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I don’t know about you, but I’m currently trying to wrap up the majority of my work so that I can do some last minute Christmas shopping, finish (or should I say start) wrapping presents and work on some hand-made gifts the kids and I are making.  But before I head out for the holiday weekend, I wanted to share some last minute tips to help you have a green holiday.

1) Watch your thermostat.  If you are planning on having guests for the holidays, please remember not to turn your thermostat too high.  The guests you have over will help generate heat on their own, so there is no need to roast them out of the house.

2) Try and spend some time outside over the holidays.  No matter where you live, this time of the year is beautiful. If you can get outdoors, do so. I don’t mean try and weather through a snow storm or anything, but try and enjoy nature a little.  Especially if you have kids, you’ll want to ensure they enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer this time of year.  Besides, you may find it will brighten your holiday mood!

3) As most people know, opening presents can generate a lot of trash.  One way to cut down is to “wrap” presents in re-usable bags.  My mother-in-law is a pro at this.  She has gift bags for all occasions and after we’ve opened our Christmas presents, she collects all the bags and stores them away to re-use next time.  Even when she wraps gifts with wrapping paper, she re-uses the bows and keeps any boxes that were used.  Very smart.

4) If you are hosting a party try not to let your left-overs go to waste.  Many times people make more food than their guests could ever eat.  Whether it’s because they aren’t sure what people will want to eat or they want to have a good variety, either way you probably don’t need to make quite as much as you think.  But if you do make extra, please save it for later or give it to your guests when they go home.

5) If you are doing any traveling over the holidays, first and foremost be safe.  If you are driving (or flying even) allow extra time for bad weather or traffic.  If you drive, ensure you have water, blankets, food in the car in case of emergency.  Another key is to ensure your tires are properly inflated/rotated, your oil is changed and you are filled up with the proper gasoline (a good fuel additive can help too).  These steps will help ensure your car is running properly and contributing less to harmful emissions.

6) The holidays are traditionally full of a variety of scents and smells.  Don’t get overwhelmed with the need to make the holidays “smell like the holidays”.  Too many scents can pollute the air and make people uncomfortable.  Be moderate in your use of holidays scents and candles.  You want a pleasant, fresh smell that everyone can enjoy.  Sometimes a fresh Christmas tree, some warm cookies or some fresh air are all that it takes.

7) If you haven’t made any donations yet, but want to make a green donation to help others in need….here are a few last minute gifts truly worth giving.

Last but not least…have a safe, happy and green holiday!  No matter where you are celebrating, remember to enjoy your time with family and friends.  All my best wishes to you and yours during this holiday season!

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When you made your list of family and friends you are giving presents to this holiday season, what kinds of gifts did you put on your list? Did you include anything on your list that is used? What about recycled? Anything you made by hand?  Do you have any charities or individuals in need on your gift-giving list?  If not, I hope that you will take a moment to revise your list and see if you can do some biofriendly giving this holiday season.

I’m not talking about being cheesy or anything, I’m talking about being creative.  I’m talking about not wasting perfectly good items or in some cases brand new items and either re-using them or gifting them to people who can and will use them.  Let me give you a few examples:

1) Take those toys your kids don’t play with anymore and donate them.  My kids have a number of toys they have either outgrown or just lost interest in.  Instead of throwing those toys away, we’ve been going through them and putting bins together to donate them.   We also have boxes of clothes they have grown out of that we are donating to a local charity.

2) Re-gift.  Yes, sometimes re-gifting is frowned upon, but think about it….is it better to have a gift sit on your shelf for years until you finally throw it out or better to give it to someone who will use it?  If you don’t feel right about re-gifting or you can’t remember who gave you the gift and don’t want to inadvertently give it back, then donate the gift.  There’s really no reason to clutter up your home with items you don’t use.

3) While you might be in a crunch to get last minute gifts, shopping online might not be your best option.  It might be the most convenient in terms of avoiding the post office at this time of year, but is it really the best choice in terms of environmental impact?  Believe it or not, there are companies who waste materials when they ship, so if you do resort to last minute online shopping, please request minimal packaging, i.e. there’s no reason for them to ship a small rattle in a huge box.

