

For all the mineral and “crystal” people - both the woo woo and scientific varieties:
You can get silicosis from cutting or polishing specimens/gemstones. Always wear a properly fitting N95 mask at minimum when doing any sort of work involving cutting, grinding, carving, or polishing minerals, rocks, or gemstones.
This public service messsage brought to you by a Gen X told to go outside and play with rocks as a kid. The more you know💫
I’m with you.
Give gifts because you want to, when you want to, and if you need ideas - ASK.
There’s no reasonable reason not to ask or communicate directly with the recipient if you genuinely don’t know what they want - or even what they prefer within a group of things they may have mentioned.
Also, holidays in the USA are heavily commercialized and this should be avoided, especially when teaching kids financial literacy.
Being susceptible to advertising is dangerous- kids need to understand that finances act as war against citizens, by deceiving, trapping, and manipulating us into debt for things we don’t need or that don’t work.
Financial literacy and refusing to give in to advertising makes a stronger person. It doesn’t mean we don’t have Xmas, it means we stick to our budget and ignore advertising in favor of research, reviews, and actual data about what we want.