Make do; Make over; Do without

In the book Microtrends, author Mark Penn contends that it would take only 1 percent of people committed to a single idea to change the world. Here's hoping there are at least 1 percent of the people out there with a growing awareness of the need for ecological stewardship. Unnecessary, rampant consumerism leads to bigger bills, bigger debt, more marital dissatisfaction, more anxiety and deep-seated insecurities. Small steps lead us back to a healthier financial outlook. Think SMALL; think LESS. For instance, for my daughter's 1st Christmas, she got a wooden puzzle and a little wooden rocking chair. Two gifts but she was so excited! The bounty of her 2nd Christmas consisted of a small child's table and two chairs (scavenged from the trash pile in front of a neighbor's yard, then cleaned and new contact paper applied to the surface) and a little tea set. Again, two gifts but she was thrilled! As a stay-at-home mom, it worked for my budget too, but the point is that SHE did not need more to have a happy Christmas. Parents are usually buying for themselves somehow, don't you think?