You Don't Need to Buy Me a Gift

When you consider the "me" in this article, think of the person who asks you "please don't buy me presents."

The holiday season enriches our lives with tradition and acts of generosity. We put love and effort into finding just the right gift. I want to make this process easier, and greener, and take away any concerns about the correctness of gift-giving. You don't have to rush out at 4 am on black Friday to buy the “hot” gift of the season, not for me.  The culture police have issued rules about re-gifting and gift wrapping, and advertisements tell you about the coolest and newest gift that will make you beloved by all. When you are considering a gift for me, I invite you to keep these value-based suggestions in mind. If you need to buy me a gift, please keep it easy and green.

Gift-giving (Don't buy me presents, but if you must...)    

Resale

• Feel free to shop and resale and charity stores. If you know I want a potato ricer, so I can make smoother mashed potatoes or light potato pancakes, you can do good three ways by shopping at a store like Goodwill. Your purchase of a used item is easy on the environment, Goodwill provides jobs and jobs training making our community stronger. Additionally, an older item in good shape is likely to be studier and carry a history that I would appreciate.

Time and Talent

• Your gift of time and talent makes me happy. A certificate redeemable for a home-cooked meal, hours of garden helper time, car washing, picture organizing, or other chore lets me feel good about time together. Also consider a nature walk day, a visit to a bird flyway, a day fishing, a paddling trip, or a certificate for a weekend camping trip together that you will organize. If you do give me a certificate, please make it easy for me to redeem the certificate by taking the lead about offering me dates for redemption. I won't chase you down. For example, a movie date certificate might say for the first Friday in February or March or April.

Limit Wasteful Wrap

• Holiday paper and bows can be quite beautiful. If you choose to use a recycled item to wrap or decorate a gift, know that I appreciate your effort to be light on the earth and use your creativity.

Show off your Talent

• Sing me a song; write a poem; draw a picture; knit me slippers. I love it. 

PreLoved

• If you own two of something or want to give me something you have used, I appreciate your loving gift. If I've admired your soup pot, jewelry, ceramic hippo, grandpa's hammer, or other item and it's in good repair and you'd like to gift it to me—well, aren't you sweet!

Do Some Good When You Buy Gifts

• If I haven't told you, or you can't intuit my favorite charities, please ask. Some of my favorite gifts have involved charitable donations in my name.
• I'm not offended if you do shop for me. Artists, authors, fair trade shops, and community stores do benefit from dollars spent. I wanted you to know of the many green and loving options that make me happy, so you have the go-ahead from me to part with the message common to advertisements.

Regifting

• If someone has given you a gift that you won't use, but you know I would, please know I'm not offended by regifting. I might not be thrilled by outdated candy or labels and notes meant for others. I know you will regift with love.

Values and Gifts

• If your gift-giving values are those above, tell me. Email the link to this article to me, so that I understand your wishes and know how to choose a gift for you.
• If I've missed the mark on a gift for you, I'm not offended if you pass it on or donate it to a cause where it might be put to good use.

Email this note or like it on Facebook. As more people let others know it is okay to have a greener, lighter, less commercial season of holidays, we might make the holiday time less stressful, lighter on the earth, and richer in the holiday spirit.

 

Amy Lou Jenkins is the author of Every Natural Fact: Five Seasons of Open-Air Parenting.

"Nothing less than Sensational"—Minneapolis Star Tribune

Follow her on Facebook

Follow her on Twitter