Green Gift Guide
Green Decorating Ideas
Green Holiday Tips
Green Gift Guide
1. Solar Bags: You can now charge your cell phone, mp3 player, and any other electronic gear you carry around while you’re carrying it around. Solar bags are a genius new way to harness the sunlight you enjoy while walking to work or lunch and using it to charge all that needs charging in your bag. Check out the bags for sale at Voltaic and NoonSolar.
2. Green IQ Test: Give the gift of knowledge with the Earth-Friendly House Cards or Earth-Friendly Garden Cards from Knowledge Cards. Each quiz deck is meant to teach players how they can make their house or garden greener. Speaking from experience, this a terrific gift idea to be on the receiving end of. A portion of the proceeds earned from the sales of this deck of Knowledge Cards will be donated to International Rivers Network, Natural Resources Defense Council, and WildAid.
3. Gorgeous, Green Jewelry: Molly M Designs’ Botanicals line of beautifully designed jewelry is crafted from sustainable materials. Molly, the designer, uses the veneer of two different species of bamboo, recycled suede, felt, and wool to create absolutely stunning earrings and pendants. Bamboo, because it is a rapidly renewable material with a growth cycle of just 3-5 years, is one of the most sustainable wood products out there. The felt and wool Molly uses are salvaged from surplus army clothing and the suede is reclaimed from second hand jackets.
4. Organic Tea for Two: I love Numi teas and this year they’re offering the perfect holiday gift: the Single Origins Tea Set. This beautiful tea set contains four Organic Single Origins Teas, a hand-crafted ceramic 16 oz. teapot with strainer, and two matching 4 oz. teacups. The four organic teas included in the set are a fair trade white rose tea, a fair trade black Darjeeling tea, a green tea, and an herbal teasan. The lovely teapot and teacups are adorned with a flower motif.
5. World of Good: One of the best parts about shopping for gifts is imagining how happy your friend or family member will be upon receiving your gift. Well, when you shop at WorldofGood.com by eBay, you also get to imagine how happy the producers of the gift will be when you purchase their handiwork. You will not only have the opportunity to buy “people positive” and “planet posit
ive” gifts, but you can also see the faces and read the stories of the artisans who you will be supporting through our purchase.
6. Eco-Sheath: Available from VivaTerra, these bamboo box knife holders are an ingenuous, stylish, and eco-friendly way to stow kitchen knives without dulling their blades. Hundreds of slender bamboo skewers fill the interior of the stable bamboo rectangles, providing a safe, secure cushion for knives. The b
oxes come in two sizes, one for taller and one for shorter knives. A perfect gift for the green-minded gourmand.
7. Good Fruitcake for a Good Cause: One of our favorite holiday gift ideas is one we received (and devoured) at the office this year: brandy-dipped fruitcake made by the monks of the New Camaldoli Hermitage of Big Sur. Made using a decades old recipe, the Hermitage’s brandy-dipped fruitcakes and date-nut cakes are moist, delicious, well reviewed by food experts, fruitcake lovers, and even fruitcake skeptics. Forget the bad rap that fruitcakes get; these make a perfect holiday gift.
8. Prefab Green: We are so pleased to announce the upcoming release of our book, Prefab Green, 
which is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Prefab Green details our company’s vision of creating thoughtful, sustainable design for everyone. The book explains how MKD blends sustainable home layouts, eco-friendly materials, and low-energy options to create a “prepackaged” green solution to home design. And, of course, it discusses our 5 EcoPrinciples, which are present in every design we create and how they work together to create homes that make a difference for the planet. The fact that you can pre-order the book makes i
t the perfect solution for anyone who waits until the last minute to buy gifts since you’ll have a terrific excuse for why it’s showing up late!
9. Beans to Break the Poverty Cycle: The mission of the Women’s Bean Project is “to teach, through on-site businesses, workplace competencies for entry level positions to women who come from background of chronic unemployment and poverty”. They employ these women to create delicious bean and other food products that make great gifts. Buy some for a friend and know that you’re supporting these women to break the cycle of poverty!
