Day 12: Let Your Heart Be Light
The day we have been anticipating for the past month and a half has finally arrived, and I hope that you and yours are cozy and well-fed, enjoying some holiday cheer and relaxing.
My final thought about Greening up your holdiay season is to remember that less is always more. If you keep this mantra in the back of your mind, it will become easier and easier to follow. There are many approaches to celebrating the holidays without over-indulging. Eat less, use less, buy less.
You will feel healthier, more relaxed, and hopefully happier as you share the season with people you love, and prepare for the new year.
Showing posts with label sustainable decorations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable decorations. Show all posts
December 25, 2012
December 20, 2012
A Beacon in the Night
Day 7: Harvest Your Light
Taking the dog out this morning, I noticed that several of my neighbors still had their decorations lit up. Some had the inside of their windows lit, and some braved the HOA and strung lights on the eaves of their unit. Lovely to share with the neighborhood, but why were they still on at 5:45 am? Surely not just for me and Bosco, shivering in the pre-dawn.
Save energy by using timers for any lights and displays that need to be plugged in. They are fairly inexpensive and common in most stores that carry lights and decorations. Leaving them on all night can be festive, but pick a block of time between sundown(4:30ish this time of year) and midnight that you will consistently enjoy the lights. Our timers turn on about 20 minutes before the sun sets, and go off between 11pm and midnight.
If you host an event, or have family in town the few days around the holidays, adjust as you wish. But on the second Wednesday in December, nobody should be enjoying your front yard at 3am.
Taking the dog out this morning, I noticed that several of my neighbors still had their decorations lit up. Some had the inside of their windows lit, and some braved the HOA and strung lights on the eaves of their unit. Lovely to share with the neighborhood, but why were they still on at 5:45 am? Surely not just for me and Bosco, shivering in the pre-dawn.
Save energy by using timers for any lights and displays that need to be plugged in. They are fairly inexpensive and common in most stores that carry lights and decorations. Leaving them on all night can be festive, but pick a block of time between sundown(4:30ish this time of year) and midnight that you will consistently enjoy the lights. Our timers turn on about 20 minutes before the sun sets, and go off between 11pm and midnight.
If you host an event, or have family in town the few days around the holidays, adjust as you wish. But on the second Wednesday in December, nobody should be enjoying your front yard at 3am.
December 19, 2012
Absolutely Impossible to Resist
Day 6: Some Disappear to Who Knows Where
Bake treats from scratch, instead of purchasing mass-produced preservative-laden snacks. In addition to the traditional tins of cookies and fudge, put together breakfast baskets with jams, muffin mix, and teas and coffees. Make up mason jars of home made hot chocolate mix. Share goodies that your loved ones will truly enjoy! These items seem much more thoughtful and personal than the boxes stacked near the checkout line at the grocery store.
This also provides an opportunity to get creative with the containers you use to share them with friends and family. Avoid packaging that will be thrown away, and use tins that can be re-used, or gift seal-able containers that the receiver can use year-round.
Bake treats from scratch, instead of purchasing mass-produced preservative-laden snacks. In addition to the traditional tins of cookies and fudge, put together breakfast baskets with jams, muffin mix, and teas and coffees. Make up mason jars of home made hot chocolate mix. Share goodies that your loved ones will truly enjoy! These items seem much more thoughtful and personal than the boxes stacked near the checkout line at the grocery store.
This also provides an opportunity to get creative with the containers you use to share them with friends and family. Avoid packaging that will be thrown away, and use tins that can be re-used, or gift seal-able containers that the receiver can use year-round.
December 18, 2012
In A New Old Fashioned Way
Day 5: Later We'll Have Some Pumpkin Pie
Instead of using plastic or Styrofoam during holiday cocktail parties and dinner gatherings, use real dishes, glassware, napkins and utensils. Yes, it adds to the cleanup effort, but think about how many resources go into that one use for each disposable item. Purchasing holiday-themed products also adds up, so you will also be saving money.
