Write a Good One in 2025

In 2025 think of yourself as an author, with your life being your greatest story yet.

Consider every moment of this new year to be a moment of creation.

Write things down the way you have always written them if they are working, or look at all the alternatives and try something new and different and potentially more rewarding.

Every moment presents a new decision and a new opportunity for growth and fulfillment. Be open to the infinite possibilities.

What wonderful stories we are creating as individuals, and as a group working cooperatively together. 

We are in control, and we will write our own books.

In 2025, let’s create good ones.

Happy New Year to all.

Reverse Christmas

Oh, oh, oh. 

We are officially in the annual Reverse Christmas Season.

Reverse Christmas means returns and refunds time. It begins the day after Christmas and continues for weeks.

As businesses geared up for the peak holiday sales period, they also braced themselves for the inevitable wave of post-Christmas returns, a trend that continues to grow year over year.

First the rush to get the stuff, then the rush to get rid of it. 

That all makes perfect sense. 

Right?

• $158 billion worth of merchandise is estimated to be returned after the 2024 holiday season, a significant rise from 2023’s $141 billion.
• 17% of all holiday purchases are expected to be returned in January 2025.
• Electronics and clothing top the list, with 45% of returned products falling into these categories.
• An estimated 58% of consumers will leverage free return shipping policies to send items back.

• Retailers experience a 60% spike in return requests in the weeks following Christmas compared to the rest of the year.
• January 2nd marks the peak return day for most major retailers, with some companies processing over 1 million returns in a single day.
• 45% of returns occur within the first two weeks after Christmas, driven by New Year’s resolutions and gift exchanges.

• Kitchen gadgets and small appliances contribute to 8% of holiday returns, often because they fail to meet expectations or are gifted to someone who already owns them.
• Fitness equipment experiences a surge in returns post-holiday, with 10% of purchases returned by mid-January.

• 30% of customers admit to over-purchasing during sales, knowing they can return items they don’t like or need.
• Environmental impact is a growing concern, with over 5 billion pounds of returned goods ending up in landfills each year.
• Circular economy initiatives are gaining traction, with 8% of returns being redirected to donation programs or resale markets.
• Fraudulent holiday returns cost retailers $7 billion annually, driven by activities like price switching and fake receipts.
• Returnless refunds, where customers keep the product, are employed by 18% of online retailers for low-value items.

Are you spending Reverse Christmas trying to do returns and refunds?

Or did you have a Buy Nothing Christmas, in which case you have nothing to worry about, and can carry on relaxing?

Let us know in a comment below.

See our post about Reverse Santa.

Hermit Santa

The first day of winter brought a nice dump of snow, enough to strap on the snowshoes and hike into the valley behind our home down to the brook below.

There were tracks of mouse and squirrel, lots of deer tracks, and a spot where two deer had bedded down during the storm. 

On the bank of the brook were tracks of a small mammal that had come up out of the water. Not sure about those, but mink or otter are good possibilities.

My destination on this hike was to see the cabin on the opposite bank of the brook that I like to visit from time to time. 

It has not been used for a long time, but retains its cozy appearance, especially after a big snowfall. 

It is very seasonal, and to me it looks like hermit Santa lives there.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Canadian Maritimes.

We ho, ho, hope all our readers have a simple, light-filled, and peaceful 2025.

 

Dumb Consumer Products Of The Month - Gag Gifts

What do you do if you have received a gag gift? Say, "thank you"? Then what?

Re-gift it?

Store it in your closet of gag gifts?

Hang on to it because it has sentimental value?

Put it on display in your home?

Give it back next Christmas?

Ultimately, the gag gift is destined for the same place as most of our other useless stuff - the dump.

Since virtually everyone has stuff at home they don’t want, why not suggest an eco-friendly white elephant or secret santa where you can’t buy anything - it has to be something you already own that you don’t want. 

