just like the ones I used to know
where toys were handmade,
toxic plastics didn’t fade
when there was no such thing as “dirty” snow
I’m dreaming of a green Christmas
and all the shades of in-between
May your days be merry and serene
and may all your Christmases be green….
(I really did make this up too! WOO HOO…LOL)
12 ways to a green Christmas
1. Buy from your local Farmer’s Market (items such as jars of honey or maple syrup).
2. Shop Online! Order from online retailers vs. driving all over town to stores.
3. Ebay! This is a great way to find bargains on recycled toys or other such items, or enjoy many NEW items that sellers have listed.
4. ETSY! items are handmade and offer a unique and one-of-kind gift for someone special. Again-avoid driving!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrossMyHeartCottage
6. Online Eco-Friendly Stores!
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/2009/11/winter-shopping-extravaganza.html
http://www.thegrapeseedcompany.com/
http://missioncleankids.myshaklee.com/us/en/
7. Go Homemade! There are so many things that all of us “common folk” can make such as: painted pottery, homemade candles, homemade bath products (soaps and salts), photo collages, create your own DVD movie with cherished photos set to a favorite tune.
8. Give the Gift of Time! Time spent has far more meaning and appreciation than money spent. Take a friend out for coffee, watch a “chic flik” with your sister, have a date with your spouse, make cookies with your mom just like when you were young or offer to help your dad shovel snow. What you see as a small gesture can have great meaning to someone else.
9. Invest in a Cause! I know for me that I adore dolphins and sea creatures, M loves ALL creatures big and small and the smilnggreenBOYS of the family are all about space! So if I were to invest in causes I would certainly be checking out these sites:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/wallofhonor/ (Support local or national museums through contributions. The National Air and Space Museum has a wall of honor where you are invited to place your name or the names of family members or friends who contributed to our nation’s aviation and space exploration heritage on this permanent memorial at the only national museum dedicated to honoring the pioneers of flight. 
http://www.worldwildlifefund.com/ (By supporting the World Wildlife, one can adopt an animal!)
10. Vacation! Let’s face it, much of our hard-earned money that we spend on the latest and greatest toys each year gets completely wasted when that coveted toy ends up at the bottom of the toy box. So why not invest that money into a vacation that the whole family will enjoy and remember for years? Create memories while spending quality time together.
11. Bake! This is a unique gift idea straight from the heart. Who doesn’t love soft and plump sugar cookies or chocolates? We have a tradition every year of making peppermint bark and wrapping it up for our family doc, teachers, neighbors etc.
12. Find a local craftsman/wood worker! Have them build a sustainable toy that is not only free of toxins, but a quality gift that can be treasured for years! (I remember Santa bringing me a wooden baby cradle with my initials carved into the back…our children now play with it)!
So from the smiling green family to your family….we hope you have a very Merry GREEN Christmas!!!
Good ideas! I’ve been online Christmas shopping for years because I loathe the mosh pits at the malls, but I didn’t think of it as green.
“The mosh pits” – I so love that Mon
I know tho, most others think I am nuts that I have NO CLUE where anything is at our mall. I cannot stand the mall at all! Last year, we did all of our shopping on Ebay and it was an awesome thing every time UPS arrived with a new gift at our front door!!! Online shopping is nearly as good as the invention of toilet paper!
Love Your Green Xmas Poetry. Can you Green the 12 Days of Xmas?!X
So hilarious! I actually thought of doing that hahaha! Okay – let me see what I can come up with!!!! Hey, thanks for coming by and chatting
Great post. I know we are making it a green Christmas with Hand Rolled Beeswax candles and handmade natural soap as gifts. Also, I am excited to be featured by the local Denver CBS news on a segment on green gifts. I hope spreading the word encourages others to give green gifts.
I love the words to your song … perfect (and so creative).
Your list is great … we’ve been doing #8 for a few years now and it’s so much fun. Since we don’t want to just repeat gifts every year, we search the internet for new DIY projects. The benefit is that we’ve learned how to make stuff that we typically went out and bought for ourselves as well as gifts so … it’s becoming a “green” activity throughout the year.
Thanks for the “Winter Shopping Extravaganza” mention … it’s shaping up nicely with over 50 vendors so November 27th is going to be fun!
Thanks, again, for your wonderful list!
Small Footprints
Awesome! I made homemade soy candles in tins last year and they were so fun – I would love to know your recipes! That’s really super about being featured on Denver CBS too…I have a super-star at my blog!!! LOL
Seriously though, you are so right about encouraging others to give green…I hope I can do just that!!! Thanks so much for coming by – come back soon friend!
Thanks for the ideas… I’ve been trying to figure out homemade gifts, with not a lot of luck. I was thinking of making my mom a pre-made scrapbook to put in the details of all of her grandkids (right now, she only has one- my son) Like birth photos, weight, etc.
Have any good ideas?
Oh a scrapbook for grandma! I love that idea Emily
Last year, our kids took clear glass ornaments and I gave them paint to squeeze inside. When you shake them up and let them dry – they are really pretty! Another idea that I would like to do sometime is to make a recipe book with all of my mom’s favorite recipes or things that I love and think she might like too? Or…maybe even a scrapbook of all of your mom’s family! You know, like her parents and grandparents, photos of when she was younger and the family as it is today. Whatever you decide…I know she will love it! What mom wouldn’t love anything from her daughter who obviously puts a lot of thought into her gifts like you! I’d be happy with a roll of toilet paper from mine bc I know it’s from the heart LOL 
So glad you were here today!!
The very, very best Christmas present I ever gave my mum ( in England) is one she still talks about. I never have time to spend with her as I live here in the US, so one Christmas I was back with the family and I made her a photo album of wonderful locations around the world with a promise that I would take two weeks off and take her anywhere in the world she wanted to go. My mum is a bit of a home body, but I managed to get her to pick a place and we ended up on an Alaskan cruise – we had a blast. I know it’s not green – but the album was home made and really the gift was a gift of my time, the location was secondary – except we walked on a glacier, saw whales breeching and shared an experience that was ours alone. Wonderful memories, isn’t that what Christmas is all about!!!
Aww…I have goosebumps. That really really is what Christmas (and life) is all about my friend. And I happen to think that is pretty darn green. Green has so many shades and to me, it is about being one with nature, Earth and one another. It’s the small things that really add up and look at the time you spent together. You simplified and took time to get away from “the busy life” to slow down and connect both spiritually and physically. And Whales!!!! OMGosh – that is fabulously green woman! It sounds truly extraordinary…something I am sure you will both always hold close to your hearts. Thank you for sharing this with us Katie!
Your sense of passion is evident. Where did you gain that from?
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