For kids and anybody you don't trust with your wine glasses, use paper-based plates and napkins, and corn-based cups and utensils that can be composted. These have become common enough in my corners of the world that it's not difficult to find, if you know what you are looking for. This also goes if you are serving 16, but only have service for 10 or 12 - the more the merrier, as you pass around coffee and pie!
Instead of using plastic or Styrofoam during holiday cocktail parties and dinner gatherings, use real dishes, glassware, napkins and utensils. Yes, it adds to the cleanup effort, but think about how many resources go into that one use for each disposable item. Purchasing holiday-themed products also adds up, so you will also be saving money.
For kids and anybody you don't trust with your wine glasses, use paper-based plates and napkins, and corn-based cups and utensils that can be composted. These have become common enough in my corners of the world that it's not difficult to find, if you know what you are looking for. This also goes if you are serving 16, but only have service for 10 or 12 - the more the merrier, as you pass around coffee and pie!
December 17, 2012
Brown Paper Packages
Day 4: Tied Up With String
In the US, 4 million tons of waste is generated each holiday season from gift wrapping materials that are used once and then discarded. 4 million tons!! Don't get me wrong, I love the colorful ribbons and festive paper, and the sight of a lit Christmas tree loaded with gifts is one of the most festive parts of the season. However, it is one of the most wasteful aspects of the holiday season. Here are a few ways you can reduce the amount of materials that get thrown away on December 26th.
Gift Bags: Holiday gift bags reduce the waste of wrapping a box with paper. However, this generally includes replacing the tissue paper inside the bag, and depending on the gifts inside sometimes the bags look worn out after only a few uses.
Make your own gift bags: Inspired by a quilter friend of my mom's, I started making re-usable bags out of holiday fabric. They are simple designs with draw-strings, made in various sizes to accommodate all shapes of boxes and gifts. They take significant time and energy to design and sew, but seeing them recycled among family gift exchanges is very satisfying. The holiday fabrics available are just as festive and bright as most wrapping papers, including some that incorporate foil and glitter. And using real ribbons to tie them adds to the textures beneath the tree. (I also cheat and wait until the week after Christmas to buy up holiday fabric patterns on super-sale, which makes them much more affordable!)
Furoshiki: The traditional Japanese style of wrapping a gift, enclosing it in colorful material and tying the corners together artfully.
Recycled Paper: Purchase rolls of recycled paper that can be composted or burned when its purpose has been served. Barring aggressive rips, save scraps that can be trimmed and saved inside a roll for smaller gifts next year.
Wrap a box: Find a box that has a separate lid, and wrap them each individually. This way the receiver can remove the lid and open the gift without taking the paper off, and the box can be used for another gift.
In the US, 4 million tons of waste is generated each holiday season from gift wrapping materials that are used once and then discarded. 4 million tons!! Don't get me wrong, I love the colorful ribbons and festive paper, and the sight of a lit Christmas tree loaded with gifts is one of the most festive parts of the season. However, it is one of the most wasteful aspects of the holiday season. Here are a few ways you can reduce the amount of materials that get thrown away on December 26th.
Gift Bags: Holiday gift bags reduce the waste of wrapping a box with paper. However, this generally includes replacing the tissue paper inside the bag, and depending on the gifts inside sometimes the bags look worn out after only a few uses.
Make your own gift bags: Inspired by a quilter friend of my mom's, I started making re-usable bags out of holiday fabric. They are simple designs with draw-strings, made in various sizes to accommodate all shapes of boxes and gifts. They take significant time and energy to design and sew, but seeing them recycled among family gift exchanges is very satisfying. The holiday fabrics available are just as festive and bright as most wrapping papers, including some that incorporate foil and glitter. And using real ribbons to tie them adds to the textures beneath the tree. (I also cheat and wait until the week after Christmas to buy up holiday fabric patterns on super-sale, which makes them much more affordable!)
Furoshiki: The traditional Japanese style of wrapping a gift, enclosing it in colorful material and tying the corners together artfully.
Recycled Paper: Purchase rolls of recycled paper that can be composted or burned when its purpose has been served. Barring aggressive rips, save scraps that can be trimmed and saved inside a roll for smaller gifts next year.
