15 + things I'm NOT BUYING this holiday season | anti-haulidays + eco-minimalism

[@MandalaBunnyhome]

I went to a white elephant type of thing but you weren't allowed to buy anything, you had to bring something from your house to give away. It was super fun and really entertaining lol

[@lizziedrexler6427]

That's such a good idea!

[@blonde11584]

Love that idea.

[@jessicab.3713]

This is done in schools around here. We call it Schrottwichteln so literally junk-elf-ing. You declutter something you don't need anymore that is in perfectly good condition, wrap it up and put it on a table. Everyone gets to choose a gift and to open it in front of everyone. You set a timer for some minutes and roll a dice clockwise starting with the youngest. Whoever gets a 6 can switch their gift for their favorite.

[@BouncyBrown]

Growing up, this was how all the white elephant parties I went to were done! It wasn't until the last 10 years or so that the parties are all about buying something new.

[@HayleyTief]

I love this idea! I attended a white elephant gift exchange this past weekend and did just this.

[@joanagomes9272]

I had no idea people bought new decorations every year! I love the nostalgia of putting the same decorations, its been the same since i was born!

[@hakasehakasehakasehakase]

When I was participating in White Elephant at my workplace (limit was $20), i just reused a cardboard box and filled it with fruit (tangerines mostly). I was shocked at how chaotic/competitive it got because people just really wanted the fruit...

[@wahinepaddler4]

I always get shocked by what people go nuts over during a white elephant.. so fun..

[@CodexPotter]

Before COVID i gave edibles, some fruit, some candy, and i don't remember what else but there was a few things and people really wanted it. I think more people don't want random crap lol. I always try to give functional but nicer than they might buy themselves like handmade chocolate instead of Hershey kisses.

[@leahaf808]

This year I used the brown packing paper that came with the stuff I ordered online. I save it throughout the year - sometimes I use a potato to print little stars or xmas trees on it. Our family also has a tradition of exchanging the same gift bags and ribbons year in/year out. Another cute tradition my fiance's grandparents have is exchanging the same card every year, with updated messages in in. They've been doing it with the same xmas card since the 90s! It makes it super meaningful too, because you can read back through decades of messages

[@z0mbi3peach95]

Watching after Christmas, this is the first year we sent eachother wishlists and not a single one of us got something we didn’t want, we loved everything and are returning nothing. It’s not selfish and weird it made for a great Christmas!

[@lkope0903]

I think christmas cards are a great gesture for people you aren't getting gifts for and care for, but ONLY when you leave a very meaningful letter inside letting them know that you're thinking of them, giving them fun updates, etc.

[@MandalaBunnyhome]

Yess the worst is getting a generic bulk card with just a signature 😑 like why

[@shysartstudio]

I love makeing my own 🌲♻️🌏🌱

[@midnightmoon3855]

I only like cards if it’s from family/friends I don’t see and if they write something caring or meaningful because I will save the cards and use them as decor for years.

[@CodexPotter]

We moved and used our blankets to protect our belongings and a couple got ripped (and turned into dog toys). My aunt had a handmade blanket i really loved because it's beautiful and handmade and it's lightweight so it's great for when you want comfort but it's not super duper cold or if just your feet are cold or something and she gifted it to me this Christmas and it's one of the best gifts I've ever received.

[@TisiphoneSeraph]

My favorite alternative to wrapping is to hide someone's gifts around the house. Kind of like an easter egg hunt. Just make sure you have a list of where you hid them. I do it for birthdays mostly but it would work for Christmas too. I have a stash of gift bags that I just collect and reuse each year. Anything else I use brown craft paper but it's the last resort.

[@leahaf808]

I LOVE this idea!

[@CandleAshes]

I don't enjoy thoughtless cards, but Christmas cards in general mean a lot to me. I've been able to rekindle many friendships with a card.

[@Jessicanijkl]

My family gave me lots of shit for giving them their gifts in pillow cases over the years, but now I’m proud that it was a sustainable option. 😃 In full transparency, it was out of laziness, but it was still sustainable! Hehe

[@selkrasouza6262]

Your green sweater, green wall and vines everywhere is a big mood 💚

[@LeslieStinson]

I saw a meme recently (maybe it was even a New Yorker comic) that said: We don't throw away perfectly good food in this house! We put it in Tupperware, stick it in the back of the fridge, and throw it away in 3 weeks!

