ANTI-HAUL // 10 Christmas "must haves" that aren’t worth it

[@gabystringer2056]

At this stage of the Internet, I'm 100% convinced that anything marketed as 'must have' is actually to be avoided. I'm gifting 'direct trade' consumable items (choc, dates), books, board games, wooden toys, and specific items that I know to be desired by the intended recipient.

[@bananamary5907]

Same with ‘viral’ it’s all marketing

[@sarahkinsey5434]

As adults, can’t go wrong with socks, Christmas themed or all year round. Every year my grandma would gift her adult sons a pack of socks and a pair of jeans. I’ve also seen people get/gift tons of cleaning supplies

[@lauraann7816]

​@@sarahkinsey5434 Every year I get my core family socks-- nice quality socks- for Christmas---- from the pets! My husband gets the ones for me. I would love socks for any reason. My family loves the tradition.

[@marybrasseale9786]

I feel really special because I still don't have a Stanley cup. 😂

[@rainbowcat498]

i dont have a stanley, but i do have stanley-like cups and i refer to them as my stanley

[@darlenelombari1105]

Nor do i and I don't care. Never jumped on that bandwagon, lol

[@crowgrl13]

Same! I have a Camelbak, it was free, I use it every day, and I've had it since 2018 and will never get rid of it!

[@helenapayne3414]

Haha same❤

[@gulnarayun]

@@marybrasseale9786 +1 )

[@DracoTriste]

The past couple years, I’ve made my family a “burr” basket for Christmas. It was a gift basket, but I suppose if I put it on tiktok I’d tag it as a burr basket. But in my basket, there’s a selection of flower seeds I’ve harvested from my garden throughout the year, a jar of tea I made from my dried herbs, a box or two of cookies I made with my kids, a jar of candied nuts I made, and a jar of jelly or two (which I also made). I do the work over a few months leading up to December and put everything together just before gifting. My kids can get involved, our budget isn’t bled out, and I can still give an individual gift if someone wants something specific. I love giving a big bundle of goodies my recipient gets to sort through and discover. But I agree that the TikTok burr basket misses that mark- it’s really a collection of profitable hashtags more than a meaningful gift.

[@wapnicawapnica9745]

omg feel the need to join your family only to get something like this😅 its sounds so beautiful!

[@jennifereriksen1337]

Can I be a part of your family? How adorable!

[@DracoTriste]

If y’all want to do something similar, I recommend growing Zinnias, Cosmos, and Mint. Zinnias and Cosmos make such bright, colorful blooms, grow fairly quickly, and make sooooo many seeds that are easy to harvest and save. Butterflies adore them too. Mint grows fast and big, is easy to harvest and dry for tea, and you can use it with apple juice to make mint jelly. Also, get lemons and apples throughout the year when they are on sale and dehydrate them. Mix with the dried mint for Lemon Mint Tea and Apple Mint Tea. Pick your favorite cookie, make the dough in bulk in October or November, and freeze in portions that would make one or two dozen. A day or two before gifting, take out the amount of dough needed and bake them fresh. Nuts go on clearance after Christmas where I live for super cheap, and they keep well. So get them on sale. My recipe uses egg whites, and I’ve done it with almonds, pecans, and even pumpkin and butternut squash seeds (which you can definitely save from the winter squash you buy at the grocery store. It’s just really tedious work to get all the shells off) My jelly making had several batches of outright failures before I managed to make a nice jelly with a good texture and flavor. The first good jelly I made was a white wine jelly, and I highly recommend starting with a wine, tea, or juice based jelly for beginners. And be prepared to fail if it’s your first jelly. An even easier project is pear preserves, because you don’t have to test for a gel stage.

[@DracoTriste]

I wish I could send baskets to everyone ❤

[@Shetooktothewoods]

That is a lovely gift basket! ❤ I agree on the wine jelly as a first foray. I used to make my SIL a stock of champagne jelly to last her the entire year. Stem ginger (all but I known in the US) is an easy favorite, too. I love the syrup in tea and finely diced chunks of ginger in cookies.

[@PumpkinMozie]

This year my friend group is doing a book exchange instead of a gift exchange. Just taking a book we already have and bringing it to the party, then we all choose one to take home white elephant style. It went great!

