Welcome to the home of Important Media’s “More Love, Less Stuff” sustainable holiday series. This year, we’re taking back our holidays, and redefining our families’ traditions to focus on sharing love, gratitude, and compassion over just more hyper-consumerist, petroleum-based stuff!

 

Shop Smart, Craft Carefully, and Waste Not


The amount of waste our households’ create explodes during the holidays. We send over a million tons of additional waste to landfills during this time of year, and that’s got to stop. Instead of focusing on giving gifts for the sake of gifts, we want to talk about ways that we can refocus the holidays this year to make them more about the love and less about the stuff.

Of course, that doesn’t have to mean skipping holiday gifts. What it does mean, however, is giving mindfully and minimally. Choosing gifts that are going to last, that are going to be loved, and that are more sustainably made by ethical artists and companies- and we’re here to help with gift ideas, food ideas, encouragement, and a little love of our own!

We’ve started collecting great, sustainable holiday ideas that are more about the love, and less about the stuff, below. Check it out, click, link, and share, and come back often, because we’ll be adding more posts every week! And- of course!- have your own very happy holidays!   #morelovelessstuff

 

Mindful Shopping and Gifts


+Jill talks about the merits of doing holiday shopping at thrift stores.

+ Eden Keeper makes a case for skipping Black Friday shopping.

+ We rounded up a list of experience gifts for everyone on your list.

+ Liz shows you how to do good with your holiday shopping dollars.

+ Leah has some great alternatives to traditional holiday gifts.

+ Robyn at Eden Keeper shares a wonderful spin on Black Friday.

+ CleanTechnica shares some great cleantech gift ideas.

+ When you do have gifts to give, try some of these ideas to wrap them sustainably.

+Vibrant Wellness Journal talks about being present this year, rather than focusing on giving presents.

+ Instead of just more stuff, try this easy, last-minute gift idea from Eat Drink Better. Hint: it’s FOOD!

+ Need some more edible gift ideas? Green Living Ideas has you covered with their 2014 DIY Edible Gift Guide!

+ Robyn at Edenkeeper makes a plea for putting the spirit back into the holidays.

 

Sustainable Holiday Table and Decor


+ Check out Eat Drink Better’s plant-based holiday menu.

+ Ditch the animal-based, chemical-packed nog and try Vibrant Wellness Journal’s decadently dairy free coconut nog!

+ Green Building Elements hips us to a sustainable Christmas tree option. Meet Timbatree!

+ Crafting a Green World has 10 Christmas ornaments to make instead of buying.

+ Green Building Elements has the deets on what’s new in low-impact holiday lights.

+Edenkeeper looks at Hannukah’s sustainability message.