[@kellyrist8876]

I just buy gifts for immediate family and my best friend, and I'll always ask if they have anything they want before buying something - It's so wasteful to buy something without even thinking about a) if they would like it and b) if they would actually use it, so extended family don't buy for eachother and it works for everyone :)

[@tracyhuckaby5876]

As a mom and grandmother, I have started giving gift cards (e-cards) and cash. This way, everyone can get what they need or want while having fun picking it out themselves. I do have some family members who put the cash into savings for bigger items on their wishlist. I have learned over the years that some people don't ask for certain things that they are really in need of. For white elephant gifts, I always gave something from my own house I didn't use or need. Most of the time, it was a gift someone else had given me.

[@konniestaabmiller472]

I've used brown paper bags with stamping paint to decorate. Similar to what you and Madison did the other day. My 4 small grandsons do the painting so it's a fun activity for me to do with them. Also, years ago I sewn bags with fabric from old clothes. I use them year after year. My family knows to give them back to me for the next year.

[@leahaf808]

The fabric bags are such a cute idea, stealing this!

[@joannealida]

Great swap idea instead of white elephant. Everyone buys a gift for them self. Wraps in brown paper, no extras, so they all look the same. Then each person opens a gift and guesses who it is for. You have a peice of paper and write down all of you guess and the person who gets the most right wins! (Could be just the title of winning or everyone could put in a couple dollars towards a prize pool) then you give the gift to the owner as you go around and reveal the right answers. Great way to make sure everyone likes what they go home with and you learn SO much about eachother!

[@simplesimply3753]

That’s a really cute idea and a great excuse to buy yourself something.

[@MinimalistBosnian]

I am the type of person to reuse paper bags from stores I go to, or if somebody gives me a gift bag I’ll reuse it. If it has rips in the pattern I’ll just conceal it with a bow I thrifted. I never buy bows and holiday stuff brand new. Also, when I gift things I never gift people things I would never use. I HATE gag gifts, things that are not practical, wasteful items, etc. I’ve become more eco-conscious over the last 6 or 7 years that its become a second nature thing for me and inspired others around me. Thank you for your years of inspiring work!😘 All the love and gratitude this holiday season!

[@kalypsodeepsea982]

I do make wishlists. But people I send them to don't always stick to it. And when I tell them they get upset. But, my advent calendar is a fabric reusable one. And my parents re-use the seasonal decor every year. We had most of the decorations since I was a baby.

[@silviay1010]

Oh my gosh! Super agree with the "gifts no one wants"! My husband and I started a tradition last year that we only gift consumables. I make dessert boxes with goodies I bake or can at home, and I stick them in tin foil pans that can be used to cook in afterward. People have loved them both years and are already excited for next year's box ❤️

[@corneliatjandra4500]

Good quality artificial trees are the best. My mom’s family has this cute tabletop plastic Christmas tree that has been used for more than 25 years now and it still looks great. Also since I live in a tropical country, it’s nearly impossible to buy a real tree anyway

[@austenweathersby7027]

A great way we get the high of “new decor” while also being relatively sustainable is to do a Christmas craft reusing items we already have-for example, we saved glass bottles and made Christmas trees with hot glue and construction paper and “tree decorations” out of old beads, buttons, curled twisty ties, etc.

[@FateWorseThanDeath]

When I was younger it made me feel more grown up to buy a new piece of decor, or 2, every year. But then I went through a phase where I didn't have the energy to decorate for a few years. Recently I've discovered my actual style and I'm going through my old decor and it's all hodge-podge pieces that don't match each other or who i am now. So I'm going to try to resell or rehome as much as I can and donate the rest. Now I plan to just decorate per season so it doesn't feel so exhausting to put things up and take them down. After that just 1 or 2 things that I can change out that say what the changing holiday is.

[@heathermalmal9943]

I feel like the most difficult thing I have come across this year is trying to cut back but then others will go and get stuff I don’t need for me. I feel like it’s so hard to tell someone that you’re not interested in going all out this year and want them to cut back on you too.

[@Tina.bina.]

Great list! I 100% agree about the Christmas branded things. I used to get soo many Christmas mugs every year but thankfully pandemic times moved me to working from home so no more office gift exchanges 😆 But fun hack, my family wanted to make "ugly Christmas sweater" t shirts this year so I turned an existing t-shirt inside out and used that for the iron on. That way I can still use the shirt year round and just flip it inside out for Xmas lol

[@moonutella5581]

I bought sacks for myself, my husband and my kids. I put the Christmas sacks with gifts under the tree and that's it. I put kraft paper in there to space out the gifts and the kids already know that goes in the worm bin.

