With only two days to go until #Christmas, you might want to check the options at a #thrift store supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org if you’re short on #gifts. Not only do they offer plenty of lightly used goods at nice prices, you can often find unique #gifts that might be just right for a particular person on your list if you browse for a few minutes, no shipping required. And if you’re feeding a crowd over the weekend, you can get necessities such as linens, baking pans, serverware and other essentials for the holiday table — and maybe even the perfect ugly #holiday sweater or white elephant #gift. #HolidayTips
Tag: clothing donations
5 Ways to Shop Sustainably This Holiday Season
You’ve got a dilemma: You want to give gifts that your friends and family will love during the holiday season, but you want to do so without creating undue environmental impact — not such an easy task in today’s global economy.
Mass-market merchandise requires raw materials — petroleum products, rare-earth minerals and so on — that are often toxic to extract. Manufacturing byproducts and product packaging go into landfills and oceans, where they can last thousands of years.
What’s more, even things that break down or recycle easily often travel long distances to get to your front door, using fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources. So even if you buy imported foods for the holiday feast, you add more carbon to the atmosphere.
But there are ways to at least minimize your impact during the #holidays:
1. Support small, local businesses. The closer you are to the product’s source, the less fuel it takes to get to you. Locally grown foodstuffs and handmade items — that one-of-a-kind scarf from the craft fair, for example — have minimal environmental impact and are usually better than anything you can find at a big-box store.
2. Shop sustainable businesses. Businesses that pledge to recycle, use #sustainable materials, plant trees and offset carbon emissions are easier on the environment; just be wary of claims that seem too good to be true. “Fast fashion” brands are some of the worst for creating trash.
3. Give an experience. Tickets to the movies, a local play or concert; a restaurant meal; or gift certificate to a yoga session, spa or salon make great gifts that don’t require a lot of sweatshop labor or create extra greenhouse gases.
4. Shop the thrift. Giving used goods a second chance is a great way to keep lots of clothing and household items out of landfills while saving money. Bonus? Buy from a #thrift shop supplied by #donations to ClothingDonations.org, and you’ll help fund veterans programs.
5. Donate. #Charitable organizations need help on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year. Choose a cause that aligns with your giftee’s goals and #give in their name. It won’t be the same as unwrapping the latest air fryer or smart speaker, but still makes a thoughtful #gift.
#Giving can be its own reward — especially if you shop #sustainably.
Giving Can Be Its Own Reward
Evolutionary theory dictates that gratitude and generosity are linked, Greater Good says, and those who give generously receive in kind and are more likely to survive. So as you begin to shop the #BlackFriday deals online and in person, remember to share some of your good fortune in the spirit of #Thanksgiving. Take some shelf-stable goods or wrapped toys to a holiday drop-off location, #donate a few dollars to your favorite #charity, or schedule a free #donation #pickup of lightly used clothing and household goods to ClothingDonations.org. “Emphasize the giving, and the thanks will follow.”
How to Express Gratitude on Thanksgiving
There are plenty of options for giving #thanks and showing #gratitude as the #holiday season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says. Volunteer with a local charitable organization, invite a holiday “orphan” to your dinner table or make an extra meal to give a family in need. At the feast, suggest that everyone share a memory that expresses gratitude (or have them write it down and add it to a Thanksgiving tree to avoid performance anxiety). If you have more money and #stuff than time, consider giving a donation of cash or used goods to ClothingDonations.org, where the proceeds will help fund essential #veterans programs. #Thanksgiving
Black Friday Arrived Early This Year
Facing ongoing supply-chain issues worried about consumer spending, the nation’s retailers have put #holiday promotions into overdrive, announcing early Black Friday deals before most kids even had a chance to sort their #Halloween candy. Though #Christmas “creep” seems to kick off the season sooner every year, consumers concerned about the high cost of gift-giving and inflation’s effect on their pocketbooks would do well to start their shopping now — and remember that the #thrift and #secondhand stores supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org offer lots of great #deals on lightly used #clothing and household goods. #HolidayShoppingTips