[@jocelynsmyth6604]

That sounds like fun! My friends and I never do gifts, we now usually do a potluck in January. Cost of living is so high where we live, and none of us want more stuff, so we just.... don't do it haha. I love the idea of a book exchange though, I might bring that up for next year

[@justynaaleksiejuk1802]

I bought the plastic tree and the plastic tree decorations with the "buy once, use it for 20+ years" mindset. And plastic balls don't break 😅

[@michelleheegaard]

same!

[@theboujieproletariat]

My family is using the same one now for 45 years. You wont buy another tree.

[@angelika6620]

We have used our small tree for 25+ years!

[@Ilvyy]

Also they are really beautiful now! They have come so far in recent years! They are safe with kids and pets, they don't get pests ...so many benefits!

[@DanielaGarcia-ri7eg]

I´m from Chile. We are in summer, and in every store, every street, are some kind of fake snow for sale. FAKE SNOW made from plastic. It´s more than "we need to stop the plastic polution".

[@Britbec]

At this point in the season, I am craving anti/conscious consumption content. Thank you for a voice of reason in what feels like a sea of “more, more, more” content.

[@maddinar6727]

I just decorate my houseplants instead of a tree. To be fair, I'd handle it differently if I had kids. But for now the palm tree in the living room is festive enough for me. 🥰

[@Gittemary]

That sounds like a fantastic solution ☺️

[@TranquilityChiba]

You could even play it up as being vintage. Tasting history and Nicole Rudolph made videos about vintage Christmas decorations and I think one of them mentioned palm trees.

[@7Salt]

I do the same!! I live in south Spain, so natural Christmas trees are not really available here, we've got a Christmas potos instead 😅

[@jocelynsmyth6604]

I love the idea of Christmas house plans 😊 so cute

[@jocelynclair]

We have a fake tree because I have pretty severe allergies to live trees. But I love that we bring it out each year, and our decorations are reused each year. Each year we reuse attaches more and more memories to the decorations. And that's what makes it special 😊

[@sashawilkinson6978]

My Christmas tree and the decorations where given to me by my parents when they down sized their house… this fake tree has been in my family since I was 5 and now I’m 34, it’s still going strong and I’ll keep using it for many many years to come ❤

[@jamierose156]

My Christmas lights are at least 7 years old, and one set finally stopped working this year but inspired by your repairing series I'm going to try to unscrew the box and see if it's just a loose wire somewhere - it's already not working, so I can't make it worse! With the 'year' decorations, though, I have a family member who buys one or two each year and keeps them so their tree is like a story of the years they've had it

[@Eifjjsjao]

I've have a plastic tree since 2018. Same decorations. I think I'll never change them. It's not necessary.

[@sarahkinsey5434]

My family has used the same decorations since before I can remember (I’m almost 25). As a retail worker, I’m baffled by all the decor we get sent and by people who change colors or themes every year. One woman I checked out a few years ago said something like “the red I had didn’t go with this years colors”

[@Eifjjsjao]

@sarahkinsey5434 maybe she's my mom 😅🤦‍♀️

[@Theboymombudget]

I love a soft lighting moment. I just saw a brr basket and was thinking how much I would like it more if all the items were thrifted or found around the home instead of purchased new in the package.

[@Gittemary]

Love to hear it 😍 right?? I would love a basket of beautiful thrifted things 🥺

[@katrinagreinier5073]

My mom wanted to try new hair products but couldn't afford them. I took a look through what I had and gifted her what I thought she would like. She was so happy to receive half used tubs of hair masks.

[@sustainfem]

@@katrinagreinier5073 I do this for my nieces. Sometimes I purchase products that just don't work well for me. They are always pleased to get them.

[@carolinepierson6776]

When I was a child my Mum had a Christmas tree in a pot. It lived on the patio during the year and we took it inside for Xmas. It got too big and was damaged in a fire so we got a new tree in a pot. You can use all sorts of trees and plants in pots as a xmas tree. They do not need to be disposable. Also when I was a child people made their own xmas jumpers/tshirts (it is summer for us at Xmas) and we used them every year. Same for earrings, head bands and even decorated shoes. 🎄

[@zyxw2000]

They're usually Norfolk Pines.

