Gift Guide from an Environmental Mind

I was up all night the other day, not from my usual spurt of creativity or idealistic motivation, but from thinking about the one thing we all make everyday...TRASH. With roughly 326 million people in the US, at 4.5 pounds of trash a day, that's 1,467,000,000. One point five billion pounds of trash made every day. I'm not sure if it's what I saw on the side of the US's countryside this summer, the smell of our nation's largest trash incinerator stuck in my nose, pictures of aquatic animals in trash tides, or just the idea of what really matters, but yes... With this impending holiday season, what stressed me out the most was waste.

The three kings of the Christian story, probably just grabbed the most beautiful thing they could spare from their palace, likely traded, from another person from his kingdom or one close by. Hmm, so if we broke this down, I read regifted and maybe fair trade, that frankincense, gold, and myrrh was probably local as well as handmade or foraged and offered as a gift with a message of heartfelt value.

"Yeah", you say with an exaggerated eye roll, "but things are different now."

"Oh really?" I reply with a mischievous smirk.

There is stress around not having enough money around Christmas time. Second jobs, loans, and debt are created, all to give our loved ones the loudest love language of this season: gifts! Giving people things they don't want, with money we don't have, for the message of love.

Let's rewrite this.

I love the earth. Environmentalism is not a passion of mine, its issues and habits are affecting all of our resources for survival in our immediate surroundings. It is through this love, not guilt or righteousness, I feel empowered to share these ten gift ideas.



GIFT GUIDE FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL MIND: REWRITING THE LOVE LANGUAGE OF GIFTS

1. FOOD
When in doubt, give them the one thing each human needs to survive. This is best if you know their favorites and dietary restrictions, but even if you don't, the regift is highly probable with this one. Roommates, spouses, and homeless people all love holiday work party cookies in my experience. If the cookies are still on your counter when they become bricks with frosting: its compostable. Most gifts can't become soil!
Homemade: This can be cheaper and the opportunity for starting/practicing a zero-waste kitchen is awesome. Here is a link to one of my favorite websites about that and a few recipes on bread, cookies, and granola etc. trashisfortossers.com
Local Buys: Jams, honey
Suggested Packaging: Jars, thrift store popcorn tins, or take the chance to minimize your overflowing tubberware cabinet

2. TIME
Let's bring back the coupon books of our childhood! The gift of experience! Or one less chore!
Free tuition to a one on one cooking class teaching that recipe they've always admired, that woodworking skill they've wanted to learn, the computer help they've been requesting.
Free admission to your passenger seat towards their favorite nature destination, to a date with you to the farmers market, mall, or simply out to lunch at a place of their choice.
Suggested Packaging: Handwritten note. C'mon, go full old-school. ribbons, glue gun, sloppy paint..

3. EXPERIENCE
Tickets to the museum, flower show, renaissance fair, aquarium, zoo, water park, theme park, wine n paint/ceramics, concert, ballet show, opera, workshop, or yoga class.

4. KNOWLEDGE
The gift that keeps on giving. Buy new books, buy digital files, buy comics, whatever it is doesn't matter but finding something that might inspire is in my opinion worth every penny. I prefer tangible books because they are portable, don't need to be recharged, and the regifting life is so possible here. The little capsule of information can be shared with a friend, or traded at a used book store (they usually employ a one-for-one exchange).

Read and Eat in Roxborough, PA
Photo Credit: top: Nina Bar-Gioria, Bottom: Jonathan Gonzales

Magazine subscriptions are also a great one, because it replenishes itself, reminding them frequently how great you are. ;] Non-glossy magazines can be composted, burned or recycled, glossy pages can be donated to schools or after-school places for arts and crafts purposes.
Suggested Packaging: Biodegradable twine, a note inside the cover

5. USEFUL BEAUTIFUL THINGS
This is my favorite niche lately. Business posts and personal website starting up soon, but in the meantime, the idea behind this one is: something that won't clutter, but will be used and bring joy.

• Comfy gloves,
• wooden spoon or cutting board (we all know these get funky after a while)
• an elegant pen,
• socks (can never go wrong with these!)

  

  This rosewood hand carved one is similar, found at

  MatrBoomie on Etsy

One of my favorite gifts is a bedside holder for my glasses, given by my cousin who listened to how often I expressed my various eyeglass casualties.

Suggested Packaging: cloth napkin, towel, in the spirit of usefulness!