It seems unwise to use valuable, depleted resources to manufacture a useless thing, ship it large distances, then have someone pay money for it to give to someone else who will ''enjoy’’  it for a few minutes, then throw out a few hours later.

Giving nothing would be the better gift choice. And I don’t mean buying a jar of nothing at the dollar store, although technically an empty jar can come in handy at times. 

Give Mother Nature a gift this Christmas and make your own gag gifts using things you already have at home and don’t use.

That could be funny, and potentially useful as well.

What do you do if you receive a gag gift? Let us know in a comment below.

Dr. Santa’s Therapy

In our last post we saw Dr. Lucy Van Pelt dispensing medical advise to her client Charley Brown... without a license. 

As straight up as her advice was, it would no doubt be labeled as ’’dangerous misinformation’’.

In 2024 Lucy’s ''the doctor is in’’ booth would be torn down faster than you could say ‘’only five cents per session’’. A lawsuit would soon follow.

Today’s post looks at another faux facilitator. This time it is Dr. Santa, who could actually be considered a good judge of mental health. He does, after all, know your sleep schedule, and if you have been impulsive and antisocial, or empathetic and cooperative during the year.

And now, finally, it seems like Santa has had enough of selfish, over-the-top demands from girls and boys of all ages, and has decided to be proactive this holiday season and help people manage their desires.

He knows attachment to stuff can be a dangerous thing, and that expectations have a way of growing over the years. An orange, scarf, and board game just don’t cut it anymore for the modern gift recipient, and the elves can’t keep up with the demand any more.

All in all, gift exchange, an important social phenomena, has been promoted to the point of sickness and excess.

Not to fear - Dr. Santa is on the job, and his DAT (Desire and Attachment Therapy, Buddha approved) is meant to be good medicine for all. 

Note: Dr. Santa is not a real therapist, and does not dispense real medical advise, but is still asking the right question - "what makes you think you need all those things?". 

He is not trying to spoil anything, he is just trying to make us all good, for goodness sake. 

A Prescription for a Minimalist Christmas Might be Just What You Need

As we enter the scene we see Lucy dispensing some advise for Charley Brown. 

He has come to her to learn what he might do to calm his nerves, as he is stressed over all the demands of a consumer Christmas.

Here is the doctor's advise. 

''Charley Brown, I know you love Christmas, but sometimes all the hustle and bustle can be overwhelming.

 

You know how you always get the little tree that's all scrawny and sad? Well, that's a sign that you don't need all the extra stress that comes with a big, fancy, materialistic, expensive Christmas.

Think about it, Charley Brown. You're already worried about the dismal state of the world, and your kite-flying skills... or lack thereof.

 

Do you really need to add a bunch of holiday anxiety to the mix? I didn't think so.

A minimal Christmas could be just what you need to take a deep breath and relax. No worrying about finding the perfect gifts, or decorating the whole house, or cooking a huge feast, or going into debt. Just a simple, quiet Christmas with the people you care about.

Plus, think of all the things you could do with the time and energy you'd save. You could have a quiet sit down with Linus on his security blanket, go on a protest for peace walk with Snoopy, or even just sit back and enjoy a quiet cup of hot fair trade cocoa by yourself. Maybe Schroeder would help you write an anti-consumer song. 

So, what do you say, Charley Brown? Are you up for a minimal Christmas this year?

 

I really think it would help, and that is what I am prescribing for you today.

 

That will be five cents, please.''

 

 

Zero-ish Waste

If your neighbours put out 3 bags of garbage per year, they are probably minimalists.

It is easy to identify minimalists in your community. Just wait for garbage day.

Minimalists have less stuff, including trash. Less stuff in - less stuff out. 

This is especially noticeable on garbage day in a disposable everything consumer society where big piles of garbage bags are a common sight. 

As people began to buy more consumer products in the 50s and 60s, the landfill economy emerged in all its stinking, wasteful glory.

