Author: Ginny Green

Categories
Eco Tips Gadgets & Gear

10 Super Cool Eco-Friendly Gifts For Kids

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With the holiday season approaching us so quickly, it is time to get all of your loved ones mark off the x-mas list. Have you ever had an eco-friendly holiday? If you have, then thank you for helping prolong Earth’s life. If you have not, then you need to get on board. Start off small this year in purchasing eco-friendly gifts for the kids. Also remember to wrap the gifts with old newspapers. Recycling is the best gift you can give to Mother Nature. Anyway, this article is not about her; it is about gifts the kids can enjoy.

Here are a few eco-friendly gifts.

  • Yogen Charger: Forget about pulling the string on the back of a talking toy. Now you can pull a cord to charge your mp3, or phone. Great for the constant cellphone text addict. It is worth $50 bucks.
  • Upcycled BOOMBOX MP3 Player: Retro in its design and it does not need batteries to make some bombastic sound. It is 18.99. It is made from discarded boxes/wrappers in the likes of Skittles, and Capri Sun.

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  • EcoZoo Cotton Kids Backpacks: Make going back to school after the holidays so much fun with these lovely backpack. Great for sleepovers too. I want the panda one for myself. They are $36 dollars at EcoGear.com.

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  • Finders Re-Gifter: Go in your attic or basement and look for old telescopes, microscopes, cameras, etc. Gifting something of yours from when you were young can make a great vintage gift. Plus it is eco-friendly.
  • Crazy Crayons Eco Stars: These are only $6.95 and you get 20 of them. They will make a great gift or you can split it up and use them as stocking stuffers.
  • Terracycle Drinkpouch Pencil Case: This pencil case will be a kool stocking stuffer gift. It is made from recycled Kool-Aid pouches. It is worth $6.95.
  • Mix & Match Lunch Box System: Lunch is so much fun now with these bento lunch boxes. They range from $12.95 – $23.99. Plus when you wrap them up, do not forget to fill the compartment with holiday treats. Get them at LaptopLunches.com

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  • Dress Up Animals: Who knew you could dress up wooden toys. These lovely wooden animals are $25.00 dollars. You get two outfit options. They are so much fun and are made of recycled wood. Great for the future veterinarian in the house. Get them at PlanToys.com.
  • Memoir Blanket: Use some of the old clothes they no longer wear and make them a quilt. If you cannot sew then ask a family member or friend if they can sew it for you.
  • Mix Match, the Sock Monkey: Hate having only one sock and cannot find the other one? Make a sock monkey.

These are amazing gifts for any kid. They might not be expecting any of them but what kid does not like a gift. Yes it might not be the newest Transformer or Matchbox car, but at least these toys are helping the earth and helping them become more self-conscious of their surroundings.

A merry eco-friendly holiday to you.

Categories
Eco Eats

Holiday Choco Cookies Even Santa Will Want To Steal

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chocolate-chip-cookies-treats-yummy
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With the winter season here there are many treats that you can imagine making. Sweet or savory; my taste buds do not mind. One thing different this holiday season is that I have gotten on the eco-friendly trend. A better planet means a better holiday season for not only me but for you too. Look for some new eco-friendly treats to make this Christmas. They are so easy to make and great to enjoy with everyone. Just because it has eco-friendly in the recipe name it does not mean that it will not be as delicious as the original. The treat will only be made using products that are safe for the earth.

Try this delicious cookie. You will surely love it.

Eco-Friendly Choco Cookie

Here is how you make them. Get two separate bowls; one for the dry ingredients and another one for the wet ingredients. Sift the almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda together. Add in the chocolate chips (you can use chunks if you prefer). Stir well. Now add in the grape seed oil, agave nectar, and vanilla extract all together. Mix well until you get a cookie dough texture. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat their sauna to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll 1 inch balls and place them on the parchment paper. Place them 2 inches apart from one another. Using the bottom of the 1/4 cup measurer, flatten the cookie balls a bit.

Bake for 8 minutes, and then take them out to cool off for 20 minutes. Eat and let your mouth have an orgasm.

These cookies are one of many eco-friendly holiday treats that I have enjoyed recently. I have eaten Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, and Vegan Fudge.