Wrap a box: Find a box that has a separate lid, and wrap them each individually. This way the receiver can remove the lid and open the gift without taking the paper off, and the box can be used for another gift.
December 16, 2012
'Tis the Season to be Jolly
Last night we participated in a performance by VOCO at the Chautauqua Community House. It was a delightful gust of winter songs celebrating the beauty that comes out of the dark cold nights and the warmth that is created by gathering with good friends and family. The last set was included adorning the stage and brick fireplace with fresh evergreen branches collected from the area, and it created a beautiful and serene homage to the season. I realized that sometimes the most simple additions can have the biggest impact.
Day 3: Deck the Halls
As you break out the holiday decorations, add new ones to your collection, and perhaps gift new decorations to others, keep in mind where they come from and how they were made. Avoid the cheaply-manufactured decorations that are often imported from overseas, and make your own. This presents the opportunity for some family craft time, which is especially fun with kids in the house, and also creates uniquely festive decorations for your home. You don't need kids around to help with this, though. Here are some examples of personalized decorations we have around our house this time of year:
Garlands. One of the most basic design elements, these can be strung pretty much anywhere. Trees, banisters, windows, mantles, doorways...anywhere in your house that could use some character. We have strung popcorn using a needle and thread, which gets hung outside as a snack for the birds at the end of the season. We have used paper bits to make colorful chains, some of which have included seasonal messages, religious verses, and song lyrics.
Bring the outdoors in. Branches, berries, pine cones, stones, and nuts can be used to add seasonal color. Make centerpieces out of branches nestled around candles. Fill clear vases or jars with nuts and berries to flavor a mantelpiece display. Use pine cones to add texture to your fireplace. Get creative with what you have access to in your yard, it's a much cheaper alternative to going to Walmart!
Re-purpose old decorations. Have old or maybe damaged ornaments that you don't want to hang on your tree this year? Fill a bowl with them to brighten your coffee table.
Snowflakes. Snow is a neutral motif that can carry through any celebration of this season. Select paper ranging from regular copy paper to fine glittered tissue paper, and cut out geometric patterns. These can be hung on a tree, in windows, mirrors - on any surface in the house that could support them. And like the real things, each one is completely unique!
Recycle last year's cards. We hang cards we receive each year in the living room to cherish the greetings. This year Americans will send 1.9 billion greeting cards during the month of December. This is tons(literally) of materials that will share sentimental messages and be discarded or stashed away for the next 11 months. If you have a pile of cards you have received in previous years, or if you collect cards you receive this year, you can use these bright and cheerful pieces to make colorful decorations. Ornaments, gift tags, and any craft that calls for colorful paper will easily brighten up a room.
No matter what your decorations incorporate, I hope that your home is merry and bright this time of year!
Day 3: Deck the Halls
As you break out the holiday decorations, add new ones to your collection, and perhaps gift new decorations to others, keep in mind where they come from and how they were made. Avoid the cheaply-manufactured decorations that are often imported from overseas, and make your own. This presents the opportunity for some family craft time, which is especially fun with kids in the house, and also creates uniquely festive decorations for your home. You don't need kids around to help with this, though. Here are some examples of personalized decorations we have around our house this time of year:
Garlands. One of the most basic design elements, these can be strung pretty much anywhere. Trees, banisters, windows, mantles, doorways...anywhere in your house that could use some character. We have strung popcorn using a needle and thread, which gets hung outside as a snack for the birds at the end of the season. We have used paper bits to make colorful chains, some of which have included seasonal messages, religious verses, and song lyrics.
Bring the outdoors in. Branches, berries, pine cones, stones, and nuts can be used to add seasonal color. Make centerpieces out of branches nestled around candles. Fill clear vases or jars with nuts and berries to flavor a mantelpiece display. Use pine cones to add texture to your fireplace. Get creative with what you have access to in your yard, it's a much cheaper alternative to going to Walmart!
Re-purpose old decorations. Have old or maybe damaged ornaments that you don't want to hang on your tree this year? Fill a bowl with them to brighten your coffee table.
