c post: More Alternative Gift-Wrapping Ideas

My alternative wrapping job this Christmas did not seem to detract at all. Was the change noticed? Yes. And the novelty of it all was fun for the children. My 8-year-old son said, "We should always do this, Mom."

For gifts given to people who live at home or close by (meaning it's easier to get the "wrapping" back from them) there are many options that may seem unusual at first.

Wrapping/container ideas:

Quilts, baby blankets, wall hangings

Pillow cases, sheets

Kitchen towels, fun beach towels

Long-sleeved shirts--use the sleeves to wrap around and secure it

Glass jars, boxes

Securing ideas (no tape):

Twine

String

Ribbon

Yarn

Long socks/silly tights

Belts

Neckties

Scarves

Strips of fabric

or just tie the corners of the fabric around the gift

Packing ideas for shipping gifts:

Newspapers--recycle

Popcorn--feed the birds/compost

Towels/fabric--reuse

This non-conventional approach to wrapping (though, it was clearly conventional at some point in history) features several benefits:

1) it is less expensive--no need to buy wrapping paper, plastic ribbons/ornamentation, gift bags, etc.

2) it cuts down on clutter and storage in your home

3) it frees the recipient (and landfill) of garbage

And, finally, it teaches that conscious living is a gift that doesn't have to go to waste.

Jacob's Cove CSA Share: The Perfect Gift for Everyone You Know . . . And Southerners

Really, people. What's up with collard greens??

Jacob's Cove is a farm in Utah County in its first year providing CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) shares. (It also partners with restaurants known for their fresh, seasonal cuisine celebrating local foods, i.e. Pizzeria 712, Communal.) The beauty about this particular farm is its vision of providing local, farm-fresh produce year-round.

The produce I received during the summer was bounteous, varied and delicious. When fall/winter came, though, the farm experienced red tape challenges with the installation of the heating system in the greenhouses and, subsequently, the next round of crops froze.

The "Community" part of CSA is coming together to rally support for Jacob's Cove. It took all the resources they had, but, the farmer and his crew now have a state-of-the-art system in place for many, many years of fresh, local food production. Because the resources were used up, however, they are now looking to build up capital again to propel the farm into a successful future.

It's easy to believe in the farmer, his family and the crew; they are so passionate about the cause and will not abandon the dream, nor the folks who are hungry for real food.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly box of local, fresh produce, please contact Jacob's Cove. You will be investing in your health, in the wellness of the local community, and in an expanded vision for communities like this around the country.

It would make a unique gift for Christmas (New Year's, Valentine's Day)--benefiting loved ones you know as well as a farm family you don't know . . . yet.

Wrapping Paper & Christmas Morning (ahem) . . . "Surprises"

Okay, so when it comes to "greening" your wrapping paper there are several ideas out there from which to choose.

Newspaper and twine, no tape. If you want some laughs, use the funny papers. If you really want some laughs, use the Letters to the Editor. Try to avoid the crime reports and obituary pages--they're not as festive as you might think. Recycle the paper; reuse/compost the twine/string.

Fabric. Folded/gathered around the gift (secured with ribbon) or sewn into bags with drawstrings. I'm sure there are all kinds of fabric-nerds out there who could make this really artistic. Reuse the fabric/bags and ribbon.

Decorative boxes. Metal, paper and cardboard--all reusable/recyclable.

Wrapping-a-gift-with-another-gift. You've heard this one, too. Use a cloth diaper to wrap a baby food mill, a kitchen towel or cloth napkin for homemade cookies, Grandma's woodland-creatures-themed sweater (the one she knit with the hair from her rabbits/chinchillas/feral cats), you know . . . to go with the psychotherapy you've always wanted.

You get the idea.

What say you to this? Let's run with this idea of using clothing as wrapping; let's get really "green." I'm thinking the Emperor's tailors are just as skilled at making the finest wrapping paper in all the land. Now, know this: if you choose to wrap your gifts with the Emperor's New Wrapping Paper, Christmas morning may not have that wonder-anticipation-surprise factor in which we all take delight. So, you may decide that that's not appropriate for your family's Christmas morning.

But, I tell you, it's a heck of a lot more appropriate than finding a delusional old man standing there in the altogether.

Surprise!!

c post: Green Giving

"Green"gift-giving does not mean you are limited to giving jars of compost or sunshine. Most eco-living enthusiasts would agree that the easiest way to a "green" gift is this: experiences.

You don't have to find a place in your house to store an experience. You will not trip over it in the middle of the night. It will never end up in a landfill. It will never get broken, nor need mending. It can't get stolen and you don't need to insure it; furthermore, it doesn't need batteries. It will never go out of style, and will always fit properly. Sounds like the perfect gift, doesn't it?

It can be season tickets to sporting events, the theater, the zoo. It can be swimming lessons, tennis lessons, art classes. It can be a lunch date, a star-gazing party, a movie night. By emphasizing experiences you empower the recipient with new skills. When you share those adventures you strengthen your relationships with loved ones.