6. KITS

This is the idea of pulling together associated things to provide a service.

• Cold- weather cold kit : Teabags, tissue pack, cough drops, vapor rub/essential oils, honey
• Good for: everyone who is not invincible to sickness aka humans.
• Environmental step-up for gift recipients who you think will use them: cloth handkerchiefs, handmade/fairtrade vapor rub, loose leaf tea and tea ball.
• Letter writing kit: Calligraphy pen, notecards, envelopes, stamps, sticker/wax to seal envelope
• Good for: Downtown abbey fans
• Env. Step up: recycled or handmade paper
• Barrett making kit for girls: metal barrettes, ribbons, beads, silk flowers, age-appropriate glue
• Env. step-up: found recycled materials from unused collections or

Note: Less of an environmental zero-waste idea, but make sure it will be valued and used. Supplement handmade, fair-trade, recycled paper or cloth handkerchiefs if you think they will be received well.

Suggested Packaging: Ideally, a cute home for the kit. a decent-looking cigar box, basket, jar

7. A STORY

A written note that expresses your bond or appreciation of them. A video story of what you have learned from them. A printed picture of a favorite shared moment together.

Homemade: Picture frame, painted quote or inside joke/word on canvas/repurposed board

Local Buys: Art that makes you think of them. Write out why.

Suggested Packaging: None.

8: SIMPLE TOYS: Active

I don't know what every kid loves, I haven't met every "kind" of kid or play personality, but I have spent a lot of time with kids through my family and work. I do know: they like to move!

• Dance CD- a mix of their favorites, or your favorites from when you were a kid
• Clips for gloves. Outdoor play is fun! Kiddos ALWAYS take off their gloves. Whether they are too hot, or need to use their hands, the mittens fly off and often go missing. These are a great invention I've seen in action and they work great.
• Homemade: They work similar to old-fashioned stocking clips, and I'm sure if you have some in the back of your hand-me-down craft box like I do, you could fasten them. If not here are some cute ones I found on Etsy!
  
  

  

  Link to this shop: Click HERE!

• Cones for yard games. Goals break, no one wants to put the structure up or take it down, twigs etc get caught in them...but cones make a good landmark. I guess the downfall is being on a property that the soccerball or whatever won't go too far or do too much damage on a strong kick. Things to consider, but I still suggest this alternative.

9. SIMPLE TOYS: CRAFTY

If they're not totally into action, or you want to give a quieter activity: they love to create. Busy hands ease our beloved sponge-like active minds.

Some gifts I've given and they've loved.

• Viking board game. A chess like game I drew on an old t-shirt. (11-13 years old)
• Personalized Chef apron (5yr old)
• An activity book with challenges to become a knight (Identify 2 plants to cure sick soldiers, help your brother send a letter to the king/AKA grandfather, write a story about a battle with a dragon) (7,10,12)

  

  Knight books I bound and made pouches for out of old black jeans: Christmas 2016.

Other ideas:

• Bead kits, nail art, paint-your-own stain glass art, are all gifts I've loved when I was a wee one.
• Costume Clothes: old stuff from your closet? random things from your Halloween collection bin? Hand it down so they can become the characters they love and ones they will create. Suggested Packaging: suitcase or trunk
• Action figures & dolls: EBAY or ask around first. No use buying a 35$ Superman when someone has one from the 80s sitting on a shelf. Also, if you have one on a shelf, think about that. Reference Toy Story 3 for ideas.

I remember as a kid after opening up Christmas presents, even if it was stuff I was really excited about and loved, I always wanted something to do that day. Between the family gatherings, and the obligatory "you can't call your friends it's family day", having something to work on is really nice at any age.

10: SIMPLE TOYS: "REAL"

• binoculars
• watch, it was a pocketwatch, but I remember as a kid loving a good waterproof one with a stopwatch feature
• compass
• knife
• guitars and other musical instruments
• microscope/hand lens
• telescope

These are all things I've personally seen kids prefer the "adult" version of and appreciate when they receive. The real leather or metal materials, the mature colors instead of bright neon, without the Barbie and Paw patrol characters on them, and lastly, the ability to break making it something special to care for. Spending the time teaching them how to care for it, how to use it, or how to store it away until appropriate is something that takes time, but can be worth it in what is gained. Talk to the caregiver if you are not them. This could be stored safely until they understand it, are old enough for the responsibility etc.

