
The Iowa Department of Economic Development’s site, www.traveliowa.com/iowaattractions.aspx?cat=5, is a great tool for finding gift certificate ideas for Iowa Bed and Breakfast Inns, historical attractions, golf courses and much more.
Google the Iowan Gift Guide for a directory of Iowa produced gifts, ranging from wines and chocolates to shirts and soaps.
Clothes drying racks, stainless steel water bottles, organic cotton towels/dish rags, & compost bins are environmentally friendly gifts for the home.
Consumable gift ideas: Fair trade coffee or fair trade chocolates, organic tea, & reusable shopping bags filled with local foods.
Give a bike accessory—there’s no doubt that doing all you can to encourage biking helps reduce carbon emissions.
The average piece of food travels 1,494 miles before you eat it. Buy a few holiday meal items locally to reduce the carbon footprint.
Many Iowa cities host Farmer’s Markets, which sell produce that travels up to 1/92 the distance of conventionally grown produce.
Tamper with tradition. Dragging yourself through we've always done it rituals when they've lost their meaning and you've lost your energy does not contribute to holiday joy.
Begin the season by making a list. Then look it over, leave off what you can live without, and enjoy the real reason for the season.
Stay sane. If you plan to send cards, estimate how much time it will take to write and address them, and block out that time on your calendar.
Avoid perfectionism in gift-giving. A relaxed parent or hostess is a greater gift than anything money can buy.
Focus your energy. If your family isn't as excited as you are about decorating the whole house, invest your efforts on what means the most to you.
If the holidays bring pain because of death, divorce, or family far away, be gentle with yourself. Grief is healthy. Do one thing to make other people's holidays more joyful.
Take time out from total togetherness. Let your child call a friend and take a nap. Give your siblings the car keys and a map. The idea is for everyone to enjoy the occasion.
Be clear about expectations. If you never tell your family what you want them to do, it's unfair to expect them to know.
Here are some places to find nice gifts for family and friends—without seeming second-rate or cheap: antique stores, consignment shops, used bookstores, auctions, Craigslist, Freecycle.
Books make great gifts…While it’s easy to order online, remember to check out your local used bookstores or library book sales to see what’s in their inventory. You will save money, support your local economy, and reduce shipping emissions and packaging waste.
Save a bunch of bucks by buying sporting goods gifts through Craigslist, garage sales or second-hand sporting goods stores.
Used gifts can be appealing, and also can save you more than 80%. As ecological issues become more well-known, the environmental benefits make used gifts a draw.
Reclaim your Holidays is a project of the University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy & Environmental Education. Support for this project is provided by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP) Conservation Education Program and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Solid Waste Alternatives Program Agreement Number 10-G550-41FL. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of IDNR.
For more information, visit www.ReclaimYourHolidays.org.