Technically, winter is still more than a week away but it feels like it settled in a while ago.  I’ve turned on the heat, the lights are on longer, and the only energy I’m conserving is my own – in part because I hate to be cold and the lack of light zaps my enthusiasm.

Thankfully, several of our most celebrated holidays fall during the darkest days of the year.  The lights, festivity, and added time with family and friends, from Thanksgiving to the New Year, make the short days pass more quickly.  It’s the time of year we think more about doing for others, and reflect on those things that matter most.

Perhaps at this time of year more than any other, little things can make a big difference.  Holiday lights make me happy.  Inflatable Santa’s and their conspicuous use of plastic do not.  Lending a hand to those who have less is rewarding.  Over-indulging isn’t.  Homemade treats and well-thought gifts warm me up from the inside out.  Mall shopping leaves me cold. 

Shop Locally

Ballard has terrific shops, a second-to-none weekly Farmers Market, one of the city’s best grocery stores (excellent for gourmet gifts and holiday meals, extraordinary local artists and galleries, and special events that celebrate, support, and promote our community.  InBallard, a Ballard merchant’s association, is again sponsoring a holiday passport program, with great ideas for local shopping (and imbibing) and a chance to win prizes.

Almost every weekend in December, there’s something special happening in Ballard (Facebook members can find ideas on the Tuesdays in Ballard fan page).  One-of-a-kind gifts can be found along Ballard Avenue and Market Street (including the just opened Ponytail Jewelry Studio featuring local, handmade jewelry), as well as at some of the artist collectives in what’s left of the industrial district.  Why go anywhere else? 

December 16 is a great night to explore the ‘hood, when inBallard hosts their Grub ‘n Pub Crawl with food and drink specials all over Ballard, and merchants offer later-night shopping. “It’s a great date to leave your car at home, walk around the neighborhood, have some fun, and keep your dining, drinking, and shopping dollars local,” said Angela Rae of Kick It Boots & Stompwear, and now, Ponytail. Angela has long supported local artists and artisans, and often carries clothing lines made from organic or sustainable fabrics.

Sometimes it’s hard not to buy into our national myth that shop, we must, and race downtown or to the mall for the over-packaged latest and greatest.  But I’m learning to shop differently now that I’ve committed to lessening my personal impact.  Shopping locally and buying direct from growers or artists are two things I’m doing more consistently. 

So just how is shopping an environmental act? Buying local means a lower transportation footprint and supports local artisans and shopkeepers, which ideally, keeps money circulating in our local community which helps create a vibrant local economy. And we’re more apt to “do the right thing” if we’re happy and vibrant. It’s nice big circle.

Green Holiday Tips

If it’s tips you need to green your holidays, there are enough good resources online that I won’t list them here, but King County’s “Green Holidays” is a great place to start. The former “waste free holidays” program advocates giving the gift of experience over purchasing more consumer goods. 

Indoor rock climbing, anyone?  Stone Gardens offers gift cards, as does Argosy Cruises if a sightseeing trip through the locks is more your style.  Ideas for making your own food gifts can be found at the Seattle-based All Recipes site.

To make your packages extra special, Angela wraps her Christmas presents in old silk scarves, and “saves every stitch of ribbon,” she says. “You can find really pretty silk scarves at thrift stores that may not be a hit in fashion circles but make beautiful packages. It’s a great way to re-use, and not have to buy wrapping paper made from non-recycled or renewable resources.”

Light Therapy

I confess to feeling a little conflicted over my glee for Christmas lights. While it’s often the same neighbors who insist on perfect summer lawns (which makes me cringe), I’m grateful to those who still deck the halls. I justify my satisfaction this way: 

• I don’t actually hang my own; I just enjoy looking at them everywhere else. 
• There’s a trend toward LED lights that cost significantly less to use and consume a fraction of the
energy (which, thankfully, our local stores carry). 
• The delight I get from festive lighting lifts my spirits enough to continue doing all that must be done
and maintain my own commitment to doing the right thing.
 
The winter solstice is one of the season’s highlights for me. Not so much for a particular activity or that it signals the official beginning of winter, but because it’s the advent of longer days (this year, December 21). That’s worth celebrating!  Despite my Scandinavian heritage, every year about now I’m ready to join Erik the Viking to go in search of the sun.

What Matters Most

I like to think this time of year is about getting back to basics.  Those things that really mean something – taking time to reconnect with the people and traditions we care about, sharing food, reflecting, recognizing the gifts we’ve been given.  The memory of the perfect gift may quickly fade, but the packaging could live on forever.