Big Waste made its appearance, and municipal, plastic, electronic, and food garbage all showed a marked growth. 

The landfill economy is a one way model from raw materials to manufacturing to retail to our homes, and finally to the landfill, probably sooner than later. 

It is a disposable model with products wearing out and breaking down by design so more units can be sold, and profits realized.

This model doubled average waste generation in only twenty years, the fastest increase in garbage production in human history. 

What an achievement.

Over the last year I have been tracking how much waste our household generates, and now that we are coming up to the end of the year, I can share the results. 

I have been amazed and surprised at the numbers that came up. It seems impossible, but the numbers don’t lie.

We have green bin pickup here, but all our organic waste from the kitchen, garden, and yard goes into our compost pile. 

Other things that have helped us reduce waste generation are 

1. Choosing a lifestyle that minimizes consumption

2. Focusing on what we need rather than what we want. 

3. Buying in bulk to reduce packaging

4. Making as many of the things we need as possible

5. Repairing rather than replacing

6. Making things last through gentle use and maintenance, and wearing them out completely   

7. Focusing on experiences over possessions.

 

8. Making most of what we eat from scratch using whole ingredients

 

 

The Results

In the past 12 months our two person household produced 3 regulation sized bags of garbage. 

Three. That’s it. The consumer landfill economy can not continue if extreme waste reduction ever catches on. We are doing what we can to make that happen.

At the same time, we generated 8 standard bags of paper, cardboard, metal, glass, and plastic recycling.

From casual observations, this volume of waste production is less than what our neighbours in the area put out on every two week garbage pick up day.

I challenge anyone to try not buying anything, or even just less, for a while, and witness the amazing things it does for your waste production, not to mention your bank account, and sense of satisfaction.

My household may not be zero waste, but we have achieved zero-ish waste status, and it feels good.

Or maybe that should be zero waste-ish. 

Either way, we can see that the war on wicked waste can be won.

An Apple a Day

As I was flipping through my well-worn copy of Laurel's Kitchen, a bookmark fell out. 

It was a card from a doctor's appointment, and I was surprised to see that it was from 2016. That was the last time I saw a doctor, and it's a visit that I remember vividly.

At the time, I had noticed a suspicious blemish on my skin, and I reluctantly decided to seek medical attention. 

The doctor I saw took one look and referred me to a cancer specialist. I was fortunate to have a skilled and experienced specialist who took care of the issue promptly and effectively. 

The blemish was surgically removed, and I was relieved to know that it no longer posed a threat to my health.

I feel grateful that I haven't needed to see a doctor since then. Good health is a precious gift, and I believe that it's essential to take care of ourselves to maintain it. 

My partner, Linda, has multiple sclerosis, but despite her condition, she's one of the healthiest people I know. We both prioritize our health and wellness, and we've found that a balanced lifestyle is key to staying healthy.

We're not opposed to seeking medical attention when it's absolutely necessary, but we do believe in taking care of ourselves and avoiding unnecessary visits. 

We've found that many minor issues can be resolved through self-care and preventive measures.

For us, a healthy lifestyle is about finding balance and making conscious choices. 

We prioritize eating well, staying hydrated, getting enough rest, exercising regularly, and managing stress. 

We also make time for activities that bring us joy and help us connect with nature. We believe that these habits have contributed to our overall health and well-being.

As we look to the future, we hope to continue living healthy and fulfilling lives. 

We're not interested in prolonging our lives at all costs, but rather in living each day to the fullest. We believe that a natural death is a part of life, and we're not afraid of it.

We hope that our readers are also prioritizing their health and wellness. 

By taking care of ourselves and making conscious choices, we can reduce our reliance on the sicknesscare system and live healthier, happier lives.

How often do you like to, or need to, visit the doctor? Let us know how you stay healthy in the comments below.