[@pointeplusplus]

Great video! My family does gifts every year so when they asked me for a wish list I asked for things like stasher bags, a planetcare washing machine filter, collapsable silicone containers (to get takeout in), and some programmable LED light bulbs. It wasn’t all that sustainable but I was glad to come up with some things that could be bought new that would help me be more sustainable over all 😊

[@coolcutiekitti17]

Huh. White elephant for me and my husband has always been a “what do we have in our house that’s nice but we never use” type of holiday game. Why spend $20-40 on something new when we’ve got unused/extra stuff just lying around our home? Like this year, he put a box together with 2 “honey pot” Winnie the Pooh mugs, a 12 days of Xmas Rick and Morty sock box and a Harry Potter cook book. It was very popular and got stolen quite a few times. At this point, we have a whole shelf in his office dedicated to things we think would make good white elephant gift items.

[@shebamoos]

This is actually a great idea. Love it!

[@emilyboulter5978]

This is what we do too!

[@VeganPrepper]

Exactly!!! I use White Elephant exchanges as my opportunity to re-gift unwanted things, or to do exactly what you said. One year I gave some beautiful candleholders I was no longer using and people were fighting over them.

[@tiffanymayville3924]

My family does white elephant. But it has to be thrifted or something from your house. Nothing new. So it's more a free or cheap form of game/entertainment when the unwrapping happens, especially when the same gifts come back every year.

[@VeganPrepper]

LOL, we literally bought a vacuum this year on Black Friday! And, yes, it was the kind of thing we were waiting months to do. For me, so much of what we do sustainably around the holidays started with budget concerns rather than planetary concerns. It just works for both things! (Like you said, don't buy stuff! That's it!) One of my favorite tips I got years and years ago actually came from Martha Stewart, of all places. She was pointing out that all of her dishes were white and they fit literally every holiday just with different decorations, and I made up my mind that when it was time to get my own dishes, I'd get all white as my main dishes. She was so right. I have red cloth napkins that can be Christmas or Valentine's Day. Light green cloth napkins can fit Christmas or Easter. Like, literally just having a few colors on hand of a cloth napkin and picking stuff from my yard (rosemary for Christmas, flowers for Easter, etc) you can create so many truly beautiful themed holiday tables that are totally sustainable. We got our gorgeous nativity scene from an antique store. (I waited YEARS to find the perfect thing, and when I did it was that much more meaningful.) Anyway, great video! Thank you!

[@EllieVie8]

When I was a kid I used to hand-make Christmas cards for all my classmates and family members, and I would start making them in October and have each one be unique and in link with the person's personality and/or my relationship to them. They looked like shit coz I can't draw but there was a lot of thought and effort put into them. I've decided not to make Christmas cards this year simply because I realised that all the time and effort and ressources put into them is useless because my loved ones just don't keep them. Some don't even read them. They end up in the bin anyway...

[@RainbowRantz]

Yeah that’s so rude I keep every card/letter I’ve been given. I’m so sorry. I’ve made a card for someone before just to see they threw it away it’s hurtful af

[@prittyugly86]

I keep anything handmade or with A DATE on them. Making your own cards is the best you can give. I used to do it too, but around my mid 20s I started getting panic attacks from making them idk why. I'm super anal about cleaning up, list, protocol and procedures so... not a good combo smh

[@lukeislucky43]

That's so mean! :( I still have a card from my 8th grade English teacher, well over a decade old. The sentiment and love is what makes a card so nice, not how pretty the picture is...

[@RainbowRantz]

@@lukeislucky43 that’s how I am I keep everything made for me all cards or notes

[@lucy8950]

Last year I made an advent calendar for my mom with a different small presents wrapped in Who Gives a Crap paper. She loved it so I did it again this year. All of those little presents, things she really needs and likes, are her Christmas present and she gets to use them once they're opened rather than waiting. Can't do this for every family member though. My mom likes re-using the Who Gives a Crap paper as wrapping paper, but my sister wouldn't nor would my aunt. They want real wrapping paper otherwise the things inside "aren't really presents". You do what you can. I'm just glad to see so many alternative wrapping paper videos and I love fabric for wrapping best.

[@sewwawa3202]

This is why I tell ppl what I actually want and will use if they are buying me something. Or jist don't buy me anything. It's fine 🙂 I bought an advent calander from a smaller business and it's sewing stuff and I sew a lot so I will use it. Also she packaged it in things that are reusable rather than ripping the box apart.