Yesterday I had Peanut Bites. I used whole grain bread and cut eat slice into four pieces. Then I spread homemade peanut butter. I then finished each decadent piece with fresh fruit slices like kiwis; grapes; strawberries; and bananas. They were delicious and it kept me from using that sugar packed jam.  I cannot to wait to indulge my taste buds with healthier yet delicious treats that are earth-friendly.

Hopefully you too can try these yummy eco-friendly choco cookies. They are easy to make, and they are easy to make disappear. Everyone will fall in love with the flavorful bite of chocolate in each cookie. You can easily give these away as a gift too. Recycle one of your aluminum foil boxes. Cover the box with newspaper and put parchment paper in it. Line the cookies in and close the box up with twine. A perfect homemade eco-friendly gift for anyone. Just keep it away from the pets who love to sneak under the tree.

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Lawn & Garden

8 Eco-Friendly Plants to Garden

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Whenever someone is decorating their home they always forget about natural air purifiers. Those natural air purifiers are known as plants. Eco-friendly plants are great to garden. They not only make the world a healthier place to live; they also make your home a refreshing place to be in. Then great thing is that a lot of them are indoor plants that can help get rid of air pollutants. They will bring a pop of color to any room along with fresh air. You can even add moisture to your room during the winter months just by adding a plant.

Here are some eco-friendly plants that you should garden.

  1. Tulips remove ammonium from the air.
  2. Peace Lily plants are so beautiful when they are peaceful cleaning the air. The white blooming plant is known to help filter toxic pollutant smells like nail polish, paint, and anything with benzene fumes.
  3. The Feston Rose Plant is not only beautiful but it also smells great. The flowers that bloom are vibrant and the plant can withstand high temperatures. Plus do not be guilty for not watering it much. It can survive. Treat it well thought because it helps tremendously with getting rid of air pollutants.
  4. Gerbera can easily remove toxic vapors from your environment.
  5. The Garlic Vine is the garlic/onion smelling flower of plants, hence where it gets its name from. Beautiful lavender flowers are what make this such a delightful indoor plant to have. The petals can be used for ailments and the vine is a great purifier.
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  1. The Devil’s Ivy is a devil of a plant because it somehow continues to grow and grow with little care. Hang it high because it grows rapidly. The plant is great as a natural anti-pollutant against carbon monoxide.
  2. Phalaenopsis plants are hard to pronounce but are pretty to look at. The purify areas in your house that are not close to natural sunlight. Why? Since they cannot take a lot of sun light you can put them in areas with little light.
  3. Mini Palm Trees are great to keep indoors. Trees take in the carbon dioxide in the air and in return release oxygen for us to breathe. I think that is very kind of them. Plus it will give your room a nice tropical feel.

Next time you plan out your new eco-friendly project do not forget about our green friends. No not the aliens. These eco-friendly plants can make your room or garden so beautiful. My favorite is the Yellow Goddess. She is small, yet loudly intoxicating with natural purifiers. Freshen up the air and area at the same time. Learn how to take care of them and they will take care of you.

Categories
Eco Tips Furnishings Home Decor Home Design Home Improvement

Innovative Multi-Purpose Furniture Ideas

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Maybe you are looking to make your home eco-friendlier. Perhaps you live in a shoebox apartment in New York City and do not have much space for a lot of furniture. Who knows? You might be one of those people who simply hate being conventional like the rest of the world. Whatever your reasons are, multi-purpose furniture items can provide you with a fresh concept that takes your living space to a whole new level.

Shelving space is always an issue in most homes but not everyone can afford to buy a 6 or 8 shelve monstrosity. So why not turn something you don’t use into something useful. Take these folding chairs for example. Not only can you use the area where you park your butt to put books, plants, and decorations but you can also use them for closet space by hanging clothes on the base of the seat. All you have to do is nail those foldable chairs to the wall and you are done.

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If you want a bookshelf and a workstation but don’t have space for both then here’s the best of both worlds. This blue furniture houses a chair, a desk for your desktop computer and plenty of space for your books all in one unit.

