Eco-Friendly Christmas Cards

the card is from etsy and the picture is from the amazing and talented Jenny GG

At this moment in the year, we start shopping for our Christmas card. Many of us send each other Christmas cards to wish friends peace and joy, to celebrate the holidays, and to show off their family in totally not posed pictures of family togetherness. I can joke, but I am as guilty as anyone of sending these cards and being so happy to receive them. It is equally nice to be wished happiness and to see how happy people I care about are. Christmas cards may be cheesy, but they are also awesome.

Even better, if you are trying to have a more eco-friendly holiday season, then the Christmas cards create a pretty obvious opportunity to make some positive changes! This is an opportunity to save trees, that keep our Earth cooler, our air cleaner, and our view prettier.

Think about how many trees must go down for all that holiday cheer in the mail- probably more worth it than the trees that come down for toilet paper. But if you can celebrate the holidays by being a steward and preserving God's creation, why wouldn't you do it? If the holiday really isn't about consumerism, we need to approach it with the spirit of stewardship first.

I know I as a Christian think even more about my role as a steward this time of year- how can I approach giving gifts in a way that pleases God? If giving gifts to each other is a symbolic repetition of God giving us the gift of his son, how can we do it in a way that takes care of his creation? Those questions resonate even when the gift is as small as a card.\

If you want to be a good steward this Christmas, recycled cards make so much sense. You can save trees from being cut down while still sending your love to others. The answer here is simple, though it might cost you more money.

The good news? Recycled card options are EVERYWHERE, they just may not be where you would look first. Skip Shutterfly and Tiny Prints. Tiny prints weirdly comes up when you search for eco-friendly Christmas cards, but they aren't, so that is an infuriating scam. They don't use any recycled paper as far as I can see. That being said, so many other places do.

Let's do this, people! Enough of these virgin tree shenanigans:

Green Field Paper Co

Green Field Paper Co is now my first stop for paper good browsing. Not only do they have great designs, they also feature more types of eco-friendly statonary than anyone. When you see just how many creative and eenviromentaly responsible options are out there, it's hard not to question why all paper companies don't try this route.My favorite- cards specifically made out of recycled junk mail! That is genius. All the other cars need to step it up. They also have plantable cards, ornaments, and gift cards (these are made of recycled paper and have seeds in them- bonus, they are all made in San Diego). Seriously, look here before you buy a box of cards anywhere else.

Paper Culture

Paper Culture is another gem- a perfect first stop if you want a cheesy/wonderful photo card (don't be ashamed; I love them too). Paper Culture recognizes their carbon footprint, and they try to offset it by using 100% post-consumer paper for their cards and by planting a tree for every order they sell. The Arbor Day Foundation does it for every card (so significantly more depending on your order), but these cards gave a little more design to them and have photocard options, so they may better fit your vision. Their designs vary from bright and busy to minimalist and chic, so you are sure to find something you like. Plus, they don't cost any more than those photo cards from Tiny Prints. How did we not all know about this before?!

Minted

 I have a lot of loyalty for Minted cards; we got our save the dates and birth announcements from them, and their cards always look great and modern. They are pretty comparably priced to Tiny Prints, just a little more expensive, but they offer 100% recycled paper for 15 dollars more. To me, that's worth it, and I will just buy fewer cards to cover the cost.

 Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation sells 100% recycled "Give a Tree" paper cards as a fundraiser. Every card you buy puts money towards planting trees, so not only are you preventing more trees from coming down, you are also helping plant more! I love this idea so much, though I can't really say that the designs are anything to get excited about (some designer- volunteer your time). Definitely less stylish, but think, if you did this every year at Christmas, how many trees you could help plant in a lifetime. What a sweet addition to your holiday traditions.

Etsy

We all knew I was going to say it- you still have time to buy your cards from etsy, so you can start with this search to find eco-friendly options on there as well.

