How many green carnies can be crammed into one phone booth? To find out, head on over to the APLS carnival hosted by Burbanmom at The Green Phone Booth.
Oh…and seriously guys? No one is interested in the toilet greenies?
So…you have tried your hand at knitting only to create the world’s longest bookmark? Your cookies taste like floured soap? And those recycled can mobiles you dreamed of dazzling everyone with…look like recycled cans hanging from a hanger? Don’t give up. There is still a way for you to give uber cool gifts that will still satisfy your inner eco-dork. Give the gift of shared resources. What in the holy holly am I talking about? I’m talking Netflix, Rhapsody, and Gamefly. Maybe an online subscription to the NY Times or Consumer Reports?
Why am I calling these services green? Yes…they do require electricity but they greatly reduce the amount of STUFF being produced in the world. You rent a movie from Netflix and you save a disk, a big ol’ plastic container, and its shrink wrap from ever being born. Rhapsody allows you to listen to whatever your little heart desires with out a plastic case, plastic disc, or the shrink wrap. Game Stop…same thing. On-line magazine subscriptions save a whole lotta trees from doing the nasty dance with a saw. Not to mention the fuel savings by not having to drive to the store or for magazines to ship heavy loads of paper to your recipient’s house.
So if those hand tied lace biking shorts just aren’t going to be ready in time for the holidays…quell the rebellion and give a shared resource a whirl. Trust me, they will go over much better than those compost filled air fresheners you have been crafting.
My approach to the holiday shopping cannot be described as a solid green effort…more of a veeeeeeery unattractive quilt…with a few green squares, but mostly what ever fits the space without me losing my fa la la la mind and kicking any man with a red suit and beard in the nards. Overall…I want to enjoy my holidays and the people I share them with. If in the process I can streamline things, produce a little less waste, perhaps stuff people with an organic pie or two that’s just peachy.(Not local peachy of course because we are a wee past season for that.)
Let’s start with the gifts. I try to do homemade, the most local workmanship known, whenever it will please the receiver. 
For some branches of the family this has always been my practice…not so much a s a green thing…but as a way of showing people I care and think about them. My father’s side of the family are all artistic, crafty, and very into the do-it-yourself type of mentality. (One year my uncle even crotched everyone their own blanket!) Each year I have fun picking a new creation…usually sweet. One year it was Norwegian hazel nut cake with chocolate ganash, another it was homemade chocolate covered pretzels, truffels, assorted cookies, you get the picture. 
The planning and cooking/baking is what I enjoy most about the season. Now that I have assistants it is even more meaningful and festive. We get a chance to talk about everyone’s favorite foods…favorite colors…and actually spend some time thinking about what will make people smile…and gain 10 lbs. To make this practice even more local this year I am going to try to incorporate my CSA pumpkin puree, stashed in the freezer with love. I’m thinking pumpkin ginger truffles dipped in dark chocolate. Everyone grab your fat pants…you’re going to need them if you’re on the list.
But I would be a big fat liar if I claimed all my squares were green….read on.
As for the kids…not our own…and the adults not so into the homemade thing…if I know specifically what they want I simply get that item. I consider it waste prevention. Otherwise…I go services, more on that later in the week, or books & book gift cards. My one sister-in-law started the book practice a few years ago with my older son. He loved having his own book “credit card.” I in turn started doing this with my other nieces and nephews…and so forth and so forth. Now some people may not consider books a green gift but I do. One…I never consider encouraging reading a waste…ever. Mind expansion and spirit enrichment trump all else. Two…books are one of those things most people pass along when they are done with them. Here, we have a local church that collects unwanted books, has an annual book sale, and donates the profits to Habitat for Humanity. Three…when a book really hits the wall…most are completely recyclable. Now I could go local with purchasing, but I’m afraid my cheapness takes over here. Most local book stores can not even come close to Amazon’s or Barnes & Nobles’ prices. (And yes…both will ship books without plastic if you request it.) Plus, by using the bigger book stores you know people can easily return something if they already have a copy…preventing waste. Let’s call these squares plaid, shall we, with green highlights.
