Skip to main content
Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11

Use the slow lane when choosing holiday gifts this year

This cover image released by Sourcebooks shows "SLOW: Simple Living for a Frantic World" by Brooke McAlary. Consider a gift this holiday season that encourages a step back from chaos and stress of daily life. (AP Photo/Sourcebooks)
This cover image released by Sourcebooks shows "SLOW: Simple Living for a Frantic World" by Brooke McAlary. Consider a gift this holiday season that encourages a step back from chaos and stress of daily life. (AP Photo/Sourcebooks) This cover image released by Sourcebooks shows "SLOW: Simple Living for a Frantic World" by Brooke McAlary. Consider a gift this holiday season that encourages a step back from chaos and stress of daily life. (AP Photo/Sourcebooks)

The world is fast and furious. Why not slow it down for the holidays?

Ways to achieve that lofty goal are plentiful. Here are some ideas on how to give the gift of slow living.

THE SLOW HOME PODCAST

The podcast is hosted by Australian Brook McAlary, a mother of two. She’s a 30-something writer from the Blue Mountains near Sydney who suffered severe postnatal depression in 2011. That’s when she decided to embrace minimalism and simplicity in her life.

In addition to the podcast, she has written two books: “Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World” and “Destination Simple: Everyday Rituals for a Slower Life.”