A Few Other Thoughts to Keep Things Eco-Friendly (No matter where you buy)

Skip the Foil- Foil pressed cards are really pretty, and they are super popular right now. Skip them. You can't recycle them and they won't biodegrade.

Buy Less- Pick a smaller than regular number to send and just don't send them to those people on the list that feel like a stretch. It can make a big difference to just cut down your numbers to the people you really care about.

Above all, Save the Trees- With so many recycled paper options out there, it really doesn't make sense to send a card on virgin tree paper.

That's it! Christmas is kicked off and I will have a ton of ideas for how to make tiny changes to your Christmas plans that will have a big impact on the Earth. Have specific questions? Let me know and we will try to address them. In the meantime, check out the Christmas lists from last year on The Giant List of Shopping Lists.

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Tips for Keeping a Family or Couple's Yearbook

One of my favorite parts of our anniversary is pulling out our photo books from previous years and reflecting on the year we have just had. I think we will always look at the one I made for our wedding on our wedding anniversary, but that whole week (our wedding anniversary is the 25th and our anniversary is the 29th), we pull out old books to reflect. A few weeks later, our new book will come in that orange shutterfly box  (I know other people use Blurb, but my Shutterfly loyalty currently runs pretty deep).

I started making us year books as an anniversary gift way back around year 4 of our relationship (I don't count it as a gift anymore, because it is as much for me as for the Boy). For me, these books are a huge part of maintaining our own little family culture and preserving our history in a way we can manage, much easier to navigate than the THOUSANDS of pictures I take every year.

 As I look at them lined up like that, it seems narcissistic, and honestly, maybe it is, but I think it will continue to transform as our immediate family grows, and I am glad the early years of our relationship are captured for us to remember. The books serve as a good reminder that the years or days don't always have to be the most exciting or eventful to be important to you. It just goes back to treating your life and your relationship like they are meaningful, and that attitude encourages more meaningful events. It's true!

I know people have the intention to do this kind of thing, but sometimes it can be hard to keep up with. After seven years of doing it, I have a few tips that may help:

-Take pictures! Not just with your phone! Though the convenience of camera phones certainly appeals, the problem is you end up with relatively low quality images that don't print that well. They drive me crazy when I have to use them for family calendars, because no matter how great they are, they have to be teeny tiny.

You don't have to have a massive camera, just keep a point and shoot with you when you go out and (maybe more important) out and available when you are home! It can be hard to make it part of your routine, but the more everyone gets on board with it, the more you will be glad you did.

-Steal other people's pictures of the memories you share with them- I have mostly stopped posting our personal pictures on facebook, but I still try to post our times with family in case family members want that picture as well. Stealing others pictures can give you a more full picture of holidays (and if you are like me, might be the only chance to prove you were actually there!) Repeat after me; Right click- Save Picture As- Put a Date as the title- Save.

- Organize your photographs (by Date and Subject) as you upload them- I don't have a good reputation for being organized (and rightly so) but I keep my photo archive meticulous. When I upload my pictures, I label them like this: "7-4-2014 Fourth of July" or "4-25-2014 Boring Week with Hats." Go through them right away and throw away anything that is blurry/ not great.

- Pick a start date that is meaningful to you. January is actually a tough place to start because you have just established a bunch of new goals plus not much is going on. December is an even more difficult time to finish, because life is crazy around the holidays (not to mention, if you are like me, you have a bunch of other photo gifts to make that time of year).

 I love using our anniversary as a start and end date. I love it even more as our family starts to expand, because I don't want to forget that our relationship was the start and should remain one of the centers of our family. If you have kids, you could also do it around the school year. Or start it at the beginning of every summer? Don't feel tied to the calendar year.

-Pick your photos at least once a month- I make a new folder "Year # Book", and I put my favorite pictures from each event, the ones I would want in our book, into that folder. Even if I don't make the actual pages until weeks or months after the event, it is so much simpler than trying to make those choices and upload at the same time.