With my own children I try to be “green” by limiting the amount we get & by being sure to get long term toys only. The boys get 1 gift from us, 1 from Santa, and 1 from each other. Stockings are filled with yummies, books, matching PJs and required art supplies. We try to avoid the toy frenzy as much as possible. With tons of aunts, uncles, great aunts & uncles…even a great great aunt & grandmother…they get a sleighful. I also try to head off some of the crap tide by having a few gift ideas for askers well in advance. I have found over the years saying…oh they don’t need anything…results in singing dancing x-mas trees headed for the trash. Again, as far as local…not so much. Now if only someone would start a homemade Lego shop….. Greenish-brown squares? …Like pondmud.
As for food. We don’t host most of the big days…so a take-along organic pie is no big whoop. As far as meals at home, we stick to our usual rules…just with added fat and gin. New Year’s is our one big hosting event. This is my first year of really focusing on the local thing…whole new perspective. For the party we’ve always done the bulk of the shopping from local specialty shops…but the ingredients themselves are far from local. I will certainly be adding some newly discovered local delicacies, and serving a CSA turkey, but I will also NOT be turning down my Norwegian smoked fishies, or super rich French, Spanish, and Italian cheeses. But this year I may try offering organic wines…depending on what my “research” unveils. Local with wines isn’t easy. We don’t have quite the variety that a CA or Europe dweller would have…but maybe a Finger Lake wine or two will find themselves nestled between the Frenchies…if they don’t make me gag. Again…I’ll go plaid with these squares.
**We also participate in the NYC Operation Letters to Santa program where the NYC P.O. collects letters to Santa from underprivileged kids and has volunteers make the kids x-mas wishes come true. They could ask for imported plutonium dipped clubbed baby seal rugs…are you gonna say no? You heartless bastard.** Black as coal…no way around it.
Well…I may have the world’s ugliest holiday quilt…with some green squares, some black ones, some from origins near, and some from tiny ice villages, but it’s mine…and it includes everyone I love…green or not. I sew them all in…nice and close.
I am finally ready to put my tea bags up on Etsy after thinking over my test piggies’ comments and making some design tweeks.
*First I made the bag a little larger. It is still small enough to fit nicely in a mug, even a travel mug, but now has a little more room for loading and cleaning. (Thanks Arduous!)
*The second change was I added a small wooden bead over the cording to allow the bag to be cinched closed to prevent any tea leaves from escaping. (Thanks Joilie!)
Price wise I am thinking $4.50 per bag, or 4 for $15. They are actually quite a bit more labor intensive than a regular produce bag.
I am still working on a simple pouch that could hold the bags and some tea. I have some great organic Harmony fabrics that are beautiful and would make for a very nice gift presentation. Trying to keep it simple to keep the cost down. My goal is to make organic gifts practical for any budget. Not always easy.
Yesterday I reminded all of you that homemade holidays take a little bit of planning if you want to avoid giving everyone those, albeit lovely, last minute ziti noodle on a string necklaces. They really do go with everything, but perhaps a flavored vinegar, vodka or oil may say you actually care about someone a little better. (Or maybe the ziti necklace says it all.)
In the comments of yesterday Chile brought up an excellent question…how do we get the greenest supplies possible to store our delectables?
Bottles…any bottle that can be sterilized and corked, lidded, or capped can be used for bottling your creations. The aesthetics are up to you. Obviously clear bottles allow you to see the infusing herbs inside a vinegar or vodka, but darker bottles would be better suited for preserving the longevity of oils…and also if what you have created is tastier than it is pretty.
Where to get bottles…If you drink wine or use vinegar you probably have a few good bottles kicking around the ol’ recycly bin already. If not, start snooping through your friends’ and neighbors’ bins. Put the word out with your peeps as to what you need so they remember to put the goods aside for you. If you want something a bit fancier, check thrift stores, yard sales, free cycle, etc.
