Gift Season Approaches!!

I'm coming around to the idea that I don't want to go on a big buying spree for the holiday gift giving season that is upcoming.

We're absolutely swamped with stuff around here. This has been brought home to us in a big way, over and over again as we trudge through into year two of the remodel. The garage, backyard, front yard is filled with stuff that hasn't even made it back into the house.

Why oh why do we have all this stuff ???, I keep asking rhetorically. No one answers...

We (my family), all seem to have a hard time giving up what we already have in order to replace it with something new. That rule or tip just doesn't work for us.

So it seems silly to be buying tons of new things to plop on top of the old things and gather even more dust.

I'm vowing to try hard this year to give things that are basically consume-able. Things that will be used up, not be too precious, things I've cooked that the giftee can consume quickly or use up or even giving experiences (tickets, trips, etc.). No knickknacks. No things just to give things.

I don't think I've come around quite far enough to the take the Buy Handmade Pledge though.

Maybe next year... The reason I hesitate is that part of the pledge is to request that others only give you handmade stuff. And at this point I don't think that is ok. If someone wants to give you a gift, let them! If they don't know you well enough to know that Handmade is A#1 in your book, then it would probably be quite rude to turn up your nose at their non-handmade gift. I think there is a lot of education needed so that people would think Handmade first.

Sewmamasew has a great list of tutorials all month long of gifts to sew

TreeHugger has a very cool list of gifts to give (or ask for) rated light green to dark green.

Some Questions I am asking myself:

What are my gifting ideas for the season? Is there a theme or vibe happening I need to expand on? What is my reason for even giving gifts? Obligation, duty, it is expected vs. joy, loving to give?

What do I like better, to give or to receive? How about others in my family or group of friends?

How many presents do I end up buying or giving or receiving? Is it enough, or do I always want to give or receive more?

What is it about this time of year that makes me happiest or craziest?