Sure, there are things that we'd like to have and there may even be things that we feel we need. Yet, for the most part we don't need more stuff. The more stuff we have, the more easily we can feel owned by those things, lorded over by them. It is a heavy burden that we just don't need.

I am trying something new this Christmas with my own family. This gift consists of 13 parts, so there are plenty of pieces for each child to open. The first is a calendar. The other 12 are monthly adventures for the family--things that we normally don't do. As each activity is revealed, we will pick a month, a day, and write it into the calendar. I may include snow shoeing, a trip to the planetarium, a day at the water slides, etc. It works well for a tight Christmas budget because you only have to buy (or make) the calendar. You then can budget accordingly for the upcoming activities. Anticipation is a gift in and of itself. It may even contribute as much to the satisfaction of the activity as the activity itself does.

So what experience do you plan to give this year?

New Contributor to This Blog

My name is c and I intend to bring some substance to this blog--something, ahem, actually useful for once.

g--Hey, my blog is useful.

c--Please, let's not argue. Face facts: you embarrass yourself with your low-brow, uncouth puns, potty humor, self-deprecation, PG-rated innuendo, and attempts at rim-shot punchlines. People are looking for more than that. They want answers, ideas, inspiration! You give them "poop"; I give them . . . the world!

g--Very well, c, do your thing. But, know that people are secretly inspired and encouraged by experiments with both failing and successful elements. They also appreciate the stress-relieving art of laughing at oneself.

c--Well, there is much material where that is concerned.

Dear readers, I will write, from time to time, with a straightforward approach to information, resources, directions, and ideas for beginner and intermediate green living enthusiasts.

g--"Readers?" Right. More like reader.

Wait, Mom, you're still reading, right?

World Hunger and Other Annoyances

Global awareness. Compassion. Gratitude. These were the intended lessons to the discussion.

We were talking about how some children in the world get their food by digging through garbage. Families wait at the city dump for the next load to come in then race the birds for the choicest scraps. I was hoping that somehow I could convey the seriousness of this issue to my then-3-year-old.

Me: How would you like it if you had to find your food out of the compost?

3-year-old: I would NOT like it!

Me: Why?

3-year-old: Because I don’t like rotten food! . . . or soup.

My Gift-Giving Guide: Keep Expectations Really Low

To give you an idea of how low we've kept the expectations around here, I will tell you what my son's written request--his single request--to Santa was a few years ago:

Socks. A pair of socks.

True story.

I believe that was the year he and his little sister received a sled from Santa. A sled to share. A sled that probably cost $8.

They were thrilled.

See, it's a beautiful philosophy. If you start off not giving things like ponies, Renaissance armor, or argyle sweaters, children are grateful and excited about that stick of gum that they get to take turns chewing on alternating days.

So forget stressing about holiday shopping. Why stew over a stressed budget, pressure to out-do yourself from last year, or dozens and dozens of homemade preserves that contain love and a few curse words from that time when you burned yourself?

Not worth it. And, frankly, not in the spirit of the season.

How 'bout this? Take one of those canning jars outside on a sunny day (must be sunny, or it won't work), open the lid, fill the jar with sunshine, and seal it up tight. Include a sappy, uh . . . I mean, touching note, and you're in business!

Maybe next year you can give rocks wrapped in wasp-nest paper.

If it's truly a special someone, include a stick of gum.

A Present Full of . . . uh . . . We'll Call It "Love"

I recently gave a gift. It was, perhaps, an unconventional gift, but it seemed an appropriate symbol at the time. The recipient has been suffering a major health condition that adversely affects the intestinal tract. There have been many treatments, butt no cure, no light at the end of the tunnel. (heh heh)

So as a birthday gift I wanted to give something to show my love and support: a jar of freshly sifted compost. I know; it says it all, doesn't it?

I included a tender little note. It went something like this:

This past year, you've been through a lot of crap. (Then again, a lot of crap has been through you.) You feel that life makes you feel all broken down, just like this compost, like life is plain rotten, just like this compost, like maggots are feeding on your insides . . . just. like. this. compost.

And, yet, in the end, (tee hee) there is hope of life and renewal. Just like this compost can bring life to a garden, you . . . (sorry, I'm getting all choked up here) . . . bring life to a room. So, when you look at this humble vessel full of . . . well, full of love, really . . . know that you mean the world to me.

Anyway, that's pretty much how the note read; something like that. I didn't have access to the original because it's currently out getting framed and gold-leafed. Well, now, I don't know that FOR SURE, but, that's most likely where it is.

When I was sifting the compost (used an extra window screen) I realized something:

Compost is really just slimy rot, putrid slop, and the fecal excrement of millions of various creepy-crawlies.

And that's how I like to say:

"You mean a lot to me. I love you."