Less is more in decorating:
While some may deck the halls with an avalanche of decorations, I find that a minimalist approach brings out the true charm of the season. Quality over quantity, where every ornament tells a story.

Gift cards–
The thoughtful shortcut: Who says a thoughtful gift must be chosen painstakingly? Gift cards allow your loved ones the joy of selecting something they truly desire–the spirit of giving without the guesswork. Gift cards do not have to be just a convenient option; you can also support local businesses, ensuring that the spirit of giving extends to your community.

A ban on “Christmas Shoes” in public spaces:
The tear-jerking tale of “Christmas Shoes” has its time and place, but subjecting unsuspecting bystanders to emotional turbulence in public spaces is a Christmas tradition we can all do without.

All Christmas movies are a bust:
Now, I may be accused of stealing Christmas joy with this one, but let us face it—Christmas movies, as a genre, often miss the mark. They are full of predictable plots, cheesy dialogue and overused tropes. Maybe a cozy book by the fireplace is more my style.

Inflatable-free holidays:
Inflatable lawn (and roof) ornaments may be whimsical, but in my book, they veer into tacky territory. Opting for crazy Christmas lights keeps the fun, quirky holiday spirit without making your front yard look like a cheap North Pole bounce house.

Christmas Eve excitement takes the cake:
Forget the hype around Christmas morning. Christmas Eve, with its anticipatory hush and the promise of the festivities to come, is the true highlight of the season.

Santa’s surveillance is spooky:
The idea of Santa keeping a watchful eye all year? Creepy, to say the least. We should give kids the gift of good behavior without invoking holiday paranoia.

Yuletide tunes beyond Dec. 25:
Who says the music must stop once the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Day? If the festive melodies bring joy, why not extend the musical merriment into the New Year?

Embracing an imperfect Christmas:
We often put too much pressure on creating the perfect Christmas. The pursuit of flawless festivities, impeccable decorations and magazine-worthy meals can overshadow the genuine joy of the season.

Embracing the imperfections:
The slightly crooked ornaments and the mismatched dinnerware can bring a more authentic and relaxed charm to the holiday celebration. Sometimes it is the quirks and spontaneity that make Christmas truly magical.

In this journey of festive rebellion, whether you are a Grinch at heart or someone who marches to the beat of your own jingle bell, celebrate the season in our own unique ways. After all, the true magic of Christmas lies in the joy we share, regardless of whether we are following the traditional script.

The holiday season is typically synonymous with gift-giving. While it can bring joy to share in something special with those you care about, ensuring that your gift is ethical is a daunting and stressful task. Especially for young adults and college students, environmentally friendly and ethically sourced gifts can be out of our price range. But that doesn’t mean we should give in to supporting businesses that exploit workers and are harmful to the environment. There are a few things you can do to give as ethically as possible while keeping your budget modest. 

Buy Local

Buying local ensures that about $58 of every $100 stays in our local economy, supporting those who work, live and create in our community. Specific stores that stock only local artisans, like Made in KC, recirculate over $93 of every $100 back into the local economy. As well, most local producers employ local workers, ensuring that these workers are receiving a fair wage and, usually, worker’s protection. With this money, you are helping boost all the people in your community, and ensuring that your money helps the areas that affect you most – likely the easiest way you will ever help your community, even if it is indirect. 

By shopping local you are helping decrease environmental harm. There are typically fewer emissions and waste associated with shipping and high-level production. You can also opt-out of extra packaging or bagging when you shop local, reducing waste even further. 

Though it can be a bit tougher to shop local, a good tip is to find what you’re looking for, even if you first spot it on a large corporation’s website. Then, do a bit of research to find who is producing something similar or selling that product in your local community. That said, you have even more leeway without a list. Go to your favorite local shops and look around until you find the perfect gift that seems to just scream “I’m meant for your loved one.” This ensures that you’re supporting local producers and sellers, better practices and showing your loved one you care by giving them a personal and thoughtful gift. If you’re having trouble thinking of what stores to go to, check out this guide. 

Buy Secondhand

Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, consignment boutiques, secondhand bookstores, the occasional garage sale. These are just a few ways that you can give ethical gifts while shopping secondhand. 

