Just some things...
The Litter Locker is the most amazing invention ever. Who ever thought one box could hold a month's worth of cat poop without smelling? It makes a ton less trash than using grocery bags, especially since we use reusable grocery bags and so we don't have a lot of the disposable plastic kind. But a whole month's worth of used litter can go into this box without smelling, and then you just take it out, once a month or so! It's great.
I wonder what age homemade presents no longer become acceptable? I've been thinking about Christmas gifts (as it is that time of year) and I just don't really like this tradition. I mean, I loved it when I was a kid. But at least the way my family does presents, I don't like it. It looks a little like this: Grandma pesters me until I make a list of what I want for Christmas. I give her said list (eventually and always too late for her liking). There is a brief period of complaining where either I don't want anything, or enough, or whatever I want is too expensive. She divides up what I want between my relatives so I pretty much get whatever is on my list (which is never much, I usually ask for sweaters. Though this year I went way out there and asked for a food processor). Often its things that I've wanted or needed for a while that I hold off on getting so someone can get them for me for Christmas. It was the same when I was a kid - for a while I desperately needed bedsheets, but no one would buy my any because it was going to be a Christmas present. I had to wait like a month to get them.
I see several flaws in this - one is that I have to wait a long time to get things that I needed to begin with. Another is that the presents don't really mean anything. There honestly aren't a ton of things I want, and likewise there aren't a ton of things I want to buy people. So this Christmas I'm giving everyone homemade Jam. I think its a terrific present - its the kind of thing I'd be thrilled to receive! I put them in a pretty jar with a nice ribbon and 5 presents cost me less than $20 all together. See the thing is, I don't think I can get away with this for the rest of my life. Right now its ok because I'm still young - but I'm going to grow up being the bad present giver in my family.
I just don't like thinking of Christmas as a present giving holiday like that. I like to give gifts because they mean something and I care. Not because I'm obliged and then I have to search for months for the right thing and spend a lot of money and get something for everyone and... I don't like that. I'm a big fan of the name exchange so everyone gets something good and people can put a lot of thought into just one good gift. When I have kids, I don't want them to grow up waiting for things they need until Christmas. But I also don't want them to get a bunch of crap because someone had to get them crappy presents. I'm a big fan of an uncluttered life. My kids are going to get a limited number of presents for a limited amount of money, I think. Hopefully I can explain that to the rest of my family.
They just look at consumerism in a very different way than I do. To them, the more the better. I defiantly am trying to live more simplistically. Some battles I don't pick but this one could get very upsetting for me down the road. Right now, though, for this year, I'll be fine. Because like I said, I'm still young and so crappy presents are still acceptable when you're young.
Happy Holidays to all!
I wonder what age homemade presents no longer become acceptable? I've been thinking about Christmas gifts (as it is that time of year) and I just don't really like this tradition. I mean, I loved it when I was a kid. But at least the way my family does presents, I don't like it. It looks a little like this: Grandma pesters me until I make a list of what I want for Christmas. I give her said list (eventually and always too late for her liking). There is a brief period of complaining where either I don't want anything, or enough, or whatever I want is too expensive. She divides up what I want between my relatives so I pretty much get whatever is on my list (which is never much, I usually ask for sweaters. Though this year I went way out there and asked for a food processor). Often its things that I've wanted or needed for a while that I hold off on getting so someone can get them for me for Christmas. It was the same when I was a kid - for a while I desperately needed bedsheets, but no one would buy my any because it was going to be a Christmas present. I had to wait like a month to get them.
I see several flaws in this - one is that I have to wait a long time to get things that I needed to begin with. Another is that the presents don't really mean anything. There honestly aren't a ton of things I want, and likewise there aren't a ton of things I want to buy people. So this Christmas I'm giving everyone homemade Jam. I think its a terrific present - its the kind of thing I'd be thrilled to receive! I put them in a pretty jar with a nice ribbon and 5 presents cost me less than $20 all together. See the thing is, I don't think I can get away with this for the rest of my life. Right now its ok because I'm still young - but I'm going to grow up being the bad present giver in my family.
I just don't like thinking of Christmas as a present giving holiday like that. I like to give gifts because they mean something and I care. Not because I'm obliged and then I have to search for months for the right thing and spend a lot of money and get something for everyone and... I don't like that. I'm a big fan of the name exchange so everyone gets something good and people can put a lot of thought into just one good gift. When I have kids, I don't want them to grow up waiting for things they need until Christmas. But I also don't want them to get a bunch of crap because someone had to get them crappy presents. I'm a big fan of an uncluttered life. My kids are going to get a limited number of presents for a limited amount of money, I think. Hopefully I can explain that to the rest of my family.
They just look at consumerism in a very different way than I do. To them, the more the better. I defiantly am trying to live more simplistically. Some battles I don't pick but this one could get very upsetting for me down the road. Right now, though, for this year, I'll be fine. Because like I said, I'm still young and so crappy presents are still acceptable when you're young.
Happy Holidays to all!