Category Archives: eco holidays

Eco-Friendly Fathers Day Gift Ideas

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enviro girlIt’s that time of year–to celebrate dear ‘ol dad, and it is possible to show him he’s special without adding undue harm to the environment by buying a bunch of stuff.  Here’s a list of eco-friendly Fathers Day gift ideas for whatever kind of dad you’re celebrating this June:

* Game tickets–splurge on box seats at a major league stadium or a day at a minor league park.  If your dad’s a sports fan, hook him up with a couple of tickets to watch a team event.

*  Local brew–whether a wine guy or a beer guy, introduce your father to a bottle or twelve-pack of something made in your region.  Reduce his “beer miles” while supporting the local economy.  Or try a nonalcoholic local brew by giving Dad fair trade coffee grounds.

*  Treat your dad to a round of golf or a game of bowling.  Quality time is more precious than a pair of socks or another new tie!

* Of course, if you are going to buy your dad socks, Enviro Girl recommends SmartWool socks for durability, sustainability and quality.

*  If your pop’s not savvy to environmental issues, he probably would still enjoy a solar-powered phone charger because lowering electrical bills never goes out of style.

*  Is your dad a grill guy?  Enviro Girl wholeheartedly recommends a chimney starter for charcoal grillers–he’ll never need lighter fluid again!  For advanced grillers, a package of woodchips or some locally produced marinades always impress!

WeberChimneyStarterS13

* Music lovers always enjoy concert tickets, another great gift he’ll never need to dust or store.

* Enviro Girl has given her dad a new shrub for his yard.  Not sure what a gardening kind of guy needs to add to his landscaping?  A gift certificate to a local greenhouse or garden center is a good gift, too!

*  Enviro Girl has also given her dad books for Fathers Day.  He enjoys biographies best, or anything about business and investing.

Whether spending a LOT (like a day at a major league ballpark) or a little (bottle of local wine), it’s the thought that counts.  Write your favorite memories of your father or serenade him with a song when you give him his eco-friendly Fathers Day present, because the sentiment matters most.

 

 

Eco-Easter Ideas

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enviro girlAs the Easter Bunny gears up to hop through and deliver baskets in a few weeks, Enviro Girl’s busy giving free advice on how to make those egg hunt/basket traditions a bit more environmentally friendly. Continue reading →

Eco- and human-friendly flowers for your Valentine.

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RecyclaAs you know, Valentine’s Day is next week. Are you buying flowers for anyone special? If so, how about buying him/her organic flowers?

Why? Because the majority of cut flowers are grown in Latin America and equatorial Africa in an industry in which the employees (mostly women) work for low wages and without benefits. When the holidays roll around and flowers are in demand, the workers are required to labor overtime.

Recycla's favorite flower is freesia, which smells like heaven to her.

Recycla’s favorite flower is freesia, which smells like heaven to her.

Continue reading →

Ten Great, Green Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Beloved

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enviro girlEnviro Girl has little patience for manufactured holidays because they stand for everything bad for the environment:  waste, consumerism, pollution and packaging.  She despises the aisles full of Valentine’s Day crap pitched at people–perfumes, stuffed animals, candy and heart-shaped trinkets.  Her family only celebrates Valentine’s Day by default.  Enviro Girl’s sons bring cards to their classmates and send cards to the grandparents.  That’s it.  But IF Enviro Girl’s husband were to suddenly get struck by Cupid’s arrow, here are ten loving gestures that she wouldn’t snub: Continue reading →

LOVE the planet and others

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green queen small
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we might all be looking for a little “green” love to share this holiday.
green heart
The Green Queen has a few pinspirations to share that might be just the ticket to get you going toward recycling, repurposing and reusing.

Do you have a stack of books sitting around the house that you just can’t part with but you’ve read one too many times to put the time back into them? Well here’s a way to have them help put time back into you. Simply turn your books into a shelf. This green bookshelf will end up helping you in more ways than one. By getting organized with the help of these old books, you just might find that you have a few more minutes in your day to do the things you’ve been putting off, like reading a new book.

DIY Bookshelf

A Real BOOK Shelf

And, if that’s not enough to get you reusing your old materials laying around your house, how ’bout this craft?

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You can make scratch paper from recycled books. If you want to find out how, just pop over here.

How To Dispose of Your Christmas Tree

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New Years Enviro GirlEverywhere people are taking down their Christmas decorations and storing them for another year.  But what do you do with that slightly dried-out Christmas tree in the corner of your living room?  Certainly you do NOT shove it in your garbage dumpster!  Your tree does NOT belong in a landfill–there are plenty of environmentally responsible ways to recycle or even extend the life of that tree. Continue reading →