Another item that’s super useful for those of you who are spatially challenged is the “madame est servie” mirror that is more than what it seems to be. When you’re ready to iron you simply tilt it and lock the unit into place. Once you’re done, you tilt it back and you have a mirror again which you can use to look at yourself as you get dressed.

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If you’re single renter of a one bedroom apartment who also happens to like bike riding, then you can buy this table which allows you to park your bike and use it as a chair while you enjoy your tea, coffee, a drink or a small meal on top of the wooden table.

There’s nothing worse than sitting alone without a place to rest your martini on, which is why this chair is so cool. The chair within the chair pulls out so that the exterior frame becomes a mini-table where you can rest your drink on.

For those of you looking to redesign your interior space, there are plenty of options to choose from such as the bookcase and levitating sofa. The base works as shelf space for all of your books and magazines and the above it is the sofa where you can sit and read for hours. Whenever you need something just reach under your legs and voila! Instant reading material!

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Who says you can’t have fun in the dining room? This table serves as a pool table so you can have fun with family or guests and once the food is done cooking you simply turn it back into a dining table and sit down to eat.

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Multi-purpose furniture helps to make your home greener by making your indoors sustainable and healthy without sacrificing design, beauty or functionality.

Categories
Eco Tips Gadgets & Gear

Eco-Friendly Holiday Gift Solutions For The Entire Family

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If you are looking for a gift that is environmentally conscious, useful, durable and at the same time expensive looking then you have come to the right place. There are plenty of eco-friendly holiday gift options out there that you probably never considered buying for someone but you will love our suggestions.

When you think about an eco-friendly gift you probably do not imagine that this would apply to electronic gadgets but you would be wrong. There are some green options for the gadget geek in your family.

Would you ever spend $15 on a battery? Well how about a rechargeable battery that connects to a USB port. That way they can charge their USB Cell Battery while surfing the web, writing a report, or updating their blog. And they won’t have to spend so much money on conventional chemically toxic batteries, which ends up in landfills.

If you have a junior Stephen Spielberg in the house then they will love the Sun & Cloud Camera. It not only has a solar panel to charge itself but it also has a crank that they can turn to charge up the camera in case there’s no sun. If you’re worried that this camera does not compare to the standard ones, do not worry. The Sun & Cloud camera shoots digital quality videos and photo stills. But spoiler alert! Prepare to fork over $180 for this baby. So make sure you really love the person you’re buying this for.

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For those of you looking for an outdoorsy gift, try the Rydon Pixio bicycle light. It is solar-powered and designed to resist the weather elements. So if the bike rider in your family gets lost in the mountains or a park, they will be guaranteed to have up to 60 hours of light with the Rydon Pixio. At $39.99, this gift is cheap but looks expensive.

For that green thumb family member or friend you can buy them the Apple-Tree-To-Be Kit for just $22. Sure it is not much to look at when they get the gift but it has all the things they will need to plant their own apple tree.

If you have a teen who has rebelled against you by going wiccan, then do them and the environment a favor by buying them sox wax candles. They are scented but they will not release any of those harmful chemicals that a-typical candles release when burned.

Bamboo kitchenware like cutting boards and core bamboo bowls make an excellent gift for the chef in the house because the material is natural, sustainable and durable. Plus they will give the kitchen that tropical island feel as opposed to a sterile feel commonly caused by conventional plastic or metallic kitchenware.

You can also buy a couple of throw blankets for everyone in the family. That way everyone can sit close to each other by the couch while watching reruns of Christmas marathon specials like “A Christmas Story” without wasting energy from using a heater and releasing fumes into the environment.

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Eco-friendly gifts for the holidays are available for every family member and every budget, but best of all, you’ll be contributing to keeping the environment safe.

Categories
Lawn & Garden

Eco-Friendly Winter Lawn Care

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Winter is coming. No, that does not mean that another season of Game of Thrones is on its way. It means that you need to find out how to take care of your lawn the eco-friendly way. Do not let the cold weather ruin all of your hard work. The green color on your lawn will fade away slowly during the winter, but there are ways to get that color back in the spring.

Here are some basic things you can do to keep your lawn safe in the winter.

