Dreaming Green For The Holidays
Did you know that there are ONLY 86 days to Christmas, 82 days from Chanukah, and and 87 days to Kwanzaa? It’s time to get out there and shop, shop, shop before it’s too late!
Or at least that’s what the big box stores would have you believe. Every year the holiday merchandise hits the store shelves earlier and earlier in an effort to get us all to part with our hard earned dollars. This year, the holiday aisle at my local big-box store made its debut just after Labor Day! One can only imagine that frenzy that most kids will be in come holiday time after almost four months of looking at holiday whowhos and thingamabobs each week.
But let me ask you this. When did the big box stores get to decide how we will celebrate our holidays? When did holiday spirit start to take a backseat to the holiday aisle?
Well, I for one want to take back the holidays this year and celebrate them how I want to, not how the big box stores dictate. I want to decorate my house, send holiday greetings, host holiday parties, and exchange holiday gifts in a way that emphasizes the joy of the holiday and not the joy of shopping. In other words, I’m dreaming
GREEN this holiday season and I wonder if you’d care to join me.
Let’s all pledge to make out holidays a little greener this year, for the sake of our families, the planet, and our sanity! Do you have to give up all of your favorite treats and traditions? ABSOLUTELY NOT! There are plenty of ways to celebrate with style without wreaking havoc on the planet or your wallet. Try one or try them all. And be sure to grab one of the banners below (copy and paste the code) and post it on your website or blog. I’ll post a Dreaming Green Blogroll with links to all participants.
Here’s how to celebrate your favorite holidays with green spirit:
- Decorate with low-energy light bulbs that last longer than traditional bulbs but use 80 to 90% less energy. And invest in timers that automatically shut off your lights before you go to bed.
- Skip the paper cards and send e-cards or set up an online holiday slide show or photo album at sites such as Photobucket or Flickr.
- Get creative with gift wrapping. Use old maps, the Sunday comics, or your children’s artwork to wrap gifts or use gift bags and decorative boxes that can be reused from year to year.
- Compost your Christmas tree or Kwanza mazao and vibunzi
- Save bows, ribbons, holiday cards, and other decorations to reuse next year.
- Purchase a reusable menorah or kinara and use soy-based candles to light your way.
- Prevent waste by realistically anticipating the amount of food your family can eat and compost any leftover food scraps.
Post Info
29 Responses to “Dreaming Green For The Holidays”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- Dreaming Green For The Holidays | Go Green Living 29 09 08
- Dreaming Green For The Holidays | Go Green Magazine 29 09 08
- FilterForGood 19 12 08
/images/ads/120.jpg)
“Well, I for one want to take back the holidays this year and celebrate them how I want to, not how the big box stores dictate.”
Amen!
I like the flickr slideshow idea!!
Right on! I’m all for taking back the holidays!
Every year the holiday merchandise hits the store shelves earlier and earlier in an effort to get us all to part with our hard earned dollars. This year, the holiday aisle at my local big-box store made its debut just after Labor Day! One can only imagine that frenzy that most kids will be in come holiday time after almost four months of looking at holiday whowhos and thingamabobs each week.
I have already explained to my 2 kids that christmas this year wouldn’t be like the previous years. I’m almost tired of christmas b/c the stores seem to be putting out decorations and such earlier and earlier. It makes no sense to me!! But I love the ideas posted, please keep them coming so I go green!
We’re actually going away for the holidays this year! The last few years have been so hectic, we all decided we wanted a break. We’ll still decorate the house (though no tree) and make cookies, but we’ll leave behind the rest of the brouhaha. We’re really looking forward to it.
I was so delighted when my mother-in-law came awkwardly up to me the other day about cutting back on Christmas this year. She was rather taken aback by my enthusiasm for the idea. We did that years ago on my side of the family, and I think it makes for a better holiday. More focus on family, less on stuff.
Oh, if I could *every* day realistically anticipate how much we would eat! Streaky kid appetites and my Italian upbringing conspire to make me the over cooker. And not in a too-done way! Great post. I agree that you don’t have to give up on the celebrating and holiday fun to be more conscious of the earth.
love it, we green our gifts each year as well as our wrapping, but this year I am looking at even more ways to green in Christmas. Here is Texas if I can’t have a white Christmas, at least I can have a green one!
Great idea! I love that you call it reclaiming the holidays from the big box stores.
Great ideas, Jenn. For gift wrapping alternative, another fun idea is to use pillowcases or other mismatched bedding. As a total alternative to giving gifts, I offer this story: last year, my aunt sent an email to everyone in the family saying that she wasn’t going to give gifts for Christmas. Instead, she said, she took her Christmas money, donated it to a homeless shelter and gave us the gift of her time volunteering there. She pledged to go one day a week to volunteer for every person she was going to buy a present for! Now that’s not only green, but loving and truly in the spirit of the holiday!
Every year the holiday merchandise hits the store shelves earlier and earlier in an effort to get us all to part with our hard earned dollars. This year, the holiday aisle at my local big-box store made its debut just after Labor Day!
New leaked photos! justin bieber and selena gomez kissing in bed! Look hare , http://www.cledit.com
Thanks. I completely agree.
I’ve learned a lot from your blog here,Keep on going,my friend,I will keep an eye on it,thanks for your post!2 day diet japan lingzhi ready-to-export products from China.
Great post,you hit the nail on the head there.Aberdeen plasterer
It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or tips. Perhaps you can write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read even more things about it!
Free tax filing 2010 online is the best way for all tax payers. File your state and federal taxes and get fastest tax refund in your bank account within 8 days. No more paper filing because the preparation of tax documents and filing of tax returns is a complex process and needs professional handling.
You can not be truly serious about that? After all, really, what exactly are you thinking?
Thanks for the great info. I find these posts have a lot of material. I can’t wait to get a second to impliment all these great posts. Thank you very much.
do you think that what you’re saying the truth has been confirmed by the facts?
My brother suggested I might like this web site. He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
You made some clear points there. I did a search on the subject matter and found most persons will approve with your blog. http://www.eyanshelben.com/electronics/video-promotion-best-practices-tips/
Thank you on your help!
I’m happy to have found your exceptionally high quality article! I agree with some of your readers and will eagerly look forward to your coming updates.
Great goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you are just too great. I actually like what you have acquired here, really like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it sensible. I can not wait to read much more from you. This is really a great website.