Snowflakes. Snow is a neutral motif that can carry through any celebration of this season. Select paper ranging from regular copy paper to fine glittered tissue paper, and cut out geometric patterns. These can be hung on a tree, in windows, mirrors - on any surface in the house that could support them. And like the real things, each one is completely unique!
Recycle last year's cards. We hang cards we receive each year in the living room to cherish the greetings. This year Americans will send 1.9 billion greeting cards during the month of December. This is tons(literally) of materials that will share sentimental messages and be discarded or stashed away for the next 11 months. If you have a pile of cards you have received in previous years, or if you collect cards you receive this year, you can use these bright and cheerful pieces to make colorful decorations. Ornaments, gift tags, and any craft that calls for colorful paper will easily brighten up a room.
No matter what your decorations incorporate, I hope that your home is merry and bright this time of year!
December 15, 2012
Keep Shining On
The lights and yard displays that go up this time of the year brighten up the season for me, especially when it snows and the whole world takes on a bit of a glow. That brilliant holiday sparkle can be made by more efficient lights these days, using LED strings.
Day 2: Oh Christmas Lights
Choose LEDs (light-emitting diodes) instead of incandescent bulbs to decorate your home, inside and out. They're a bit more expensive, but last much longer and use 80% to 90% less power than conventional mini bulbs. Saving on energy consumption also means you save on maintenance, with LED strands lasting up to ten times longer than conventional stings. This is also because LEDs do not produce heat, so they won't singe fingers — or the tree. They are safer overall than incandescent bulbs.
LED strands come in a bright white, as well as many color choices, color changing bulbs, and color combinations. Some local organizations have sponsored programs in past years to accept old strings of lights and help you update to LED strings. Take advantage of these opportunities when they are available in your neighborhood. If you invest in new lights to adorn your eaves this year, I recommend spending the additional money on LED strands and we will all save in the long-run.
Day 2: Oh Christmas Lights
Choose LEDs (light-emitting diodes) instead of incandescent bulbs to decorate your home, inside and out. They're a bit more expensive, but last much longer and use 80% to 90% less power than conventional mini bulbs. Saving on energy consumption also means you save on maintenance, with LED strands lasting up to ten times longer than conventional stings. This is also because LEDs do not produce heat, so they won't singe fingers — or the tree. They are safer overall than incandescent bulbs.
LED strands come in a bright white, as well as many color choices, color changing bulbs, and color combinations. Some local organizations have sponsored programs in past years to accept old strings of lights and help you update to LED strings. Take advantage of these opportunities when they are available in your neighborhood. If you invest in new lights to adorn your eaves this year, I recommend spending the additional money on LED strands and we will all save in the long-run.
December 14, 2012
A Symbol of Goodwill and Love
Over the past few years I have integrated several habits into my holiday traditions in attempts to reduce some of the waste and excess that is inherent to celebrations this time of year. I know that traditionally the 12 Days of Christmas begins on Christmas Day and is celebrated through Epiphany, but this year I want to share with you some of the ways that I have tried to make my Christmases a little more Green.
On the first day: O Tannenbaum!
One of the most iconic elements of Christmas for me is a decorated tree that becomes the focal point of the living room. Decorating it has always been a special occasion, for several reasons. First of all, it is something that happens at the beginning of the season, in preparation for all of the celebrating. In addition to kicking off my seasonal decorating blitz(usually accompanied by breaking out the Christmas CD's), it also involves unwrapping the lovely collection of ornaments I have amassed, which includes one Mom helped us pick out every year of our childhood. Each one has a memory associated with it, and hanging them all together creates a splendid, shimmering Christmas tradition.
Most of my life we have picked out a cut tree from a lot, varying in size from trees short enough we could top it ourselves to a gorgeous 14-ft tree Dad had to dangle over the halfwall of the second story to top with the star. I love the fresh pine smell, the character each branch has, and the challenge of evenly spacing the lights and ornaments. However, I am not a fan of the need to vacuum little needles on a daily basis, the water that needs to be constantly maintained, or the sad disposal of the tree at the end of the month.
