Tag: eco friendly holiday tips

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
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 Tips Featured

5 Money-Saving Eco Holiday Tips

Time and money are in high demand for almost everyone during the Yuletide season. How do you keep our environment and your pocketbook from suffering the effects of all the holiday excess? Here are five helpful tips.

Bulk Up. Buy holiday nuts and spices in bulk from bins at your local health food store or supermarket. When you buy in bulk, you can purchase just the right amounts of spices or nuts you need without paying for excess packaging or more of a product than you know you’ll ever use.

Green Décor. Use citrus, nuts in the shells, cinnamon sticks, pomegranates, rosemary, and pomander balls to make gorgeous centerpieces or table arrangements.

Organic Wines. A bottle of conventional wine may contain hundreds of different chemicals and preservatives. Think organic wines are more expensive? It’s a myth. You can pick up a bottle of Tarantas 2007 Cava Sparkling Wine at $14.95 a bottle at EcoVineWine.com.

Creative Ornaments. Deck the halls and your tree by recycling vintage toys, jewelry and small photo frames into ornaments by attaching a hook and ornament hanger.

Reduce Disposable Plastics. Having a holiday party? Don’t spend extra dollars on plastic plates and trays for treats. Ask each guest to bring a favorite Christmas themed metal or ceramic plate. Everyone will enjoy admiring the different designs and there’s less to throw away.

Check back later this week for more green living tips from Ecohomeideas.com.