-And while you are at it, just make the book as you go- I love Shutterfly because you can save your projects on their website and just keep coming back to it. This can be a big project, but I think it is better to think of it as a long commitment. You put a little bit of time in a couple of times over 12 months rather than trying to organize your whole life once a year. Plus, if you do it as you go, you don't have trouble remembering why you took that picture.

I usually dig in to making pages after big events. I usually do the majority of the fall before Thanksgiving, because I know I will have a lot more pictures to go through after the holidays, and I tackle all of that later in January when things calm down. Doing it all at once would be a daunting task, but if you start putting things together as you go, it becomes a half hour- hour commitment every so often instead. 

-Pick a style that feels good at the time- The choices you make, no matter what they are, will be fine as long as you are telling your story. As you go, you will come up with strategies you like, and your style will change a lot (for us, the pages are more complex, and the book is both bigger and longer than when we started)! The first book is from 2009, and the second is 2013, so you can see how much I have changed. I think my books are getting better, but not really that much better, just different. I can't imagine how many styles we will go though by 20 years or 50!

-If you love the picture, make it big! Even if you don't have tons of pictures, you can still fill up a book with a few key pictures. Christmas can be a 2 page spread, or it can take up 10 pages. It doesn't even have to be chronological! No one makes the rules but you. Shutterfly standard books are 20 pages long, but you can add up to 90 pages. I usually use almost all of them, but you should pace it however makes sense for you.

-Remember to capture everyday life too- I saw this great idea on someone else's blog. Crown one day a "regular day" and capture it from start to finish, so you can give a more clear picture of what life looked like when it wasn't a holiday or special event. It can be easy to forget that low key times matter too, but sometimes the best moments happen when life is a little more laid back!

-Write some text to explain what is going on, what was said, what the joke is- I see lots of these books on pinterest that look really design-y and cool, but I just think that you may be forfeiting more than you realize. You don't think you will forget now, but you will. Write the stories. I use three fonts- a 30-60 size fonts for headings, a 20-30 size font for sub-headings, and usually something around 12 for captions (because I figure our eyes will get worse). Shutterfly and other stores have pre-set styles if you want to just pick one and keep it simple. But trust me, you want text.

-Pick your favorite moments- One of my favorite pages is the very last one I make, where the Boy and I talk about our favorite moments from the year. We just started doing this since we got married. We list 10-12 times that were especially meaningful or fun, and I think it will bring a lot of joy in the future to go just through those pages.

- Enjoy it- This is a task that should be fun, so don't agonize over it. After all, I think it is so fun and exciting to reflect. It's a great exercise in gratitude!

- Wait for sales! If you are going to use Shutterfly, know that they put everything on sale OFTEN, so you don't have to order it the second you finish it. Keep an eye out for a good sale on photobooks AND extra pages (if you are like me and end up using a ton), and order it once you find a price you like.

I hope this helps you feel like this is a totally achievable goal! If you have any advice or questions for me, feel free to ask!

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Green Christmas- Mommy of Toddlers Wishlist

This is the newest in a long series of blogs where I implore you through long lists of cute stuff to buy less/better stuff! This Christmas, we will spend a lot of money on gifts. A lot. If we put all that money toward companies that respect their laborers and protect the environment, we can change the world. Every dollar we spend is a vote for the world we want to live in, so every time we buy Made in China junk at a big chain store, we say fast and easy is more important than good. That our selfish wants are more important than other's needs. I don't think that's what anyone really thinks, especially at Christmas, but I think it can feel like we don't have any choice. We do! So here is another shopping list to show that no matter what a person cares about, you can find them awesome, eco-friendly and socially-responsible gifts. We can do it!

My friend Mindy is an amazing mom to two toddler girls (the picture is old, but it is one of my favorites of her). She is also an amazing lifelong friend, who wrote me a Christmas list last year, which I am only finishing my research on now. Let the universe know, I am the flaky one. Still, I think most of what she asked for would still apply (though she may not be doing as much working out lately). I think her list reminds me that when your house is filled with toddlers, so much of what you want is not stuff. I think her ideas are genuinely some of the best I have seen writing these blogs, so I can't wait to share them with you.