[@theboujieproletariat]

But they dont have to be. They can be any tree ​@@zyxw2000

[@HappyLiz123]

It is important to revognise that there is also a social snobbery around plastic trees. Not all families can afford 30 pound or more each year for a real xmas tree never mind if they have a car to transport it with or the mobility and a friend to carry it home. I can't afford that each year. I have a plastic tree that i have had for several years which a colleague gave to me as she was horrified I didnt have one. (She had three in the loft! eeek! ) I have the same colour scheme and ornaments each year. I buy 1-2 new ones usually hand made ceramic, clay or wood from a local fair. Otherwise it is decorated with pine cones i found, cotton heads and some second hand decorations from my Mum. ❤

[@jo_aspen]

"Let's create this festive vibe of negativity that this holiday needs" absolutely sent me because YES

[@AthynVixen]

Gittemarie you are really speaking my language here... I go out every day and observe whats going on around me especially because I live near a high street .all I can do right now is think of all all i think when i leave my flat is how much of this shit is will end up as waster - gifts nobody wants, food that won't get eaten, clothes that will only be worn once toys that will get played with once etc and all of it, ALL OF IT will end up in landfill. and a huge stack of it will be plastic as well

[@mountaingarden8823]

Unrelated to the gross waste of a “burr” basket but also annoying to me is the spelling. BURR is a prickly fruit, BRRRR is an expression of cold. I do have other things to worry about, but somehow this grates on me!

[@sustainfem]

Oh, that's what they're talking about (I'm not on TikTok)?? I wondered what a "burr" basket was! Ackkkkk!!

[@jocelynsmyth6604]

That's what it is, thank you! Besides the over-consumption nonsense, I couldn't quite put my finger on.... it's definitely the spelling

[@yasaminwhy8212]

My favourite Christmas decorations were hand crocheted and given to me by my Oma in Germany, before we moved back to England. That was 23 years ago and we always hang them in pride of place. Also- pinecones make a great and eco-friendly Christmas decoration! Put them in a glass bowl with baubles, it looks beautiful, and very festive.

[@livrose3567]

For my mum in more recent years one of her Christmas gifts has been a box of snacks she might not have tried but I know she’ll love. It’s exciting to open and she can take her time trying the snacks and it’s consumable so it’s not going to collect dust. Also such an affordable gift

[@Tasmanianval]

Completely out of topic but your makeup here looks amazing! It really makes your eyes pop ✨️

[@katrinagreinier5073]

We use my husband's childhood christmas tree, its almost 30 years old and i love it!

[@michelletomlinson2150]

This is our seventh year with our plastic tree, it’s beautiful and we put little animal decorations on it, the same ones each year and everybody loves it. The trend I’ve hated this year is that everyone is getting those cheap white feather Bowers and then taking pictures of the tree, everybody has the same tree, it is total cringe, everybody are like sheep, absolutely love your videos and your sense of humour. 🐑🐑🐑

[@meztlireyesgalindo1671]

This year I gave knitted tiny ornaments from scrap yarn and second-hand yarn. I did tiny hats and personalized tiny sweaters, they all loved them and it was free for me. We don't have a tree but maybe my boyfriend will build one out of scrap wood 🤷‍♀

[@jocelynsmyth6604]

That is so cute! Love it

[@gabystringer2056]

On the point of decorations, I like to think about them as heirlooms if it's not beautiful enough to pass down to my son then it's not worth buying. I have kept well decorations from my mum and great grandmother and well as adding a few when I was pregnant with my son, Each has a person and memory or origin story

[@ShenanK]

When I watch your anti-haul videos I am always in agreement with you - what is overconsumed or unnecessary will be exactly what I see in thrift stores beginning next year or the following. If more people thrifted I think that they would have a different relationship with things. Once you see how much is given away, how little needs to be bought new, how after we die most of our belongings get donated...it is hard to believe in shopping new or impulsive, trendy shopping. I do love my things, like I see you do, but I also know that when I die these special things will need to move on - hopefully to others who appreciate them or who can use them. Thanks for your lovely videos! And the lighting was fine xo

[@ElizabethLovesFitness]

We use the same plastic Christmas tree year after year and the same decorations. Some decorations date back to my grandparents. It's so heartwarming to hang those ornaments and share in those memories from the past .

[@abittwisted]

Excellent talk. Thrift stores are pretty good places for seasonal goodies. When done just re-cycle them by giving them back to the thrift store for someone else to enjoy for a season. By the way. the lighting in this video was exceptional and natural. You should use it all the time. Nice diffused light and a nice large light source. Perfect.

[@1973InternationalKid]

I love these videos, so very cathartic. I am NOT a holiday girl, in fact gift-giving is not even in the realm of my love language, thank you very much for the anxiety. I wish the holidays were just normalized into meaningful gatherings and delicious food! My pet peeve is the horror of snow flocking, what a king of microplastics, make it stop! 😅

[@trekkie-cat]

I absolutely love Christmas lights!!!

