There are many traditions throughout the year but nothing compares to Earth Day, the day we remind we live in a place we should take care of all year. Why not make going green a tradition this year, as well?
Gift Giving
One of the best ways to go green in gift giving is to make your own gifts. Making your own gifts saves the environment in many ways. When you do not subscribe to the consumerism of buying store-bought goods, you let manufacturers know that less is more. Leaving that electronic gadget on the shelf means one less product that requires natural resources for the making, selling, and transporting of those goods.
If everyone made part of their holiday gift giving from scratch, the environment is served well. There are many ideas that you can use for homemade gift giving.
• Baked goods using farm fresh and natural ingredients from local farmers
• Knitting and crocheting using natural materials such as wool
• Sewing using natural materials such as cotton
• Quilt making from scraps of leftover pieces of material
• Reusing garage sale items and turning them into splendid gifts
Another great way to recycle and reuse is to make your wrapping paper from recycled materials. Material bags are beautiful and creative, as well. They are reusable from one person to another and make a great story.
Getting Warm and Toasty
Although we are in April already, there are days you might still get some chills. If you use clothing such as organic cotton layered underneath fleece, hemp, and wool, you will not feel the chill as much. This will give you the opportunity to lower your thermostat if needed and thus save energy.
If no one is home during the day, put the thermostat on a timer and keep it off all together. Have it come on just an hour before you arrive home to give you a warm welcome. In addition, using the stove to cook will warm up the room and utilizing your wood-burning stove or fireplace are wonderful and warm ways to cozy up at home.
Let the Candles Burn
If you are going to save electricity, one of the best ways to do so is to light those candles. However, if you want to stay green when it is gray outside, make sure that you utilize candles other than paraffin.
Paraffin is dangerous to the environment and to your health and there are other alternatives. Try using beeswax candles or soy candles to light your way through the cool winter months.
Candles give off plenty of light and little bit of heat, as well.
Think about using recycled paper for gift-wrapping while you are at it and conserve even more resources for the planet.
As you can see, there are many ways to go green while it is turning green outside.