Have Yourself A Greener Little Christmas
I live in
Minnesota where the weather is ummm... brisk.
We have six inches of fresh powder and heavily
dressed Santas on every street corner. The perfect
Christmas location, right? And yet I'm dreaming of a
tropical paradise.
I, like many people, though, am worried that
paradise is slipping through our fingers.
Still, I get odd looks every time I insist on using
clothe bags for my purchases or ask for my beverage
in a ceramic cup, but I believe it’s worth the
effort. Especially since I learned that
approximately 250 billion pounds of raw plastic
pellets are produced every year.
In view of that astounding figure I suppose we
shouldn’t be surprised to learn that marine
biologists have recently discovered “a heap of
debris floating in the Pacific that's twice the size
of Texas. The enormous stew of trash, which consists
of 80 percent plastics and weighs some 3.5 million
tons, floats where few people ever travel, in a
no-man's land between San Francisco and Hawaii.”
According to U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, most of this debris
has blown in from land and is killing more than a
million seabirds and 100,000 mammals and sea turtles
each year.
So, in a hopeful gesture of Yuletide good will, I’d
like to suggest some tips for making all our
holidays greener.
Green Shopping:
Avoid disposable or cheaply made products.
Bring your own shopping bag.
Coordinate your shopping trips to save time and gas.
Avoid gifts with excessive packaging.
Purchase handcrafted goods from local artisans.
Green Gifts:
Give an experience:
Dinner at a restaurant
Memberships to an establishment of interest
Classes or lessons
Make a charity donation in the receivers’ name.
Volunteer to babysit, do chores, or make dinner.
Give gifts that “go away”--wine, candles, food, etc.
Agree to go giftless.
Green Cards and Wrap:
Reuse gift wrap.
Use newspaper, old posters, maps, or sheet music
Use a cloth bag, bandana, or leftover fabric.
Send your holiday e-cards.
Recycle holiday cards.
Green Decorating:
Buy LED lights.
Buy a potted pine to use year round.
Use trimmed branches for decorating and making
wreaths.
String popcorn and cranberries.
Recycle your tree.
Green Parties:
Send e-vites for your holiday parties.
Use reusable tableware.
Buy party clothes from consignment shops.
Recycle evvvvvverything you can.
Compost your food scraps.
Turn down the heat before the guests come.
Serve organic local foods.
There are also a number of grand ideas for making
your own health and beauty products. Here are a few
that intrigue me:
Body Scrub Recipe from Cosmo Magazine
Mix the juice of half a lime, 1/4 cup brown sugar,
1/2 cup vegetable oil, and a shot of rum. Dip the
other half of the lime into the scrub and massage
your skin with it in a circular motion. Rinse and
voila! Your skin will be totally smooth and silky.
Tooth Powder Recommended By a Dentist
Hydrogen peroxide (a few drops)
Baking soda
Directions: Make a paste by combining the two
ingredients. Use this paste on your teeth and also
gently rub along your gums two times a week.
Banana Wrinkle Fighter Recipe
Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment.
Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy. Spread all over
face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off
with warm water followed by a dash of cold. Gently
pat dry.
Grape Cleanser Recipe
Grape juice makes an excellent cleanser for any skin
type. Simply split one or two large grapes, remove
pips and rub the flesh over face and neck. Rinse off
with cool water.
Hair Egg Conditioner Recipe
1 teaspoon baby oil
1 egg yolk
1 cup water
Beat the egg yolk until its frothy, add the oil then
beat again. Add to the water. Massage into the scalp
and throughout your hair. Rinse well.
Shampoo Recipe
In a blender, combine 1 ounce olive oil, 1 egg, 1
tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon apple cider
vinegar. Use as regular shampoo.
So how about you? Got any fabulous recipes or clever
ideas that will help us avoid those millions of
plastic bottles and tubes that are clogging our
waterways and killing our wildlife?
I'd love to hear
them.
And because I was so inspired by Kathy’s post a
couple of days ago, I’ve decided to try my hand at
making cloth grocery bags. I’ll be giving one of
them away to some kindly commenter (when they’re finished:)
who agrees to try to reduce their plastic bag
consumption and make this it a greener, cleaner
2009.
Merry Christmas everyone. May the upcoming holidays
be your best yet. And thanks for being part of the
Riding community.