4) Give a simple gift to yourself and the environment, by recycling over the holidays.  Make an early resolution that from today until the end of the year you will see how many cans, bottles, etc you can recycle.  Then take them to a local recycling center and see how much you “saved”.  Not only will it prevent those recyclables from being put into a local landfill, but you will be able to earn a little extra cash for your efforts.

5) If you have some talent like baking, drawing, writing, singing, etc then consider giving simple, handmade gifts to your family that represent your talents.  I have kids and one of the things that their grandparents want more of are photos….so, I’m trying to put together a scrapbook for each set of grandparents this year.  (Hmmm…hopefully this will be one post my mom won’t read or else I’ve spoiled the present, but I think she’ll forgive me.)

6) When it comes to friends and co-workers, think twice about this one.  If you really do “need” to give them something this holiday season, then be smart about it.  Find something they can truly use.  Also look around for gifts that use recycled materials – they are much easier to find this year than years prior. Another option is to give them a card or even a gift card….have you seen Best Buy’s gift cards this holiday?  The card is made from recycled materials.

Basically, what it all comes down to is think before you give and please don’t forget to donate this holiday season to those less fortunate than you. I can pretty much guarantee there are at least two things in your home that you don’t really need or use.  Take a look and either re-gift or donate them.  There is no reason you can’t do some biofriendly giving this holiday season!

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I understand lowering emissions is probably not on the top of your list this holiday, but there is no reason it couldn’t be or shouldn’t be factored in. There are many different ways you can lower emissions this holiday season and I’m not just talking about emissions from your vehicle either. Emissions come from many sources: vehicles, animals, people, factories, food production, etc.  You can make your holiday great while at the same time being aware of the emissions you are generating.

Now, you may be expecting to read tips or ideas that include not traveling, using less electricity, buying local, not using your dishwasher or washer/dryer as much, getting a live tree, not buying as much in general, etc.  Those are all valid tips, but I figured I’d narrow it down to give you just a few travel and a few personal tips to get you through the holidays.

So, if you plan to do any traveling in your vehicle over the holidays, these tips can help make sure your trip is not only a safe one, but a low emission one as well:

1) Get your tires rotated and tire pressure checked. 90% of tire blowouts are caused by under-inflated tires. Having properly inflated tires not only helps with fuel economy and lowering emissions, but helps ensure you and your family have a safer trip.  Here are a few more tire safety tips.

2) At the same time you get your tires rotated, you should get your oil changed and fluids checked/filled up. Regular maintenance done on your vehicle will help keep it running better and running longer.  By getting your oil changed regularly, you help prevent sludge and carbon buildup that could increase harmful exhaust emissions and potentially cause serious damage to your car.  Additionally, use of a proven fuel additive can further reduce harmful emissions and improve fuel economy.

While they may be simple steps, each one can help improve your vehicle’s fuel economy, lower your emissions and keep you and your family safe this holiday. Now onto a few tips for helping to lower your emissions on a more personal level:

1) Pass up the meat this holiday…instead of having your usual holiday meal, have something that doesn’t include meat.  One of the largest sources of methane emissions comes from animal agriculture.  If you do plan on having meat, go for ham (pork) or poultry.  Apparently they generate significantly less CO2 emissions in their production than beef.  One kg of beef generates about 13 kg of CO2…essentially the same amount generated from 6 liters of gasoline.

2) Don’t make too much food.  I know my family always tried to ensure they had enough food on the table during the holidays, but did you know that the “US per capita food waste has progressively increased by about 50% since 1974“?  That’s a lot of food going to waste and since emissions are generated not only in the production and preparation of the food, but also in the decomposition of any leftovers, that is definitely something worth factoring in.  It’s better to make a little less to ensure that everyone has enough without food going to waste.

I won’t get into any further ideas for lowering emissions that can result from the holiday season, as I figured these few should give you a good start.  Let’s be honest, nobody needs a huge list of things to do in addition to all their existing holiday preparations.  But if you follow these simple tips, they can contribute to a happy holiday for yourself and the environment.