holiday swapping

As the holidays are fast approaching, it's time to think about gifts. With my daughter Lola's birthday on November 26, then Christmas the following month - there in quite an influx of kid stuff around the holidays. If you have read my blogs from the beginning - I have mentioned "the compact" - where Mat (husband) and I decided to join this group of greenies, and not buy anything new for a year. I bought about 90% of our gifts from thrift and consignment shops that year (it was before I started the swaps). Last year, at the Grass Valley swap, we had a special "barely used" gift table. It was a hit. Ponder this for a moment:  From Thanksgiving to New Year's day - household waste increases 25%!! This info is from various places  - it's definitely something to consider: 

• The average American spends $800 on gifts over the holiday season. 
• Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons - it all adds up to an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills. (EPA and Use Less Stuff
• In the U.S., annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons. (Use Less Stuff)
• About 40% of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. (EPA) 
• If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.  
• The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year n the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, we'd save 50,000 cubic yards of paper. (Use Less Stuff) Consider sending an electronic card. The following are some examples of what is available on the internet: 

So.. before you run out and throw money at brand new toys and gifts for your kids - why don't get rid of some of their "old" stuff & get them "new to them"  items that are gently used?  I have so much stuff I have to get rid of right now to make room for the "new stuff" my kids are going to get over the holidays. Sure, I will buy some new items, but again the majority of things I will get my family this year will be from the swap, and thrift/consignment. Try to bring as much as you can to these swaps happening around the holidays. If it's something really expensive, try to sell it first and if it doesn't sell bring it to the swap. Personally, for me, it's easier to just bring it all to the swap. My goal is to get rid of stuff & make room for new stuff. And, if no one takes it from the swap, you know it's going to someone in need - that may not be getting much around the holidays.

So, think GREEN this holiday season, try to reuse and recycle what you have. It's so easy. :)
Until next time...
happy swapping


meg