Green Decorating Ideas
1. Fill large glass bowls or hurricane vases with pine cones. For a touch of color, interlace a piece of evergreen garland through the pine cones or something more novel such as oranges, pomegranates, or artichokes. Place the arrangements on surfaces throughout the house.
2. Instead of buying a wreath, go to your local tree lot and pickup some of the evergreen scraps that they’re sure to have laying around in abundance. Then all you need is a wire wreath frame, which you can buy at any craft store. Wrap the pieces into the frame and add whatever details (pine cones ribbon, etc) you like. Once the season’s over, you can compost the greenery and save the frame for next year. You can also experiment with different types of flora, such as leaves, flowers, twigs, or a combination of any of these.
3. The story of Hanukkah is one of the best energy conservation stories in history: one day’s worth of oil miraculously ended up lasting for eight. Now, through the miracle of modern day technology, you too can have a super energy efficient menorah. Instead of candles, the LED Motherboard Menorah uses LED lights, which makes it an especially nice option for anyone with sensitivities to smoke or who prefers to avoid fire hazards. Each LED has an individual switch so you can light them all one by one. Adding to the eco-friendliness is the fact that this menorah is made from recycle
d motherboard.
4. Tired of the fake vs. real Christmas tree debate? Opt for one of Vertige’s recycled glass Christmas trees, each one handcrafted by award-winning designer Jacques Rivard. You have a choice between a clear glass or sand glass tree, each style available in a range of heights between two and one feet. You may not be able to hang ornaments on them, but these unique trees come with the dazzle built-in, so no need to worry about missing out on the holiday cheer.
5. If you have a wood burning fireplace, there’s a greener, healthier option than traditional starter logs when it comes to getting a fire going
We love the wonderful fragrant lavender fire starters from Lavender Fanatic, which are made from the stems leftover after making their wide variety of other lavender products. Java-Logs, a combo of spent coffee grounds and special blends of vegetable oils, are yet another flavor of starter log that uses clean, renewable energy. If you’re feeling espe
cially crafty, you can make your own starter logs out of old newspapers by getting yourself a Newspaper Log Roller.
6. If you’re looking for a sign that shows the way toward a greener holiday then look no further than Boris Bally’s “ever-green” wreaths. Handmade from retired aluminum traffic signs that might otherwise end up in a landfill, these lightweight wreaths mount securely to any door or wall. Since they were designed to weather the elements in their previous lives, the aluminum signs make for super durable wreaths that will last a lifetime. The wreaths come in two sizes, the larger of which is available in five different colors. Of course, the actual appearance of each wreath will vary slightly, depending on the recycled signs ava
ilable.
7. A healthy, green alternative to a wood burning holiday fire is to clean out your fireplace and replace the grate with an elegant fireplace candelabra like this one made from sleek wrought iron. Place beeswax candles on the platforms, light them, and then enjoy the warmth and glow of fire without having to worry about indoor and outdoor air pollution. You can also opt for candles scented with special holiday fragrances such as cinnamon or pine.
8. Global Exchange is an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political and social justice. One of the ways they promote that platform is through their Fair Trade Stores, all of which set an example of working responsibly with world craft producers. Their retail operations generate income for thousands of artisans and their families in over 40 countries by operating according to fair trade criteria. For the holiday season, Global Exchange is offering this beautiful menorah hand-made by their partners in a fair trade workshop in El Salvador. It’s made from pine taken from a Chilean reforesting project and finished with water-based, toxin-free paint.
Green Holiday Tips
Hang holiday lights that also celebrate the Earth
Twice the green: Solar powered LED lights
Choosing a Christmas tree? Keep it real
The clean, green way to start a fire
Show goodwill toward Earth: buy organic, buy local
Instead of buying cards for sending greetings and thank you notes, make your own plantable paper cards out of junk mail. Check out our Green It Yourself video to learn how. Or click here to download the DIY guide. You can also buy plantable cards if you don’t have time to make your own. We love Green Field Paper Company’s Grow A Note cards.
Make take-out nights a waste-free event by asking restaurants to hold the plastic utensils and condiment packets...
