Wrap it Up!
by Michelle Bexelius
Birthdays… It’s that time of year that every child looks forward to. Well, we all enjoy the delicious food and desserts and of course the presents. This year we did things a little differently for my younger son’s birthday. I decided that I am no longer going to wrap all the presents and then throw all that paper away. It seemed like such a waste, and for what? Do they really care what the packaging looks like? I thought to myself, no, they usually just tear into the actual gift.
So, I got the largest basket in my house, a wide laundry basket I bought at Cost Plus and filled it with his unwrapped presents. I placed a very colorful blanket on top (one with vibrant squares that a friend made for him when he was a baby) and presented it to him as his birthday basket surprise. He was thrilled and so was I not to waste all the paper and time wrapping it.
I am going to do the same thing for the holidays. Everyone will have their own basket with a colorful blanket on top. I suppose if you don’t have a blanket that suits this purpose, you could have your kids decorate an old sheet with tie-dye and paint.
As for going to birthday parties, our family traditionally has always brought books. They are treasured for years and years and can be passed on. We also request them at our boys’ parties rather than plastic toys which usually contain harmful chemicals like pvc that off-gas for a long time. You could also opt for toys made from sustainable wood, art supplies, or gift certificates for museums, movies and music. As they get older there are many things we can do to help our planet like donate to causes close to their hearts like animal conservation and restoring the rain forest. But for now, they still like to open something.