[@racheljames9187]

I have taken 3 sets of Christmas lights to a repair café and had them fixed... they are simple electronically and having a battery operated set repaired (lower risk than a wall set) is very easy :) But I am with you on the outdoor lights... sun exposure destroys plastic, and back in the day I destroyed several sets of lights and a pack of plastic gutter clips that way. I'm all for using them inside if you only have a few really nice sets, they bring you joy and you commit to having them repaired if a wire breaks. My favourite set is a vintage set with coloured bulbs that I was gifted... massive fire risk so you need to be in the room and ensuring that they aren't in contact with a flammable material. Things I would like to anti-haul: - Anything made of the poor quality white plastic that turns yellow over a couple of years, including plastic trees of this colour. People will not want to use them when they go the awful aged yellow colour. Fortunately I bought a small tree years ago... major regret though. - Unrecyclable/non-reusable gift wrap - Food display packages that come in that hard plastic polystyrene (e.g. fruit displays, Forrero boxes) because they're not recycled just about anywhere and difficult to reuse as they're so fragile - Poor quality dress up clothes (I'm all for dressing up if you love and wear the same things year after year... but if it can't survive a washing machine it's single use, and we shouldn't make it) - All poor quality Christmas decorations. Make it beautifully and to last or don't make it. My pet hate is where they make an animal or character, and the eyes are really off... like really? If you're going to spend so many resources making a product at least make it cute rather than weird and creepy. If they get the eyes wrong there is no point making it, it will just about never be sold.

[@maureensamson4863]

My answer to wasted gift wrapping ... I pop gifts into a strong reusable shopping bag , preferably made of recycled material !No time wasted on wrapping gifts !😊

[@iwantobeapanda]

Great little rant, as always 😅 I'm with you 100%. I once received such basket - it seems fun at first because you receive so much at once. But it quickly appears that to be so much, every thing has to be quite cheap. And things we normally already have, if we use them, like nail file, slippers, a blanket, a mug... please make it stop, people!

[@Theboymombudget]

Glad to hear about the fake tree (9 years) happy to report we have had ours for 10 years. For us the choice was pet related. We had cats that would not stop climbing and eating them. Our fake tree no longer as working lights but we just add a strand and its fine. Love our tree and hope to keep it for many many years to come.

[@denisenoble4010]

Perfect, I'm on your side, I agree with everything you've said, thankyou, it's nice to know I'm not alone in my thoughts, merry Christmas to you xx😊

[@bianquita1]

Merry Non-consumerist Christmas and New Year!

[@terezapavoukova3208]

I saw ads for Le Creuset for their gorgeous festive casserole line. Beautiful red, white with snowflakes... But I was thinking - I can really use it just one month in a year! It would look ridiculous to cook in a snowflake pot in the middle of summer right? It would be crazy to have to store it in my kitchen or basement just to cook in it few times a year... So I am happy with my simple black one 😉

[@tanyl1]

Girl, first let me show that I love your content and I watch you often as you give me all kinds of tips on how I can be more sustainable and consume less. That's said, you showing me that KitchenAid is akin to showing me a delicious chocolate cake and telling me not to eat it! I didn't even know that KitchenAid existed until you showed it to me. Now, I have to fight the urge to go and get one! LOL! Fortunately, my purse is also holding me back! 😂

[@estellec5340]

@@tanyl1 Fight it, girl! We believe in you!

[@MeridaEllaSDB]

I thrifted most of my gifts all throughout the year. I wrap them in paper grocery bags, reused gift bags, twine and sprigs of pine for the bows.

[@upgrade101]

I bought a Christmas tree and a few ornaments when I moved out when I had my son. Every time I want a different tree, I sell my old one and whatever money I make is my budget to thrift a new tree. I've had a secondhand tree for about 11 years and most of my ornaments are 21 years old. My favourite/ best ornaments are the ones I made with my kids during a Christmas crafternoon. Every time I want to try a new colour scheme, I thrift it. Yesterday, my local charity shop had their Christmas sale - every ornament was 5p! I did buy a lot, but my kids are 21 and almost 18 years old now - our crafts are more complicated. We're using thrifted toys, tinsel, lights, and baubles to make retro/ tacky toy wreaths! 😂

[@ColeBean1972]

I’m 52 and when I was a kid, we had the multi colored twinkle lights for our tree. I remember specifically sitting by our tree (that my dad cut, being we lived in North Idaho) and the lights would make a pinging sound when they flashed on and off. I still have multi colored twinkle lights today (yes, the kind you have to switch out when one goes bad) but whatever it was in those old 1970’s bulbs that make them ping, is no longer in the new bulbs. I’m sure the old bulbs are not energy efficient. I remember how hot they would get. But I miss that sound in a quiet house.

