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Put Mother Earth At The Top Of Your Christmas Gift List

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Mother Nature supplies us with abundant blessings every single day of the year. During the holiday season, let’s return the favor by putting Mother Earth at the top our gift list and focus on a “green” Christmas. In doing so, we will ensure that our children and grandchildren enjoy the gifts of nature for generations to come. With a little planning and imagination, we can greatly reduce the negative environmental impacts of the holiday season.

Choose your holiday gifts from recycled sources. Many individuals and small businesses have developed beautiful and useful products that incorporate recycled materials. Focus on locally made gifts. Many gifts in today’s marketplace are shipped from halfway around the world, which contributes to transportation-related greenhouse emissions. Shopping on the Internet for gifts eliminates the need for you to use precious fuel driving to the mall. Consider giving gifts that don’t have to be wrapped and that come from the heart. Gift certificates for dog walking, babysitting, yard work and sitting with elderly relatives are always appreciated. Give a young couple a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant or movie tickets for a night out. Give your best friend a subscription to her favorite magazine or pay tuition for a cooking class.

If you have gifts that need to be wrapped, consider reusable cloth bags or simply wrap your gift in newspaper or grocery bags. Don’t use wrapping paper that is not made from recycled materials. Most commercial wrapping paper can’t be recycled and won’t biodegrade.

Treat your family to a live tree. A live, potted tree can beautify your yard for years to come. A live tree provides an ongoing remembrance of the holidays. Many families make a yearly ritual of planting their live trees after the holidays. It’s fun to watch your family’s “forest” grow year after year.

If your holiday plans include hosting family or friends for festive gatherings, consider the following ideas:

• Apples make attractive and unique candleholders. Just carve out the center to make a space for the candle. Be sure to use beeswax or soy wax candles. They’re healthier for your lungs than regular paraffin candles and also help to conserve natural resources. If you have a bunch of half-burned candles lying around, melt and re-pour them into old jelly jars to create new candles.

• Use herbs for beautiful and fragrant decorating. Rosemary, lavender and sage are beautiful and also can be recycled for use in holiday cooking. Use whole cloves to stud oranges and hang them with festival cloth holiday ribbon.

• Use cloth napkins and tablecloths instead of paper goods. They add an elegant touch to your party and they don’t contribute to more waste in the landfill.

• Make it easy for your guests to recycle. Have clearly labeled containers in your kitchen that are designated for glass, aluminum and compost.