Nov 14
Rethinking Christmas
As our most consumer driven holiday approaches...and its predecessor, Black Friday, where we spend, spend, spend on overabundance, consider this challenge. Still not convinced? Here are some more resources for you:
- Advent Conspiracy
- Rethinking Christmas for alternative gift ideas.
- Sew Mama Sew is going through a Handmade Holidays series in November.
- Last year's Sew Mama Sew' s Handmade Holidays with even more ideas.
- Free Needle is a directory of sewing and needlecrafts tutorials and patterns.
- Take the Handmade Pledge and buy handmade presents.
There is so much more you can give people than just presents that you buy and let's be honest, buying things for some people can just be soooo hard; sometimes it can feel like a waste of money. Think outside the box...be creative this year and challenge yourself to spend less and give more.
Consider it a chance to worship God with your giving whether it be money or time or something completely different!
Reader Comments
Awesome video! I have been planning on spending less this Christmas on gifts, but I wasn’t sure what to do in place of them. This gives me tons of ideas.
You beat me to this discussion! (I can’t watch the video at work, but I’ll just guess what it says.
) Last Christmas was our first Christmas to begin to think about this - we bought local presents, homemade presents, event tickets and less presents overall. It was very fulfilling. This year, we asked our family to not give us anything at all, because let’s face it, we’re Americans and we already have way too much stuff. They are (hopefully) going to donate on our behalf to two foundations (International Justice Mission and Blood:Water Mission). Christmas really isn’t about stuff!
I hit post and then I kinda realized that sounded a little ‘braggy’ . . . it wasn’t meant that way! I promise!
Why is it we think meaning and memories can be bought? And why is it when we realize they can’t be bought, we have no idea how to achieve them?
Hmmmmm…I must think on this.
Nice! This really hits “the spot” that actually in many ways eats at me (and Jon) every year. As I watched the video (I guess that is what it is called!) tears just ran down my cheeks. Time for change without the guilt.
Love you….
there have been a couple of years during which i bought my parents gifts from samaritan’s purse. for my dad, i gave $ to provide for a family’s basic needs how he did for us and i donated for nutrients to make nursing mothers’ milk better for the babies for my mom. you can personalize donations to make them perfect for each person.
for a lot of my friends and family, i give things that involve time…like going out together or doing something. i think this originated cause quality time is definitely one of my love languages but it’s worked out well cause we do have too much stuff and this removes the issue of wasted gifts.
Have you been able to come up with good ideas for males in your life? I can’t think of anything to make (besides cookies or sweets) for my Dad, my brother-in-law, Jason’s dad and step-dad. . . Why are men so hard to craft for?
The one thing I have thought about is making them silly boxers. . . but that might be a bit too risque. . .