The holidays are here and it’s almost impossible to escape the inevitable shopping frenzy.

If you’d like to avoid the suffocation of hectic malls and prevent parking headaches…here are some very interesting shopping alternatives!

Did you know that during the holidays, the amount of trash Americans throw away goes up by 1 million tons a week? This year, you can create your very own special one-of-a-kind gift (which makes the present even more meaningful!) from recycled materials at The Crissy Field Center in San Francisco, CA. You can make something for everyone on your list: container gardens, sno-globes, digital greeting cards, and much more at the Do-It-Yourself Gift Making Extravaganza.

For those who prefer to purchase something classic, you might want to check out a place like historic Georgetown, CO. The town’s Christmas Market is a charming outdoor European marketplace with handcrafted gifts with beautiful and unique shops with intricate ornaments and decorations, Victorian items for the home, art, wine, rare books, jewelry, clothing, antiques, gifts, and award-winning food vendors (for those intense shoppers who work up an appetite while running around). The Heart of Downtown Washington DC also offers an open air Downtown Holiday Market with local artisans selling arts, crafts, textiles, photography, pottery, clothing, and high quality gift items. They’ve got live entertainment and Christmas carolers too!

The holidays are always a great time to help those in need. If you’re able to share your generosity, you can contribute to gift drives for organizations like The Home for Little Wanderers, Knight Children’s Center in Boston, MA or even adopt a pet to give orphaned critters a happy home for the holidays!

Good luck holiday shoppers!

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