[@dancediva310]

I usually opt for Christmas Bags and I've been using the same ones for a least since last year. Big can of quality Christmas boxes they're cute but also reusable. Have also used many for at least 1 or 2 Christmas seasons.

[@karacoconutag]

I love the idea of using and reusing fabric instead of wrapping paper! I've been wracking my brain this year trying to come up with wrapping paper/ paper bag alternatives, and this one takes the cake.

[@UmAkkeri20]

In addition to using fabric or reusable bags to wrap gifts, during Christmas I’ll fill up fabric stockings with gifts for my parents. I usually get them multiple things and if you can find a big enough stocking, you can pack a lot in there

[@starbrite526]

As someone who loves a good cozy sock, I did take part of my work's sock exchange. We showed up with socks and an additional little gift (mostly chocolates, hot chocolate bombs and little bottles of alcohol) and did a sort of white elephant exchange. I thought this was a good way to do an exchange it since usually with a regular white elephant it's just junk.

[@soniquecat4745]

I sometimes use these textile baggies to wrap things. They can be used as bag for your cables/stuff for travelling or whatever. My mom can saw, so she made me some from unused fabrics she bought long time ago and never used.

[@greeranelson]

Donate to a cause that someone cares about or buy them an experience instead of a thing. This is what I’m transitioning to for gifts. If your family/friends are traveling to see you for Christmas, pay for their carbon offsets as a gift.

[@esthermarcen7587]

that is a really good idea, I am copying it.

[@thechaosgoblin]

I'm a big believer in experiences as gifts. I get my family 4 gifts according to the themes of: something consumable, an experience, something to read (or listen to), and something for their hobbies/creativity. It avoids giving a bunch of stuff just to have something to give.

[@sheila3936]

Do you give the recipient the tax donation slip in their name as the gift?

[@veesancez]

I can't wait to beable to do that .my siblings are all young but once they are done with school we decided to try that out

[@savannahvick5266]

I love experiences as gifts! I bought my mom tickets to take my brothers to the science museum this year and they loved it!

[@snoopyscul22]

Wow I felt this video so much! I love Christmas but hateee all the unnecessary waste that often comes up around this time. I tend to either only buy people something if I know there's something they want or if it's a local consumable, and I honestly don't buy presents for that many people (I also don't care if people get me anything and would usually prefer they didn't lol). Ugh white elephant is the worst!! I've gotten pretty good at avoiding it or opting out, though I did get roped into doing a secret santa exchange this year unfortunately. I would prefer people just share their time than buy me something. Anyways, wonderful video and I absolutely love all of your Christmas decorations (: your house looks like a dream!

[@21earlthepearl]

I love getting and sending Christmas cards. I enjoy picking out the cards from a local artist, putting a photo of our family inside, and writing a thoughtful handwritten note to each person. I hope they feel loved when they read the note inside. I agree with you though regarding the generic ones with the glitter and no personal message.

[@Vodazka]

As someone who's family has the same plastic Christmas tree and ornaments for 20+ years, it's weird to know that some people buy new decorations every year. That's such a waste of plastic and money! Same when I found out people buy new school supplies every year like... Last year's ones work just fine! Then same with Halloween / other holidays. At the end of the year is so much money spent on things that they didn't even need!

[@kenxziexboox83]

I agree generic Christmas cards aren’t very valued to me but the personalized ones stay on my fridge for years!

[@hirakatashii]

The one type of advent calendar I will defend are consumables. I got a loose leaf tea advent calendar and a jam calendar this past year and absolutely loved both of them. Chocolate is a classic, and I even found a cheese advent calendar at my grocery store last year. I have never not enjoyed a consumable advent calendar so if you want to do one that’s the route I would go!

[@beautywinsfails8867]

My mother in law makes super cute Christmas ornaments with wine corks that she collects. Keep your wine corks instead of tossing them, they can be used for many things. Love this channel! It’s so inspiring. 😊

[@lydiajoystuart4082]

I wrap with old newspaper. Especially the old comic it makes really cute wrapping paper.

[@Loki-fl1rk]

My mom and I wrap our gifts in beautiful scarfs, we both already have (mine are hand-me-downs from her), but in our family, reusing wrapping paper is completely normal, too. Some papers are used for more than five years.

[@littlerainbow44]

I never mail Christmas cards. I do buy or use some I find (depending on the year) to write thoughtful personalized messages for people I see very often so they know I care. I actually do this in lieu of a gift for some people and have been told they really enjoy it!

