This little rant was sent to us the other day and it seemed very appropriate. Some of my children and grandchildren's favourite books were the Laura Ingall Wilder series, 'Little House on the Prairie' and there seemed to be more magic in Laura, Carrie and Mary's simple home-made gifts than any amount of cheap plastic amusement that lasted a day.
The amazing Cranbrook Winter Market returns this weekend and this would be a wonderful place to find those beautiful handmade local presents. There are many more local gift giving ideas and we would like to hear your suggestions. Please contribute them to our gmail adress to the right of this post or to the comment box at the bottom of this post. We will compile them and publish them in a later post.
Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition
As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into highgear to provide Canadians with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods --merchandise that has been produced at the expense of Canadian labor.
This year will be different. This year Canadians will give the gift of genuine concern for other Canadians. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by Canadians hands. Yes there is!It's time to think outside the box, people.
Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in wrapping paper produced somewhere else? Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local Canadian hair salon or barber?
Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about somehealth improvement.
Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, Canadian owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or abook of gift certificates.
Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.
There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering giftcertificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint.
Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Canadian with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open. How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the Canadian working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.
OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre. Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand lights (made elsewhere) for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip. Christmas is now about caring about us, encouraging Canadian small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Canadians, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.THIS is the new Canadian Christmas tradition. This is a revolution of caring about each other,and isn't that what Christmas is about? BUY CANADIAN - BE CANADIAN - The job you save might be your own.
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