[@jocelynsmyth6604]

I'm 36, and I remember just sitting in front of the tree, watching those same multicolored lights - and there was the soft ping. I was super upset when we had to finally let them go 😢

[@paulaclrk]

My faux tree is over 30years old and I still love it :)

[@ziggy2255]

Same tree for 10 plus years. We just buy one or two special new tree ornaments each year to add on. We've managed to keep the sane paper chains going for 10 years too! They've been mended so many tines they never break now! We have a reusable advent too that is wooden drawers you can put little sweets or chocolates in.

[@sarahlusher5156]

I'm one of those "hard to shop for" people. But I make up for it by telling people that they truly don't need to get me anything at all. Which makes it even more disappointing when I continue to receive wasteful gifts every year.

[@karolinaspangenberg9425]

I have a fake Christmas tree, it was bought back in 2013 and is used every single year since then, and is still going strong :) merry Christmas!!

[@Shan-2024]

great video i enjoyed watching and agree on what you said as i am starting my journey to buy things with longevity, being careful with what i purchase as it has effects on people and the planet and also reusing and buying second hand.with the christmas lights my nan was a person who had 500 christmas lights and used them for many many years we are lucky to still have them and will continue to use them, and our christmas tree(fake )has been used for over 30 years 🤣, these are just a few things but its really true that sometimes during seasons and celebrations or even everyday unessecary purchases are made. so also just want to say thank you because your channel is helping me so much.❤

[@kathoakes929]

I agree with you on most of those things. I always bought a real tree whtn i was younger and could clean up the pine needles. Now i have a plastic tree but it stays in the cupboard and comes out every year. 😊

[@igeorgoudi]

I am proud to say that i have christmas trees from the 90s ( and still going strong), and I make sure that any decoration i buy i will love it for many many years. I also plan to donate whatever I don't want to keep

[@feralnonbinaryautistic]

Let's anti-haul the Christmas Eve box. This is a box with Christmas pyjamas, snacks, activities and presents people are being encouraged to give their children,on Christmas Eve, in addition to all the presents etc they're going to get the next day. It isn't traditional, it's just a way to flex your spending power.

[@theboujieproletariat]

Lets not, because this is traditional in many european countries to give the gifts on xmas day. We get our gifts on xmas eve at midnight, not any on xmas day (which is for food).

[@feralnonbinaryautistic]

@@theboujieproletariat Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. I was talking about UK, where giftesare traditionally given on 25 December. These 24 December boxes are a relatively new addition here.I am aware that other places give their gifts on different days to us and did not intend to suggest that they shouldn't, My objection is entirely aimed at influencers trying to persuade people that they need to buy even more, and give even more, on an additional day to whatever is traditional

[@ecologist_to_be]

I use a plastic Christmas tree but I keep mine for as long as possible. Same with decorations. I love old decorations with memories rather than buying new every year.

[@Klara_is_finding_herself]

Thank you for this such needed video! Happy holidays! 🎄

[@Gittemary]

Thank you for being here! Happy holidays🫶🫶

[@kathrynweeks7595]

I have decorations from when I was a kid (I am in my mid 50s) specific ones from when our son was little, they come out every year. We no longer do a tree, but I get out the decorations and decorate a table, sometimes I buy a real plant, (not a Christmas tree) and then it gets planted out in the garden after Christmas. Our decorations get reused year after year, and don’t understand people who buy new decorations all the time.

[@lhc2462]

I promise not to buy the Kitchen Aid (I already have one that I've had for a decade) but that mixer is so beautiful!!!! They know how to inspire desire.

[@cziegle3794]

Yay top 206 and top 39 likes and comments. Love this channel. Best to you and your family. Thanks for making this video

[@shellythefreak8685]

I have 2 plastic christmas trees. One I have had for 3 years now and it is the tiniest thing, one I have had for 2 years now. The smaller one is for my kids and their room and I will make sure to take good care of both trees to hopefully keep them for multiple years

[@NinaCasali]

I have done gift baskets for years with my mother, sister and a friend. I am using ornaments and Christmas lights that I have had for years.

