Deck The Halls with Eco-Friendly Christmas Deocrations

Jenn Savedge — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:54:00 +0000

Looking for holiday decorations that are safe for your kids and the environment? Follow these tips to deck the halls with eco-friendly style:

1. Go Lead-Free: Watch out for ornaments and holiday decorations that are coated in lead-based paint. Instead, look for decorations that bear the 100% lead-free label.

2. Go -Au Naturale: Look to nature when decorating your home this year. Here are some great ideas for natural holiday decorations: organic popcorn, cinnamon sticks, holly, ivy an evergreens, pine cones, cranberries, homemade gingerbread, organic fruit and vegetables, and dried Indian corn.

3. DIY: Give your kids some markers, eco-friendly paints, scissors, and recycled paper and let their creativity shine. If they need some inspiration, suggest they cut out shapes of stars and snowmen from the paper and decorate with markers and/or paints. Another idea is to make a candy cane using alternating stripes of red and white recycled paper. Or they add some festive flare to pine cones with gold or silver paint and some leftover holiday ribbon.

4. Keep It Fair: Green is, at the very least, the hippest new trend. So impress your friends and family with fair-trade decorations that show off your eco-savvy style. Look for decorations that are locally made or check out Ten Thousand Villages for Fair Trade Certified options.

The Green Parent Holiday Gift List

Jenn Savedge — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:46:00 +0000

Are you worried about your holiday gift list this year? With all of the news about global warming and environmental degradation, let alone sweatshop labor and toxic toys, what’s a Green Parent to do? Never fear, there are tons of gifts that you can give to show your spirit without selling your soul. Here, without further ado, is The 2007 Green Parent Holiday Gift List…a list of gifts you can feel good about:

Give The Gift That Gives Back

Charities: Check out The Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) to find a charitable organization to match the interests of anyone on your list. The independent site lists charities by category and gives detailed information about the mission, efficiency, and capacity of thousands of organizations.

For The Little Idealist: Even the youngest recipient will be delighted with a charitable gift that piques her interest. Does the kid on your list love books? Donate her favorite title to the local library. Does he love the outdoors? Give him a gift membership to the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org) or the Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org). Or adopt-an-animal from the World Wildlife Fund and your recipient will receive info about the animal as well as a plush version to cuddle. For more ideas check out Idealist.org (www.idealist.org) for a listing of charitable groups that were founded by kids.

Offsets: Help friends and family offset their carbon footprint with a gift of renewable energy credits (RECs) or greentags. The money you spend on carbon offsets will be used to support projects that reduce or sequester carbon emissions. Check out Carbon Neutral (www.carbonneutral.com) or Green Tags USA (www.greentagsusa.org) to calculate carbon emissions and purchase greentags.

No-Waste Gifts

Flowers: Send your loved ones a bouquet you can feel good about from Organic Bouquet (www.organicbouquet.com.) For something unique, try the Fresh Myrtle Wreath Frame; a beautifully lush wreath made from domestically grown myrtle. It can be used as a frame, a wreath, or a centerpiece. $64.95

Chocolates: The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without chocolate. Dagoba Organic Chocolate (www.dagobachocolate.com), Green & Black’s (www.greenandblacks.com), and Newman’s Own Organic Chocolate (www.newmansownorganics.com) all make deliciously decadent organic chocolate selections. For something extra fancy, try Art Bite Chocolates made from organic Costa Rican chocolates. These hand decorated treats come in four delectable flavors: Whole Pistachios, Dried Ranier Cherries, a local specialty, Organic Cocoa Nibs and Chipotle Pepper, $29.95 (for 1 dozen).

Eco-Friendly Sweets: If your child has a sweet tooth (and what child doesn’t!) he will love making his own treats with a Glee Kit. Choose between the Chewing Gum Kit, the Gummy Candy Kit, and the Chocolate Kit. Each one comes with all of the ingredients necessary to make the treat as well as fun stories and info about the origins of the candy.

Toys You Can Trust

Roy Toy Building Sets: Roy Toy Classic building Sets, such as the Log Cabin and the Fort are Made in the U.S.A. from solid wood and non-toxic finishes. Each set contains over 140 all-wood pieces and a complete set of building instructions so kids can use to get down to building. $29.95

The Power House Kit: from Gaiam gives kids the supplies they need to build a model house complete with PV solar panels, wind turbine, greenhouse, and desalination system. The kit comes with an illustrated manual that includes 70 experiments and 20 building activities. $175.00

Organic Cotton Stuffed Animals: Look for a stuff animal, like this puppy or bear from Gaiam, that contains nothing but pure 100% organic cotton and low eco-impact dyes. $12.99

Puppets: Sequoia Wildlife Finger Puppet Playset: This beautiful playset contains six wildlife puppets (owl, bear, blue jay, squirrel, hare and fox) and a 17-inch plush sequoia tree. Older kids can put on puppet shows for little ones (and vice versa) to learn about animals, nature, and communication. Net proceeds of the sale of this toy benefit the Sierra Club. $39.95.

Cool Eco-Friendly Stuff

Gifts To Pamper: Does someone you know need a little pampering? Try the Feel Amazemint gift set from Aveda with all-natural products that cool, refresh, and protect the skin from environmental damage. $29.99. Or try the Angelica Gift Set from Aubrey Organics, a light citrus parfum and bath powder (made from rice and tapioca…not talc) set made from organic ingredients that are certified cruelty-free and vegan. $21.95

Eco Gadgets: Boys can’t resist their toys, so gadgets such as a hand-crank flashlight for the car or a solar-powered radio for the boat are sure to be a hit. Check out Sundance Solar (http://store.sundancesolar.com) for a number of eco-gadget selections.

Recycled Gadgets: Motherboard Business Card Case: This sleek case has a circuit board cover which fits snugly over a brass-colored metal base. Holds up to a dozen cards. No two patterns are exactly alike. $25.00 or Record Label Holiday Ornaments Laser cut from vintage 45 rpm records, these zero waste ornaments come packaged in sets of three different records in a clear, recyclable box. $18 for a set of three.

Books For All Ages

Hoot by Carl Haissen

Nature’s Art Box by Laura C. Martin and David Cain

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Magic Schoolbus: At The WaterWorks by Joanna Cole,

The Gaia Girl Series by Lee Welles

WoodsWalk by Henry W. Art and Michael W. Robbins

Worms Eat My Garbage: How To Set Up & Maintain A Worm Composting System by Mary Appelholf

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Deck The Halls with Eco-Friendly Christmas Deocrations

The Green Parent Holiday Gift List