If you don’t find what you are looking for try buying recycled glass from SKS.., which makes basic medicinal looking bottles or Traders & Company which have a more artsy, and expensive, flair. Who wouldn’t love homemade raspberry vodka in this bottle with these recycled shot glasses? 
Corking Your Hole…Once you have picked your vessel you will need to be sure to have an airtight seal. The SKS bottles come with screw on caps which may or may not be to your liking depending on whether or not you are making an edible or a smearable. The logical choice for hole plugging is a cork. A REAL CORK! Responsible cork foresting is actually a good thing for people, animals, and the environment. If you are crazy about corks read more here. To buy corks check The Widget Company or Crazy Corks.
As far as what to put in your bottle.. oils, vinegar, and vodka can pretty much be infused with anything. I have linked to the basics…but be creative. Use your garden and your local markets as your inspiration. Feel free to leave a list of your favorite flavors in the comments to give others some ideas. If you make a raspberry mint infused vodka and you aren’t sure it tastes quite right, send it to me and I will taste it for you. Over and over and over. I can do that for you. I’m such a giver.
Vodka Infusion Basics
Vinegar & Oil Infusion Basics
That’s right. I’m talking about the holidays already. Here’s the deal. What happens every year? You think..”Oh it would be so great to get out of the consumerist grind of big box stores and actually make authentic gifts that come from the heart.” Yes..you think this. On Dec.22nd, 23rd perhaps? Well…NOW is the time to start creating a holiday strategy that works for your ideals.
First…take the handmade pledge yourself. After all…do you really need another automatic banana peeler from Aunt Babs?
Second…make a list of people you want to create for this year and start planning. Be realistic!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have 400 people on your list you will NOT be crocheting each a matching maroon pant suit no matter how dedicated you are.
I have created a wee list of the world’s easiest and well appreciated handmade gifts just to get our little jingle brains a movin’.
1. If you have a garden you have one of the best tools ever to make someone feel special…a taste of summer in the winter. Check out Crunchy’s Jam recipes, or ….Chile’s Blueberry Pickles. Whatever you’ve got…there is a way to preserve it. I know anyone I’ve ever met will be getting 3 dozen zucchini breads this year. And of course…if all else fails…chuck it in vodka. Nothing lubes the yule tide cheer like a little homemade limoncello. The bonus here is once you jar these babies up you can put your feet up and knit yourself up something snazzy while everyone else is doing the joyous gift scavenge,
2. Knit a scarf…really basic…you can even make your own pattern. Use organic cotton yarn, or bamboo… which is very silky. Most basic craft stores carry both now. Go in and give a good feel up before buying! There are even some natural animal fibers that might make things interesting. ANYONE can knit a scarf, beginner or expert. Check out Aboutknit.com for pointers.
3. Napkin Set- fancy or whimsical. Sooo easy to sew these up. You can use any material that works for the recipient. It is the gift that not only says I care enough about you to help you wipe mustard off of your face…but it also encourages people to put down the disposables in the least naggy way.
4. Lunch Set - How about a few sandwich mats or bags? Reusable drawstring snack pouches? You could even sew up a little matching lunch tote if you really like the person.
5. Shopping Bag Set…Tote bags are very easy to make. Depending on your skill level you can even go a little fancier by adding pockets for cell phones, coupons, money. Even if you give a conventional gift, how about creating a nice little tote for it. A reusable handmade bag beats the snot out of one time use wrapping paper any day. For more bag ideas check out Heather’s Make-A-Bag.
A yard of fabric, a ball of yarn and a little of your time can go a long way in showing people how much they mean to you. And hell, if you truly are all thumbs, or simply have more people on your list than you can sew for, then let someone over at Etsy do the homemade jobbies for you. We promise not to tell.
