Curb Your Consumerism, 24 Greenest Holiday Season Favorites

Parties, dinners, presents, decorations, travel; these are the celebrated activities and symbols of the Holiday Season. However, this year we have felt and continue to feel unprecedented planetary strain through wrongful US global warring, industrial/environmental catastrophe’s, and economic and social strain. More then ever in my lifetime, I feel called to fully embrace and usher in peace, harmony, love, and light representing the winter solstice time so we can transcend the darkness. Below are 24 yummy and nurturing ways to celebrate the greenest this holiday season. Be  jolly, merry and wise.Curb Your Consumerism And Go Waste Free~

1. Use real plates, cups, and napkins, for all of your families’ celebrations. Have your family use the same napkin for the day. Keep track of napkins by using a distinct napkin ring.
2. Wrap presents in fabrics, cloth bags, or other textiles. Pick up old fabrics at yard sales, or Goodwill like stores. Or, get creative and use, t-shirts, pillowcases, tablecloths, or colorful scarves, painted or stamped newsprint.
3. Buy a living Christmas tree. Or, I hope this doesn’t offend, buy and reuse a fake one.
4. DIY Make your own gifts. The possibilities are endless. See our Herbal Apothecary for ideas on how to make garlands, wreathes, and swags.
5. Bring the hostess wine in a reusable wine bag. This is a true gift within a gift designed to be re-gifted.
6. Buy vintage, recycled, refurbished.  Find collectables and special finds at your local garage sales, estate sales and resale stores. Remember that a true treasure means to be found!
7. Take your beloved on a weekend getaway or a world-class trip instead of buying more unneeded unwanted stuff.”
8. Avoid buying things with lots of plastic packaging.
9. Spend your money at vendors you trust. Boycott Wall-Mart for hosting Homeland Security “Big Sis” Janet Napolitano throughout all stores in America. (wouldn’t shop there anyway!)

1. Donate to charities as a gift to friends and family who “have everything” for those who don’t. Check out the Heifer International. They are one of my favorites.
2. Ask your guests, employees, clients, to bring in food for food banks to the holiday party.
3. Offer your services and time. Give baby sitting hours, offer to drive, or take the kid’s for the weekend.
4. Invite someone over to a family gathering who might be lonely.
5. Pay for a random stranger’s meal. Just go ahead and pay for the fellow patron at your local greasy spoon and spread the joy and love and goodwill towards all. It is beautiful to receive and even more lovely to give.
6. Light your home in the glow of illuminaries crafted of natural bees wax. Or, try our local favorite soy based candles, Eco-Eve Candles from Santa Cruz.
7. Shop local from locally owned businesses, farms, markets and stores. Just on my home street alone we have 3 organic farms we love and cherish! Here’s a shout out to Webb’s Organic Farm, Everett Family Farm, and Casalegno’s Family Farm and Grocery in Soquel, CA. These places still carry the charm and comfort everyone craves these days. We are blessed to have them as neighbors.
8. Make things from scratch.  Give your best peeps, the kid’s school teacher’s, and your office mates your special “Hot Sauce”, or your secret ingredient “Chutney”, or your over the top “Jam and Jellies” made with your grandma’s secret recipe.
9. Avoid products with un-natural ingredients like GMO’s , hydrogenated oils, chemicals, and preservatives.
10. Donate party leftovers and extra foodstuff to your local women’s/ family homeless shelters.
11. Compost or start composting –go ahead and add this to your New Year’s Resolution’s.
12. Ride Bikes
13. Skate
14. Walk
15. Take public transportation

So For Your Sake and the Earths Sake ….

Play outside, play Frisbee, run, dance, climb, play touch football in the park, or at the beach, or in the snow. Just play outside, walk in the rain, jump in the mud, hot tub while it is snowing out, take the kids outside late at night and star gaze while snuggled up together in warm blankets sipping on cups of sweet hot chocolate.

So, whether you are going to a party, hosting a party or trying to get out of going to a party, or will be relishing in sacred family time, I hope you liked the green holiday tips. It’s all about finding fun, spirited ways to cherish this time of year on this majestic earth. Happy Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, New Year. Love each other and Love the Earth. And I love you, too.