Mulch: If your lawn has some patchy areas then spread mulch in those areas. It will keep weeds from growing up in it and also keep the grass around it from being damaged too.

Local Plants: Incorporate some local plants because they have adapted to survive in the weather that hits the area. They will live on through the winter season. Plus they are already accustomed to the local diseases.

Plant Seasonally: Rose bushes, azaleas, and hibiscus are all options of plants that bloom well in the winter.

Mow: Go back to the basics. Forget about the electric lawnmower and the gas powered lawnmower. Use a push mower. You help the world and help yourself in the process. Keep the grass cut short during the winter. By doing this you keep rodents out from ruining the grass.  Also only mow every four weeks.

Rake: The leaves can kill and de-green your lawn. It keeps the grass from getting sunlight and air. Rake them up regularly. Do not get rid of the fallen leaves. Crumble them up to reuse in the spring as mulch. Use a bamboo rake to keep it as eco0friendly as you can.

Weeds Be Gone: Pull the weeds out by hand but be careful to not let any of the seeds hit the soil again.

Grass Seeds: In any area that there is few grass or none at all, plant new grass seeds now. Cover them up with mulch or compost to help them grow faster. In the spring time your grass will be even, just trim it.

Soil: Frequently keep your lawn feed with a good mix of fertilizer. It needs aeration to keep the flow of water and air to hit every spot of the lawn.

Drench It: Before it gets real cold, water your lawn real good. Drench it up so it can have one last good gulp of water before the spring.

Lazy Makes Lawn Unhappy: Do not let your lawn suffer because you are lazy. Be active and protect your lawn in the winter.

Hopefully with the simple tasks you can keep your lawn looking great throughout all the seasons. Taking care of it in the winter will always produce a beautiful green lawn. Rake, mow, water, and plant knowledgeably. Keep up with new eco-friendly lawn care maintenance at your local garden center.

Categories
Eco Eats

Add Green Stuff to What You Eat

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Do not let the title deceive you. You are not adding anything that is green into your food. You are adding green colored foods into your daily meals. Green colored foods include veggies not green apple Jolly Ranchers.  A lot of us hate vegetables. Some of us adore them. Then there are some of us who are picky about which ones we actually like to eat. I prefer crunchy veggies with a lot of flavor and dressing. Oil and vinegar normally do the trick.

Here are some ways to add veggies into your food. The best part is that you will not even know that they are there.

Sauce: Instead of buying a can of spaghetti sauce, make a homemade version full of sneak attack veggies. The great thing about a homemade savory sauce is that you can add any ingredient that you want, except candy and chocolate of course. How do you add the veggies in without anyone noticing? You puree them in. That way all the veggies will blend in with the sauce. It tastes so good that your little ones will not even notice that the spaghetti sauce is full of eggplant and carrot puree.

Sandwiches: Are you making yourself a turkey club sandwich for lunch? Add a little crunch to it. Slide in a crisp leaf of Romaine lettuce, a crunchy pickle, and slices of cucumber. Trust me you will love it and not even know that the added goodness is from veggies.  Try eating a sandwich lettuce roll. Get your deli meat selection and put it between two pieces of lettuce. Roll it up and enjoy.

Fruit Platter: Of course apples, grapes, orange slices, pineapple chunks, and melon wedges are the norm in a fruit platter. How about adding some baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and celery sticks to round it out? Caramel, ranch, and peanut butter dips are optional.

Taco: Yes you already have the shredded lettuce and pico de gallo. Add some extra veggies to the ground beef. You can add spinach, beans, shredded carrots and even pumpkin to the meat to give a kick of sweetness. Plus the cheese and crunchy taco shell will help you mask those veggies.

Desserts: Carrot cakes, and pumpkin pies are the normal go to veggie star desserts. Did you know that you can have a scrumptious cake full of eggplant and chocolate? A Sweet Potato Mousse? And Plantain Ice Cream? I bet the answer is no because the veggie words scared you off. Try a dessert full of veggie nutrients. Your heart will not regret it. Carrots dipped in chocolate are to die for.

