How to Have a Merry Green Christmas
Are you tired of Christmases that are too commercial and consumer-oriented? Are you worried about the effects of global warming? Have you been trying to live a simpler, greener lifestyle, but you are not sure where to begin or how to have a green Christmas? Here are several easy ways to make the holidays greener, simpler and much more sustainable. Does this Spark an idea?
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How to Have a Merry Green Christmas
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Examine the ghosts of Christmases past. Were you ever depressed that you couldn't buy everything on your list? Did you overspend and regret it? Did you feel as though Christmas was all about the gifts and not what it should really be about? It's time to adjust your thinking and make Christmas about family, love and hope again, and not just about buying, spending, giving and receiving.
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Make family and friends your priority this holiday season. Create new holiday traditions or return to old traditions that you used to look forward to doing as a family, like making and decorating Christmas cookies, or decorating the tree and wrapping gifts together. Unplug the TV and turn off the computer. Engage in old-fashioned traditions like reading Christmas poems such as "The Night Before Christmas" or classic Christmas stories out loud as a family. Sing Christmas carols together.
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Feed the holiday spirit. Do something meaningful for someone else: Donate to charity, or volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Go through your closets and donate unused items to needy charity groups. Get your kids involved and have them go through unused toys, books and clothes that can be donated to churches, shelters, or other charity groups for children. A little can go a long way, and before you know it you'll want to do more to help those in need.
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Give the gift of yourself. Who needs more junk piling up that never gets used? Give something more meaningful to those you care about. Make up handmade certificates or coupons for your time. Or perhaps you have a talent that could be useful to someone else. Offer to read stories to children, volunteer at a school, or anything that could be meaningful or helpful in someone's life.Could your best friend use some time by herself? Give her a coupon for a night of babysitting. Does your mom need some help with housecleaning? Would your grandfather like a home-cooked meal? Is there a special event your daughter would love to go to with you? There's always something that can be given that won't cost you a thing but will mean the world to someone else.
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Decorate green. Skip the plastic and opt for real greenery, flowers and berries that can be composted after the holidays. Unless you already have a fake tree that you reuse year after year, opt for a real tree grown sustainably on a tree farm. Make sure you send the tree to be recycled into wood chips or compost after the holidays. You can also make your own holiday decorations with discarded items that would normally get thrown away or sent to the recycling center. Get creative and pull out the craft supplies to see what kind of treasures you can make from your trash.
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Switch out your light bulbs for energy-saving LED bulbs. LED bulbs last over 10 times longer and use less energy, which saves you money. The energy saved during one holiday season by switching to LED bulbs is enough to cover the cost of purchasing them this year. Go really green and save even more energy by investing in solar-powered LED light strands. You can light up the outside of your home this holiday season without adding to your energy bill.
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Give green gifts. If you must buy gifts, buy green ones. Think notebooks made from recycled or tree-free paper, jewelry made from recycled gold and other natural or recycled materials, bamboo or organic cotton linens or bamboo furniture and kitchen items. There are many green gifts out there and the list keeps growing. Soon you'll be able to find just about anything you need or want in green, sustainable options.
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Go handmade. Either try your hand at making your own cards, wrapping paper and gifts, or buy handmade from local craft shows, art fairs or even online at places like Etsy.com.
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Go organic. Make meals from organic ingredients or give organic treats as gifts.
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Wrap green. Most conventional wrapping paper is not recyclable because of the wax, metallic or other fancy dyes. Opt for wrapping paper that is made from recycled materials that can also be recycled, or get creative. Wrap with newspaper, magazine pages or old maps. Take plain paper bags and decorate them yourself. Turn any cardboard box into something spectacular with a bit of paint, glitter, glue or stickers. You can also make the wrapping part of the present. Are you giving a sheet set, towels or scarves? Tie the gift up with one of the sheets, towels or scarves. Giving boots? Stuff the boots with smaller presents. Make wrapping presents fun and exciting by looking for new ways to wrap green.
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Recycle or reuse everything possible that might ordinarily end up in the garbage.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't get frustrated if you can't do everything green. It is an evolving process, not an all or nothing endeavor. If every person made just one change, we'd get far.
Watch out for "greenwashing." Many companies claim their products are green just to sell them. Read labels and research the marketers, especially of high-ticket items.
Resources
- Photo Credit Adams Media
