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Gifts that look good, feel good, and DO good. It’s that time of year again. When every brand you’ve ever interacted with (if only via a few, long-ago clicks) begins force-feeding you a list of “must-haves” for the holiday season. Things you need. Things your mom needs. Your partner needs. Your best friend needs. But you know what they’re not telling you? You don’t need it. Really. You don’t need more plastic. You don’t need more expensive, poor-quality clothes you’ll forget about come springtime. And you don't need yet another useless trinket that's just going to sit on your shelf and collect dust, unforgotten for a few years until it hits the landfills. I get it. I’m no scrooge. People like to exchange and share and generally spread merriment. I’m all for that. But before you click ADD TO CART for these classic holiday gifts, maybe do a double-take. Can you find a more ethical, more minimalist version instead? Here are 5 gifts NOT to waste your money on this year—and better, less-evil alternatives. THE SHORTLIST: what NOT to buy this holiday season (& what to consider instead)
MORE ARTICLES ON MINDFUL CONSUMPTION
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A space to learn how to enjoy your own company and make life less scary and more exciting.
There are many benefits of solitude, but you have to give yourself the chance to sit there. It’s the tale as old as time: “I’m afraid I will die alone.” While such a worry often comes to us in more dire moments, like when a relationship dissolves or family ties begin to come undone, the fear of being alone also creeps its way into our everyday activities: going to a wedding alone; traveling alone; living alone; even celebrating Valentine’s Day alone. When we compare our inner circle to that...
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