Happy Holidays! I hope you have lots to look forward to this holiday season. We've already survived thanksgiving- my favorite holiday. Gratitude, food, family, friends, mellow, yay. Now Christmas is looming.... my least favorite holiday. (Yours too?) Consumer-driven market madness, want want more more greed greed yuck. Waste time in traffic and malls. Rack up credit card debt on gifts that may or may not be needed or appreciated. Eat more than any human ever should. Burn those fuels traveling to the far ends of the earth to spend a couple days with the people who birthed you.
I am revolted. I'm part of the revolution. Let's buy nothing this holiday!
By the power vested in me by the State of Doing. And Being. And Do-Be-Do-Be-Do-Being, I invite you to. . .
DO SOMETHING WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE!
Cook a meal for your friends. (throw some Shit In A Pot and get started!)
Help decorate. (This is a great gift for Grandma. She can't make it up the attic stairs like she used to.)
Go for a walk... or ice skating.... or to the gun range. FUN!
Host a party! (music & games, ugly sweaters, decoration-making, naughty santa, clothing exchange, nudist, etc)
MAKE SOMETHING FOR THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE!
Even if it's a printer-paper card and you can only draw Charlie Brown christmas trees, I bet someone you know would dig it. Or you could....
Bake Cookies (traditional) (hipster)
Crochet a hat
RE-GIFT!
Give stuff you don't need to people who might use it. (Re-gifting 101 )
Books. Records. Candles. Wine. Soap. Instruments. Accessories. Find something you don't need that is in new/good condition and intentionally pass it on to the right person.
If a hipster is on your list, you can purge your closet/fridge and gift them any of these items: old wolf t-shirt, old flannel shirt, cheap plastic sunglasses, PBR, those socks from your grandma that you never wore..... etc.
Clean out your closet and donate to the local homeless shelter, Goodwill, etc.
DONATE
If you MUST spend money because a dollar amount is crucial in your social group. . . donate in their name!
Buy a cow for a family in Africa.
Sponsor gifts for a local family in need. (find one of those trees with names on it, or call a local charity.)
Cut a check to the local food bank or domestic violence shelter.
Angel Tree, Red Cross, Toys for Tots, DO IT!
START YOUR OWN HOLIDAY TRADITION!
(ideas here)
As long as I can recall, the "most magical time of the year" has felt empty. As a child, my good Catholic family celebrated Advent with a wreath on the table and a new candle every week to guide us through the darkest nights of the year. My mother, staunchly traditional, would not allow us to put up the christmas tree until right before Christmas. So while all my friends had trees up the day after Thanksgiving, we waited and complained and pressured her until Christmas eve. Her compromise was a sparse, bare branch "Jesse Tree," with home made ornaments and associated biblical readings. That might sounds depressing, but I prefer the humble reverence, intention, and introspection afforded by simple do-it-yourself christmas traditions like this. We visited old people in nursing homes. We volunteered at church. We bought presents for the Angel Tree kids. While I'm not a practicing Catholic, I still feel the deep silent holy in these darkest of nights, and the desire to celebrate with intentional community. So now I celebrate with the pagans and the Jews and make silly christmas videos. :)
Happy Holidaze to ya!
<3 Daisy
I am revolted. I'm part of the revolution. Let's buy nothing this holiday!
By the power vested in me by the State of Doing. And Being. And Do-Be-Do-Be-Do-Being, I invite you to. . .
DO SOMETHING WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE!
Cook a meal for your friends. (throw some Shit In A Pot and get started!)
Help decorate. (This is a great gift for Grandma. She can't make it up the attic stairs like she used to.)
Go for a walk... or ice skating.... or to the gun range. FUN!
Host a party! (music & games, ugly sweaters, decoration-making, naughty santa, clothing exchange, nudist, etc)
MAKE SOMETHING FOR THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE!
Even if it's a printer-paper card and you can only draw Charlie Brown christmas trees, I bet someone you know would dig it. Or you could....
Bake Cookies (traditional) (hipster)
Crochet a hat
RE-GIFT!
Give stuff you don't need to people who might use it. (Re-gifting 101 )
Books. Records. Candles. Wine. Soap. Instruments. Accessories. Find something you don't need that is in new/good condition and intentionally pass it on to the right person.
If a hipster is on your list, you can purge your closet/fridge and gift them any of these items: old wolf t-shirt, old flannel shirt, cheap plastic sunglasses, PBR, those socks from your grandma that you never wore..... etc.
Clean out your closet and donate to the local homeless shelter, Goodwill, etc.
DONATE
If you MUST spend money because a dollar amount is crucial in your social group. . . donate in their name!
Buy a cow for a family in Africa.
Sponsor gifts for a local family in need. (find one of those trees with names on it, or call a local charity.)
Cut a check to the local food bank or domestic violence shelter.
Angel Tree, Red Cross, Toys for Tots, DO IT!
START YOUR OWN HOLIDAY TRADITION!
(ideas here)
As long as I can recall, the "most magical time of the year" has felt empty. As a child, my good Catholic family celebrated Advent with a wreath on the table and a new candle every week to guide us through the darkest nights of the year. My mother, staunchly traditional, would not allow us to put up the christmas tree until right before Christmas. So while all my friends had trees up the day after Thanksgiving, we waited and complained and pressured her until Christmas eve. Her compromise was a sparse, bare branch "Jesse Tree," with home made ornaments and associated biblical readings. That might sounds depressing, but I prefer the humble reverence, intention, and introspection afforded by simple do-it-yourself christmas traditions like this. We visited old people in nursing homes. We volunteered at church. We bought presents for the Angel Tree kids. While I'm not a practicing Catholic, I still feel the deep silent holy in these darkest of nights, and the desire to celebrate with intentional community. So now I celebrate with the pagans and the Jews and make silly christmas videos. :)
Happy Holidaze to ya!
<3 Daisy