Looking for inspiration in your quest to de-commercialize the holiday season? Then look no further than Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli’s classic book, UnplugThe Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into The Season.
Here’s a short excerpt from the book:
The one concern that united virtually all the people we’ve talked to is a yearning for a simpler, less commercial, more soul-satisfying celebration. There is a universal wish to end the year with a festival of renewal that rekindles our faith, brings us closer to the people we care about, and brings lights and laughter to the dark days of winter. We want to ward off the commercial excesses of the season and create an authentic, joyful celebration in tune with our unique needs and desires.
Unlike other book contests, where I have given away a brand new book mailed to me from the publisher, this book was skillfully procured from my local Goodwill thrift shop! I was actually reading this as a library book when I came across the Goodwill copy, and thought to myself that it would make the perfect Non-Consumer Advocate giveaway. It even has a hand written note in the front from the original owner!
To enter the contest, just write in the comments section about what you’re doing to de-commercialize the holidays. The winner will be chosen at random, please enter only once. The contest ends on December 9th at 12 A.M., Pacific time zone. Good luck!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
{ 83 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like a great book! I would love to win this! Saw the announcement on Twitter.
No guilt whatsoever about small budgets for children. Each of my grandchildren gets only $25 spent on them. That is PLENTY of money for a nice gift for a five year old. How much stuff do they need? The nine year old is getting a special (read cheap) pizza lunch with the grandparents, then $25 spent on him at the bookstore. He loves to read.
My son had a car accident last weekend I believe it was…..Deer 1, my son 0
. Had he and his friend not been wearing their seatbelts, this would have been a very different Christmas.
His accident really had us re-evaluate which side of Christmas we wanted to be on. Did we want to be on the “stuff” frenzy, or did we want to go back to the Christmases our grandparents had? We decided to get back to our “roots” if you will.
We stopped any more gift buying. What we have purchased already is more than enough, so what is left on the list will stay in the stores
We went back to some things we did when they were small and stopped for some reason; the bible reading of the birth of Christ, popcorn strings, construction paper chain for each day of Christmas, writing a nice, small thing to do secretly, etc.
Taking the money from the gifts we are not going to buy, and buying Christmas for someone my husband works with. She is a single mom with twins and is always struggling. Just have to figure out a way to deliver gifts and the fixin’s for dinner w/o her seeing us…lol
Driving through neighborhoods looking at the lights, just all the things that we got away from as the kids got older. Takes the focus off the gifts and puts it back on doing for others and the family
We always like to buy items for families in need. We get what we need and want all throughout the year. We try not to add to the madness of the holiday season by consuming.
I am giving experiences for gifts this year – dinners, massages, movie tickets, etc.!
this year the boy and i have decided to scale back drastically on gifts. were giving each other only small items that can be placed in the stockings we made last year.
we’re skipping the expensive christmas tree & making most of the gifts were giving our family & friends (knitted goods, mixed tapes, tasty treats)
I have always had a small budget for Christmas. I am an accomplished knitter and sewer, so I make a lot of my gifts throughout the year. I also never, ever give a gift unless it really is something I think the recipient will love and use. I would rather give a card than give a gift out of some sense of obligation.
Kids in our family get small gifts or experience gifts from us. Last year, our oldest niece’s gift was a trip to the local Renaissance faire, something she wanted very much. SO much better than giving a plastic toy that will soon be forgotten!
My fiance and I always consider our present to each other is the fact that we don’t have to go out and buy each other presents. Instead, we enjoy each others company as we make the 5 hour trek from his family’s house to mine on Christmas Day. It gives us time to spend some of the holiday just the two of us, while still seeing both of our families.
My Christmas budget is non-existent this year (as it has been many other years). So gifts will be homemade or second-hand. My brother’s family and ours will get together for a holiday feast and exchange of gifts. Last year my sister in law gave us a used food processor.
It has been a godsend especially at harvest time and is used almost daily. I gave them a quilt top that my mom and I had put together years ago. There are no small children in our family. We big “kids” can have just as much fun without the hassles of crowded stores and forced good cheer.