There you have it. Simple ways to trick your loved ones and yourself into eating more green stuff. Food is food, but not everything can be red, yellow, brown, and white (colors of a normal burger). Mix the veggies in and everyone wins. From sauces to desserts, green stuff will find its way to make you smile. By green stuff I do mean veggies still. Just incase. So go start tricking peeps into eat green.

Categories
Eco Tips Furnishings Recycling

9 Eco-Friendly Baby Nursery Ideas

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Now that your house is all eco-friendly, it is time to work on the new addition. The baby nursery can be beautiful and green (not the paint color, unless you want it to be). Here are some simple steps to help you make the perfect baby nursery eco-friendly.

No Diapers: I know you are maybe saying, “What am I going to use then?” The solution: Cloth diapers. They are more work, but cost less and they are not harming the world buy having a mini-vacation in landfills. They are less pollutant than a diaper. You can also look for companies that make biodegradable diapers.

Fresh Air: Purchase an air purifier. Make sure your princess or prince gets the room with the best view. The natural fresh air and sunlight are perfect. The air purifier will help eliminate mold spores, dust mites, and any excess moisture.

Safe Walls For All: Remember this slogan – VOC-free is better for me. Using paint that is VOC-free (volatile organic compounds) is environment friendly. You can even use mineral pigment paints. If you have to scrap away old paint please be aware that it might be lead paint especially if your house is very old. Just be careful to not chip it but lightly use sandpaper when removing it. You can also look for eco-friendly wallpaper options.

Furniture: When it comes to adding furniture into the nursery, keep this word in mind: RE-USE. Instead of spending more money on baby furniture, spend your time looking for items you already have. You can re-use an old bookshelf for baby toys, and books. Use an old dresser as a changing table. Of course put a comfy pad on the surface. Even ask family members for old baby stuff that they are willing to part with. You can even look up online for sites where you can find used baby furniture, toys, clothes, strollers, etc. Zwaggle.com is a great site.

Know Your Wood: If you do end up purchasing a new crib or rocking chair then make sure you know which wood is best for the baby. Stay away from plywood and fiberboard. The glue in them release chemical fumes after time.  Purchase real wood with water based finishes. Also make sure the wood is sustainable. Look for FSC-certified wood labels. The crib might cost more but you can easily make it an eco-friendly heirloom for future generations.

Perfect Floor: One word- Bamboo. It is a renewable resource. Plus it gives the nursery an elegant look.

Green Windows: Stay away from blinds, and shutters. Use organic cotton window treatments.

Crib Décor: When it comes to a baby’s mattress I recommend Naturepedic. All of their mattresses are made of non-toxic materials. They are great for your baby who will spend most of their early years in bed sleeping. All the crib linens should be made of organic cotton, wool, or linen. You can even make a quilt out of used baby clothes. That is if you sew. If not then have someone make you one.

Minimal Is The Key: Keep the décor of the room minimalistic. A few stuff toys, and books here and there will be sufficient enough. As time passes the baby will get more stuff.

Hopefully these tips help you make your baby nursery eco-friendly and safe for your new addition.

 

Categories
Home Decor

Eco-friendly Holiday Kitchen Decoration Ideas

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I am such a lover of the holidays. I especially love the decorating part the best. Yeah, spending time with the family and cooking is high on the list, but nothing beats a well decorated home that makes everyone feel welcomed. Since I too am on the eco-friendly trend, I decide to find new decorating tips with an eco-twist. There are a lot out there to choose from. These are my top favorites. Most of them are kitchen ideas since the kitchen is my sanctuary. I decorate it; you enjoy it. No ifs, ands or but if you find something that I can repurpose for the holidays, please let me know.

Here are my favorite eco-friendly crafting ideas.

Dry Flowers: Save those flowers. After a week, hang them upside down in a dark place to dry them out. It normally takes 7-10 days. They are beautiful. The flowers have an antique look to them perfect for the fall. Get flowers with lots of orange, yellow, and red tones. You can us clunky flowers for your holiday wreathes.

Put a Cork on it: Re-use those corks from your wine bottles. With a sharp cutter make a semi-deep indent on the cork. You can use them for place cards at dinner parties. You can also use them to make mini turkeys with the kids. Glue some feathers, eyes, and a beak to the cork. Use them to decorate the kitchen too.