Gandhi and Einstein Have a Podcast Conversation on Simplicity

The other day I found myself thinking about a fictional scenario in which Mahatma Gandhi had a podcast, and invited Albert Einstein to sit down for a chat on simplicity. 

I would listen to that, because those inspirational men are two of my favourite historical figures.

Unfortunately, such a podcast would probably not get more views than Joe Rogan’s podcast interview of Trump. Or maybe I am wrong and it would get more than The Joe Rogan Experience's 50 million views. I like to think so.

My scenario has these amazing men meeting in the gardens at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, India.  

I picture them sitting together on a bench surrounded by nature. They are in the cool shade of a tree, shielded from the sun and heat, and are drinking a Limca, or nimbu soda.

Let’s listen in on this fictitious account - 

Gandhi: Welcome to the Sabarmati Ashram Pravachan Podcast, where we explore the profound beauty of simplicity in our lives. 

Today, I am honoured to have with us a man whose thoughts have transcended the complexities of our universe, Albert Einstein. 

He is a physicist whose theories have reshaped our understanding of time and space, and embodies the principle that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. 

Join us as we delve into the wisdom of simplicity with a man who has not only unraveled the mysteries of the cosmos but has also embraced the elegance of a simple life.

Welcome, Dr. Einstein.

Einstein: Thank you. You know, I’ve often said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” In a world filled with complexity, I believe simplicity is a profound value.

Gandhi: Indeed, Albert. I resonate with that thought. I have always believed that “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Simplicity allows us to focus on what truly matters in life—our relationships, our values, and our purpose.

Einstein: Exactly! When we strip away the unnecessary, we can see the beauty of the universe more clearly. It reminds me of my theory of relativity; it’s about understanding the fundamental truths without the clutter of excess.

Gandhi: And in my experience, simplicity is not just about material possessions. It’s about the clarity of thought and intention. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” When we live simply, we can serve others more effectively.

Einstein: That’s a powerful perspective. I often think about how our pursuit of knowledge and progress can sometimes lead us astray. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” We must be willing to embrace simplicity in our endeavors, to innovate without losing sight of our humanity.

Gandhi: Yes, and it is through simplicity that we can cultivate peace. “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” When we simplify our desires and focus on compassion, we can foster understanding and harmony.

Einstein: I admire your commitment to non-violence, Gandhi. It aligns with my belief that “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” Simplicity in our lives can lead to deeper connections and a more peaceful existence.

Gandhi: Precisely, Albert. Simplicity is a path to freedom. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” When we let go of the complexities of anger and resentment, we find strength in forgiveness and love.

Einstein: It seems that in our quest for knowledge and truth, we both arrive at the same conclusion: simplicity enriches our lives. It allows us to explore the depths of existence while remaining grounded in our values.

Gandhi: Yes, my friend. Let us continue to advocate for a life of simplicity, where we can inspire others to seek clarity, purpose, and peace. 

After all, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

I would like to thank Dr. Einstein for visiting us here in India, and making my wish to meet you in person finally come true. It has been a pleasure.

Einstein: You are so welcome. I came for the conversation, but I am staying for the chai and samosas.

Gandhi goes on, speaking to his audience.

''If you like what we do, please subscribe and hit that like button. Don’t forget to share us on social media, and for a full, uncensored version of today’s podcast, look us up on Rumble, or X. 

Sorry, no cheap merch - you don’t need it. But you may be interested in our spinning wheels, salt making kits, dhotis and other clothes made from hand spun, hand woven Indian textiles, as well as other resources for self-reliance.

As always, here at the Sabarmati Ashram Pravachan Podcast we encourage listeners to rely on their own resources and capabilities rather than depending on external forces or government powers.

And don’t forget our tagline, "Less is More… Unless We're Talking About Samosas!”

Namaste, and Aavjo.

The gardens at Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, India.

Note - In reality, Gandhi and Einstein never met in person, although they corresponded with each other by writing letters because email, iphones, and podcasts hadn’t been invented yet.