I check this book out of the library every year! I’d love to actually own a copy of it!
Having said that, this year I’m making our girls presents instead of buying new. (I did buy them a jumprope, but I’ve seen a used one.) We are also spending more time at home just being together instead of being busy all the time.
Blessings–
Dana
We bought some of my sons presents used and shortened our list of people we buy presents for. Instead we are making Husbands work people a meal. We also donate gifts to children in need.
I’d love some inspiration on de-commercializing Christmas! I’ve been putting a lot more thought into my gift-giving this year. The majority of gifts I’ve bought so far this year are still new, but I’m very conscious about buying from local stores and vendors and selecting non-commercial toys that either double as works of art or are unique in some way to hold the child’s interest over time. I’m also looking for gift certificates for unique experiences – yoga classes, kayak trips, restaurants and even one for a small wine store that I know my brother-in-law will love. Aside from the gift-giving, I’m also conscious of teaching my children “the reason for the season.” We have a creche, a Jesse Tree (that the kids made) and an advent wreath, which remind us of the religious reasons behind our celebrating.
We are not really giving gifts to the adults just the 4 yo and have decided to do a gift a day for several days to take away from the expectation of a huge pile of gifts on one day. My almost 18 yo said he didn’t want a gift but simply time with the family, so this year is about together time as a family.
I am only buying presents that people really need and can use. For my husband a class at the community college, my mom a trip to the ballet. I’m actually possibly spending slightly more but i know these gifts will be fulfilling, enriching and won’t clutter up the house with useless things. They will love them.
We’re giving multiple “alternative gifts” to parents and inlaws – donating money to causes we believe in in honor of those we love. Somewhere in the world a child will have access to an education and a family will be able to eat… And no gift wrap required!!
I’m watching a tv show about Xmas and I realized I haven’t been in a holiday crush at the mall in over 5 years possibly longer. We are going to buy dinner at a local fish shop maybe even direct from the fisher–I can’t wait for our fisrt Maine xmas dinner!
We are adopting residents at the Senior Center. Many of them have no families – if it wasnt for the center, they would be completely homeless. Its a place that helps regardless of ability to pay, so there are some very very poor people in there. We are providing basic toiletries + some fun gifts. A couple of the residents have hard to shop for clothes sizes, and they have never been “adopted”. We are making it a point to get them exactly what they want this year.
My family will be attending a puppet show, going on a sleigh ride, visiting a special exhibit at the museum…instead of all the shopping, wrapping, unwrapping and wasting! My three year old will have some presents under the tree still…like a box full of thrift store scarves for dancing and dress-up.
Most of our gifts to other people are “consumable,” – wine, phone cards, homemade goodies, etc. Nobody I know needs more “stuff.” The kids will get one or two toys from us and books. Generally we look for educational toys that will hold their interest for more than 2 days. In the past I have put together “craft boxes” full of felt, feathers, pipe cleaners, etc and dress up boxes full of second hand finds. I did not have time for that this year, but gifts like that are always their favorites.
We are very active in our Church and have children and husband participating in music, live nativity and caroling. I will be donating time and pecans to make holiday pies with our youth group as a fundraiser for a mission trip they will be taking. Other than that we are just spending time together, singing songs and enjoying things like hot chocolate, hot cider and basically any hot beverage!
I’m with Krista… we’re looking for the “experience” gift. Our daughter really wanted to play club volleyball, so that’s her gift. I told her every time she served the ball, she should tell herself “Merry Christmas.” Our foreign exchange student can’t haul lots of stuff home, so we’re giving her tickets to the ballet in the spring before she returns to Germany. None of the kids could remember what their gifts were even one year back. Experiences together will be more meaningful… they’ll create memories to last forever.
I would love to win this book. I love books…maybe to much. My family and I are trying to slow down the Christmas machine. My kids are fine with it. I have problems with the rest of the extended family. Mostly, we give gift cards. So many things are on clearance after the new year and they are able to shop and get double for their money / gift card. Thanks for keeping this blog going. I really enjoy it.
Tracy B.
