Recycling

How Often We Recycle Gifts

According to a survey by the Opinion Research for DHL, about 26% of consumers say they have recycled holiday gifts they do not want.

74% Never
23% Occassionally
3% Frequently

I’m all for it, however if you keep the gift around a little while, it may be wise to label who the gift was from so it doesn’t get regifted back to them! This may sound silly to say, but it’s happened! My own sister got her gift back one year later!

New Year Resolutions

A New Year, A New Start

Time goes by when we go about our daily lives, and now it’s another new year … again. I say that because it happens after every 12 months. But, there’s something that doesn’t have to repeat itself this time: failed goals and resolutions.

This time, we can do it. This time, we can set our aim high and achieve those goals we want to reach. We can make those new resolutions and make them happen. We can do it … this time.

It’s a decision, really. When you DECIDE on something and start taking ACTION on that decision, things happen.

It’s just too simple.

Anyway, to give you an idea about how to envision the changes you want in life and make them happen, read this article.

Or, how about creating your future? Developing new thinking patterns that will help you change conditions? Getting your life in balance?

Happy new year … and may you never be the same!

Environmentally Friendly

Pleasing Mother Nature

Low-Impact Holiday Shopping
December 2005
Taken from an issue of Greentips online

In the frenzy of holiday shopping, it’s easy to neglect the environmental impact of your purchases, but Mother Nature doesn’t have to be left off your gift list. Here are some thoughtful gifts that are environmentally friendly as well.

Environmental news delivered right to your desktop!
The Union of Concerned Scientists has launched an online service that will alert you to important environmental research and legislation. It’s easy and free—click here for more details on the UCS RSS feed.

For food and wine lovers:

Cooking or serving materials made from recycled glass or bamboo (a fast-growing grass).
A selection of organic wines (available online and at many liquor and natural food stores).
Membership in a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. The recipient will receive a bounty of sustainably grown produce throughout the summer and fall.

For outdoors enthusiasts:

Gift certificates for low-impact outdoor adventures such as rafting or canoeing trips.
Membership to one or more state parks, or a National Parks Pass. The National Parks Pass, administered by the National Park Foundation, covers the entry fee to many national parks and monuments. Fleece outerwear (jackets, gloves, hats, scarves) made from post- consumer recycled plastic.

For gardeners:

A selection of seeds for heirloom and native (non-invasive) plants. Heirloom fruits and vegetables are grown from seeds passed down from generation to generation, helping to preserve genetic diversity. Native plants are adapted for the local climate and therefore require less water, fertilizer, pesticide, and maintenance than exotic varieties. Books on environmentally friendly gardening and landscaping techniques.

For new homeowners:

An energy efficiency gift basket including weather stripping, a water heater blanket, a programmable thermostat, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. A home energy audit to be performed by the local utility.

For gadget lovers:

Rechargeable batteries (available in most hardware stores).
Wind-up or solar-powered battery chargers for laptops and cell phones.
For all the other people on your shopping list, consider gifts that are locally made, durable, made from recycled or recyclable materials, or use minimal packaging.

For more information:

Organic Consumers Association—Organic Wine
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/OrganicWine.htm

LocalHarvest—Community Supported Agriculture
www.localharvest.org/csa

National Park Foundation
http://www.nationalparks.org

Seed Savers Exchange
www.seedsavers.org

Native Seeds/SEARCH
http://www.nativeseeds.org

National Green Pages
http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/

Organize A Gift Exchange

Gift Exchange Event Planner

Hope this doesn’t come too late! I just came across a Secret Santa online gift exchange site that allows people to create and manage gift exchanges.

Secret Santa is powered by an email guest list. It makes matches, assigns a gift idea, and notifies participants. Participants can provide a “wish list” and a “do not need” list and secret givers can pose anonymous questions to get size info and color preferences.

Another site that does this is Draw Names. Check these out and have fun this holiday with gift exchanges!

Organize Photos

Have Fun with Scrapbooking

Over the past few days I’ve been watching my 25-yr old daughter organize photos for a scrapbook gift, and it feels like I’ve gone back in time when I would sit and watch her do crafts as a child. She’s having so much fun, I have to tear her away to join me for a ride to Starbucks - which is a lot considering our addiction.

I’m also pleased to see how organized she is about the endeavor, too. The photo albums are laid out with index sticker tabs marking pages with pulled out photos for scanning. What’s more, the photos are marked on the back as to what photo album they came from. Who taught this child anyway?!

For those who haven’t organized photos into albums, but keep them in photo boxes or special drawers, scrapbooking can still make incredible family gifts … with just a little time and creative juices.

Try these places to get your creativity going:

Scrapbooking Magazine and forum
Creating Keepsakes
Memories

… to name a few!

And now back to the store for more scrapbooking items … my daughter is relentless.

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