Maid- I think Mindy meant it as a joke (she wrote "can I say that?!?"), but can I say, this is a KICKASS Christmas gift for the mom you know and love. No, I am not suggesting a longterm situation, but one afternoon of deep cleaning by a professional would probably cost around 100 dollars, and it could help keep everyone afloat. One gift card for a cleaning person for that cost (or even part of it) seems like one of the best gift ideas ever.

100 dollars is still steep, but you could get it  for the couple or for the whole family and then it isn't quite as bad. It's the kind of thing that seems to practical/ not fun to gift, but you know what is super fun? Having a clean house and not being exhausted because of it. If you are trying to be eco-friendly, you could look for someone who specializes in that, but the last thing a toddler's mom needs is more stuff to clean up.

Seriously, A+ gift.

Fit Bit Charger- Sadly, this one is not going to be easy to find used and impossible to find American-made, BUT you could still ask your Buy Nothing group, because people are tiring of fit bits, so they may have things to give away by now. A couple have gone up on mine.

from babywearing

Babywearing Jacket- Mindy is a genuinely spectacular baby-wearer (that girl has skills). If you are gifting for someone who is more of a novice, I recommend Solly Baby, or check out the list (Mindy helped me write) on the Green and American-Made Baby Registry.

My favorite I saw was this fleece jacket from Babywearing on Etsy, though Mindy is really looking for something both front and back). I want to point to them because they look really cozy and chic, plus they are made in Toronto! Wrap your Baby has a lot of options to find what you like best, as does Fun 2 Be Mum, but they are based out of Poland, so not local to most of us.

As a side note, I also think the babywearing extenders like this one from Extenderher would be great, because it just gives more use to the coat you already have.

Tao Industry from Amazon

French Press- Alright, the good news about a french press is that it is already an eco-friendly gift in comparison to Keurig's (please, friends don't buy friends Keurigs. Maybe the reusable cups, but that's it). The bad news is that most are made in China or Taiwan (a pretty long trip) with no good information on the ethics of their labor. But don't despair! I did find one from Tao Industry that is made in America. I also found two glass French Press companies- Bodum and Grosche that are at least partially made in Europe. Not clear.

Workout Clothes- Holy crap, there are TONS of American-made workout clothes! If I actually excercised, I would have gotten this good news long ago! The bad news is you are dealing with synthetic fibers, which is basically wearing plastic, so that makes it all the more important to buy things that will last (or are used- you'd be surprised what you can find). Better to buy one well-made piece than 5 that won't make it to next Christmas. Here is a big long list to start, but there are so many, so look around if you don't see what you want- Nux Active, WOD Gear, Yogasmoga, evolve's Made in USA filter, Beyond Yoga, Greater than Sports, and Fabletics.

Yoga Mat- So many choices, there is no reason to not get something eco-friendly. My yoga experience is all prego-related, when I could get out of Downward Dog judgement-free. I don't know anything about yoga gear, so I am purely looking for good reviews, eco-friendly materials, and domestic manufacturing (to cut down on fossil fuel use). My favorite is Hugger Mugger Yoga Mat. You can also check out Jade Harmony or Manduka, Modcloth is selling a really cute one this year too.

from USA Pan on Amazon

Cookware Set- A whole set could be very expensive to buy in an ethical or Made in America set, so I might buy a pot, pan, or two (that will last this toddler momma a lot longer than a huge set at the same price) and fill out the collection over a number of years. If you want to get someone a pan that will last them forever (cutting down on waste), look at All-Clad. These pots and pans not cheap, but they are made in America, built to last, and absolutely beloved.

Want something a little more affordable? USA Pan offers a number of great sets of pans or you can gift each thing individually to fill in the blanks in your collection.Check their website- it's cheaper.  American Kitchen also sells each individually on their website. From what I can tell, Calphalon's nonstick pans are made in Toledo, Ohion, but their regular pans are made in China, so just keep them in the nonstick section.  Farberware also has a line of Earth Pans, which seems to be a great idea, but has some execution issues. 360 Cookware also makes saute pans.

