holiday giving

If you haven't started your holiday shopping, you will be soon. I hope I can catch many of you before you head to the malls. There are some great companies & organizations that help you practice what you (or at least I) preach.

And that doesn't mean you have to get everyone in your family an itchy, unrefined hemp sweater to show you're in touch with Mother Earth.

There are lots of companies doing great things for the common good, & I wanted to take a post to talk about the commercial side of the holidays. We're all buying gifts. We're all looking forward to giving them.

Here it is, my first annual Green-saving, Green-living Christmas List:

 1. Nothing says love like handcrafted gifts. They're more personal, more unique & more romantic. But let's face it. Some of us were not meant to be crafty. For those of us left gifted, there's Etsy, a site dedicated to the small producer. You can find everything on your shopping list at Etsy. Handmade or vintage, the one-of-a-kind items are sure to please.

2. Raise your hand if you give or receive bath & beauty products for Christmas. Yeah. That's what I thought. Now, there are a lot more (& more affordable) natural options. One of my favorites, as it's maintained the same mission while becoming easily accessible to all of us, is Burt's Bees. So if you're giving hygiene products, why not make it a bit more of a luxury with some all-natural products?

3. I <3 books. More than any present. More than any other hobby. Even more than baking some days. But I really appreciate used books as well–& have even begun to see them as full of character, someone else's affection for the novel & a longer history than new books. For a wide selection, check out Powell's Books or even Amazon (just click "used" instead of "new").

4. Joe discovered the Yellow Bird Project late in November, & we've fallen in love. Our favorite artists, their favorite causes & really awesome designs for t-shirts. We're getting them for each other for Christmas. (I called dibs on Andrew Bird!) 

5. Who doesn't need a new planner for the new year? One of my favorite styles is the Moleskine, but now I'm in love with this eco-friendly, less expensive option (with very similar quality & colors). Check out Ecosystem, & you'll never go back.

6. I don't know about you, but I guzzle coffee & eat my weight in chocolate around the holidays (today for example, when the Betz family polished off a box). Snack guilt-free–& even find HEALTHIER options–with fair trade products. The prices are comparable to quality coffee or fancy chocolates that don't have the goal of helping small farmers earn fair wages. So why not feel like you're really treating yourself & others at the same time? Equal Exchange is great, & you can even order their products on Amazon, if you're hunting for free shipping. Bonus!

7. I know that it may be hard for family & friends to understand, but some gifts are great when they give more to others–like Heifer International or Oxfam's Christmas Collection. You get a card, explaining your gift (like giving a family of ducks to a family in Thailand, to start their farm), & then you get to think about how the gift helped them keep their family together ALL YEAR. I'm a huge fan of these, & you'd love it to. Not comfortable "giving" it? Add it to your own list!

8. If you'd rather focus on feeding your own family well, why not check out buying your family a membership to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program? You get fresh, local, sustainably-grown groceries each week & get to know the farmers in your community.

So, I hope you enjoy your holiday gift hunts & consider adding a bit of sustainability to it all. While you're driving around to the stores, listen to Target's free Christmas Gig. You can download the whole thing on this site. What more unique list? Snag this Indie Christmas mix tape.