Ever thrown a party and said No presents on the invite, only to have some people bring a present anyway?
For my most recent party I hatched an exciting new plan. I made bringing a present compulsory for every guest BUT it had to be something that was NOT bought.
SPEND NO MONEY! I announced on the invitation.
I gave some ideas, like plant cuttings, hand-picked posies, a poem or story, art and craft, a song.
My loot was massive! Books from home libraries, a crochet dishcloth, a hand-sewn Christmas decoration, artwork, jokes, music playlists, a hand-made book, baked goods, a bucket full of cuttings, plants, seeds, plant labels, a big bunch of flowers. A vision-impaired friend made me a picture of a birthday cake with Happy Birthday written across it in braille. It was the best haul of presents I ever received, and everyone was so excited to give them to me.
It was personal, easy on the Earth, and set a delightful tone to the party.
Joni Page 