Day at the Spa- Another great option if you don't want to add to the mass of stuff in a loved ones house. I have a toddler, and let me tell you, those minimalists have a point. More stuff just means more to clean.

If you are gifting a massage or spa kind of gal, a gift certificate makes an amazing gift. An offer to watch her kid while she goes makes it even better. Sometimes the best gift you can give someone is a break.

A Few More Ideas

I have a few ideas to add to her list that might spark the perfect idea for you while you shop. Might be great!

An Instacart or Meal Gift Card- On the same wavelength as a cleaning lady or day at the spa, a parent with toddlers may be really happy to get a meal delivered every once in a while. A gift card to their favorite pizza place or take out restaurant might be awesome. Also good? Money toward instacart (if they live somewhere with that as an option) because a break from the grocery store might be cool too.

Gift cards for Pictures or Picture Books- Most people take a lot more pictures once they have kids in the house (I think I may take less- my hands are never free!). In the age of cell phones, it can be easy to never use those photos for anything, but I know most of us will wish we could look at pictures of our kiddos once they grow up. One of my friends makes a photobook with all of her instagram posts. You can always do it on Shutterfly, or you can get a gift card for somewhere cooler like Blurb or Artifact Uprising.

Colonial Mills from Amazon

Toy Storage- Not fun, not glamorous, but certainly helpful. You need to know the momma well enough to know what she needs, but I know I am always looking for storage that is not horrible to look at. You might be able to get them a bookshelf or some other wood shelving at your local consignment store for cheaper than you can buy a dress. I know I have been lusting over baskets to contain the toys, specifically Colonial Mills baskets that are made in America and look beautiful. You could also look into benches or ottomans with storage. But storage is beloved, at least at my house.

If you are still feeling shoppy, check out my big honking list of lists for more shopping ideas!

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Wedding Wednesday- 31 More Good Ideas for ONE Month Out!

from followpics.net/christmas-cinnamon-roll-wreath/‎

Alright people! We are exactly one month out today! So rather than just do one great idea, I figured I would do 31. I probably won't have another chance to trot out the fun ideas I come across on my blog hopping (which is almost over too! I mean, I am watching them slowly wane from my interest- once you have made your decisions, it just isn't as fun). I especially love that Offbeat Bride, and there a couple on here that I have left at the side for quite a while. So anyway, drink this in people, because it is almost over!

Ok!  Off we go!

1. This isn't technically only for weddings (It would be awesome for like holidays too) but for a brunch wedding it would be really cool. I can easily explain why we did our wedding the way we did (we want to dance), but if you aren't dancey, I think a brunch wedding would be so cool.

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/washington-garden-food-wedding

2. Comic book postcards as your guest book. Very cool. I especially love the way they are displaying them. 

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/unity-sandwich

3. A Unity Sandwich! As opposed to sand or candles or that business. The Boy HATES those, but we would do this if we could. Just amazing. Lifetime commitments do look like sandwiches. 

from kotaku.com/5930485/

 4. A Tetris Invite- This is Genius!! Would be very cool for a gamer wedding.

from indulgy.com/post/u4sqPheVT1/must-take-wedding-photos

5. This picture of guys getting ready. I just think this is pretty sweet. 

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/nerdy-wedding-invitations

6. Dinosaur bone motif- I just think this is adorable- very tongue and cheek without being overly cutesy. 

from www.examiner.com/slideshow/wedding-activities-for-kids

7. Kids packs- I like this wayyy better than the coloring books that A) they don't use and B) are usually perpetuating a bunch of heteronormative silliness. I mean, if you are at a wedding for a heterosexual couple, some of this business is hard to avoid, but I think there is no reason to treat it like the only option. Or even something they should aspire to? If you just give them notepads, they can use it however they want!

