The holiday season is really about celebrating community, togetherness and family.  Here are some ways we came up with to minimize negative environmental impacts, minimize stress, and maximize your enjoyment of the coming holidays.

1.  Consider buying gifts online.  This mode of shopping is becoming more and more popular every year.  In this way, you can easily search for AND FIND exactly what you’re looking for. Also, websites like Amazon include a "suggestion" feature.  I think this is really helpful in finding even more creative and thoughtful gift suggestions.

2.  Wrap gifts in recycled paper.  How many newspapers, paper grocery bags and/or magazines do you throw away each year?  I used to feel so guilty about throwing away magazines like National Geographic because they’re so beautiful. Now, I save money and reduce my carbon footprint by wrapping gifts in homemade wrapping paper. Go ahead and turn that paper bag into a work of art.  Turn it inside out and decorate it with markers. Your gift recipients will probably be impressed that you took the time to do it.

3.  Consider making a donation in someone’s name to an organization like Heifer International.  Last year, I donated a flock of ducklings to a poor family in China in my mother’s name.  It only cost me twenty dollars and provided a family in desperate need with a source of protein and income from selling eggs and chicks! Oh, and I didn’t do anything besides fill out an e-form.  Heifer sent a card to my mother in recognition of the donation.

4.  Give your family the gift of improved indoor air quality and decreased energy consumption by purchasing one of our room air purifiers or for the do-it-yourselfer choose one of our many Energy Star approved ventilation fans.

5.  And finally, be creative!  Tell us what your green holiday ideas are!
 

1. Get the LED out. Want to cut your holiday lighting energy consumption by 99%? Buy LED holiday lights. LED stands for light emitting diode, and these could save you a bundle compared to your regular incandescent lights. You won’t have to feel guilty for leaving your lights on for the neighborhood to see, and your environment will thank you for it.

2. If a tree falls at your local farm, take it home. When going to purchase a Christmas tree, you can add a bit of extra green to your evergreen by buying an organic tree from a small, local farm.

3. Say no to tinsel and fake snow. If the incentive to keep your pets and children safe and away from these dangerous decorations wasn’t enough, having these hard to remove accessories on your tree makes your tree ineligible for recycling after the holidays are over. So instead of spraying on the glitter, hang some candy canes or make a cranberry and popcorn garland.

4. Avoid a fake tree. Melissa tells us that a fake tree made of PVC (which most artificial trees are made out of), commonly known as vinyl, is poisonous to us. This plastic surrounds us in many different forms in our daily lives and is dangerous to be around. If you must buy a fake tree, try to avoid vinyl if you can. Buy a feather tree or another, artsy alternative tree instead.

5. Recycle. You can recycle your used Christmas tree as well as your cards, wrapping paper and other paper and plastic goods. Or, you could even recycle your Christmas decorations from the year before to make new decorations like a wreath made out of cards, origami or bows.

6. Don’t Burn Scented Candles. Instead of burning holiday candles and releasing toxins and soot into your home air, simmer some mulled cider mix or have a bowl of natural potpourri handy. This will make your house smell delicious without the risk of a fire or the reduced air quality that candles can cause.

7. Use earth-friendly flatware. If you’re having a holiday party, why not invest in some biodegradable products instead of Styrofoam and plastic? Websites like Biodegradable Store Additional sources? carry all kinds of compostable party items made from materials like corn starch or potatoes. They’ll withstand hot soups or cold punch and are actually reusable, too.

If you’re using a fresh Christmas tree:
The National Christmas Tree Association has a great site dedicated to information for you about proper Christmas tree care. Here are a few important highlights from their tree care guide:

1. Always make a fresh cut straight across your tree’s trunk, about a half inch to an inch from the bottom.
2. Get your tree into fresh water as soon as possible! Provide 1 quart of water per inch in diameter of the base of the trunk
3. Keep your tree away from heaters, fireplaces, heat vents, direct sunlight or other heat generating areas so as to avoid fires and excessive drying.
4. Always turn off your tree lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
5. Never burn any part of your Christmas tree indoors.
6. When your tree has dried out, recycle it.

If you’re using a fake Christmas tree:

1. Follow the same precautions as with a real tree in regard to keeping your tree away from heat sources.
2. Never put electric lights on a metal tree. This could be dangerous.
3. Be sure that you store your tree in an airtight plastic bag off of the floor in a dry area during the rest of the year to prevent mold and dust mites.
4. If your tree is old and visibly dusty or making your allergies flare up, it may be time to invest in a new one. The price is well worth your health.

If you have pets (Many thanks to Nel Liquormen from The Dog Press for this helpful info.): Many of these tips can apply to small children as well, so be on the lookout for these avoidable problems.

1. NO TINSEL! Tinsel is like a magnet for cats and dogs. They love to chew on it, and if they swallow any, it can actually slice their intestines and cause horrible complications or even death.
2. Be wary of the water your tree is sitting in. When sap mixes with the water, your pet may want to take a sip, but the chemicals that the tree was treated with (especially fake spray-on snow or glitter) can taint the water and make your pet sick.
3. Don’t hang any ornaments that could pose as choking hazards on the low branches of your tree. Any wire hooks or other small, jagged pieces can be very risky.
4. Watch out for other Christmas plants. Poinsettias are poisonous as well as any type of lilies, mistletoe, Christmas cactus and holly. Symptoms range from mild stomach upset to much, much worse.
5. Be careful with foods containing chocolate, alcohol, grapes/raisins, or onions. These are all dangerous to pets.
6. Any other holiday decorations like candles, potpourris or plastic wrap should be kept out of reach at all times.

Dr. Atkins of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center makes an interesting observation about holiday allergies. He says that often people will recognize their holiday allergy symptoms as they’re decorating their tree and automatically assume the tree is the culprit. In actuality, it’s often caused by digging up the boxes of Christmas ornaments that have been sitting in musty basements or collecting dust in attics.

Stirring those particles into the air while unpacking all of the decorations can cause major allergy flare ups.  He advises people to keep their decorations (or artificial tree) in plastic bags in dry areas off of the floor when not in use, and to wash their hands after decorating and handling the packed materials.

If you’re concerned about the spores or pollen in a live tree but still want to have a live tree in your home, you can treat your tree with a fungicide, according to USA Today (just be sure to find a non-toxic variety and do it outside). Mountain cedar pollen can cause problems in about 1 in 10 people. Luckily, Scotch Pines and Douglas Firs don’t pollinate in the winter, so you may want to look for those in order to eliminate multiple problems.

Whatever tree you choose, be sure to follow these precautions and you should be able to enjoy a healthy holiday season.