Low Crap Christmas

[FurForksSake]

Anyone else trying to have a less wasteful Christmas? I want things to be festive, but there are lots of things I will no longer be doing or buying as I have become a bit more aware of their impact.

• All gifts will be usable or experiences bar stockings for the kids or specific requests
• No christmas cards aside from handmade and hand delivered ones
• No wrapping paper - brown paper and string instead
• No single use items for making meals
• Really good meal planning to make the most of left overs
• No BIG christmas shop with food we don't need to eat.

Maybe most people do this anyway? I just look at the magazines and all the things to buy and I feel a bit sick. Most of the things are going to end up in landfill within 5 years. There is just so much STUFF.

I am going to try and do 24 days of craft with my children for advent, all using stuff we already have or can collect. Also doing a reverse advent this month for the food bank to encourage us to be thoughtful and remember the giving aspect.

Am I being daft? Was I just being a wasteful idiot in the past or am I becoming Grinchy?

For the gifts we're giving - we are getting each DC something big to play with on the day and then also family theatre tickets.
DH is getting an old board game from when he was a child and I want a mini greenhouse and a gin club membership.

DNs are getting things for their room/plastic free toiletries, my DM similar and my DF some foody things. We don't buy for other adults now either.

I use reused paper bags for non-household gifts and in-house we either don't wrap if huge (DH's game came in a cardboard shipping box so it's staying like that) or I have a few cloth bags made from scraps.

If people give us gifts in paper it becomes a lucky dip for DS' birthday which is handily soon after Christmas. I can't think of the last time someone gave us something in a plasticy wrap. But I'm unable to stop the DCs from ripping paper off to save it again!

Oh and we always have a Lindt reinbunny each for the adults, and we'll get a teddy each for the DCs. DH usually gets a stack of nice chocolate bars from my DM so that's our (low plastic) chocolate binge needs sorted.
I've made the Christmas cake and I'm making the pudding and I'm going to try and resist all the extra snacks except for some gingerbread and maybe some home made sweets

Stocking ideas

• things to do with a hobby, new wood spoons, seeds and plant pots, mini canvases for painting on
• pants / socks / vests
• toothbrush and fun paste
• bubble bath / soap / bath bomb

-wooden puzzles -chocs / sweets

• naughty cereal (we are a bit strict about sugary cereals, FC doesn't feel the same!)
• popcorn maker for the microwave
• ornament for the Christmas tree (my kids love that FC leaves them one that is "theirs"
• orange
• choc coins (my mum saved her shiny coppers, we loved that!)
• something frivolous like a mini figure or small surprise egg

We have smaller stockings now, that really helps to lower expectations! FC brings stockings and one special gift he leaves under the tree. It is decorated elaborately and is one of the low value items from the Christmas list.

We are also moving over to seven gifts
Something they want
Something they need
Something to wear
Something to read
Something to make
Something to eat
Something to play (board games / card games / team sport things)

It's a bit more than the four, but still forces thought.

Teacher gifts - I make fudge quite well and so I let the kids decorate the top of it with christmas sprinkles and then we cut it in and box it. I add a note to say I made it not the kids [fcgrin] I will also get them a £5 coffee shop card and make Christmas shortbread for the staff room / office.

Mini cereals are a great idea!

Oh and FC in my house uses separate cheapo wrapping paper, I still have some from last year. For next year I will be squirreling away every bit of tissue paper I get and will be wrapping stuff in that.

Other recommendation - I make my own Christmas pudding, I steam it in the slow cooker on Christmas day, low energy and cheap to run! I make several small ones and that way they all get eaten. Though leftovers get fried up the next day in brandy butter. It is preferred that way!

I have lots of plans and recipes for leftovers ready to go, knowing what meals I can make from the stuff I have bought is always a real help. I bought a used copy of economy gastronomy and that has been a real inspiration.

Thanks for the stocking inspiration - love mini cereals idea, perfect for Christmas hols!

Fur I thought my DH was the only one who did that with Christmas pudding - he loves it, and I’m rather partial but everyone else we know is horrified

Everything is better fried, you get crispy bits!

Ooh thanks for this thread! I would love the Christmas pudding recipe.

www.nigella.com/recipes/ultimate-christmas-pudding

I follow this recipe. I’ll use whatever dry fruit I’ve got left from the cake.

Hello - this thread is me to a T.

