Hello Again!
This is the final installment of my Zero Waste Mini Holiday Gift Guide. Thanks again for reading both previous posts and for all of the positive feedback. It's really lovely hearing from you and I'm glad you're enjoying this mini gift guide series.
Just a quick recap: zero waste gift giving saves you money and the environment by re-gifting, buying second hand, or making cute, little crafty items from everyday household items (which takes some time but I find fairly meditative).
My final absolute favorite go-to for gift giving is the gift of experiences. This gift can take many forms. Maybe your loved one has been wanting to try a new restaurant that just opened up but you know it's a bit out of your normal restaurant budget so you haven't gone yet. Or her/his favorite band is playing in a few months and s/he hasn't gotten tickets yet. Or maybe you both have always wanted to see the Serengeti and you've decided 2019 is finally the year to make that dream come true. Trips, meals, excursions, museum-going, going to the cinema, symphony, opera, concerts, and/or sports events can all very extremely costly (especially in big cities like Los Angeles) that are usually out of your budget. Giving the gift of an experience creates wonderful memories while at the same time you are living life to the fullest without buying pointless stuff that most likely polluted the planet and exploited a few people along the way.
In my own life, this kind of gift giving happens a fair amount. For example, I have two nephews that I adore and about seven years ago I made a very difficult decision - to not give them anymore physical presents. To be honest, it was really hard! Little kids are so cute and it's fun to spoil them. But I looked at the amount of toys they had in their rooms and how really, they only played with five or six of them, and while I got a kick out of giving them things, I realized that I was just wasting my money. I decided to set up a ScholarShare 529 account for each of them and put the money that I would be spending on gifts in that account instead. In beginning I felt like the "uncool" aunt but I held onto the belief that one day they would understand - that one day when they turned eighteen and realized that they had a hunk cash that came along with a bunch of 100% tax-free, compounded interest that they could spend on books, supplies, tuition, and even computers for college. Just so they knew I wasn't lying, I show them the statements and how much "free" money a.k.a. interest their account has accumulated. In addition to getting the money, I hope they are also learning the importance of saving and the magic of compounding interest.
And now for one more instructional offering: How to Make Succulents - The Perfect Gift for Anyone:
Succulents grow very well indoors and are hearty, which makes them the perfect plant for gifting. I like to put my succulent gifts in tins that would have otherwise ended up in the trash. Tea tins, coffee tins, candy tins, etc. as well a small bins or boxes, all make excellent pots for succulents. This gift does need a bit of a work station such as a patio, porch or back yard, but it is possible to make indoors if that's all you got - you may just have to be careful with the clean-up.
Succulents given as a gift are even Dog-Approved!
1. Punch Some Holes in the Bottom of your Tin with a Hammer and a Nail:
Succulents like drainage and we have to keep them happy.
2. Fill with Soil (and some Sand if you have it) and gently Plant Clippings:
At this stage you can also top the soil with some decorative rocks that you've managed to collect during all of those walks you take in wooded areas. As the succulents grow, they'll become plumper and it will be more difficult to get the rocks in there so definitely do it beforehand.
And then you wait. It does take some time for the succulents to establish themselves but they do 99% of the time in my experience. This is the sort of gift that I have going year-round so I always have a succulent ready to go when needed.
Eventually, it will fill out and be ready like this one is:
I'll clean up the box a bit and put a little compostable bow on it for presentation. Ta-daa.
Thanks again for reading and Happiest of Holidays to you!