What to Do with All Those Christmas and Holiday Cards?
Dec 22, 2009 Going Green
Much as you may try to limit your own use of cards and such at this time of year, you can’t easily stop other people from sending them to you. What do you do with all the kind Christmas and holiday wishes sent by card by loving family members and friends?
For a time, they do make nice decorations. You can hang them around a door frame or have them set up on a table or shelf. But what about after?
I know some people keep them all. But I’m not into cluttering up my life that way.
They can of course be recycled in many areas as well.
But I like to give them a little bit of reuse before they hit the recycle bin. I have kids, after all, and they love to do crafts. Cards give them something fun to work with.
Kids are good at coming up with their own ideas, which is nice for temporary use before you send their projects off to the recycle bin… those that the kids don’t want to keep for a time, of course. But you can direct their creativity a little bit as well. There’s a lens on Squidoo with some cute card craft ideas.
Another good use is to send your used cards to St. Jude’s Ranch. They are accepting cards now, and will continue to do so until February 28, 2010 for the current program. They do this many years, so keep it in mind for the future also.
Gift cards can also have the backs cut off, and then they can be reused as gift tags the following year. Just be sure nothing is written on the part you’re reusing.
Green Books for Christmas Gifts
Dec 3, 2009 Going Green
I love to read. It almost doesn’t matter the topic if I have the time. It’s just a little thing I do.
So of course, recommending books comes naturally to me. And with Christmas being a great time to give books as gifts, here are some ideas:
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
I got a review copy of this many months ago. While it’s not about going green, it is about something that should be important to all parents… getting their kids to appreciate nature. After all, if they don’t appreciate nature why would they want to protect and preserve it?
Getting out into nature is also vital to children’s development. Video games just don’t cut it. They need to get outside and deal with the dirt, climb some trees, get wet and just have fun. That means more than just sending them out into the back yard.
Get this one for your favorite parents of school aged children, green or no. It’s great food for thought.
For the green mom to be. Making homemade baby food is something I’ve really gotten into. So much more flexible than using jarred foods, and my baby already has a clear preference for what I make. Those rare times I resort to jars she is not too happy with me and seems (in my opinion) to eat less.
Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials
For the green crafter in your life. Sewing is a habit I meant to pick up last summer, until we moved on rather short notice. There’s so much you can do with fabrics you already own.
Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 activities to teach your child how to live green
Kids love to do crafts and do projects. Encouraging them to do ones that get them thinking about the environment is a great idea.
This may come more naturally to some kids than others. Mine have been raiding the recycle bin for reusable items, and bringing in all kinds of natural things from outside to work with. It’s wonderful to see, if a bit messy. I like the idea of encouraging them to do more.
Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home
Your home is one of the easiest places to have a green impact on your environment. This book offers green cleaning solutions, personal care items and other things you use around the home.
Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day
For the person who needs a lighter approach to going green. This book doesn’t present everything in a serious manner, which can be helpful in getting some people to pay more attention to what it’s saying.
Are You Ready for a Green Christmas Shopping Season?
Nov 23, 2009 Going Green
The holiday season is perhaps one of the most difficult times to be green. There are so many temptations to shop, shop, shop… and so many of the temptations are such poor choices for the environment. These are some of my thoughts on how to green things up just a little.
Avoid Black Friday Crowds
Admittedly, I have a long standing bias against Black Friday shopping. Comes from even before I thought much about the environment. Too many years working in retail and dealing with Black Friday crowds from the other side.
But it’s really ridiculous to fight the crowds that are so common on that day. To me there’s no Christmas present so important that I have to deal with that nonsense. The bargains are nice, but if you really need them, do consider that there’s Cyber Monday and you could just shop online. It can be more efficient. Sites such as Amazon are even starting “Black Friday” deals today and you might find something reasonable in their special deals.
Carpool if You Just Gotta
If you need to fight the crowds, think if any friends want to go shopping with you. It’s more fun, although you may have to be careful if you tend to buy more when you shop with friends.
And don’t worry about how good a parking space you get. A little extra walking isn’t going to be that much of a problem.
Think About What is Wanted and Will Last
Try not to buy gifts just to have something to give. It’s an easy mistake to make when you’re desperate for something to give, but it also results in a lot of unnecessary junk being bought.
Instead, think about gifts that really will last. It doesn’t have to be perfectly practical, but have some thought behind it.
If you don’t want to give something that lasts, think about free trade chocolates, organic produce gift baskets and such.
For the Kids?
Even kids who spend some time thinking about the environment are likely to want the latest trendy toys. It’s hard to blame them. There are a lot of really cool toys out there.