[@zeesworld3371]

my other half's b-day was 3 days ago.. I kept asking him for a while what he wanted.. as he said to me " I will let you when I want something and you can buy me that gift I need it. it was awesome :) I did force him to buy a few summer T-shirts cuz he really needs them.. ( got it from clearance ) as well.. so it was win-win..

[@marissabreslin5219]

If you have house plants just dress those up a lil bit :) also doing a cookie exchange is nice because you only bake one thing but then trade and get all kinds of things and its consumable! Also if you have the option of getting together with family or friends for a potluck its a great way to reduce food waste and once again get to try all the things even if you only make one :) bonus if people bring Tupperware to take a plate of a bit of everything home. My partner and I live in a small space but enjoy hosting, so instead of buying paper/plastic plates bowls and silverware we just ask people to bring their own if we don't think we have enough for everyone. Happy Solstice! Happy Yule!

[@megantousignant18]

My sons asked for a Christmas tree this year now that our destructive cat is older and calmer now. So I finally found a small charlie brown artificial tree at the thrift store last weekend, and now we finally have a Christmas tree.

[@goldfishsnake]

If needed I'll wrap a gift in a bandana or pillowcase. I'm that person slowly taking each piece of tape off and refolding the paper and tissue that comes with everything because I can reuse it if I sell something online haha. This year I sewed scrunchies for my friends with longer hair and pretty much cleared it ahead of time with everyone as something they'd use :) But they didn't know what the colors would be until they got them! I'm getting a TV subscription for my mom that I know she'll watch, and my partner isn't that big into _stuff_ so I just got him a couple fancy cooking spices and sauces that we'll consume. My favorite thing I get from my parents is coffee beans from their local roaster, it's so nice to get stocked up on something I use every day! wishing everyone a cozy holiday season

[@rachelwolf5370]

Thank you, Shelbi, and happy holidays! ❤ Yeah, I agree - I think that sending physical Christmas cards (and just cards in general) is stupid and wasteful. Just send e-cards!

[@elianaarmounfelder8597]

My family has started exchanging grocery gifts. That way we get to open presents even though we don't need any more stuff. And everyone likes food! We also always reuse old wrapping stuff. If you're invited to a white elephant or gift exchange thing, you can get ethically made socks. People invariably fight over them, and socks are something everyone needs, are roughly one size fits all, and they wear out more quickly than other clothing.

[@FieryDownpour]

Lol I use Christmas mugs year round and love them! I do agree that you shouldn’t buy them if you’re only using them once a year, but silly things like mugs I feel like you can use holiday themed ones year round and no one would really mind

[@andreabruce1683]

I loved wrapping things with Who Gives a Crap packaging! I really hope Who Gives a Crap restarts their Canadian store soon! I miss their toilet paper!

[@NeonFrills]

At my work, our white elephant is really encouraged to be things we already own so that it's less stress for everyone participating. In the past, I've given away a lot of unused beauty/ bath stuff, or will also buy like a consumable like u mentioned so as to make it universally appealing.

[@katiessustainablejourney]

Last year around Christmas, I found a few giant rolls of wrapping paper in the dumpster. They were perfectly good and clean so I kept them, cut off the top layer, and have been using to wrap gifts ever since! I live far from my friends and family so I love to get and give Christmas cards, but I definitely prefer the personalized ones. I have a few that I kept from my grandparents before they passed and I really cherish those. I noticed in your vlogs that you were able to find some of the more generic ones at thrift stores and I thought that was such a great idea that I'll definitely do in the future!

[@BouncyBrown]

I'm glad you mentioned NOT giving gifts! People forget that's an option. Especially when people are middle class and probably don't need anything.

[@monicacote6304]

I so appreciate your site. I am an avid thrifter. NO to plastic whenever possible. I have extra flatware and “party glasses”. I love Who Gives a Crap. Being a conscientious consumer requires thought and effort, but I believe necessary.

[@heckyesitsjess84]

If I have any paper grocery bags I use those inside out for Xmas wrap and I have a stamp I can use that says to and from.

[@katherine5797]

I love Christmas and Valentine’s Day themed items, but because I get joy out of using little Christmas tree mugs or heart covered kitchen towels throughout the year. And since it’s freezing where I live in the winter and I use my flannel sheets during the season where it is appropriate to have Christmas colors I don’t mind storing them for the rest of the year, because they wouldn’t be on my bed in July anyway so they may as well be festive.