When we got married and began to alternate Christmases with both families, it meant we would be out of town for several days over Christmas every other year. We decided to use a synthetic tree on the years we wouldn't be celebrating at home. Then we adopted Bosco, which complicated the water issue even further(not to mention my coveted popcorn garlands!), and each time we contemplated buying a fresh tree for the season I have been more and more consumed by a feeling of guilt about cutting down a perfectly good conifer to abide in my home for a month. It seems sacrificial to end all of the years that have been put into that tree just for a short period of indulgent enjoyment. Needless to say, we have been erecting our (pre-lit!)artificial tree for the past several years, which has saved time, money, trees, and quite a bit of mess. It's not quite the same, and is made out of non-renewable petroleum resources, but I know that it's a more sustainable long-term solution for us.
In addition to artificial trees, it is becoming a more available option to purchase a living Christmas tree. This means you get to enjoy a live tree(potted, with roots and soil) that you can plant after its stint decorating your house. This option is significantly more expensive and takes some very intentional preparation, but the investment supports a local nursery or farm, and provides a significant contribution to your landscaping after the holidays are over. When we have a yard where we could plant and nurture a live pine tree, I fully intend to pursue this option.
If you do have a cut tree this year, check out your municipal resources for composting or chipping the tree into mulch. Many cities and towns offer a day in January when trees can be collected from your curb for free and used in local landscaping projects. But please consider these alternatives to buying a cheap cut tree from a big-box lot. It will support your environment and add some local Green to your holiday and beyond.
On the first day: O Tannenbaum!
One of the most iconic elements of Christmas for me is a decorated tree that becomes the focal point of the living room. Decorating it has always been a special occasion, for several reasons. First of all, it is something that happens at the beginning of the season, in preparation for all of the celebrating. In addition to kicking off my seasonal decorating blitz(usually accompanied by breaking out the Christmas CD's), it also involves unwrapping the lovely collection of ornaments I have amassed, which includes one Mom helped us pick out every year of our childhood. Each one has a memory associated with it, and hanging them all together creates a splendid, shimmering Christmas tradition.
Most of my life we have picked out a cut tree from a lot, varying in size from trees short enough we could top it ourselves to a gorgeous 14-ft tree Dad had to dangle over the halfwall of the second story to top with the star. I love the fresh pine smell, the character each branch has, and the challenge of evenly spacing the lights and ornaments. However, I am not a fan of the need to vacuum little needles on a daily basis, the water that needs to be constantly maintained, or the sad disposal of the tree at the end of the month.
When we got married and began to alternate Christmases with both families, it meant we would be out of town for several days over Christmas every other year. We decided to use a synthetic tree on the years we wouldn't be celebrating at home. Then we adopted Bosco, which complicated the water issue even further(not to mention my coveted popcorn garlands!), and each time we contemplated buying a fresh tree for the season I have been more and more consumed by a feeling of guilt about cutting down a perfectly good conifer to abide in my home for a month. It seems sacrificial to end all of the years that have been put into that tree just for a short period of indulgent enjoyment. Needless to say, we have been erecting our (pre-lit!)artificial tree for the past several years, which has saved time, money, trees, and quite a bit of mess. It's not quite the same, and is made out of non-renewable petroleum resources, but I know that it's a more sustainable long-term solution for us.
In addition to artificial trees, it is becoming a more available option to purchase a living Christmas tree. This means you get to enjoy a live tree(potted, with roots and soil) that you can plant after its stint decorating your house. This option is significantly more expensive and takes some very intentional preparation, but the investment supports a local nursery or farm, and provides a significant contribution to your landscaping after the holidays are over. When we have a yard where we could plant and nurture a live pine tree, I fully intend to pursue this option.
If you do have a cut tree this year, check out your municipal resources for composting or chipping the tree into mulch. Many cities and towns offer a day in January when trees can be collected from your curb for free and used in local landscaping projects. But please consider these alternatives to buying a cheap cut tree from a big-box lot. It will support your environment and add some local Green to your holiday and beyond.
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