Even though it is barely scraping mid-October as I right this piece, I swear that I heard a commercial on the radio wishing me a happy holiday. Already? We haven’t even had Halloween or Thanksgiving. Next year Santa will be with us on Labor Day. Hey, why don’t we just have him over for Fourth of July? He looks like a guy who enjoys a good barbeque. The holidays are upon us once again. As we get sucked harder and harder into the center of the whirlpool of consumerism, it is no wonder that the season of “peace and goodwill to all” is fast descending into the days of stress, loneliness and material inadequacy complexes. Here are some lifelines with which to mentally save yourself should you find the holiday season diminishing rather than increasing your feelings of joy and love.
Be a Conscious Consumer
While there are many companies that boast of huge profit margins and a steady rise up the Dow Jones Index, there are still a few that put principle over profit. While they may be a little harder to find, when you support businesses whose ethics are their edge, you participate in a movement that creates a financial momentum towards human decency, environmental responsibility and social accountability. This momentum forces the “big guys” not only to notice it, but to adjust to it. However it takes all of us doing a little, and not just a few of us doing a lot. Do not underestimate the power of your dollar. If you are going to buy gifts anyway, then be a conscious consumer.
Fair Trade
The Fair Trade concept ensures that producers, workers, farmers and artisans are paid a fair price for their product or service, and connects under-exposed producers to potential consumer markets. It also emphasizes workers rights by promoting decent working conditions and fair wages. Apart from honoring the basic human dignity of the craftsman or craftswoman behind your gift, it allows people in developing countries a way to make a more secure life for their families. An increase of just a few dollars a day can make the difference between starvation and plenty to eat, or illiteracy and a good education. It also breaks the cycle of exploitation by richer nations of poorer ones, who are not usually poor in resources or skills, but are just poor in power. Your simple gift can keep someone else alive. For more on Fair Trade, and to purchase fair trade products visit
http://www.fairtraderesource.org
http://www.fairtradefederation.com
Support Local Business
The tendency here is to underestimate the power of your dollar. One day I sat and calculated how much I spend per day on average at the local bakery around the corner from where I live. Whether it is on a bottle of water, bread roll or a pastry, it comes to about 40 cents a day. So what, right? Well that adds up to $12.00 a month, which is $144.00 year. Is that still not that big of a deal? Well then I imagined what would happen if the other 36 people living in my building spent 40 cents a day at Lupita’s Bakery. My whole building would contribute $5184.00 annually. There are 3 other apartment complexes on my block and about 7 or so houses with an average of about 5 people each. So a safe minimum calculation of what the contribution of the entire street would be is $25,920.00. Now imagine if the 3 other streets within a block of Lupita’s did the same. This is before factoring in business from special orders, commuters or passers by. Bear in mind that this is a second generation, family owned business, which requires a young couple with young children to work 7 days a week to make ends meet. That kind of small commitment from everyone on my street would enable them to take a day off and increase their staff. Maybe even advertise or set up accounts with local coffee shops. So I encourage you to proudly and consistently take your 40 cents everyday, to your farmer’s market, small community shops, holiday bazaars and craft fairs and know that you are making the difference in someone’s life. My writing partner always asks before she spends any money, as her father taught her to do “Whose family am I feeding?” I think the “Enrons” will be OK without another yacht this season…don’t you?
Buy Green products
Need I say more? While it is obvious to many of you that organic and recycled products are good for the environment and good for us, still many of us do not make the effort to consistently buy green. Even if your budget prohibits you buying everything green, start where you can. It may be as small as consistently buying organic soap or gift cards made from recycled paper. Your consistency in the marketplace forces other companies to move towards green, even if it is just for their own financial gain. The bottom line is that everyone benefits from your purchase.
For a list of green businesses try -
http://www.coopamerica.org or call 800-584-7336
Donations
Give someone the gift of a donation to their favorite charity or non-profit organization in their name, and they can write it off during tax season. Pledge to your favorite local public radio or P.B.S. stations and give the gifts away to loved ones. Make a conscious effort to give away something (some would even suggest 10%) of what you own to people in need or the organizations that help them.
Handmade is heart made
As we become more and more materialistic, our tendency to shun the idea of homemade gifts is increasing. There is, however, an enduring warmth that both the giver and receiver of such gifts feels, that can not be explained and can only be experienced. Try these ideas out for yourself. They are also very helpful for those of you whose budget is tight, but whose heart feels big.
Tins and baskets of homemade cookies, caramel popcorn and sweet breads. You cannot go wrong. Visit http://www.allrecipes.com for great holiday recipes and ideas.
For just $1.00 a song you can download music off of several internet sites, and even make your own CD covers. Choose songs that are meaningful to the person, or to the relationship you have with him or her e.g. (college days, family vacation, wedding moments etc)
Scrapbooks and photo albums on exquisite hand made paper are always a great gift for the type of person who has boxes and boxes of photos that are still in the envelopes they came in from the photo shop.
Making bath salts, votive-sized container candles, scented lotions and melt and pour glycerin soaps is easier than it sounds. There are several online stores to choose from that sell cosmetic bases, dried or powdered herbs, empty bottles, creative packaging and pretty sachets and essential oils. Visit your local crafts store e.g. Michaels to see what kind of free crafting lessons they have. Also a simple online query for recipes will turn up hundreds of easy to follow instructions on how to create your own spa products.
The following are some great resources to start with:
http://www.essentialwholesale.com
[http://www.essentialsupplies.com]
Have a happy, heartmade holiday season.
Fadzo Chanakira is a freelance writer that divides her time between Arizona and California, where she both lives and works. In addition to having written holistic articles for print and the internet on a variety of topics, she has a holistic business specializing in nutritional supplementation and truly natural beauty products called Alchemy of Beauty. Her undergraduate studies were in Kinesiology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. Fadzo also authors a free bi-monthly e-newsletter called The Alchemical Beauty News. She is currently working towards her Masters in Spiritual and Live Food Nutrition with the College of Living Arts in Patagonia, AZ. She can be reached through her website, [http://www.alchemyofbeauty.com] or through the Ezine author contact email.
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