from whengeekswed.com/blog/2012/04/16/hidden-spiderman/

8. This. I am pretty sure this was described as "something for the groom" but I think this could be awesome for anyone! Think of all the weirdness you could have crawling out of your wedding cake! This idea truly has a ton of potential.

from www.mazelmoments.com

9. This is probably the last time I will post a picture of this wedding, the dream one, on the blog. Yet another picture of it has been circulating around the internet, and it seriously has to be the prettiest yet. This is the reception that launched a thousand paper lanterns. Still, come on people! This is amazing!

from www.uncommonplaceblog.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

10. Having a wedding at the cheesy astro turf oasis in the middle of Joshua Tree. Just so creative and bizarre. I love the kind of intentional cheesiness of it all, but Joshua Tree is also so beautiful, so you get a very strange combination. 

from www.pinterest.com/cocobeancoco/updos-low/‎

11. Bride with each bridesmaid pictures- I really love these, because they turn out so much sweeter than the big group pictures. Melissa did these for her wedding, and I really thought they were great. 

from tiedbowblog.wordpress.com/tag/wedding-chair-signs/

12. Pictures on the back of the bride and groom's chairs. I saw another one in a magazine wherre the pictures were of the bride and groom as kids. I thought that was such a sentimental idea without being saccharine or overly agressive in its cuteness.

from www.pinterest.com/demomorty0/

13. Engagement pictures that prominently feature pets (and maybe nothing else)- this engagement pic is so cool because it isn't trying to hard. But putting them in a studio-like space, the photographer avoids some overly domesticated , Beidermeier style intimacy- but it is still intimate!

from offbeatbride.com/2010/08/guestbook-alternatives

14. A Blue French Horn as your Guest Book- Perfect for the exceptionally avid How I Met Your Mother enthusiast (or french horn players, I guess). 

from www.pinterest.com/vanityscare/engagement-pix-to-copy/‎

15. Another great engagement picture- God Bless Neon shoe laces- also, couples which are not equally matched in their eccentricity- I totally get that!

from www.geekosystem.com/eye-of-sauron-cake-always-watching/

16. Eye of Sauron groom's cake- Wow I wish I had thought of this! THis cake is AMAZING. Now I just think we need to have a Lord of the Ring's themed party so I can make this cake. Just about the most evil cake ever, in a good way. Seriously, one of my girlfriends with babies needs to have a Lord of the Rings themed 1st birthday party so their kid can eat the eye of Sauron!

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/jenga-guest-book‎

17. Jenga block guest book- Just, cute. I would prefer a settlers of Cattan Guest Book. Maybe Uno. Or Pirateer.

18. Cookie Bouquet! Another genius sweets-related Idea- It is so sweet and they look delicious!

from www.pettipond.com/image_bf4.htm

 19. Ok, I am not a hot pink person, but I will happily respect any person's commitment to color. The inside of this skirt is just so cute. A great way to spice up a boring white dress.

from weddinggawker.com/?s=harry+potter

20. Harry Potter Engagement Pictures. This is sooooo good. This is why you can't spend too much time on blogs after a decision is done and over with. How do you live with yourself when you realize that you didn't think of a Harry Potter themed engagement shoot? 

from www.pinterest.com/ugotj/baby-shower-ideas/‎

21. Fruit Monster-  I love this guy. Way better than your regular fruit display. The three eyes and strawberry ears are my favorite part.

from www.pinterest.com/coffeehit/wood/‎

22. These signs. I like the mix of fonts and colors on this particular one. 

from www.pinterest.com/smorey10/late-night-wedding-snacks/‎

23. I know I used these before, but they are so cute! You have to appreciate cinammon roll lollipops! (its funny that cinamon rolls came up twice in one post!)

from ruffledblog.com/handcrafted-saskatchewan-wedding/

24. A beautiful Prego bridesmaid! I mean, I have a couple pregos in the mix, and i love the look they did for this girl! I just want them to feel cute too!