[@merlin711oregon]

I've gotten a new tablet ,(Kindle ) my other one died and realized not all my subscriptions had transferred. I'd been really missing your videos and expert advice! Merry Christmas to you both and Happy New Years!

[@erinbehnke4603]

My mom handmade a advent calendar and I LOVE it and it's also the only one my boys get excited about. We put a handmade felt like snowflake, Santa, star, tree etc and we put it in the number pocket. It's the best! I love traveling by train

[@kmissoni6451]

I tend to use gift bags and put them back into the cycle of friends and family. A couple ones have had a merry go round a couple of times or just wrap stuff in newspapers. I kinda like that aesthetic. Edit: you can also ask your guests to BYOP aka bring your own plate, if you don't have enough.

[@thechaosgoblin]

For folks who like wrapping gifts, I highly recommend Wrappily for compostable/recyclable paper. I use that for wrapping the gifts for the niblings in my chosen family.

[@michellesc0711]

yESS omg so much yes, a lot of these practices we didn't do because I grew up poor and most of my family didn't either. However, I've met many more people who do these exact things and my immediate response is whyyy??? it's just so wasteful to your money and environment.

[@ohbaananaa]

Years ago I invested in Christmas stamps from etsy ( preloved) and soy ink and now make wrapping paper from brown craft paper and ribbons saved up throughout the year. Such a fun activity with kids too!

[@jormunganfan]

My mum bought an artificial tree for my first xmas in 1995 and had it until maybe 2016/17 when my son was born and that was only because it was sharp in places and dangerous for a crawler (sharp branches were at the bottom at his eye level). I actually think she might still have the tree in the loft, but it just isnt used anymore. She has also had the same decorations (baubles, tinsel, angel etc) as she bought in 95 and the couple of years after.

[@ElizabethCar]

My mom sewed pretty fabric drawstring gift bags for the holidays and for brithdays and we use them every year instead of wrapping paper

[@sentientbeingslove]

Any suggestions on what to do with old boxes and decorations? I have stuff that was declittered from my mom's christmas wrap supply. Most of it is old clothing boxes, the kind that collapse, in every size and color. There is some unopened plastic tinsel, and cheap unopened ornaments and luminarie bags.

[@milkyt-t9918]

I often feel very self conscious if i show up to family holiday partys without a gift for the hosts (like a little thank you yknow) but i hateeee hate hate buying silly gifts for people because i feel like after a while its just going to end up in the bin, in recent years ive taken to baking something to take with me! I know its not super waste free lol but i find that its often very well received and its something that everyone there can get some enjoyment out of :)

[@AdventureSpice]

I hand make my Christmas cards. I’m a sentimental and crafty person so it’s one of my favorite things to do during holidays. I keep mine to look at every year.

[@colettedemonte5185]

I agree with Madison. We decided we don't travel to the Midwest for the holidays for the exact reasons and past experiences of not getting there and back as planned.

[@jrob8071]

One year, in lieu of gifts, my mom made a donation to heifer international. Then she gave us each a hand painted bookmark (she’s an artist) decorated with chickens. I LOVED IT! And I still use the bookmark, which btw, was made of thick watercolor paper she already had in her art stash.

[@locker127]

The new decor drives me nuts! I admin a buy nothing group and so many people gift decor after the holidays and buy all new later. I personally have decor from when my mom was a kid and it has memories

[@fuzzzysock]

One of our friend groups started doing a "regift" white elephant where you just bring something from your own home that you'd otherwise donate (so probably useful and in good condition). It was fun and we got a cool vase! We brought a puzzle and board game, and those got stolen a couple times too.

[@spookyghoul5078]

I have watched your channel for 2 or 3 years now and I really feel good with my christmas presents this year! I got useful things for my family that they wished for and consumerables for anyone i kind of "need" to bring a gift to. Like my Aunt, who has enough money to buy anything she wants, my grandma (same financial situation) and my MIL. I always hope my presents get some good use. If i don't have that feeling I will get some food, teas, chocolates or self care products. I'd rather not bring anything but i don't want all the stress that comes with "being greedy like that"

[@savannahvick5266]

I love advent calendars. BUT I only buy from brands that I know I’ll use everything in the box. Like lush. I will always use absolutely every single thing in the lush advent calendars. I also like changing up Christmas decor every year but I have 2 sets of Christmas decor I love and just rotate years I use it. A lot of the decor was purchased from local artisans too. I’ve been doing this for 6 years so far and all my decor has held up so well I think I’ll be able to keep doing it for many years.

