Holiday Materialism 2015 - The frog, the owl, the stuff, REI, and Black Friday

Last year, instead of rebelliously lying in bed on Black Friday, my wife and I rebelliously went hiking in Caprock Canyon. It was a day that brought us closer together and a day in which we did not grow more cynical in our view of humanity. (Storming the doors of Target or Wally World or Best Buy at 2am would have spawned great animosity toward our fellow man.)

It was also a day in which we did not grow deeper in debt but we did grow deeper in appreciation for the natural world.

Recently, I noticed there is a movement to get people outside and out of town on black Friday. REI (the sporting goods people) have been leading the charge this year with the #optoutside movement. REI is closing up shop on Black Friday so that their people (and theoretically their customers) can get outside and do something memorable, meaningful, and healthy rather than jumping into the meleé that is Black Friday shopping. I can attest that it's a great plan! So can Mattie and Kylie who went to Caprock Canyon with us last year. It was a great day and I can still vividly remember that time. I especially remember the smile in my wife's eyes that day.

Gratuitous Black Friday 2014 black dog panorama!

 

This year, I do not know that we will have the luxury to sneak away on Black Friday, but I do want to make sure that we focus on something more meaningful than shopping. In the world of stuff. this has been a rough year. Frankly, we grow tired of being owned by our stuff.

The High Price of Materialism (And I thought frogs were the good guys.)

The Story of Stuff (The Mesquite Hugger staff has a big ol' eco crush on Annie Leonard)

 

So don't just stand there - Bust an Ad!

 

I haven't talked it over with my brown-eyed girl, but I hope to make this Black Friday into Bake Friday - not the fake-bake or the get baked version, but the one where we bake stuff to give our friends for the holidays. (Mattie and Kylie would be all about that too!) Or maybe it should be Instructables Friday, where we build recycled Instructables as gifts. Maybe we should call it Help-Us-Clean-House Friday and invite all of our friends over. Maybe...I am taking this too far.

 

May your day after Thanksgiving be something more than charging boldly into debt.