"This The Season"

So. I have been in a sickness induced fog and as I surface ... Christmas is upon us. Generally my family fully embraces the entire advent season and we wait in anticipation... but this year... it snuck up on us! Even the snow last week just brought about more sickness after the rejoicing. And I am really unprepared.

I guess in away it is good. Because there has been no Christmas induced stress. I have not seen the inside of a mall or for that matter a store. BUT I was not able to make it to my 2 favorite shopping events for hand made / artisan crafted/ fair trade gifts either.

For Christmas we have already gone pretty "flat" year to year. The tradition is simple and balanced and healthy and we do not spend too much or stress too much.
I have been convicted to just make it as fun and magical as possible while balancing budget and being a "green nazi"

Here is a great article from health in high heels and the note from her daughter pretty much sums it up. We have to be careful in our attempt to celebrate differently to still celebrate.

I feel a bit sorry for my kids who have a slightly embittered environmentalist mother who tells them, "NO! We're not killing a tree! "Wrapping paper is a waste! People spend so much money buying junk and the world doesn't need all that waste! Don't even get me started on the toxicity of candy canes and gingerbread and CHOCOLATES!" Well, I'm not sure what the world needs, but I know it certainly doesn't need a crabby old boot for a mother, either! There's a boundary between eco-living and eco-terrorism. I didn't realize that my rantings were coming off with negativity, until my daughter wrote me this on a piece of colored stationery:

Dear Mom

i Like Crismas

I know

youdo not Like

Crismas but

I do.

I want

for crismas:

a momtobe

Happy

Love: yor Gril

So while that is the don't ... Here are my dos:

• Firstly and probably the best thing I do... I do not shop until AFTER black Friday or as some of us like to call it "No Shopping Day". I know a lot of people shop early and avoid the "shopping" season entirely... but I find if I shop early I spend more than I should. And it is not like I stop early if I start early... I just keep shopping.
  
• We make a list and check it twice... Otherwise known as a budget. We know what we have to spend and we spend that... figuring out how to adapt the list to the $ we have.
  
• We pay cash and do not charge. No January bill to threaten our after holiday spirit.
  
• We buy a tree very close to Christmas Eve (when they are massively reduced) and decorate for Christmas Eve and do not take down everything until Epiphany. We will buy a live tree this year. I go back and forth between recycling a cut tree and buying a live tree... the live tree generally dies anyway... hence the dilemma. I also have a great trick that is stylish and free... I ask the people who trim the tree for any scraps and usually can take as much as I want.. these limbs are great to decorate with.
  
• I shop handmade first, used second, and steer clear of anything made in China.
  Electronics are a big one.. this year for instance we are getting Astrid a IPod shuffle that has been refurbished which cuts back on the fact that buying electronics is pretty bad for the environment... and it is $10 cheaper. All of the clothes we buy for Christmas as gifts or seasonal dressing are used and have been for a couple years now. It really adds up in a lot of ways... and you avoid stores during the holidays which helps with stress & $.
  
• For wrapping paper I usually indulge in one "pretty" roll of wrapping paper and also buy one roll of recycled craft paper which Astrid and I decorate with printed pictures, stamps, etc... whatever the theme/ colors are for the year.
  

I am scarily behind on my shopping and even planning. I have literally purchased 2 gifts...
1.) For James - a silver guitar pick with "Fatal Desire" from Etsy.
2.) For Astrid- the refurbished IPod with the engraving "Rose Petal Girl"

I have also worked on remaking a label for Vanilla & Cinnamon Agave Nectar. I got the idea from a free site called the toymaker (free paper toys in case you need some fun stuff for stockings) and recreated a Vanilla Sugar label to read "Agave".
I just purchased a big thing of agave and I am going to purchase small squeeze bottles to label and place agave with cinnamon and vanilla beans to infuse for a yummy treat to cook or sweeten warm winter beverages. This is the gift this year for all of the people I want to give "something" to to show that I love them.

And of course "Living Water Bottles" will be in stockings, with gifts, and on their own.
The kids did a great job this year and I barely got the project finished because of how sick I have been. But they are done! These bottles are made to let friends and family know that we choose to give to living water as part of our giving. It is part of advent conspiracy.

So since Christmas is 10 days away I better get off of here and get onto my planning and executing. Wish me luck and may your season be super bright!