from www.chicagoillinoisweddingphotography.com/

25. I go back and forth on loving this and thinking like it looks like a sea of hung up used tissues.My Dad's dog would love it! 

from indulgy.com/post/FKWaFJZFT1/up-fingerprint-guestbook

26. These guestbooks- Probably the Boy's favorite thing we got for the whole wedding. It's very cute!

from etsy.com

27. Brides with Bettie Page bangs. I miss my blunt bangs, but I hear having them for your wedding leads to all kinds of annoyances and such.  Still, this girl looks adorable.

from www.pinterest.com/nannasoozanna/the-groom-and-his-men/

28. Suspenders!  I love them, I love this picture, and I love the commitment of the two guys on the left.

from ruffledblog.com/coral-savannah-wedding/

29. Polka dot bridesmaid dresses- I love some pattern. In Pam and Carlo's wedding, we wore black and white patterned dresses and they were so cute. People shouldn't be afraid of patterns!

from www.pinterest.com/duvadesigns/‎

30. Quilting details. So pretty!

from www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/featured-shop-sibo-designs/‎

 31. This veil. Just beautiful!

Alright people!! We only have 31 days to go!! It's almost the end of Wedding Wednesday!

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My Ten Favorite Buy Nothing Moments

I love my Buy Nothing Group.

I know, I talk about it a lot, but I genuinely feel that being part of the Buy Nothing Project radically shifted my perception of stuff, my community, even myself. The project connects neighbors through hyper local facebook groups. The members can offer and ask for things freely. It keeps things you don't want out of landfills and keeps people from wasting money. In cities, it helps you get to know your neighbors and in small communities, it creates new bonds. It's all kinds of awesome.

Expect me to keep talking about it, because my goal is that by the end of 4 years the 280,000 members will have grown to at least 2 million. It is all about people empowering themselves, but I am just going to keep talking about it until someone in Franklin, PA starts a group already. Or you give up and ask to join yours. This could help everyone, freeing up money to make more ethical and environmentally-responsible choices, so the more of us who join, the better.

It also just makes daily life better. When I get on facebook, my news feed shows me people being kind to each other, not because of who they are, but because that is what you do. I have had so many positive interactions with my neighbors, which is way swell, and I just feel better about the universe. That is pretty big these days. I have been in this gift economy for a year and a half, and these are some of my favorite interactions:

10. Gifting our Christmas Wreath

 I bought a fresh wreath at an elementary school fundraiser mostly to make my house smell like a real Christmas tree, even though we continue to use our trusty artificial one (It will look like a used fake eyelash before we throw that bad boy away). We were headed back home for the holidays, and it felt like a shame to let the wreath go to waste, so I gifted it to a young mom looking for a few decorations for her apartment. She walked a couple miles to get it, so I honored the badassery with glass of water, and we ended up sitting and chatting for a few hours while our kids played near each other (toddlers never play together- why do people pretend?). It was an unexpected way to spend our last Christmasy afternoon in the city. Plus that gorgeous pine stink still stuck for a while.

9. Gifted Tablecloths

My brother is getting married in a few weeks, so when someone recently offered 40 wedding tablecloths, I jumped at it. Do you know just how many tablecloths that is? It was HEAVY. Hopefully the tablecloths can get washed and regifted, so they will see at least 3 couples through their wedding day.

free

8.Gifted Popping Push Toy/ Plastic Shopping Cart/ Plastic Tree House/ Plastic Wagon

I hate fresh plastic toys- so much waste for no reason! Luckily, my son still got one of those magnetic drawing boards, the shopping cart, even one of those popper toys. His plastic tree house is one of his favorites. We just got them all for free. And when we are done with them, some other kid will get them for free. At this age, they can't tell the difference between used and new, and my hope is that I am giving him a different value system. The newest, shiniest thing doesn't have intrinsically more value.  More toys does not equal more fun. We have gifted toys and been gifted toys over and over again, so at any given time his collection is at least 50% used. It saves us so much money, but more importantly, it sends him important messages about consumerism and giving (not hoarding) as a regular part of life.