Bottles Galore: Save those wine bottles. The color of the bottle is perfect for the fall/winter season. Use them as a vase for your sunflowers (my fave for November). You can also use eco-friendly decorative ribbons to spruce them up a bit. If the labels are hard to get off then soak them in warm water with a teaspoon of vinegar for ten minutes. The label should peel right off. Use rubbing alcohol to get rid of any excess.

Fruit Scrap Ornaments: I bake a lot of pies during the holiday season. Sometimes I even make my own apple butter. That leaves me with a lot of apple peels. You can either use them in the compost or do what I do: make ornaments for the mini-tree in the kitchen (yes I have one…tell me you do too). All you need to do is preheat your oven to 200F for ten minutes. On parchment paper, lay out the peels evenly. Bake until they are dried out. This normally takes 7-8 minutes. Get some cinnamon sticks and wrap them around a bunch of dried apple peels. They smell so good. Use them as ornaments or as napkin holders. You can also add orange slices to the mix.

Cereal Box Placemats: Reuse your cereal boxes. Cut the front and back of the box into equal rectangle shapes with rounded edges. Use some eco-friendly paint in any fall color you want for one side, and any winter color for the other side. Put two layers of Mod Podge to thicken the cardboard. By doing this, you can use them for November and December.

These are simple eco-friendly holiday kitchen decorations that everyone can do. Enjoy the holidays with your new kitchen full of handmade decorations made from recycled materials.

 

Categories
Eco Eats Eco Tips

Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving Party Ideas

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November is here. You all know what does that mean? My birthday of course. Oh, I mean…THANKSGIVING! The happiest time of the year to give thanks to everything good in the world and to be thankful for stretch pants. Gobble gobble. Talking about gobble; I recently have gotten on the eco-friendly craze, and want to throw a Thanksgiving party while at the same time thanking the Earth for all it has given us.

So here are some eco-friendly thanksgiving ideas everyone will love, even the turkey in the backyard.

Table Deco: The leaves are falling in many shades. Instead of raking them up an putting them in glad bags that do not make any landfill glad, use them to make wonderful decorations. Glue some together to make tablemats. Use semi-large ones as coasters so no liquid will damage your reclaimed wood ten seat table. Glue some one inch apart from another on some twine or rope for a festive garland. Acorn turkeys are always fun to make.

Halloween’s Treat:

  • Keep those pumpkins you carved out. You can turn them around and carve thanksgiving theme patterns to illuminate throughout the house. You can even use some as flower holders. Who does not like a cute pumpkin vase?
  • Have any extra face paint from your costume? If you do then use them to make one–of-a-kind hand turkey art with the kids and display them throughout the house or use them as name cards.
  • Use anything orange you saved from your Halloween parties. Reuse and make it look new. No one will know once all the pies are on the table.
  • Left-over candy from trick or treating is always rare. If you have any then use them on your deserts. You can make turkey cookies or leaf cookies and use M&Ms to decorate them.

Faux Turkey: Go vegan for one day. Save a turkey. Yes they taste good especially with a bit of honey. C’mon, stop it. The turkey is an animal and has feelings too. Trust me it will be thankful if you do not kill it. Instead why not kill it with kindness and make a tofu turkey substitute? If your family does not like it then tofu-rkey-ing bad.You get the point.

Energy: Play outside with the family. Have your own football game. Turn off the television, turn off the air conditioner, and go outside for a while. Be thankful you have a family to enjoy such a wonderful holiday with.

Dishes: If you are having a small gathering then use you green set of plates that you bought specifically for this festive holiday. Wash them all at the same time to conserve water. Or do what I do…recycle them. If you are having a potluck type get together then purchase some biodegradable plates, napkins and utensils. If you do own a dishwashing machine, you may want to wait until you can wash a load of dishes that fills it up entirely, therefore you’ll be conserving water and not wasting away our sacred electricity.

Food: Two words…organic and local. Buy in bulk for less packaging waste. Save leftovers, or better yet let your guest take some home to keep them from wasting energy the next day. Recyling leftover food is easy, you can always make a pie out of anything.

Hopefully these tips help you out on your day of thanks. If it does then all I can say is…you are welcome.