Presents

From bad (yesterday) to almost as bad (today). Bought a present for one of Ben's friends and bought gift certificates for books for the kids' teachers.

Ben has been to four b-day parties during "no-more-new-things": for two of the parties we had stuff in our gift box we could use; for one we gave the kids a gift certificate to the candy store (the parents probably hate us!); and for the last one (today) I bought the kid a new thing (ironically, an environmental make-your-own-boat-with-used-water-bottles kit).

Teacher presents are always a little challenging; we usually do chocolates and a gift certificate to a bookstore. The bookstore is an independent, local, political (but with novels and other things) store; and so that's the plus. But it was still a new thing although--here's a loophole--chances are that the gift certificate won't be translated into a new thing until *after* 1 July--that is, after our 3-month project is over.

So we failed on the presents-front today but I can at least say that we bought no new things for ourselves.