Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I am crazy about reducing, reusing, and recycling.

I remember in third grade the principal came to our class and talked about something. He told us to get out paper and answer some question. I have no idea what the topic was or what the question was, but I VERY clearly remember that I used a half sheet of paper, because whatever the question was, the answer was short. He collected the sheaf of paper and sat a few moments at the desk looking through them. He held up my half sheet of paper and asked, “Who turned in a half sheet of paper?” I definitely froze. I was NOT admitting that….nooooooooo way. (I probably lined my head up with another kid so he couldn’t even see that I was there. I was a huge proponent of using another kid to disappear behind. It actually makes me laugh out loud now when I think about it.) He asked a couple times and no one volunteered. (OBVIOUSLY, because it was me, and again, noooooooo way.) Then he heaped praise on the anonymous soul who save a paper. (I still didn’t confess. I understood the whole nooooooo way.)

So, I have always been a reducer. Family gifts at our house are nearly always wrapped in reused paper, or in gift bags, or in a blanket, or a sweatshirt, or whatever works. Don’t get me wrong. I think a beautifully wrapped gift is something to be admired. I also think it probably should never be unwrapped because it is too pretty. I actually had PRESENTS for Keith when we got home Sunday. (We don’t usually do birthday presents. We do celebrations.) The best one came the day before we left, in a large box. I never, ever order anything online, so when something came, Keith knew it was a birthday present. (Usually, I actually make him push the buy button for his own presents because I do not shop online.) (What if I do it wrong? Augh.) The whole time in Texas I had him guessing what it could be. He was never, ever gonna guess, because he didn’t know it existed.

The first present was a box of M&Ms. I bought it in Hawaii in January, then saved it for the plane, but didn’t eat it. I took it to Florida and the Caribbean, and didn’t need it, because cruise food is lots, and I think I fell asleep on the plane home. I took it to Wales, but Cadbury owns Wales, so there was no need to eat it there. It has been sitting on the kitchen island since we got home, safe from Keith because we each got a treat in Hawaii and he ate his. So, I put it in a gift bag. He opened the bag, then opened the box, and ate all the M&Ms. No worries about them getting old anymore.

The second present was a haircutting cape, because since pandemic he has decided he likes me cutting his hair. Now it will be even better.

Third was the big box. I did not have a gift bag big enough so I made wrapping paper. It is flowered. Gorgeous and appreciated. I got him an ergonomic standing pad for working at his standing desk. He loves it! He is returning it. Yesterday, he found out the new job will pay for ergonomic work-from-home items, so he can have them get him one just like it. A free birthday present! Yay!

With very little wrapping paper.