7.Gifting Spruce Sap

One of the group members was looking for sap from a spruce tree. We have a spruce tree! An hour or two later, our tree was less sticky and we got to help someone with a school project. Also, I learned that spruce trees are sappy. The best kind of random.

6. Gifting Treadmill/ Gifted Crib

We kicked off healthy 2016 by giving away our treadmill (perfect sense, right?). A woman got it, and her husband and his friend loaded it in their van. In November, I was gifted a crib from the same family. My husband and his brother loaded it into our car. Just goes to show that these things come around pretty fast.

about to find more pavers. also got the bucket (originally for frosting) on BN

5. Gifting Pavers

 Our flipped yard is really just built on top of the previous yard, so every time we go to do something, we find a whole floor of pavers underneath. Lucky for us, we kicked off our summer giving away a bunch of those big rocks to people to put paths through their gardens. One mom came with her toddler and loaded so many that it made her car sit lower. One woman's super annoying rock pit is another woman's treasure.

4. Gifted Food Magazines

For one of my class projects, I need pictures of food. Lots of pictures of food. So many pictures of food. Usually, I would buy a pile of food magazines and old cookbooks to fill that need. This year, I asked my Buy Nothing, and I got so many I shouldn't have to ask again for a long time. Happy to be recycling for someone, especially when the recycling turns out this cute.

3. Gifting (and watching Gifting) for people who really need it

Our city is growing fast, but lots of people are still really struggling, and I have been awed by how many times people have stepped up to help. I have seen people rally around moms leaving domestic violence situations. I have seen 10-20 people step up when someone asks for a ride to the hospital. I have seen them drop off food to someone who can't shop. We have given our newborn clothes to a premie and our swing to an exhausted mother of twins. We have given hats and warm clothes to the homeless. We have helped the group outfit elementary school classrooms with supplies. I have watch so many people empty their cupboards to help their neighbor.

I know we have problems, but I genuinely believe, have to believe that we as Americans are fundamentally good. When faced with an individual who needs help, I have never seen the group go silent. Someone helps. Usually, at least a dozen people offer. Being a participant in this is great, but it does my soul so much good to be a witness. Because when I leave my house, even in this big city, I know how many kind people are around me.

2. Gifting a Wedding Dress

I foolishly impulse bought a wedding dress at Priscilla of Boston because they were closing and had a ridiculous clearance. In the end. I wore a different dress. This spring, a woman asked if anyone had a wedding dress to gift or lend, and I did! So it traveled with my Dad and his wife across the country for her to try on. And it looked perfect. Little did I know I bought her dress for her, but it was fate. She looks amazing.

They get married next year, so I won't post a picture, but I could not be more excited about this. So glad the dress is going to good use and honored to have helped with their day!

1. Gifted the Dining Room Table

Last October, my husband was home for a sick day, and we ended up loading our sick butts into the car, renting a van, and going to a stranger's house to pick up the table. I had thrown my hat in for the table, but he was picked, then it didn't work in his space. Not only was it a kind of fun adventure, but I am super sentimental about this table. It was another growing family's first, and now our family will grow up eating their meals around this table.

It has been a lot of work (put on pause because we found out we were pregnant soon after), but the table only cost us 15 dollars for the van rental. Compare it to the same table at Pottery Barn, we saved over 2,000 dollars. We can put that money toward a trip or adventure for our family, and when it is done, we will still have a beautiful space. I love the table and I feel so grateful to live in the kind of neighborhood where things are given so freely and happily.

That's what this is all about to me. When we are willing to share with our neighbors, we can build new bonds and reprioritize our life. It doesn't have to all be about the next thing you are going to buy, and you spend most of the time considering what you have that you can give. If you aren't in a Buy Nothing group, check out their page and join. If there isn't one where you live, let's talk about starting one. This thing can change the world and change your life!

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