I'm dreaming of a GREEN Christmas!

[scooterbug44]

Thanks to the Random Thoughts thread for inspiration!

Please post your suggestions for how to have a more environmentally friendly holiday!

1) I'm a purist and just can't have a fake tree, but you CAN be eco-friendly and still have a real tree! Live trees w/ rootballs are becoming more readily available and tend to have more room underneath for presents.

If you don't want a "live" tree, go to a "cut your own" tree farm, get a tree from a vacant lot that is about to be cleared, plant your own trees for future xmas trees, or get a permit to cut one in a state or national forest instead of going to a tree lot. (Not only will you get to have a great time & create memories looking for your tree, you'll get the exact tree you want, and you are keeping trees from being cut and discarded w/o ever fulfilling their xmas destiny.)

-When Christmas is over, don't put the tree or wreaths/garlands at the curb. It makes a great habitat for birds & critters in the yard, for fish if you sink it in a pond, or great kindling/firewood. A dried xmas tree dropped onto a bonfire at new years eve is also a great way to bring in the new year.

2) A great deal of waste is generated with wrapping paper. My family uses cloth gift bags w/ attached ribbons (my cousin made them in a variety of sizes and prints), buys higher quality paper and giftbags that are easily reused, and wraps items for folks who enjoy "tearing stuff open" in sunday comics or tissue paper.

3) There is a lot of unnecessary "stuff" that gets purchased, gifted, and never used/wanted. A lot of clutter gets created w/ well intentioned gifts that are useless and just waste space. Fewer gifts not only saves $, it allows you to focus more on quality than quantity and the true meaning of the season.

4) Homecooked meals & treats they wouldn't buy for themselves can be a very welcome gift, especially for older relatives. Years ago my grandparents decided to "downsize" and issued a moratorium on any gift that cannot be "consumed" before the next holiday. High quality chocolates, glaceed apricots, wines, balsamic vinegars & artisanal sauces, wild game, homemade soups & stews etc.

[Capricious]

Noth'n to do with Christmas (or whatever holiday one celebrates)
but back in June I started commuting to work via bicycle whenever
the weather wasn't wet.

It's a 21 mile round trip and I have been averaging about 400 miles
cycling per month although with winter coming on that will certainly drop.

Anyway, since June I have cut my own personal consumption of
gasoline by at least 50%

And it's fun (and occasionally scarey).

I consider it my partriotic duty to minimize the amount of
(ever cheaper) dollars I send to countries that don't have the
best interest of the USA in mind.

The "green" benefits are just the gravy on top.

[steele mama]

My tree is 2 ft tall with itty bitty lights. ;-)

[John R]

make your gifts.

[Beach Runner]

Decorate a used CD for the SoWal Christmas exchange?

I know I'm being politically incorrect, but about the tree, can one buy live trees that are 10-feet tall? Anything smaller just looks pitiful in our living room.

And if I already have fake garland from before I started using fresh garland, isn't it greener if I reuse it, rather than buying fresh garland. I always buy a boatload of it -- 75' for the gallery, 25' for the main front door, 25' for the stair rail, and another 50' for mantels, over the beds, the big mirrors, etc. Plus the fresh wreaths. :idontno: I love the fragrance.

Or should I just simplify my traditional plan for Christmas decorations? Maybe it's time to downsize. :(

[scooterbug44]

It's not so much about rigid political correctness as little "tweaks" that can make your holiday greener and add up over the years.

Reusing an item is definitely better than buying 175' of fresh garland every year. :blink:

They do have living trees 10' tall, but from the sounds of your decorating scheme, their typical 7-10 day indoor time frame might not work for you.

[John R]

O...m...g...

[Johnrudy]

maybe I'm in denial but isn't the garland made from the lose branches that have been cut from the bottom of the trees on the tree lots? Sorta like it's been put to good use.

[Beach Runner]

maybe I'm in denial but isn't the garland made from the lose branches that have been cut from the bottom of the trees on the tree lots? Sorta like it's been put to good use.
Actually, it is.

[Johnrudy]

Actually, it is.
So, it's ok. :wave:

[Bob]

string lights around your SUV so it can't be driven.