Oh and on the gift giving front, truffles, luffas( thanks Compacter Theresa) and homemade infused bath salts. What could be better than lying in a bath infused with ginger and lemongrass and eating truffles…
Best gifts ever! lol My grandmother gave me an old hardtop suitcase when my daughter was 5. I put in her flower girl dress from my brother’s wedding, a Disney princess dress my mom bought her, and then I hit the thrift store. I bought high heel shoes, the gaudiest jewelry on the planet, scarves, etc.
That was her Christmas gift and she absolutely loved it. When she outgrew all of the clothes, I passed it all on to a neighbor.
I am giving gifts this year that give to others, like certificates for $25 loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries from kiva.org . The loans are (nearly always) paid back, and it is great to see the photo and story of someone lifting himself or herself out of poverty. Another gift I am giving is Galapagos Islands calendars for which 100% of the price benefits people with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) in Ecuador, available here: http://philangelus.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/2010-calendar-available/ .
it seems that each year our family looks at new ways to decommercialize and put the focus on time w/ family and helping those in need. Last year, we decided to donate to good causes in lieu of gifts to several families we had exchanged gifts with for many years. This year, my husband and I will do a few stocking stuffers for eachother (already picked up a used, like-new wallet and a couple of second (or third or fourth) hand books that relate to a trip we’re taking next year). Other than that, we each agreed that we’d give each other an “experience”, with the less $ spent, the better. I’m thinking of a hike somewhere new.. bringing along some hot coffee and scones.
For our nearly 10 year old, it’s always a bit of a struggle w/ all the hype of the season… there always seems to be a twinge of disappointment after it’s all over. We try hard to simplify and continually emphasize togetherness and gratitude. This year, my husband is working on the 25th, which has never been the case. I’m thinking of suggesting that she and I take some of our Christmas $ and make sack lunches and go around to deliver them to those asking for food/$ off highway exits, etc.
We are giving each gifts that we have already enjoyed and want to share with others – like a book that we have already read. Or candlestick holders that we no longer use. And this year I am committed to buying no giftwrap. I’ll just have to be creative.
This year we have cut back drastically in all areas, and I am making a lot of the gifts we are giving. I’m making homemade candy for all the people at work, and for the neighbors, because I feel like I need to acknowledge all the things they do to help us. I want this to be a spiritual this, not a commerical one.
We are focusing on a lot of family nights-popping popcorn, watching movies, just spending time together plus we plan to go to a lot of the free things, concerts at church, riding around looking at the lights, etc. We want to put Christ back into Christmas.
This year I am giving care packages and homemade gifts to my family. I customize each box to the recipients taste – my sister’s box has almonds in it and my brother’s box has olives in addition to the other items. I also knitted a scarf and some dish cloths to give the packages an extra personal touch.
This year we are skipping the shopping and over-decorating and sticking with just candles and greenery cut from local shrubs. We will participate in church and school activities and then head for our favorite historic place to enjoy a Colonial Christmas.
I love this blog! It’s been so great to read as I have been trying to but back on my own spending. This year, we have cut down our budget for gifts by half, and so I’ve had to be creative. I’ve used paperbackswap to get several books (for the price of shipping) for loved ones. They are books that are in perfectly good shape, but for the fact that they’ve had another owner. (I’m not telling if you don’t.) I also have focused on what my family needs, as opposed to what they want, and selected my gifts based upon those (in several cases from Goodwill.) Finally, as a family, we are giving our time to a local faith based program that allows families to pick out gifts and get the fixings for a holiday meal at a “Christmas shop”. My family is donating time to set up the shop, making cookies for the meal, and will help to wrap the donated gifts.
I would love to read that book for ideas and inspiration. Both my grandchildren’s gifts are mostly from Goodwill or handmade gifts like knitted hats, mittens, etc. All my children are grown now, but I know that the Christmas they remember the very best was the year we asked for donated gifts and food from local businesses for a family who’s husband/Dad had recently committed suicide. They didn’t have the money to have their road plowed so on Christmas Eve we piled all the gifts and food and firewood on an old car hood with a rope in the front and took it down the snowy road to their house. The looks on their faces (4 children and Mom) was all the only Christmas present we needed. My grown kids still talk about how wonderful it was.