[@lilymccann-klausz4938]

HA! You made me laugh out loud with the "vintage" cowbells. We are so programmed for instant gratification that we can't fathom the idea of using a product for long enough that it actually is vintage or worn, we need it to look that way immediately. Makes me think of that ridiculous tiktok of a girl stomping on and pouring a bottle of wine on her new balenciaga city bag bc she wanted it to look like she had used it

[@CorpseBride64]

I love the idea of versatile silicone molds. I admit, this never occurred to me. I don't own any, but if I buy, now I will buy better!! I do love that Grinch pancake mold though, so cute. ✨🌞🌜

[@maureensamson4863]

I guess a Grinch would be a Grinch at any time of the year??😊😊

[@estellec5340]

We need to give new meaning to the holidays. It's not all about gifts and changing your whole home decor every year. Let's make it about friends and family! And if you are just itching to see your bank balance decrease there are so many charities/food banks/soup kitchens/shelters that coul actually really use it. Happy Holidays!

[@Ella-wq9tq]

thank you for your very necessary videos as always ! happy holidays ! :))

[@Gittemary]

Thank you for watching 🫶

[@WIMMine]

I'm new to this channel but you had me at "feel free to shit on more products in the comments" :D I love it. This whole video is exactly my mindset.

[@neurospicyrainbow]

Shawna Ripari does anti consumerism content, you guys would probably like her channel too! “Burr baskets” or any other themed baskets just make my skin crawl lol 😆

[@myragroenewegen5426]

I like this point about silicone ice molds, actually. As someone who crafts my own Christmas decor a fair bit, I'd like to get some similar things to use tomake paintable Christmas decor shapes and embellishments, but there's so many out there and I haven't got the confidence to try making paper pulp clay yet, so I've been waiting for things to float my way on the second-hand market. But if I ever decide I'm resolved to turn out a whole bunch of 3D decorations to paint this way, I probably should buy a mold carefully, in case the paper pulp clay attempt fails, so I can use other, bake-to-dry products in my molds in the oven. I guess there is always baking and ice too, if I give them a good wash.

[@darlenelombari1105]

I just bought a new fake tree. I was obsessed with this sparse tree and how real it looks and the simplicity of it. I will use it for years. I also live in Florida, where the real trees are trucked in from other states. I feel, for me, this is sustainable. I have all thrifted decorations, and they are used every year. I had stuff i had from childhood, but my ex and his new wife threw it all away. Sadly, i lost stuff from my mom and grandma. Some stuff was from the depression era. But, i do the best i can with thrifted things i have collected for the last 12 years.

[@wapnicawapnica9745]

i have real christmas trees every year from the local farms, its actually the cheapest option in my area. local tree with the height of 2-2,5 metres costs less than 20 bucks, but we have a trend on imported danish trees, which are much more costly. i cant do composting, because i live in apartment in a city center, but we have special stations here in moscow where you can leave your christmas tree after the holidays to be turn into woodchips, that are later used in the city.

[@piperevelyn2446]

It is very nice to use the same decorations we have always had (and by always I mean like 30 years in best case).

[@myragroenewegen5426]

The issue of folks ditching these neutral "velvet" x-mas baubles has such an easy solution, if only people were committed to dioing it. Where decorations are concerned, the thing about Christmas,in particular, is that most styles are highly DIY accessible. Almost any non-plug-in decoration can be made yourself. This also means that as long as those people rushing out to buy velvet-textured Christmas balls feel some duty to redo them, when they stop liking them, it's incredibly easy for them to paint them, spray-paint them or cover them in yarn, trim or fabric or --you get it. The corporate world has not actually found a way to make most tree decor disposable -- they depend on us hving little commitment and time to do that simple work and going out to get new. Which is kinda cool,because fixingand redoing forever decorations is a really sentimental holliday activity. Oddly enough, this is the one place where plastic is preferable, because the shape of stuff can last forever to be reinvented and typically won't fall off the tree and break.

[@darlenelombari1105]

I agree, but a lot of people are too lazy to be bothered.

[@criseastman6503]

When i was a kid we lost our Christmas decorations in a major move. As a result my family tradition was making ornaments for the tree , plus we would pick one new ornament each year. As an adult my husband and I keep the tradition of choosing a single new ornament each year. I also make ornaments as well. For life reasons we have had to start from scratch before ourselves more than once.