[@janetslater129]

As someone who likes to draw and do art, you just gave me the idea to draw/decorate wrapping paper next year. I also LOVE the idea of making gift tags out of old pictures/cards. When I was in 4th grade, we made these wall hanging things using this potato sack kind of material, old Christmas cards, and mason jar lids (the screw on part). We cut out the pictures to fit the mason jar lids, then the teacher hot glued the picture to the lid, and the lid to the material. We ended up keeping that up in our kitchen for years afterwards.

[@marzettik]

Yeah, I get what I call the holiday hangover from all the waste and stress this time of year brings. The Christmas Crazy’s just blows my mind. Like I saw this video of this house decked out to the nines that they violated city ordinances and the household was taking donations from people coming to see the lights to pay for the fines. And seriously, we should be equally good to people everyday that ends in y because people don’t stop needing help just because Christmas is over. For example, Christmas food hampers, people who use food banks always need food services throughout the year but Christmas is always special and you get things you normally don’t get otherwise.

[@BarneyThisBarneyThat]

i did the same thing! bought thrift store cutlery & dishes for our party & re-donated it when we were done! best party hack ever. cuz youre gonna spend money on it whether theyre *disposable* or *actual* anyway, plus youre supporting a good cause. lol ❤️

[@danielleboon1543]

Not for holidays, but I like to use receiving blankets for baby shower gift wrapping paper. It’ll definitely get used Also, if you reuse gift bags and tissue paper, you can salvage enough to cover at least 3/4 of your presents. You can iron tissue paper and reuse it, but bag especially can be used a lot of times and still look new Also, lots of flocking for trees are low/zero VOC, biodegradable, etc. They can help real trees last longer and help lock in moisture. I’ve always done faux trees myself, they’re a lot easier with pets, but I don’t see any real harm in a bit of flocking. The extreme consumerism is so much more damaging a few ounces of flocking just doesn’t seem like a big enough problem to worry about. Now, Christmas sweaters… why do we all feel a need to buy clothing to wear two or three times? If you really feel the need to buy one, buy them used!! I was at a local thrift shop and there were sooooo many Christmas sweaters. I doubt any of them had been worn more than 2 or 3 times. It’s just soooo wasteful. At least with something like socks, underwear and PJs, you wear them in private and it’s ok to wear them off season. But nobody’s wearing a knit sweater with a giant Santa sleigh in January

[@sdelong74]

I have recently decided to give people vintage finds I get at a thrift store. I have an eye for finding mid century to antiques. We did Secret Santa at work. I got the person who loves thrift stores. It was like winning the lottery. Christmas decorations have been streamlined in my house. I reuse a lot of things like sleds, pails and crates. I went solar with outside lights and never looked back. Vintage ceramics is one of my favorites and I found them all at thrift stores. I love having items that aren't easily accessible. I do have Christmas that were all gifted to me. Never buy mugs brand new anymore. I find sassy mugs at the thrift store and give them to people I know. Never had one rejected yet.

[@amberhatch7850]

I was thinking of you when my 1st grade daughter brought home a bag of "Reindeer food" from school. It was rolled oats mixed with glitter with instructions to scatter it outside for Rudolf. My first thought when I saw it was "Shelbi would hate this!"

[@vickyhendriks5226]

I love this. I also hate buying stuff for the sake of it. My Xmas shopping list this year. 2x calendars with my kids art, one for my parents and one for great granny. A few things from the op shop for my kids. Got myself a 50 year old sewing machine that's all metal components. My husband is getting scrotched almonds. That's it.

[@feelslikeforeve]

Me and two of my friends have been sending each other christmas cards, as well as cards while on holidays and it's my favourite thing to get a card in the mail, we write something sweet and it just makes my day. it might be wasteful but it makes me happy so i'll chose happiness on that one

[@treefrog1018]

I make my White Elephant gifts reusable/sustainable. Glass Jar, Cookie Recipe, Dry ingredients. Easy.

[@whitneysanders6996]

I do consumables for white elephant. Someone always wants a coffee gift basket (dont include a mug).

[@shehartedit]

You need to checkout Gifster! Great spot to put your wish list and share! Also making reusable wastebasket liners w old t shirts this week!

