Resident Blog: Gifting this Christmas

Chapelton resident Sally Munro is a fully registered nutritional therapist, yoga and mindfulness teacher, and great lover of the outdoors.

She has pulled together an excellent gifting guide to help us all live more consciously and eco-friendly.

Let’s talk about ‘gifting…’

I’m sure we can all agree there’s already too much stuff on this planet. Far too much plastic, waste and junk. Yet we continue to buy more stuff. I can remember making my own crackers as a child, using crepe paper, the ‘prizes’ were just silly little things from our ‘junk-drawer’- everyone has one of those right? Anyway, a marble, an eraser or some other odd thing, yet the grown-ups pretended to be surprised and delighted! We would make paper-chains too and keep these decorations for years.

Back to gifting…in my opinion this is a truly personal thing. I’m extremely contrary (at times) and therefore don’t buy into being told when to gift. So, expect a random thing at any random time of the year, not always your birthday or Christmas.

Sales, marketing and clever adverts are designed to make us want/need things to improve our lives, make us happier, more beautiful, healthier, or whatever but are we just being sucked into spending more money on stuff?

My suggestions for gifting:

• Can you do something for someone? i.e., offer to walk their dog/mind their child.
• Book an activity together i.e., a walk in the snow, ice-skating, local Christmas market. It doesn’t always have to be a boozy, costly night out.
• Bake some Christmas cookies and gift in a recycled jar. I always save bits of ribbon for this purpose. (I’m not a hoarder, honest!)
• Have a movie night with some besties in Christmas pyjamas!
•  A special collection of already printed old photos, gathered in a book-memories of special people, times and more.
• Gift a reusable travel mug/keep cup-set a fortnightly cuppa date with a friend.
•  A book voucher.
•  Support your local businesses for example The Skateraw Store (Newtonhill)-they offer refillables on some items, another good reason to save a few jars! They also share other local folks’ items, cards, books and more…Plus the cakes are delish!
• Ask our local photographer, Cheryl Michie, for some pet portraits, or family shots!
• Our Box Park also has some fabulous local artists appearing, fresh fruit and vegetables-perfect for making a soup for some busy neighbours & a variety of gift options from our more permanent friends.
• Get your crayons at the ready! Make your own invitations to friends i.e., in the New Year a gathering with friends, delicious platter ordered from Wander & Graze for example!
• Get creative, get personal, get back to basics!

My bottom line- your presence and time is way more precious than stuff (some stuff might be nice if it’s actually thoughtful, locally sourced and useful). I’m thinking local handmade items, a gift voucher for a therapy i.e., massage, chiropractor, nutrition, or your friend’s favourite recipe of yours that you make. Let’s think outside the box this year!

Don’t buy into overwhelm, debt and disaster over a holiday season that should be fun and snuggly!

You can’t please everyone! So, don’t bust your butt trying! Be true to how you want to spend the rest of the year. If that means ditching some old family stuff that no longer serves, then do it.

Make new traditions for your family. Goodbye Elf on the shelf!!

For further info on ways you can be more mindful, healthy and calm all year round check out my website www.SallyMunro.co.uk

Wishing you peace, love and sprouts, Sally x

Sally Munro is a fully registered Nutritional Therapist, Yoga & Mindfulness teacher and great lover of the outdoors. She works with clients to resolve current health symptoms by establishing the root causes and optimising nutrition and lifestyle. She aims to bring balance back to the art of living peacefully. We all have this one wild and precious life, let’s live life to the fullest: www.SallyMunro.co.uk 

She also runs swimming lessons for children age 3+ with Simply Swim Aberdeen. Water safety and survival techniques are life skills that every individual should have. (You can find them on Facebook).

Related Articles

Explore houses for sale in Aberdeenshire: The charm of Chapelton

Community and connection in later years: Chapelton Over 60s Club