[@elysiana8889]

I have my plastic tree for over 10 years now and still the same style boubles. Red and silver are my colors. My led lights still work. All is going for over 10 years. Well ok a few extra boubles bought because children damaging them. Some extra tinsel to fill up gaps but also because I used some to make festive outfits for school themes etc. The plastic tree my parents had was there every year, they even had it before I was born, think it lasted about 30 years or so. Yep plastic but it lasted that long so that is why I go for it aswell.

[@luckagurbanova8993]

Yay, I just hit the ninth Christmas with my tiny little fake tree 🎉 I keep saying that one day I will get a bigger one to fit the classic vintage glass ornaments we had when I was little ... But today is not that day, not yet

[@DonnaDoveWinters]

There are replaceable Christmas lights, but they cost more upfront so people don't typically go for them. I used to work at a speciality hardware store where you would buy the light string by the foot and the G11 (or G9) bulbs separately. Not cheap upfront, but less money over time because you can replace the individual bulbs. And obviously much better for the planet

[@TranquilityChiba]

Ok I don't like the newer lights, even the bulbs, they made them more of a cool tone and took out I think pink or orange (I don't remember) our old ones went out and we bought new ones but it's so harsh and sad. I don't like newer kitchen gadgets because they are also designed to break faster, even at high price points. There is a sweet spot of time or brands. Also second hand plastic trees are great just sniff check them. We got one from a family member who didn't and it was stunk of cat pee and our anxious cat was terrified of it. Also even older vintage stuff was hand made so you could make a family tradition! Tho I will admit I love the vintage animals in clothes vibes which has popped up a couple of times so I don't have a set timeframe to recommend (also not quite diy but definitely thrifted) I'm making jar baked good mixes for gifts. Smaller jars (small jam) can be reused for mug cake mixes. A baked good (mix or made) or soup mix would be super adorable in one of those gift baskets.

[@ClaireCaoimheRaeMoonshadow]

Pancake faces with chocolate chips or blueberries. 🥰

[@j.rinker4609]

We like to put the date on handmade or purchased ornaments (i.e. the year), so we can look back with nostalgia on when we got the ornaments.

[@elevenisonelouder]

The burr baskets! The same mommy bloggers who very sanctimoniously say their kids get "one want, one need, one book, one outfit" (or some variation) for Christmas are the same mommy bloggers who have given their kids a burr basket, a thanksgiving basket, a halloween basket and a back to school basket. Yeah, if I had given my kid that much stuff over the course of the year, I might also only give them four things under the tree, too!

[@renatacruz5461]

Anti haul Electric mug warmer or the pickle fork that ties around the pickle jar 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@Gittemary]

That’s a thing? 🫠😳

[@thegadflysnemesis4102]

the burr basket thing makes me want to lose it bc like... yall. please. i KNOW you are capable of batch-baking. we have christmas cookies traditions for a reason and its to fill exactly this niche!!!! anyways shoutout to my treasured inky dinky plastic christmas tree with handpainted pot (both of which were from free activities in college) and two (2) ornaments, the two handmade miniature replicas of my hometown's christmas-trees-on-the-lagoon, and the newest addition my beloved secondhand advent tree. i love seeing them eacb year and goodness knows we dont have the space for anything bigger lol

[@Anna192g]

I love a good anti-haul! 🎉

[@SoulePoet]

I live in what is called "The Christmas Tree Capital" I know a lot of tree foresters. They told me for every tree they harvest; they plant 3 to replace.

[@WhisperedEternity]

Pancake batter in a sriracha bottle works well for drawing!

[@MerryMoss]

I've never heard of a stanley cup before 🤣 & I really like the more sustainable suggestions you make ^^

[@fusselchen1234]

My parents have a big basement so i always ask them before i buy stuff. They have so much christmas decoration.

[@erica8645]

Could be my little societal vacuum but I think people are going to live to regret having beige EVERYTHING. The real war on Christmas is trying to make it neutral and devoid of any and all personality. like ok pop off jailhouse christmas

[@michelleheegaard]

girl. the look for this vid? FIRE 💥💥❤❤ also: one of the things I wish i could "anti haul" is pre-determined company gifts. I just picked up my gift today from the company i work at and dont get me wrong, it's a lovely gift. three nice bottles of wine and fancy chocolate from a fancy company that is a royal delivery company (aka hofleverandør) and i feel very appreciated by my boss when he spends this much money on us. But i dont really drink alcohol. The chocolate I'll take and thankfully, I know other people in my life that would love the wine so the gifts can be re-homed and bring joy to somene else. But i really wish that we'd been giving the option between different things we would have liked. at previous companies i've worked at, we've been able to select one gift out of 10 different options that the company would then buy home for christmas. often these are material products and I would 100p love it, if there could be a greater focus on experiences/food stuff rather than materials. But yeah... something like this i find complicated about the holidays cause it's truly great and expensive gifts with care put into it. but it can also lead to overconsumption.