[@AutumnKat2119]

I love Christmas cards, I dont have any sent to me in the mail for Christmas but I do buy them from the store and put a lot of time into writing a sweet message on the card. Such as for my mom this year I wrote down all the things we did together in 2022. I have had some cards sent to me from friends before (not recently) but I do cherish the cards a lot because they always have thoughtful messages on it and I like to look back on them throughout the year. I think Christmas cards are nice as long as you make it something a person can cherish by written a message that is for them. ❤

[@Being_Katherine]

Love the background & LOOOVE Anti-hauls. 😂❤ Love you too Shelbz!! 😊😊❤❤🎉🎉

[@mckinleysnow6696]

For those of you who like advent calendars, Ive been using the same one for years. It was my grandma's too, but it's a tin pan or sheet (old brownie tins can work) with a piece of paper on top and magnets. The magnets can be made with scrap pieces of paper, wrapping paper, ribbon, anything really. Then you put the date on the magnets and the magnets on the tin! Each day you move the corresponding magnet to the opposite side (hence why brownie tins would work). It's super cute, not wasteful, and you can still enjoy advent calendars. Online ones work as well.

[@leandracooper1534]

I re use any paper put on my stuff and bags. When get gifts un wanted I find a home for them on my now buy nothing group.

[@Julie-uq4jw]

That's exactly how my partner and I approach white elephant, we did not buy gag gifts, but rather gifts we wanted and would try to steal back. Which i did 😉 also we always ask for a wish list for that very reason to buy exactly what is wanted and we only buy for immediate family and few close friends

[@jessicasantos6690]

Watching this a little late, but I love the anti-hauls. They pump me up about being an anti-consumer. Also I have NEVER gotten anything I wanted at a white elephant...so let's just stop with those. Some families (I know white elephants are often at work parties, etc. Still applies) will draw names, so every person is giving only one gift to one other person. I think this is great for reducing consumerism and adding value, because you're focusing on one person.

[@summer37x]

I thrifted different fabric, curtains, etc and sewed them into gift bags. It's so cute and no waste!

[@elven_grandma3138]

I am randomly watching this completely out of season (it's September), but wrapping paper isn't just for christmas, so: My family does use wrapping paper, but! We basically never buy it: None of us likes tearing through presents, rather we like to open them slowly & carefully (& if you try & hurry us, we will slow down!) & really enjoy the process of the slow reveal. This has the bonus effect of leaving the wrapping paper 99% untouched. We have a box file of wrapping paper where we store it all (it fits way more than you'd think!) & because we've been doing this for decades (my mum started the box before she met my dad) we have some pieces of paper that have been coming out of the box & going back in every few years for that long! - my grandma also re-used paper, so many of the pieces came from her, got re-used by us, went back to her, then came back to us! Others just get used & re-used in-house. It gives the presents an added specialness when we look at them & go "oh my gosh, that paper!". We try & match the size of the paper to the size of the gift, so it also can make the wrapping process easier, because we don't have to fiddle about trimming it down (unless there are damaged sections that need removing - though we usually do that before we put it away). Because each time it gets used, it does tend to lose a little round the edges, where the tape was (though we have all gotten incredibly good at peeling off tape as cleanly as possible over the years - it's a fun challenge, & we all cheer when someone succeeds perfectly - some paper will just rip no matter how careful you are, though), there are some pieces of paper that started out wrapped around a large box of toys, or something, that got used over & over, & over again, shrinking over the years, until they wound up as some tiny scrap used for a stocking stuffer at the end of their lives (which is a very bittersweet moment). Whilst it does create a little bit of waste each year (the parts of the paper with tape on, anything that does get ripped, etc), since us not using paper wouldn't change the fact that it's a nigh-universal cultural norm (therefore we will still recieve wrapped gifts), I really like doing things this way; giving meaning to & prolonging the life of something supposedly meaningless & disposable. (We also have christmas decorations that are decades old - some of them used to belong to my grandparents, others we've acquired here & there over the years - though I think disposable decorations are less of a thing over here: "getting the christmas decorations down from the attic" is a fairly well-known tradition, even if consumerism may have made a dent in it in recent years.)

[@shorterstax]

Lol no!!! I love making so much food on the holidays and then getting to eat the same stuff for a week it's my favorite 😂 I really do love left overs

[@holenhelen7830]

My family uses/used disposable dishware the same. We're also from small town Texas, do maybe it's just a thing 😅

[@Nicereview763]

I don't do Christmas cards, my parents do but send a long personalised hand written letter with each card. It keeps them connected to their friends. But ones that just have names in have no purpose. We never used disposable, i don't know anyone who uses if for Christmas. We have this great reusable party set you can hire from local schools for a small fee to use for birthday parties, it's a great system.