I’m also giving out homemade coupons for babysitting and for special dinners at our home.
I have just moved a homeless person into the workshop on my garage. We have been gleaning things from the woods behind me and thru the (trash?) bins to get stuff to decorate his (our?) place. And to homeify a rather barren room.We have a working electric skillet, and roomy cooler,working crock pot and coffeemaker.. Of course we have a bed and plenty of quilts!. Best of all we were able to connect my cablevision out to the work shop and hookup and old tv. .We have also acquired some small gifts for him to refurbish and give for Christmas. Christmas is about giving no matter how poor you are. And believe me am poor but I will share what I have.
J.
Simplifying Christmas is a work in progress for us. The first step we took was deciding that neither my husband nor I would get gifts for one another. We convinced our parents and siblings to abandon the exchange as well. My in-laws invite us to celebrate Christmas with them, and as a token of appreciation we invite them for lunch on Christmas day in a nice restaurant in Quebec City which is 45 minutes from their home. We always take a walk in the older part of the city, which is my favorite part of this activity. The atmosphere is truly magical with the Château Frontenac, the snow and the view of the St-Lawrence river. We still purchase gifts for our two adult children who are in college and university respectively, and they give us small gifts as well. When they will both be working, I will suggest that we drop the gifts and simply enjoy the holidays by spending time together and perhaps keeping the Christmas day restaurant tradition. I am participating in a cookie exchange at work, where I will bake and give three dozen cookies and receive three dozen in return. These will be my gifts to my two bosses. The other exception is my granny. She is 85 and living in a nursing home, and each passing year she is becoming more excited about her Christmas gifts. My children have offered her very comfortable and warm pj’s these past two years and she just loves them. Macular degeneration is slowly robbing her of her eyesight and she has an increasingly hard time seeing the time on her current clock which really frustrates her…so we want to get her a huge clock that they sell at IKEA. I think it is about two feet wide and I’m sure she will be thrilled. It is such a treat to see her excited. We will also be bringing her a warm meal, something she enjoys, like chinese food or a really good pizza. Something they don’t serve at the nursing home.
Our kids are 4 and 3 and we simply don’t talk about what we “want” for Kristmas but rather what we want to give someone else for Kristmas. We do buy gifts for them but only at a local, non-chain toystore and gifts for grownups in attendance on Kristmas morning are either used books or handmade items I knit or I purchased at a holiday bazaar. This time of year is magical for so many reasons and none of that magic comes with a receipt.
My family only gives gifts for the kids. But there’s never any pressure to pick something or get “the right thing” — if uncle so-and-so doesn’t send a present, no one gets upset. It’s mostly that we like to pick fun things (not expensive) for the kids. Since we have 8 nights of Chanukkah, the gifts are spread out throughout the week. This helps the kids stop and enjoy each gift, and also gives them a chance to properly thank each giver.
For one of the nights of Chanukkah, rather than gifts for the kids, they get to choose a charity. They are particularly fond of Heifer International, where they can choose to give ducks, rabbits, etc. to a family in need.
We also work in the homeless shelter on Xmas day, giving the regular team a chance to be home with their families on the holiday. Working there (my kids do too) really puts everything else in perspective.
I have been rebelling against the commercial aspect of Christmas for the past 6 years or so. I do enjoy the holiday trees and lights as well as the music and customs of this time of year when we have so little daylight and it’s getting cold outside. I have opted out of gift exchanges with my family and at work for the past few years and haven’t missed the gift aspect of Christmas one bit…it’s such a pleasure to not be running around the stores agonizing over what gifts to get for people. I am divorced and don’t have children so of course it’s easier for me to choose this option. I enjoy the gatherings with family and friends to savor food and each other’s company more than anything else. We have enjoyed singing Christmas carols each year which is a custom we never did in our family until recent years when my sister and I introduced it by providing printed song lyrics for everyone to follow, as most everyone knows the tunes. That is a lot of fun and a nice tradition for my niece and nephew to grow up with. My sister also started the tradition of waiting until Christmas Eve to decorate the tree with her children, that is one of their special rituals and that way everyone isn’t “burned out” on looking at the Christmas tree for 3 weeks before the actual day. I look forward to sharing the tree trimming with them this year.
