Christmas is coming, and everybody’s excited! They’re out buying decorations, gift bags, food, wrapping paper, Santa Claus apparel, and arguably the most important part... presents! The list goes on and on, right? Buying all these things can be fun and rewarding at first, but doing so can also harm the environment, sometimes in ways we can’t even see.

To prevent this, you can buy Christmas gifts from thrift stores like White Dove, The Salvation Army, Arizona Humane Society and Goodwill. This is sometimes called Thriftmas. This way, old clothes, games, books and toys can be used again rather than thrown away. It’s also less expensive than shopping for new items and better for our environment.

My family and I are participating in Thriftmas this year, and we are finding many rare treasures, like a Princess Diana Beanie Baby and an American Girl doll—super rare! Give some unique and special gifts this year and visit your local thrift store!