Have a green holiday!

Here we are just four weeks from Thanksgiving and I really haven't thought about what I'll do this year for Christmas. The holiday season is, without a doubt, one of the most consumer oriented, waste producing times of year. Not to sound like a grinch--I love the holidays, but several years ago, my family decided to scale back on Christmas and make it more about family get together than gift exchange. We limit gifts to less than $20 or something hand made and focus instead on trying to get together for the holidays. We cook a big, family, gut-busting meal, pull out card games and family albums, and laugh til we cry.

This year, instead of buying and decorating a tree for the house, we are going to decorate the big blue spruce in the middle of the yard. You can see it clearly from our living room window. A few things we have in mind for decorations are cranberries and popcorn garlands, pine cones smeared with peanut butter and rolled in bird seed, and other bird friendly decorations. Christmas cards will get recycled for craft projects. I buy plain paper in bright colors so I can use it year round. I've also used the Sunday funnies for wrapping paper.

There are many ways to make your Christmas more earth friendly and meaningful if you just start now and give it a little thought. It is also a great time of year to teach your kids about giving and caring for others. For more ideas for a more earth friendly holiday, check out this article from Green Living Tips. If electronics will be high on your list of things to give and receive, check out this website to find locations near you that recycle old electronics.