Looks like a wonderful book; would love to read it!
We majorly simplified our gift-giving this year; everyone is getting the same thing and it’s all homemade consumables. I love that I’ll be covering gifts for ten people with one trip to the grocery store, about $50 in supplies, and one day in the kitchen, and have found that I’ve been much calmer this holiday season without the burden of finding gifts for everyone.
Since I’m on The Compact, all my gifts are either handmade, used, or experiential. I expect to be able to enjoy the things about the holidays I enjoy: baking, music, and spending time with friends.
I am doing a lot of baking this year. I am going to give goodies instead of stuff.
I was inspired by Katy’s $100 gift challenge but will be spending $300 this Christmas. Maybe next year I’ll try $100. However, the $300 is for gifts for two sets of grandparents, three great grandmothers, four aunts, two kids and a husband and some friends. I think that’s pretty good!
Btw, I checked out Unplug the Christmas Machine from my library last year. It’s a great book.
My husband and I no longer purchase Christmas gifts for each other. For the last five years, we’ve agreed to make little gifts instead. I always make spumoni for him and write a silly poem to go with it (last year, it was “Thirteen Ways of Looking for a Spumoni” in honor of Wallace Stevens
. He always makes fudge for me as well as something electronic like a Web page with a collection of links to cat videos, a DVD family album, a CD of silly Christmas songs, etc. We spend very little money and get a lot of love in return.
Sounds like a great book! I come from a very large family so for the last several years we have celebrated “Re-Giftmas” as I named it on Dec 21. We all get together and give each other things we already have that we think the person may use/like more than we do. We also put a big donation box by the door so you can put your re-gift there if you don’t think you’ll use it.
For our own little family of four, the kids get gifts made by us and my husband and I just do stockings. We always get a living tree (in a pot) and plant it afterward or give it to someone who has land to plant a tree (The Christmas tree from 1980 stands about 50 fit high at my Mums house, it is so cool to see it and know at one point it was our little Christmas tree!
I almost bought a copy of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” book at the thrift store this morning. I’m not even waiting for Christmas though; I found two CD’s that I knew friends of mine would love & got ‘em and gave ‘em away already (just because)–now there’s the spirit. Also, when I went to check out, the guy at the counter asked me to wait to make my purchase and come back in a few minutes…at noon, when their 50% off sale started.
I have 2 new daughter in laws that I will be hand making cook books for. These cook books will contain family favorite recipes, photos and stories of their husbands growing up.
We keep it pretty simple – I’ve been using a wreath I found on 90% off clearance for several years and will find some goodies for hubby’s and my mom’s stockings… that’ll about do it. Merry Christmas!
i have really tried to be more lowkey this year.my kids and us get a stocking from santa and this just 3 gifts from us (just like jesus and the wise men).i read someone say that if jesus only had 3 gifts so should we and i really agree.a lot of our gifts are used – lots of books and stocking stuffers from charity shops also a top each new but bought from charity shop.i will be knitting a scarf or gloves for everyone if i finish in time and i may make cookies in a tin (used tin of course).for stocking wrapping i use christmassy pages from magazines and i try to recycle or reuse all my paper and cards.
My journey toward restrained consumerism and socially aware purchases started March 2009. This is my first Christmas seriously considering each purchase – the problem I have is my family and friends aren’t on the same journey. I cannot ‘not buy’ this year – the shock would be too immense – so I have opted for experience purchases where they get to do something rather than fill their homes with clutter. Next year however I may not hold back – I have pre-warned a few close members about my intentions! (Katy as I live in the UK I’ll abstain from entering the book comp – I’ve tracked one down in the UK and you’ll be pleased to know it’s used! p.s. Love the blog!)