Buying secondhand ensures little to no environmental harm. You are giving the product a second (or 100th) life and keeping shipping, production and packaging emissions next to none. These stores are, once again, hyper-local in that the products come from and are sold by the local community – so you will reap the ethical benefits from that. 

Sourcing a gift from a secondhand store also makes it more special: you scoured stores for the perfect gift and may even have been able to get something really nice for a price you may not have otherwise been able to afford. Secondhand goods are typically more durable than fast-production because they’ve stood the test of time and still look good. These gifts are also personal. They show the person you’re giving it to that you know them well enough to find the perfect match for them, and that you have the dedication to do it. 

Giving ethical gifts can seem impossible and is sometimes highly frustrating. But once you find ways to buy gifts that are accessible and usually still affordable, that frustration lessens and you can focus on the true reason for giving gifts. Avoid the hysteria surrounding holiday consumerism as much as you can. A gift is supposed to show the receiver that you love them and think of them enough to find something perfect for them. Plus, the search for the perfect gift can be fun and exciting, especially when you know you are purchasing in the best way possible.

The holidays are upon us – and we all know what that means. We are all going to have such an awful time buying presents for everyone. You never really fully appreciate how many friends and relatives and distant cousins and goldfish you have until you’re socially obligated to put a price tag on every single one of their heads. And for the broke college student, it seems that any price tag above $20 for anyone, regardless of how close one is to that individual, is unacceptable. What can one do in these desperate times? Is there nothing in the world which is cheap but is still seen as a good present? Fear not! This writer has compiled a list of affordable holiday gifts for socially-pressured college students. 

A Handwritten Letter 

This may seem extremely cheesy, but our college life often takes away from the usual interactions we have with the people we love. A heartfelt and thoughtful letter, written on a nice card, can have a profound effect on the person who receives it, more so than a hastily picked present. Furthermore, you can purchase holiday cards that support nonprofit organizations like UNICEF or the National Wildlife Federation – just check the back of the holiday card.

Tea and Coffee Mugs

According to a study conducted by the University of Kansas, 78 percent of college freshmen consume more than the recommended daily intake of caffeine. While it is not a good idea to quaff four cups of coffee back-to-back in an attempt to get through finals, you might at least be able to get your friends to do so in style. Websites like Redbubble.com, Philosophersguild.com, and Mugs.coffee all have a fun assortment of whimsical mugs to cheer up even the most disheartened of college students. There is also a local tea shop called Anne Marie’s Teas that has a good assortment of loose leaf tea and tea drinking accessories. 

Thrifted Winter Attire

The cold season is upon us and we can never have too many scarves, mittens and beanies in preparation for the unforgiving wind, especially up on the Hill. Nearby thrift stores like Hillcrest and Savers often have a large selection of these winter accessories that come in all sorts of styles – eclectic, classy or vintage, to name a few. This gift is not only inexpensive for you and useful for the recipient, but it also creates a good excuse to go thrift store shopping. 

A Gift Card 

Though this gift may seem rather impersonal, this is actually a really good gift option for our friends and family who are crafters and artists. A giftcard to Michaels or Joanne’s is a great gift for your fellow knitter, embroider or painter. It saves you the potential grief and embarrassment that can come from picking the wrong kind of crafting supplies. A gift card to a person’s favorite restaurant or store is a nice way to show that you care about that individual’s preferences while still allowing them to essentially pick their own present. 

Plants

Succulents and cacti are all the rage nowadays. Plants can make a good, inexpensive gift that will be sure to promote mental well-being and home decor for the receiver. Succulent species that are good for beginner growers are haworthias, echeverias, jade plants and aloe veras. Some easy plants for beginners apart from succulents and cacti include peace lilies, golden pothos and prayer plants. Be aware that some plants can be toxic to pets before gifting them. 

Skincare Kits

Facemasks, facemasks, facemasks. These wonderful moisturizing masks help people to relax and feel youthful. Skincare, particularly hydrating skincare, can make a great gift in this cold, dry holiday season. Consider investing in brands like Yes-to, Acure and E.L.F., whose products are frequently vegan and cruelty-free. 

A Good Book

In this increasingly technological world, it can be easy to lose sight of the value of a good story. Most of us have a favorite book which we can curl up with under the covers and relax after a long, tiring day. Websites like thriftbooks.com, abebooks.com, as well as your local thrift store and Half Price Books offer a great selection of high quality books at low prices.