Tempering Excess

Last night I went to my first holiday party of the season and came home feeling that familiar seasonal feeling of overindulgence. Then I woke up this morning and turned on the heat and thought about those who can't. December is a time when excess seems to be at every turn, and it's an opportunity to be creative about how we temper that excess with service to our community and the world at large.

Here are some ideas. Please share others by adding a comment below.

1. Be mindful of where you spend your holiday shopping dollars. Try to support socially responsible merchants, and those who donate a portion of their profits to a cause of importance to you. I also try to invest in local communities by supporting local, independent businesses whenever possible - for example, consider supporting independent booksellers by purchasing books through powellbooks.com.

2. Make financial contributions to charities whose work you support. Give whatever you can, whether it's $10 or $1000. Brainstorm ways you can shave money off your expenses this month and channel the savings into donations - skip a meal out, brew coffee at home instead of buying it, sell household items you don't use on Craigslist. Make home-made gifts for family and friends.

3. Donate your time to causes you care about. Search volunteermatch.org to find local organizations' specific needs. I know December is a busy time, but think creatively about how you can find time to help out - if you order gifts for friends online, does that free up a Saturday afternoon?

4. Conserve energy. Take public transportation. Unplug Christmas lights and electrical appliances when you aren't actively using them. Buy wrapping paper made from recycled paper.Get digital thermostats and program them to decrease temperatures when you're out at work and in the middle of the night. The Web site for An Inconvenient Truth offers additional conservation tips, as does our very own Pepco.

I know it's cliche to focus on giving in December - the season of guilt, right? I understand that, but why not use the guilt as a tool to jumpstart practicing habits like these? There's no time like the present.