Brightly Green: Creating a Simpler Holiday: Giving Less IS More!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Creating a Simpler Holiday: Giving Less IS More!

You have been doing great all year with keeping your home green cleaned and simplified and now it is Christmas… Are you ready for "stuff" to re-enter your home? How much "stuff" are you purchasing to fill your family and friends' homes?

Why do we, as a society, throw the switch ON and over-spend and over-indulged when it comes to gifts at Christmas?

Two words…

Habits. Expectations.

Habits--

--from childhood. As a child you probably made a list of all the things you wanted Santa to bring you.

--as parents. You are now in the driver's seat telling your child to make his/her list for Santa.

Now I am not against letter writing to Santa, however, the often portrayed long lists to Santa should probably be re-considered. Teach your children the value of contentment with less. Perhaps Santa only needs to know one or two things your child would really like for Christmas, afterall, he does have many stops to make!

Teaching your children the value of contentment goes a long way in their lives. My husband and I began this journey with our children when they were 4 and 5 years of age. Today as young adults and teenagers, they are content in their everyday lives, and seek to make purchases out of need rather than desire. Sure there are times when they desire something special, but they work to earn it, rather than make purchases out of compulsion. When it comes to Christmas, our children ask for practical things they need! Contentment counteracts whining, complaining attitudes too!

Expectations—

There is a societal expectation to gift to others in monetary proportion or above to the gift they gave you. Phrases like "keeping up with the Joneses" falls right in line with our Christmas gift-giving exchanges.

If this societal expectation alone was irradiated, household debt around the holidays would drop significantly!

The advertisement and entertainment industries have great expectations!

They have it down to a science with their creation of "needs" and "desires". We see—therefore we want. You are lured into a store because of a door-buster deals and before you know it you have spent much more than intended! I have been found guilty of this, myself! After all, who doesn't love a great deal? To a certain degree our holiday spending is like being intoxicated only to wake up the next day wondering what have we done! Those great deals add up quickly in expenses and you "wake up" to that January credit card bill wondering "what have I done!"

So what's a person to do?

Let's get practical—

1.) Set spending price limits! And stick to them!

2.) Share with your kids that even Santa has limits. Begin teaching your children contentment with less.

3.) Purchase practical gifts from Brightly Green Store: Gift cards for Brightly Green Concentrate Cleaners! Brightly Green Concentrates, Brightly Green samples, Harmony Essential Oils and Harmony All-Natural Air Fresheners. Sustainable, non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaners; perfect practical, sustainable gifts from grandparents to grads!

4.) Purchase gifts you can do together. Tickets to a concert, ballet, symphony, or movie; any of these would be great gifts to do together!

5.) Purchase consumable gifts. Gift cards to your recipients' favorite restaurant, specialty adult beverages, and homemade delectable goodies. Homemade jams and jellies make great gifts too!

"Possessions seem to hold strange scientific properties—they expand to fill the space you provide for them."—Madeliene Somerville (the Guardian)

Set an example to others by purchasing gift ideas from the list above. When asked what you or your children would like for Christmas, share ideas that reflect the list above.

"When we are bold, it gives others courage to make similar decisions. We may inspire them to rethink the expectations they have also been struggling to meet." --Robin Shilakhau of Simplify & Pursue

Focusing on giving and receiving; practical, sustainable,gifts that are also useful and necessary; goes a long way toward protecting your home from "stuff" over taking it!

May your holiday season be filled with less!