At the very least, think about if the toys you buy will have more than a momentary fascination for your kids. How many end up eternally in the toy box after a few days?
There are some great toys for kids that are more environmentally friendly too. Try to balance things out as best you can for them.
Tags: christmas, consumerism, green shopping, holidays, shopping
Preparing Your Home for Winter
Nov 2, 2009 Budget Environmentalism, Going Green
Things are cooling off around here some days. Not all of them; it’s about 91 degrees F out today. But then we’ve had nights down into the 30s, so I think I can definitely say winter is coming to our area.
This is a bigger home than I’ve had to deal with in years past, but it’s also better insulated. That’s a big help. There are still things that should be done to homes to get ready for winter.
Check for Drafts
If you can feel air coming in, or see an opening, you have a place for the cold to come in. At our old home, there were visible openings as well as windows that just weren’t tight enough to keep the cold out. This home is much newer, so there’s less of a problem.
If you find an opening, caulk or weatherstripping may help, depending on the kind of opening you’re dealing with.
Have Your Heater Checked
Having a professional check your heating system is a very good idea. They can confirm everything is working correctly. You may also want to check filters and replace as necessary. This will help keep air flowing efficiently.
Clean the Gutters
Gutters along the roof are much prone to becoming filled with leaves and other dirt. Clean them out so that water flows through them easily. This gives you more control over how water flows off your house.
Have Your Chimney Inspected
This is very important, doubly so if you enjoy having a fire in the fireplace.
Check Detector Batteries
You should have several smoke detectors in your home, and check the batteries regularly. Many of you have hopefully done this with the time change over the weekend, but if not do so now.
A carbon monoxide detector can also be a good idea. Have one on each level of the house at least, and near or in bedrooms is also a good idea. Some plug into your regular power outlets and do not need batteries.
Both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors have test buttons. Use it to make sure their alarms really do work.
Install Storm Windows or Insulate Windows
If you have storm windows, this is the time of year to put them up. If you don’t and you need more insulation on your windows you have a few options.
In our house last year we put bubble wrap up in one window that was not well sealed. This kept the room significantly cooler in summer and helped in winter as well. It creates a layer of air, so that it’s harder for the cold outside to come in.
Blankets or heavy curtains can also help some.
Insulate Water Pipes
If you’re likely to get freezing weather, know which pipes need extra insulation at this time of year. I had frozen pipes one year at the old house, highly unusual for the area, and I am quite grateful that nothing burst. But waiting for the ice to melt so that toilets could be flushed and showers taken was kind of a pain.
Dress Warm Rather Than Heat the House
Just remember that heating the house is not the only way to stay warm in cold weather. Within reason, you can just put on a sweater, thick socks and warm shoes to keep warm. It’s much cheaper over time to heat your body than to heat your home, so long as you aren’t risking overdoing it.
Find the right balance for your family and you can really cut your heating bills.
Tags: cold weather, weatherproofing, winter
Green Your Halloween with Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Oct 23, 2009 Going Green
Halloween is a fun holiday and one that has picked up quite a bit on the consumerism side. And while it’s really fun seeing all the houses decorated and the kids dressed up in costumes, avoiding waste is still a worthwhile goal.
Reduce
Just don’t buy so much stuff. If you have Halloween decorations, use them of course! If you’re bored with yours, see about trading around with other family members or friends.
Think more carefully about how many treats you need for trick or treaters. How much overage do you really need anyhow? If you’re really into it, look into fair trade or organic candy.
You also don’t need to buy special buckets for trick or treating. Pillow cases have worked well in that area for many years. Any reusable shopping bags you have may also work well.
Reuse
I said it before: reuse the decorations you already have. But if you really need new ones, think about making them. Some construction paper, glue, markers, paint, or other art supplies you may have around the house can combine well to make creative Halloween crafts to decorate your home inside and out.
You can also find Halloween costumes or parts to create your own at thrift stores or your own closets. A homemade costume will stand out far more than one of the many store bought ones. But if you do buy one from the store, try to be sure that you either send it to the thrift store after or get one good enough that the kids can play dress up in it after Halloween. Why buy a costume to be worn only once?
Recycle
Start with your pumpkin. Make sure its remains make it into the compost bin rather than the trash.
Halloween only creates so much recyclable trash, but keep your eyes open for possibilities. If you aren’t going to reuse those costumes, send them off to the thrift store and maybe someone else will. If you made your own decorations with paper, make sure that any that aren’t in good enough condition to be reused next year hit the recycle bin.
Dead leaves can make for great Halloween decorations, then be composted as well.
What other ideas do you have for a green Halloween?
