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Green Holiday Entertaining: A Consideration to Mother Earth

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

And so it should remain a beautiful world. With a few eco considerations holiday entertaining is a joyous gathering of family and friends with a friendly eye toward Mother Earth. Here are some suggestions for keeping your holiday celebration earth friendly.

Christmas Tree

A live tree is actually better for the environment as it is a natural renewable resource that is returnable to the environment. If a cut tree, it can be reused in so many environmentally friendly ways:

ground as mulch used for landscaping and gardening

chipped and used for playground material, hiking trails, paths, and walkways

used in whole to stabilize shores of lakes and rivers, prevent beachfront erosion, and for fish and wildlife habitat

Truly earth friendly is to buy a ball and burlap tree to replant after the holidays. Most people do not have the room to do this but many garden nurseries will rent these trees and take them back after the holidays.

Ornaments and Decorations

There are so many 'make- it-yourself' suggestions for creating holiday decorations from items around the house. Anything ranging from paper towel rolls, to hollowed out oranges, to old greeting cards. The key is to get creative and give a second life to items that would normally end up in the trash after just one use.

There is so much beauty in going natural. Ornaments, decorations, and table center pieces made from pinecones, acorns, holly or evergreen branches, rocks, shells, flowers, and potted plants bring in the beauty of the outdoors. Don't forget the use of seasonal fruit or other food items even as tree ornaments:

popcorn and cranberries strung as garland

oranges pierced with cloves put in a bowl or hung with a ribbon on the tree OR hollowed out and filled with oil and a wick for a warm glow

apples sliced and glazed either strung or made to hang individually

artichokes dug out with a tea light added gives a festive look to any table

Greetings and Invites

Save a tree and look for cards and invitations made from sustainable materials. There are so many other choices to traditional paper that not only saves a tree and the natural habitat it provides, but also uses less energy and chemicals to produce. Look for paper made from hemp, cotton, flax, or banana fiber. A great alternative that will have you remembered well after the Bamboo Fiber Lunch Box holidays is a plant-able card or invite. These are made from sustainable materials or from recycled paper with seeds embedded. The recipient plants the entire card in their garden or flower box and is reminded of your holiday greeting or invite well into the Spring!

Eco Gifts

With the large selection of eco products available for the entire family, it's easy to find the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list while keeping it earth friendly. Look for products made from organic, sustainable, or recycled materials. Gifts could include;

organic cotton clothing or plush toys

skin creams and personal care products made from organic or all natural ingredients

hemp clothing, notepaper sets, or journals

toys from recycled plastic milk jugs

pouches, purses, and cases from recycled materials

bamboo clothing or tableware

cosmetics made from all natural ingredients or mineral makeup

stainless steel water bottles and lunch kits

beeswax crayons

soy candles

Wrappings

As with cards, gift wrappings come in a variety of eco-friendly alternatives. Beautiful wrapping made from recycled paper or other sources like hemp or reusable gift bags are great alternatives for keeping it green. Or make the wrapping part of the gift itself like putting the gift in a bamboo recipe box, stainless steel lunch box, or a purse or tote made from recycled materials. Get creative and re-use items around the house like newspaper, an organic cotton dish towel, material from a worn out t-shirt or jeans, or an old tin. Remember those natural decorating items? These can be used to put the finishing touches on the gift - vines to tie it closed, flowers, branches, berries and pinecones to decorate. The possibilities are endless.

The Feast

An important part of a gathering is the 'breaking of bread' - the food! Food and drink seems to bring people closer together and there is every reason your feast should also bring your guests closer to Mother Earth. To keep it green buy local organically grown foods. Seasonal vegetables and fruits purchased from local organic farmers say so much more in the holiday spirit. And there are so many delicious holiday recipes that use organic ingredients. Also readily available are organically grown wines to compliment your organic meal. Don't waste food... leftovers can be put in reusable food containers to give guests to take home.

Forego the paper plates and napkins. Re-usable tableware is the way to go. After the meal rather than running the water to rinse off dishes prior to placing in the dishwasher, have a water-filled pan ready to dunk and wipe. To save on water and energy wait until the dishwasher is full to run the wash cycle. If disposable tableware is going to be used select those made from sustainable resources such as bamboo party plates and utensils or products made from recycled paper. Cloth napkins, especially those made from organic cotton, are the better choice. If going with disposable use recycled unbleached paper towels.

Make it easy for your guests to join in your green environment. One way to do this is to identify the recycle and trash bins. Each town actually recycles items in a different way so don't leave the decision up to your guest. Simple labels on each bin can identify what gets recycled and what does not.

BYOL - Bring Your Own Linens- is actually becoming a very popular concept. If you have a close rapport with your intended house guests, you can ask them to bring their own bed linens and towels. This eliminates running a wash for a one time use as the guest can bring their linens home and continue using until their 'wash time'.

Remembering Mother Nature

The holidays are a joyous time to gather with family and friends and to count blessings for what we have - the beauty of our earth and the gifts given to us through its natural resources. This time of year especially should be a rejoicing for these gifts and an extra effort made toward protecting such wonderful gifts. With little effort holiday celebrations can be kept green as a consideration to Mother Earth.

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