I apologize the last three were for children, but most likely we have children to buy for! Hopefully this inspires something in you. Or maybe it was just helpful for me to be constructive with my thought filled insomnia. Either way, here it is! Offer me thoughts, suggestions, call me out on my pretentious advice giving, whatever you've got, I'll take it. Like the package of Whitman's chocolate I without a doubt will be getting from my aunt, that I secretly look forward to. With Love<3 p="">

Learning Myself: Surviving Together

10/18/2017

Conscious Conquistadors 

Conquering lightly as we go 

Capturing the light in our cameras

Art in our hearts 

This age of exploration has shifted for me. At first it was a testament to my New Years resolution, “learn to be more comfortable with being alone”. Then it was realizing I love others and the humanness of natural attachment and adoration that arises. I’ll reflect on these further in other posts. 

Now, towards the end of my trip, it’s about learning what I want. This era of not having a conventional life with rent and having to be at work every day at a certain time has unveiled a lot for me. The simple actions of a day such as showering, eating, brushing your hair... all get timed out in a “feeling”matter. I feel like doing this, I’m feeling hungry now... its less of a routines of waking up and immediately make myself up, eat dinner after work, read a book before bed sort of way. Don’t get me wrong, there are still routines on the road, but there is compromise. 

Some of my favorite mornings during the bike trip was when I started biking early. I was able to organize myself this way a couple times before daybreak. Once the sun would rise, the cars are bustling, and the humanness of wanting food, coffee, and a bathroom settled in, I would stop to buy or make breakfast

Some of my least favorite times on the road is learning patience in small quarters. Passing by others to find a thing hidden in the corner of the travel bus when it’s an excitable rush out the door at our newest destination was a challenge(especially when everyone has to pee!). Having to wait for others was a compromise in these routine “wants”. Are we going to help each other, tier our needs, or is it individual anarchy?! (Fond pee dance memories, don’t worry folks;)

There were times on this trip where I was disillusioned with what I was doing, almost to the point of depression. Morning moods are always a good indicator of my inner happiness. A few days ago I read a quote from Thoreau that echoed the same thing: 

Measure you health by your sympathy with the morning and spring. If there is no response in you to the awakening of nature-if the prospect of a morning walk does banish sleep, if the warble of the first bluebird does not thrill you- know that the morning and spring of your life are past. Thus may you feel your pulse. 

...

On a grander scheme I have a harder time figuring out what I want. I am so grateful when opportunities come to me that I like, I don’t stop to see if they align with some preconceived laundry list of wants. From romantic partners to roommates, jobs to what city I want to live in, everything just seems to evolve around me and within me. 

....

Many people in my life don’t consider me a morning person. Yet, as I feel my pulse, I’m learning that’s not true. I have, however, realized I love certain things over others. Certain foods, certain speaking tones, certain music. There’s an uncomfortable unconscious aversion when I don’t like a “something”. That is the part of me I’m learning to unveil. As I meet her, I’m trying to understand if the aversion is out of comfort, fear, control...or really if the thing/situation/place or person is a rational thing to have an opinion about at all. Are my feelings really going to change the world right now? Where can I put my focus? Yeah this burger sucks now, but let me daydream about the garden of sweet lettuce and tomatoes I’m going to create. Yeah I wanted to leave for a hike an hour ago, but learning to communicate and hold space for a friend with patience can help to build our friendship. Yeah I’m really cranky this morning, vitamins and coffee won’t change the fact I need to change my attitudes and aspirations. 

Being able to choose is a great luxury. This travel spree has shown me just how much is under our control. Whether you are in a stage of change or comfort, you are the captain of your own ship. Those momentary lapses in control, like when you are opening up to love, when someone else is literally driving you, or feeling the

grander systems(schemes) of politics and society, these are all moments meant to enliven your flame. It ignites thoughts of what you can do, who you can be for others, and what you can contribute. Moments of discomfort also show you how your choices, the luxury which that action is, can sometimes be strongest when standing still. 

So I will enjoy mornings for their sunrise, friendships for their compromise, and love for what it contrives. I will continue to learn what I like and don’t like, and how to recognize the aversions as easily as my zeal. There is an evolution to my intentions this year, and I feel it is healthy. Reflections on aloneness and love were transformed into reflections and lessons on how to survive better together.