If you are a caregiver who would like to create a green holiday this year, ask your aging loved ones how they created their holidays years ago. Those who lived during the WWII and the Great Depression most likely will have many useful suggestions, tips and tricks.
One of the original green practices is planting a tree. Instead of purchasing a cut tree, buy a potted one that you can plant when the season is over, but be sure and give it plenty of water. Live trees are a renewable resource and they also help improve air quality.
Gift giving can be green as well. Buying local is a great way to find gifts whether it is handmade gift at a local craft show or a beautiful piece of pottery from a local artisan. When you purchase from local merchants, you help the local economy and you avoid all those transportation emissions and costs.
If you want to wrap those gifts, consider using recycled paper or even the comic section of the paper. For fragile gifts, a nice cloth napkin could wrap them safely, or consider recycling bubble wrap and foam peanuts. Many from the over seventy set have been going green for years by recycling wrapping paper and bows. Create two gifts in one by placing gifts into inexpensive cloth shopping bags.
Another great green gift is to make a consumable gift to give. Who wouldn't appreciate homemade candies, cookies, soup mix or bread placed in reusable containers? Of course, if you know your aging loved one is diabetic, you will want to adjust your recipes.
Those who offer their care to the elderly day in and day out know that aging grandparents, aunts or uncles always get that sparkle in their eye when they are being heard by their family. Perhaps the greenest holiday gift of all whether young or old, is the gift of time.
Comments
Very interesting article. I loved the last point, especially. :) Two other green suggestions - artificial trees can be reused year after year and require a lot less maintenance and care. Christmas bags from the Dollar store are cute and reuseable. Providing the grandchildren don't decide to use them to tote all their cute little things around. But even then, the bags are being reused. :)
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