[@carolineschlunke]

Loved this video 💪❤️

[@ChrisCarr-q6e]

Merry Christmas Gittemary

[@Gittemary]

Merry Christmas ❤️

[@zanna186]

We have a plastic tree that we've been using every year for more than a decade. We never actually bought it. My husband dumpster dived it. But there's another very important reason why we prefer a fake tree. We have cats, and pine trees are poisonous to cats.

[@hamsteryumyum]

Tbh my family buys one decoration every season that says what year it is to remember later, I am right now eyeing a glass bauble with a horse from 2014 ;D

[@zyxw2000]

Are you really 10 years behind on your buying?

[@hamsteryumyum]

@ no by eyeing i meant looking at (english not my first language), bought it in 2014.

[@FrugalFamilyFocus]

Less updating your plastic Christmas tree, more let’s see whose is older! I believe ours is from the early 2000s but my husband insists it has to be the 90s. We got it used 5 years ago, it’s a pole with branch by branch construction, and has a few bald branches we put in the back… I’m pretty sure it’s eternal and will last forever! Someday when it’s super falling apart, I will look for a second one and merge the best branches so that I can make it last even longer!

[@gulnarayun]

Oh, I defrosted my freezer literally a day ago and all the ice was lying in a bowl and slowly melting... I could have made a nice ice-crushing video for you😢 will bear it in mind for next time! 🙂

[@helena4320]

Great video! I do wonder however about the other impacts of real Christmas trees, besides the carbon emissions. At least here in Finland we are WAY over (clear)cutting forests and an alarming amount of "forests" are commercial tree growing plantations, and not proper forests at all. This is detrimental to biodiversity, carbon capture, and other natural systems. Plus these monoculture "forests" have made it easy for pests to explode in number and start destroying whole forests. Hence I'm wondering if the commercial growing of Christmas trees is as good of an option as it might seem from the carbon emission perspective alone, but also I'm only well versed with the situation here in Finland, so I'm only wondering how things are elsewhere. Regardless I'm happy things such as these are discussed publicly and I appreciate the work you do immensely!

[@danamatsukawa4762]

We had the same plastic tree for over 30 years. It was pretty ratty looking by the time we got rid of it. Finally bought a new one last year. Good to know I need to have this one at least 9 years. I hope not to buy another one ever.

[@JC-vz9hz]

I have a plastic tree, but I've used almost 10 years. I had a used plastic tree prior, but all the lights went out. In those 10 years, Ive had to replace the lights, but still able to use the tree.

[@mandymullett1615]

I like to decorate my home with greenery, I only purchase items associated with Yule from charity shops. I do not celebrate Christmas as a pagan, instead celebrate Yule

[@mariemmmm3]

Today i saw cars with christmas lights on the roof or reindeer ornaments... Thank you for this video !

[@Zeezazai]

gurr unrelated but that lipstick looks so good on you✨

[@megank7235]

Watching this when the middle ad pops up and its for the new ninja creami... apocalyptic.

[@HappyLiz123]

Btw did you know 75% of the worlds xmas decorations are made in one town in China? The working conditions are horrific and a haze of colour hangs over the town due to the chrmicals and sprays used. Please buy local handmade decorations or make your own ❤

[@Nanabanana464]

Thank you for that information!❤

[@coollizard2]

i never though about replaceable bulb lights!

[@coraclouden2506]

I dont understand buying a new plastic tree each year. My parents had their first one for about 25 years! And they used the same tree decorations year after year. I never get anything with the year on it, as I hope to reuse things year after year. I feel sick about how much money and resources are wasted because people want to be 'on trend'. As for the Kitchen Aid mixer - it blows my mind that people would buy something so expensive just to look good! 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@cherryvalance3686]

One thing I don’t often see mentioned when discussing the real vs. artificial trees is allergies. We absolutely have to use artificial. My daughter and I are both allergic to real trees when they are in the home. Also many apartment buildings where I live do not allow real trees.