How to simplify your holiday season

Shopping stress and hall-decking frenzy is just so last year.

We’re in a recession, officially, now. Meaning we greet the holidays with less cash. It means thinking leaner, and sometimes greener. What it always means: simpler. But after years of lush holiday seasons with weekend shopping binges and Christmas lights so plentiful you might see some houses from space, how do we cut back?

Try thinking through everything about your holidays, whether it’s the food you prepare, the trips you take or the way you celebrate, and break it all down using the three Rs of simplifying — reduce, reuse, recycle. Rethinking your routine might make it simpler this year — and less stressful in the future.

Here are a few ways to get started.

The number of gifts: But don’t just pine for the days when you had more packages under the tree. Gwen McCants-Allen, 40, of Lawrenceville, and her sons, ages 7 and 10, usually make a holiday trip to Orlando to visit family. This year, travel is their gift to share: They’ll add in a day trip to nearby Disney World or SeaWorld that Santa got a good deal on, and maybe a volunteer project. The family plans to chip in on one big present for the boys, too. (It’s a Nintendo Wii … shh!) “The trip will be more of the celebration,” said McCants-Allen, who is budgeting more tightly since changing jobs this year, but said this could be her new holiday tradition. “I just want to make sure kids understand the meaning of Christmas.”

Trips taken alone: Gently suggest your college freshman ride home from school with a friend, or offer to load a few student pals into your own minivan. Pick up Aunt Kiki and Uncle Charles on your way to mom’s. Hit the local shops in your town, but ride with a friend. Thinking of making a longer trip? Split the ride costs by checking the “rideshare” section on craigslist.org. Keep it going for your New Year’s resolution — change your commute by finding car-pool partners or a Bike Buddy at www.myridesmart.com.

Decorations: There are plenty of eco-friendly decorations made from recycled goods or touting ultra-efficient LED bulbs in things like reindeer lawn ornaments, but before you rush out to buy anything more, consider reusing what’s already around: Hide presents instead of wrapping them; arrange pine cones as centerpieces; cut cards to make ornaments. Have some materials, but no ideas? Check out the forums at Craftster.org, a community of do-it-yourself mavens with an entire section for holiday gifts and decorations.

Skills and hobbies: Scrapbooking is a job and a hobby for Diane Roney, 53, of College Park, and she enjoys giving memory books as gifts. But this year, she “reused” her scrapbooking skills for a new kind of holiday celebration: She taught a group of friends how to organize photos and create a memory book. Another friend, a chef, gave the gift of food for the event. The scrapping sessions are becoming a regular among Roney’s friends now, and they’re making gifts to give to others. Craft stores like Michael’s, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby are the only stores Roney is hitting this season. “We may not be able to do what we used to, but you can still make it special,” Roney said. “What I want us to do this year is to spend more time together.”

RECYCLE

Everything: There’s fun to be had with all the old sweaters, shoe boxes and computer cables shoved to the back of the closet and a little creativity. If the old imagination is a little rusty, don’t worry: There’s lots of help out there. Check out Instructables.com for step-by-step, how-to instructions for almost everything in life, including gift ideas like recycled lamps, kids’ book clocks, homemade bubble bath and speakers from cereal boxes and dolls. For a science and technology spin on DIY projects, check out the Web site for Make magazine at Makezine.com.

As your gift: If you must bring a gift, make it useful. www.Treehugger.com/holiday has a great list of holiday gifts that are handy for the receiver and friendly for the earth. Of course, this might be the season to give rain barrels to drought-suffering Georgians, or to help your friends get started on a composting with an Oakhurst Community Garden worm box. They’re indoor and outdoor plastic bins filled with worms that will turn kitchen scraps into fertilizer. The boxes are built by Decatur High School students and cost $40. For more information, visit www.oakhurstgarden.org/worm_bins.html.