holidays | Hey… It's Jet Here

Hey It’s Jet Here.

Mom participated in only ONE Black Friday experience yesterday. She visited Pet Supermarket @ 8:45 a.m. to take advantage of their special on cat litter. There you have it. She took care of some other errands on her way home and then worked on the computer all day.

Mom read so many emails today (over 400) that she forgot to save the site the following list came from. (And you wondered why she didn’t transcribe my responses to your generous comments over the last few days!)

One of the emails asked humans to take the pledge to celebrate the holiday season a little differently offering the following alternatives: (I’m taking the liberty to express my thoughts along the way.)

GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME by creating your own gift card for a service (e.g., babysitting, carwashing, petsitting, chores, making dinner, organizing an outing). Hey Mom… you could give us gift certificates of time to visit different dog parks!
GIVE A HANDMADE GIFT like a memoir of cherished memories with that person, a book of family recipes, a collage of pictures and mementos, or a calendar filled with the birthdays and anniversaries of friends and family. Hey Mom… you could make us handmade treats!
OFFER TO TEACH A SKILL YOU POSSESS (e.g., knitting, photography, computer skills, financial planning, a foreign language, music lessons, canning tomatoes, cooking a favorite recipe). Hey Mom… you could teach us to swim in the bay!
CONSIDER LESS GIMMICKY, LESS COMMERCIAL GIFTS for children, such as arts/crafts supplies, books, a magnifying glass, or building blocks. Hey Mom… building block toys would work for us, or… we could make ripped paper art together!
CREATE A PAPERLESS HOLIDAY LETTER on the computer and email it to friends and family. Hey Mom… you could tell us holiday stories about Mugs *OTRB*, Koko *OTRB* and Fluffy *OTRB*!
HAVE A WHITE ELEPHANT PARTY at the office instead of a traditional gift exchange, where each person brings a wrapped secondhand item in good condition. Hey Mom… we’ll bring you used shoes (more on this Monday) and you can bring us second hand toys!
DRAW NAMES IN YOUR FAMILY FOR GIFT-GIVING (for extra fun and surprise, make it “Secret Santas”), so that you can put more time and thought into one gift instead of having to give to several people. Hey Mom… we could draw names and you can help us with the gifting process, right?
SHOP FOR USED ITEMS for all or most of your holiday gifts (e.g., local thrift store, Craigslist, Freecycle, used products on Amazon or eBay). Hey Mom… I hear garage sales sell stuffies really cheap. Who cares if they only last a few minutes?
SHARE THE GIFT OF MUSIC by caroling, and include visits to elderly neighbors or a nursing home. Or, gather friends and family for an in-home holiday sing-a-long. Hey Mom… music helps distract us during boom/streaky lights season!
GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY by preparing care packages for the homeless, or volunteering at an organization to help those in need during the holiday season. Hey Mom… we’ll visit humans and make them happy! (here’s the link for that picture… too cute!)
ADOPT A “LESS IS MORE” ATTITUDE toward holiday decorating. Opt for natural trimmings such as clippings from local evergreens and holly bushes. Hey Mom… I think we have this one down already!!!
SAVE PAPER by wrapping gifts in newspaper comics, junk mail, paper bags decorated with markers, old maps, phone books, or other reused paper. Hey Mom… we’re not picky with how our presents arrive!
PREPARE YOUR HOLIDAY MEALS with as many seasonal, locally grown, and/or organic foods as possible. Hey Mom… you got this one!
REDUCE JUNK MAIL by removing your name from mailing lists of unwanted holiday catalogs. Hey Mom… you get most of your pet catalogues online now, right?