Embracing the Good News for Planet Earth: Environmentally Friendly Christmas

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family

all wrapped up in each other.”

Christmas greetings from afar!  I hope you all are having a wonderful fall time and that the transition into winter isn’t too harsh.  For this month we decided to give you all a brief list of ways to make your Christmas more “green” both in helping save this wonderful earth we call home, as well as perhaps saving you some ‘‘green” in your pocket book.

I challenge you to just adopt one new environmentally friendly practice this holiday season.  Gift the earth for all it has provided you!

v  Natural decorations and scents: instead of spending money on candles and sprays to make your house smell like Christmas, try using natural decoration and scents … use pine cones, simmer oranges on the stove, or bake…cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves signal Christmas for many of us.

v  Reusable and not disposable: at your holiday party break out the dishes and cloth napkins, or ask people to bring their own. Think about how many plastic cups you use at all your holiday parties! 

v  Holiday cards: Redesign cards to make new cards, gift tags, glue onto plain gift bags, and more!

v  Wrapping paper:  instead of buying expensive wrapping paper use newspapers (the Sunday comics pages are great), junk mail, magazines, reusable shopping bags, or even old fabric (outgrown clothes) to wrap presents.  Children love getting creative. Challenge them to see who can be the most creative - break out the paint and markers!

v  Gifts: Make a list and check it twice, combine shopping trips or combine purchases online, re-gift (don’t we all have a pile of things we don’t EVER use!).  Gifts don’t have to be store bought - some of the most meaningful gifts are homemade or handcrafted.  Visit local vintage or thrift stores, consider alternative gifts like those mentioned in the November OCN article.

v  Trees: consider buying a real tree that you can plant outside when the holidays are over, recycle your live tree by donating it to the Department of Conservation (free curbside pickup), or if you buy an artificial tree or lights, make sure they are Energy Star Certified.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.

~Native American Proverb

I hope this may help inspire you to make one change as this Christmas season approaches. And, I hope to see many of you around Christmas, as I will be back for a couple of weeks!  Kaitlyn