Creating a Slow & Sustainable Christmas + Low Waste Gift Wrapping

While my jazzy holiday music plays softly in the background and my cat naps soundly by the fire, I sit down to wrap a small collection of gifts. My husband, buried nose-deep in a book on the sofa, occasionally lifts his eyes over the edges to ask a question or mutter something of interest from the pages. At his quandaries, I pause briefly in the midst of fashioning strings, paper, and tags, to comment or answer before returning to my quiet crafting. The snow is blustering outside, yet all is calm inside our tiny warm nest. During this rare slow moment, I finally get a taste of that magical energy that only visits once a year - the Christmas spirit.

In general, I’ve been keeping it simple this year; by “it” I mean the whole Christmas-holiday thing. As it stands, I guess I can tend to be what most Christmas-lovers might consider a scrooge. I don’t listen to Christmas music until mid-December, we don’t have lights strung about our rooftop, and I don’t have a large collection of holiday decorations to pull out of storage. Hell, I didn’t even put up a Christmas tree this year because cut Christmas trees, nor fake trees, are sustainable options. It’s not that I don’t love Christmas; I do. I just don’t love a lot of what comes in this package. I don’t love the pressure placed on women to create the perfect holiday home and dinner. I don’t love the pressure to spend a lot of money on tons of shiny new gifts for every single person we know. I don’t love all the marketing emails and commercials urging me to consume more. And, I don’t love how everyone is expected to be so chipper while over-extending themselves in an effort to accomplish so much during this season.

Like a bulb resting under a blanket of snow, waiting for it’s time grow and bloom, I too feel the need to rest during the dark days of Winter. All of the expected activity that accompanies this hallmark holiday feels unnatural to me and out of alignment with my seasonal needs. Much of the over-consumption that happens during this season only adds to the global waste epidemic, and I no longer want to be a participant in that cycle. In true form, I’ve decided to create my version of what I want the holiday season to be. As you could have guessed, I want this season to be slower, simpler, in alignment with my seasonal needs, and gentler on the environment. I want to spend this season savoring the stillness and quiet sense of calm that accompanies the freshly fallen snow, and revel in the magic of the season that brings me true joy.

In an effort to do just that, I’ve only been seeking out gifts for loved ones that they’ve explicitly expressed they need - no guessing games over here. It’s been over a year into my slow and sustainable living journey and my effort to decrease my waste has (to my great pleasure) trickled into my family network. Minimally, I might add, because not everyone is as gung-ho on this topic as I. But, the fact that a small effort has been made to give less tangible gifts is a win in my book! As a result of my efforts to lower my impact, the majority of the Christmas gifts we’ll be exchanging are experiential. Even the few tangible gifts I’ll gift are carefully selected to be made of materials that are natural, are easily recyclable, or will last a lifetime. The wrapping paper I’ve selected is reused packing paper saved from previously shipped parcels. I’ve used gardening twine as ribbon, and cut sprigs of rosemary from my garden for added decoration. The best part about the wrapping supplies is that all of it can be composted, or saved and reused again, instead of being tossed out after the holidays.

I’ve also made it a point to assign the gift-giving aspect of Christmas only a small bit of meaning in my overall holiday picture. What I’ve assigned greater meaning this holiday season is my presence with others and with myself in each moment. To help with this, I’ve been going out of my way to cultivate a sense of calm by remembering to pause and breathe during hectic moments. This helps me have more authentic conversations rather than rushed encounters. Also, steadily practicing my slow morning rituals and using herbs to ease stress and anxiety has been helping tremendously. In my effort to simplify this season, I’ve ditched the notion of what this holiday should look like (perfectly decorated trees, shiny new wrapping paper, the most decadent feast, etc.), in favor of honoring what creates the most joy for me.

*Featured in this shoot are gifted Barebones Living outdoor products.

Since my shopping time has decreased, as well as my decorating, wrapping, and hosting, so has my waste and my impact on the environment. I’m driving less, buying less, shipping less, throwing away less, and ultimately worrying less. All of this has freed up more time in my life to do the things that really make this season special and enjoyable.

With my increased time, I’ve gone skiing in the mountains with my husband, baked a dutch oven dessert in a backyard bonfire, foraged for simple and natural holiday decor, slept in, got a massage, donated to a favorite environmental organization, mended clothes, reorganized the storage shelves, written stories, photographed a slow winter walk in the woods, taken a healing herbal bath, finished a few big projects at work, read a book, lunched with my mom and sister, and set intentions for the new year - all in addition to working full time. While all of that may sound busy, I can honestly say that it hasn’t felt draining. Many of these activities are what I love to do to embrace this season, and none of them involve spending big bucks on holiday gifts, over-extending myself to do-it-all, nor creating an idealized holiday experience that doesn’t nourish me in return.

I think the trick to cultivating a slow and sustainable Christmas is to identify what is most important to you during this season. What do the holidays you celebrate this season mean to you? What makes this time of year truly special? What brings you joy? If you can answer those questions, you can create your own beautiful version a slow and sustainable holiday. I suggest focusing on that, then ditching the rest. I suggest considering what feels authentic to you, then using that as guidepost for structuring your holiday commitments and consumptions. Ditch the unachievable ideals. Ditch the gotta-do-it-all mentality. Ditch the people and events that pressure you to conform to someone else’s idea of a wonderful time. Ditch the notion that buying gifts is the only way to meaningfully connect with others this season.

If this means that you don’t send the Christmas cards, or cook a three course Christmas feast, or go to the annual work party, so be it. Don’t let too many obligations and commitments interfere with your ability to find meaning, connection, and stillness this holiday season. And if this means that there are fewer tangible gifts to open on Christmas day, because you are trying to consume a bit more wisely, then let that be the case. Let’s spend this season adjusting how we care for our planet, ourselves, and each other so that we can experience true joy.

In my eyes this season is about family time, slowing down, reflecting on the year gone by, and recreating habits to inspire a new year of personal growth. It’s about reveling in a quiet night at home and embracing the cold and darkness of the Winter Solstice season. It’s about thoughtful gifts, and dirty dishes left to soak ‘til morning. It’s about sticky fingers from homemade dessert and endearing art creations from little ones. It’s about playtime in the snow. It’s about late night chats over multiple cups of tea. It’s about long movie marathons on gloomy days. It’s about holding hands to warm each other. It’s about giving a little something extra to someone in need. It's about opening our hearts to the variety of people in the world, no matter how different from us they may be, and making room at the table for them. It’s about listening to another’s story and sharing our own. It’s about hugging dear ones close, eating yummy food, cuddling by the fire, getting lost in a riveting book, and taking naps unapologetically. It’s a time to spend dreaming up our gardens, while welcoming the quiet slumber of the earth below our feet. It’s about cultivating our own inner gardens, being present, and readying ourselves for our next moment of illumination.

From our wintry wonderland to yours, wherever yours may be, I wish you the merriest of times during your own slow and sustainable holiday season.