[30A Skunkape]

Biodiesel on your bonfire:lol:

[30A Skunkape]

Organic tofu yule log cakes

[30A Skunkape]

Recycle-paperweight, doorstopper, weapon

[30A Skunkape]

Turn off that heater and fire up the menorahs

[30A Skunkape]

Make your own ornaments

[30A Skunkape]

Hang stockings made of reclaimed dryer lint with care

[30A Skunkape]

No more coal in the stocking, it is evil

[Beach Runner]

:floor:, Skunky!

[Miss Kitty]

Please don't decorate your car. :bang:

[TooFarTampa]

:floor: Skunky

I found some solar powered outdoor lights tonight online at Solutions.com. I buy fresh wreaths every year for the outside of the house (made of "extra" branches, $$$ goes to a local school :D). I have always wanted to light them but didn't want to run a cord. Yay for solar power! :clap: Hopefully they hold up well and I don't have to buy more for a long time.

This year I'm going to find some colorful reusable grocery bags and give them as gifts to the girlfriends I exchange presents with ... tuck several of them in one bag, add a bottle of wine and some homemade treats. :clap:

[Beach Runner]

Please don't decorate your car. :bang:
Some kids hit a big buck today with their car in front of our house. (It happens almost every day this time of the year.) They strapped it to their car. Maybe they should decorate its antlers and use that for their car ornament during the holidays? :eek:

[InletBchDweller]

string lights around your SUV so it can't be driven. ummm sorry, but no way , my SUV will be driven
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Skunky, you are tooooooo funny!!
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We will use our Christmas tree to sink for the Bream to bed (of course so I can catch and eat):biggrin:

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I am a member of the Arbor Day foundation, does that count for something???

[Beach Runner]

:floor: Skunky

I found some solar powered outdoor lights tonight online at Solutions.com.
Hope they work better than those solar sidewalk lamps that Home Depot sells. There's more ambient light from our town's lights bouncing off low-level clouds than there from those things.

Here's a green idea that my daughter has been doing since before green became stylish: wrap Christmas presents in glossy pages from magazines, etc. It's especially cool looking if you are artistic enough to choose the right combination of pages.

[savvytangerine]

:floor: Skunky

I found some solar powered outdoor lights tonight online at Solutions.com. I buy fresh wreaths every year for the outside of the house (made of "extra" branches, $$$ goes to a local school :D). I have always wanted to light them but didn't want to run a cord. Yay for solar power! :clap: Hopefully they hold up well and I don't have to buy more for a long time.


Hey TooFar how are those lights looking? I would love a report once you get them and after they have been up for a while - would consider geting them myself next year.

LW and I had a blast decorating outside today. Being that we are crafty we have all kinds of goodies to reuse, along with the scraps from other projects. My favorite thing is we turned those long swim noodle things into giant candy cane decorations.

I know BB would love 'em since they are bright pink with red, light pink, or this pretty tie-dye ribbon to make the offical candy cane stripe.

(P.S We already had everything and the noodles have been in storage forever. Better for decorations than for the trash heep.)

[30A Skunkape]

Turn off that heater and fire up the menorahs


Hold on there, maybe the candles are more dangerous than the heater. Goodness, this is too funny.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195546797524&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

[JustaLocal]

Here's a green idea that my daughter has been doing since before green became stylish: wrap Christmas presents in glossy pages from magazines, etc. It's especially cool looking if you are artistic enough to choose the right combination of pages.

I really like this idea! I'm going to give it a try. I've been trying to think of a "green" way to wrap. Any bow or ribbon ideas?

My contribution this year was to switch completely over to LED lights. They are much brighter and save ~90% of the juice.

[Beach Runner]

I really like this idea! I'm going to give it a try. I've been trying to think of a "green" way to wrap. Any bow or ribbon ideas?

My contribution this year was to switch completely over to LED lights. They are much brighter and save ~90% of the juice.
We save ribbon and bows from year to year and recycle them (we have lots of fabric ribbon from free gift wraps) -- I just steam them and they look like new), so we rarely buy ribbon. Our daughter also uses paper grocery bags as gift wrap. She is really artistic -- she'll just take some random item around the house and use it to decorate a package. Also, she saves artistic-looking and nicer-quality shopping bags and uses those to wrap gifts (part of it is being a college student and forgetting to buy wrapping paper :lol:). I always look forward to seeing what she comes up with.