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Christmas for the good of the world...

Hi all,

I love Christmas, love celebrating, love gifts and the tree, etc.

But, this year, I want to celebrate based on better principles. I.E., I don’t want my girls giving/getting plastic crap that only serves to hurt the environment. I don’t want brand ne, unrecycled paper, plastic tree ornaments, all the ridiculous Christmas cards.

Anyone else?? If yes, please share some tips on what you are doing to improve the world this year during the holidays.

Here are some of mine:

Only buying fair trade gifts that serve women and children in 3rd world countries (check out www.agreatergift.com)
Using paper grocery bags for wrapping paper
Letting people know what to buy my kids. We don’t allow plastic toys in our home. I have registered them this year at an Earth-friendly online store.
Salvaging a Christmas tree from a local wood trimmer company (one that would have been chipped, I’ll compost it and burn it in my fireplace)
Decorating with natural stuff, like popcorn garland, then throwing it outside for the birds to eat

Share your earth-friendly fun holiday ideas!!

Comments

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    I love this topic! For a couple of years now, we have been requesting that instead of buying our children gifts, our family pool their resources and give them money to be used as payment for music classes, camp, etc. This has worked out fantastic! Also, our family makes our own cards and home-made gifts. This year, we will be giving away plates of wonderful raw treats to friends. Also, I know that fake trees are made of bad stuff, but we do have one and thought that it was better to get one than add to the thousands of trees that are cut down every year in the name of christmas tradition.
    I LOVE the idea of making popcorn garlands, so we will include that this year!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    Put together a (or more) baskets of goodies (food and/or other things like clothing, blankets, socks, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.) and leave it on the door step of a family in need… lots of those around these days. Another option is to send a package to vets away from home or in the hospital.

    An idea for wrapping “paper” is to use something reuseable… like for a medium size gift use a new kitchen towel. For a smaller gift, use a pretty or funky sock.

    Also, you can give the small toiletries from a hotel or the “travel” size stuff to homeless shelters.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Great ideas guys!

    If you are going to get clothes as gifts for people, opt for the more eco-friendly stuff like organic cotton. Or give a gift certificate to a place that only sells earth friendly stuff.

    People used to wrap their gifts in a resusable gift wrapping that was made out of materials you wouldn’t throw out like linen or something. Check out http://www.reusablebags.com/store/wrapsacks-reu…. You could put the gifts in a reusable bag and tie it with a nice reusable tie.

    I would rethink the popcorn idea though – unless someone is going to eat the popcorn. Popcorn is not healthy for birds at all. How about buying some raw nuts already in the shell and than stringing up the empty shells? You can eat the raw nuts yourself or give them to the squirels!

  • Raw_ChocoholicRaw_Chocoholic Raw Newbie

    ”To my personal way of thinking, it seems very off point to celebrate the birthday of someone who was not invested in the material by investing in the material.”

    Me and my friend had a discussion about that just the other day. We’ve then decided not to buy each other gifts, and instead just listen to excessive amounts of Josh Groaban’s new christmas CD ;-) I’m teaching another one of my friends how to uncook during the holidays. The wild animal ornaments is a great idea also!

  • omshantiomshanti Raw Newbie

    Yay raw food for everyone this year…nut butters, crackers and sweets. I wrap everything in fabric peices or sunday comics. I love the suet idea and may throw in a couple of those for my bird loving friends! I love to make ornaments for everyone…some are simple like a preserved leaf and some more elaborate like a painted goard or pinecone creation….christmas is about family not gifts! and its my favortie time of year as well!

  • I didn’t know popcorn was bad for birds – all the natural websites I visited suggested popcorn garland, saying the birds would love it when you were done with it.

    So, question, any brilliant ideas on natural, compostable christmas tree decorations? I want to decorate a tree indoors, but then compost the entire tree, or compost the decorations and mulch the tree. Ideas??

  • stylistchickstylistchick Raw Newbie

    this is my idea, i don’t want ANYTHING for christmas, i have too much crap already that i’m trying to get rid of.

    http://www.ftpf.org/orchardsforanimals.htm

  • My sister and I have been trying to get my parents into more “green” habits, such as using reusable grocery bags. So this year for Christmas, I am using the reusable grocery bags as gift bags.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    That is a great idea Renoir

  • omshantiomshanti Raw Newbie

    skyspice, are you a theme person or more of a hodgepodge person as far a decorations go? we did an all fruit and nut tree one year, or how about any real leaf garland, dried fruit popcorn or pine cone decoration all will decompose. a cook friend of mine did a spice tree one year it smelled heavenly!( there where bay leave garlands, rosemary decorations,cinnimon sticks, oranges with cloves stuck into them…..)

  • kandacekandace Raw Newbie

    This handmade pledge is an impressive reminder of the true spirit of the holidays. At our place, we’ve been busy this year making home movies and photo books for the family. We’ve been creating these for a few years now and they’ve become a bit hit!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    A decorating suggestion… how about stringing cranberries and nuts like peanuts still in their shells or drilling/nailing a small hole (to put thread through) in a hard nut like almond? Then when all is over, take the decoration outside for the critters to feast on. I really like the idea of putting cloves in oranges… love the smell.

  • ooooohhhh – how did they do the spice tree?

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Here is a place that is selling Hemp and recycled Xmas cards!

    http://www.downbound.com/christmas_s/733.htm

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