I'm having trouble finding brown paper for wrapping though - any ideas?

I bought a giant role from amazon. www.ebay.co.uk/b/Brown-Paper-Roll/72359/bn_71613982 Lots of eBay options too.

Sainsbury’s and John Lewis or a large post office should have some.

Thank you fur

www.skullandcrossbuns.com/products/cat_901228-christmas.html I buy my stamps from here, they are gorgeous!

I'm crocheting snowflakes instead of gift tags and will write names directly on the paper.

@FurForksSake you've answered my next question - those are perfect. Especially love the Nutcracker one

I have quite a few, I am hoping I'll get a nutcracker in my stocking! I've gifted them too and they are always well received.

Im definitely doing this. Ive just given lots of our children's old toys to charity. They have grown out of them, but they have hardly been used. They have so much stuff it is silly. Ive avoided buying cheap gifts to bulk out their piles. Instead, im following the need, read, wear rule and buying a few things that they really want. Dh thinks IABMassivelyU, which is causing a bit of friction. But, I know the kids will love what ive got them.

I think that's totally reasonable @LokiBear I'm doing the same. The tat around the house drives me mad!

I've never understood "piles" though I'm fairly sure my DCs will resent me when they are older!

Really holding back this year. Unfortunately we have a fair bit of Christmas wrapping paper that we bought last year, so I’ll use that this year. DS and I have made our cards, and I’m culling the list this year.

DS (2) is having a few ‘experiences’ in December, rather than a big gift (Santa train, decorating baubles, messy play). My parents are coming on the train as their present.

A couple of my friends are getting handmade makeup bags from Etsy. Most children are getting clothes.

BUT I did buy a few bits last year, before I decided I’d really had enough of all the plastic and crap. So there are a few bits- like a toy piano for my friend’s baby- that are landfill-fodder.

Oh, and stocking-wise, DS will probably have a few bits of Brio, a card game, and a colouring mat.

Lunch will just be a ‘normal’ roast dinner.

Mine are 3 and 5 and I really think now is the time to set expectations. Make sure they have nothing to compare it to and they won't know that they have "less". It really is more, I don't know anyone who has a room full of toys that their kids ACTUALLY play with.

FFS Saisnbury advert - "We give all we've got to those we love" - come on everyone! Buy some more cheese! Buy some more tat! That's how you show people love! Things! Doesn't matter what it is, as long as you give things!

Maybe I am being cynical, but then they are trying to sell us stuff..

I totally get what you're saying, but I can't bring myself to go quite as far as some of you, because I had boring Christmases myself. Dad was a vicar and Christmas was a bit worthy. I still resent the year I got a duvet and a couple of books and some trousers. I was 9 and now I'm 54.

I'm all for a lower shit Christmas, but it has to have luxury. Our Christmas will have homemade sloe gin, Christmas pudding vodka, stockings I made with the children years ago but also some really expensive nice stuff. I do appreciate that we can afford it. There's no way I'd inflict the dull worthiness of my childhood on my children. Gifts should be fun. I love brown paper for its Scandi chic.

Twenty three years ago next Friday I gave birth to twins - one had a lethal heart defect and died the following day. I vowed to make Christmas special for dd1 (then 2) and other surviving twin. Sod's law, surviving twin nearly died of bronchiolitis over Christmas - dd1 folding her paper carefully on video with my parents is one of the saddest memories of mine (we were at hosp) so for me Christmas goes with some luxury. Said lone twin is 23 on Friday. Nice stuff will be had in our family - hopefully not throwaway nice stuff though.

I'm sorry about your loss.
I agree, it's a time for spoiling ourselves. With some careful thought and the right budget it is possible to do it without much waste. Luxuries and locally sourced and hand made etc all cost more and are beyond many people's means. It's also easier with teens as they don't want the must have toy of the year.

Furforks It's definitely a good idea to get your children used to a small selection of gifts early on. I am lucky that the set of GPs local to us are also quality over quantity people. As we celebrate Christmas with them and cousins, there is always a very exciting looking pile but it is for everyone.

We do 1 by 1 gift opening so you can see what others have been given. It's great for instilling the message that Christmas is about giving as well as receiving.
One year when we visited the other GPs, DS who was about 12 actually said ' They don't need to buy so many gifts. They should save their money for something else. I'm just happy to see them and their pets'. Proud parent moment.