holiday

  • eco-friendly efforts at the holidays.

    We’re in the thick of what’s arguably the most indulgent time of year. I’m not here to tell you to lay off the egg nog or the gingerbread cookies, but I thought it might…

    December 11, 2017 17 Comments
  • life in a tiny apartment.

    Survival Tip #159: Put your Christmas tree in a crate. Last week, on Thursday, after both kids were fast asleep, James and I poured a festive glass of cider and sat down to scribble…

    December 7, 2017 29 Comments
  • a book advent calendar.

    We’ll be stringing up our clutter-free advent calendar (and filling it with festive (and activist) activities for the holiday season) again this year, but with so many whisperings from folks we know planning picture book advent…

    November 30, 2017 48 Comments
  • 25 simple gifts under $25, for anyone.

    In the same spirit as the kid’s guide from earlier this week, here’s a list of ideas for gifts to give grownups. The specifics here aren’t as important as the general notion that gifts don’t…

    November 29, 2017 18 Comments
  • clutter-free holiday decorations.

    We needed to take things up a notch with our holiday decorations this year. I knew we’d put up the usual lights and candles and tree, but I had a hankering for something extra sparkly,…

    December 6, 2016 36 Comments
  • gift guide: a charitable giving primer.

    Many people feel especially motivated to lend a helping hand around the holiday season and for some folks, that might mean taking a look at their coffers (or skill sets) to see who else they might…

    November 28, 2016 48 Comments
  • a peace and justice advent calendar.

    The season of advent begins on Sunday and this week, when I pulled the pieces of the advent calendar that I made last year out of the cardboard box where we stash our holiday decorations,…

    November 23, 2016 32 Comments
  • make-believe: ’twas the night before…

    As a child on Christmas Eve, I’d lie awake, in keeping with the cliché, waiting to see if I’d catch a glimpse of Santa Claus and his reindeer dashing across the night sky. I’d…

    December 23, 2015 3 Comments
  • gift wrapping alternatives.

    Christmas is on Friday. And I have a hunch that some of you might be in the midst of wrapping presents. Or, at least, starting to gather together the gifts that you’ve slipped into various…

    December 21, 2015 18 Comments
  • dried orange ornaments.

    First a quick note to say message(s) received and rest assured: We have no intention of lighting our apartment on fire in the name of holiday cheer. In a prudent twist on my original plan…

    December 16, 2015 17 Comments