Gift giving and receiving has always been a special event in my family. Any gift was treasured. There was one Christmas we decided as a family to not purchase any presents since the money would be better used elsewhere. Not knowing of our family's decision, my grandparents sent a box full of presents for all 8 kids- truly a Christmas miracle for us! Another year we gave each other old toys or made something to give using what we had on hand.
Growing up and without meaning to, we truly had green Christmases. There wasn't lots of wrapping paper or waste, we just could not afford it. We did have plastics but hey, a little BPA won’t hurt you right? Now if I could only get rid of this 3rd arm that keeps sprouting from my back... (queue wife punch).
How do we give a green gift?
There are many things we can do to be Eco Friendly for the Holidays. Like my wife talked about yesterday in her Frugal Friday 101 post, one area to consider is the gift wrapping materials. Newspaper, brown paper bags and cloth are excellent alternatives to premium papers. You can also purchase handmade gifts from such sites like Etsy.com or Hyenacart.com. There is an option to search for shops in your local area- even better! One thing I admire that my father- in- law requests, “If you want to give me a gift, donate to a charity in my name.” No cash in the piggy bank for gifts? Try service. Volunteer at a local shelter or offer service to your family- bring a freezer meal, help babysit or work on a home project.
Here are some other places we can be GREEN and give, at the same time:
Novica- in association with National Geographic:
http://www.novica.com/
Each purchase helps to support artists all over the world in basic things like sending their children to school.
African Wildlife Foundation:
http://shop.awf.org/store/
60 - 65% of all purchases made through this site will go directly back to support AWF's important efforts to conserve land, protect species and empower people. I have never been to Africa but hope to visit some day!
The Daily Green:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/green-gifts
What ways do you go green and give for the Holidays?
Sunday, December 12, 2010
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2 comments:
I'm trying to find things for the babe to borrow from friends and family rather than purchase new - or on craigslist.
I haven't wrapped most presents in years. I have a few fancy boxes that get reused, but I also have many clothing boxes with festive pictures on them that get reused every year. Sometimes I feel weird because everyone else still wraps their presents, even to me, but I hope they understand I'm not lazy; I just can't see wasting the paper.
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