The Story of Stuff

Here is another reason not to load up on stuff and to scrutinize our consumption. What shocked me was that 99% of what we purchase ends up in the trash within 6 months. Twenty minutes to change your life.

Holiday Decorations

The holidays have become so full of plastic crap. At a big box store the other day I noticed the shoppers frantically loading up on giant, outdoor plastic Santas, snowmen and snow globes. How many hours do you think it will take to purchase these holiday decorations, set them up and light them? How many minutes will it take for a big gust of wind to knock them down?

Our attics are home to holiday decorations that only see the light of day for one month out of the year. Getting the decorations out and up is a full weekend job that most people grumble about. Not to mention taking them back down again.

I think the most wonderful things about the holidays are not the lights and the wrapping paper and bows, but the things that affect the senses. Go natural this holiday with the real scent of pine, the bright red of berries and the sound of birds or soft music. A walk through the woods on a winter afternoon will show you how nature decorates itself for the holiday: in a soft blanket of peace and quiet.