Simplify the Holidays

Last month, SoKind celebrated a big milestone — its one-year anniversary! As a gift to you, we've gathered our favorite tips for hosting birthday celebrations that focus on more fun and less stuff...more joy and less stress...and more love and less waste. Read on for celebration inspiration and practical tips.

It may seem impossible to stop using plastic. But with perseverance and a little creativity, it can be done.

If you’ve been wondering how to do Passover in a more environmentally friendly way, here are six ideas that might help.

As one of the most important celebrations on the Christian calendar, Easter is about more than plastic eggs and cellophane grass.

Easter doesn't have to be yet another commercialized, excessive celebration. You can still participate in all the fun without the waste and stress. 

Learn how one Charlottesville resident organized an unforgettable party around soup, designed to celebrate, honor, and support the diverse strands of her community.

Challenge yourself to create an Easter basket that will produce no garbage that would be sent to landfill.

The ways in which we’ve chosen to celebrate are not only hyper-commercialized and impersonal, but a far cry from the values underlying the origins of the day.

Our newest guide provides inspiration and practical tips for you to plan special celebrations that reduce waste and expense, emphasize meaning over material goods, and strengthen relationships. With specific sections on: The Year-End Holidays, Birthday Parties, Baby Showers, and Community-Building Celebrations.

An alternative gift catalog for those who want to wrap their holidays in more of what matters—meaning, connection, and joy—and less of what doesn’t (stuff, stress, and waste). Categories include gifts for kids, spouses/partners, parents/grandparents, young adults, new parents, and the whole family.

SoKind allows you to create fully customizable wish lists focused less on "stuff" and more on family, fun, and friends. Or, create a GiveList—rather than requesting gifts, you can offer loved ones meaningful gifts that align with your values and skills!

Give gifts of time, experience, and memories—not more stuff! New Dream's Printable Coupon Book is an easy-to-use template that you can print out, customize, and give to family and friends of all ages.

Rather than making a typical wish list of items to receive this holiday, why not create a list of gifts you want to give to your family and friends? We've made it easy for you to create your own "GiveList" on SoKind, our alternative gift registry!

New Dreamer Moira Silva shares the experience of creating a truly meaningful gift for her family: the gift of interviewing her great aunt.

Alternative Gift Fairs are a way to promote the gift-giving tradition of the holiday season without the wastefulness and commercialization of conventional shopping. Our resources include a step-by-step guide (including a timeline) to hosting a meaningful event that celebrates your values and supports important charities this holiday season.