It’s also a good catalogue to ask for things from. Last year when asked for gift suggestions, I sent links to a few different necklaces to my dad, and he picked one. I got a shiny chunk of geode on a chain; they donated something like 25-50 cups of food. So if you end up finding something you want, rather than something for someone else, it works out too. :)

I’m actually currently working w a youth group on alternative Christmas. Will be showing Equal Exchange’s video (about fair trade coffee) and will serve fair trade chocolate. Have handouts on simple gifts and alternative giving. Time/talent/make your own coupons, that sort of thing. We are hoping for a followup project fundraising (at some later time, not Christmas) for some organizatin.

Agree muchly with whoever said winning the elction was a gift. Hell yeah. (Thanks!) And I agree online ordering helps so much; just remember to shop small local merchants when possible too. Mall or WalMart no way. –feh.

Must say it was heartening to read so many unplugging from the frenzy. Somehow I think the rightwingers who want to “save Christmas” want to save it for the WalMart profit line.

1. CHS’s Cookie Suggestion
2. Holiday Decoration PLUS
3. Start in September :-)

Christy Hardin Smith @ 63

Every year I make a whole lot of homemade christmas cookies as presents for a lot of the folks that are in our gift circle. … Plus, it makes for great gifts. :) This year, The Peanut will be able to help a bit with sprinkles.

Ahhhhh. I found a Sneaky Pete way to do the Cookie Baking thing … on my time clock … and give people a holiday decoration, too.

1. Focus on ball-shaped or cup-like deep cookies. At least 5 different kinds/colors.

2. Set out an 20-inch swath of plastic wrap.

3. Place a cookie at 3/4″ intervals; you should get about 3 repetitions of each. Make sure you leave a couple inches of plastic wrap at each end.

4. Pre-cut about 20 three-to-four inch lengeths of ribbon.

5. Now, wrap the ENTIRE row of cookies in turns of plastic wrap … twisting each one individually until it gets going. You get good at this with practice.

6. Tie off ENDS and between each adjacent cookies with the ribbon.

7. Tie the two ends together and wrap with a large plaid or red or green bow.

(To impress your neighbors — the Joneses? — braid TWO cooking ropes together.)

You can make these suckers before Halloween and, because they are tightly wrapped and if you keep them in a coolish place, they are edible till Valentine’s Day. Honest.

Two-fer-One. Made by your own manos. Decor and Eats.

I have given these to Homeless shelters and Domestic Violence shelters as stocking stuffers or personal cookie stashes for kids.

http://www.donorschoose.org/

This site matches donors with teachers who need grants for specific classroom projects.

One year, I sponsored a class in getting a new aquarium for some frogs, in my husband’s name (he’s a big aquarist). A few months later we received a nice thank-you note from the teacher, as well as a sheaf of hand-drawn frog pictures from the class. Cute and fun!

I teach in a public school. May I say thank you on behalf of all kids. Merry Christmas!

This site matches donors with teachers who need grants for specific classroom projects.

One year, I sponsored a class in getting a new aquarium for some frogs, in my husband’s name (he’s a big aquarist). A few months later we received a nice thank-you note from the teacher, as well as a sheaf of hand-drawn frog pictures from the class. Cute and fun!

It would seem that the proper way to register true opposition to the whole idea would be to just quit shopping for gifts that other people really don’t need, nor in many cases do they even want.

Why does anyone “have to” do it?

Good question! They don’t! And amazingly, Christmas becomes about 100 times more enjoyable when you ignore / scorn the messages produced by ad agencies!

The oddest thing about human behavior is that people tend to do the craziest things when they are trying to be respectable. And ad agencies are their MOST cynical when they exploit that trait.

Let’s face it, those holidays are creations of commerce, and are quite successful as such simply because most people buy it into (literally).

Like lemmings following each other off a cliff. It’s comical.

It would seem that the proper way to register true opposition to the whole idea would be to just quit shopping for gifts that other people really don’t need, nor in many cases do they even want.

Why does anyone “have to” do it?