Christmas is just around the corner, and at my house–and I suspect at many others–we prepare for the holiday by cleaning out drawers and closets and sorting through bins of toys. We are not just preparing to entertain guests, but also trying to get organized in anticipation of more “stuff” arriving. I love the spirit of generosity that comes with Christmas, but sometimes I wish there were fewer boxes and less plastic involved. So this year I am trying to think about giving gifts that are greener. My goal is to come up with gifts for the whole family that either use less material, use recycled materials, or support green causes.
If you also are hoping for a happy Christmas that involves less waste, here are a few ideas for green gifts:
1. Instead of a toy, take your child to a concert or play. Last year I took my niece and nephew to Blue Man Group in New York City and they loved it. This year my 11 year old wants to go see Adele or Taylor Swift. I am not sure how I am going to manage that, but I will give it a try!
2. If toys under the tree are a must, look for toys made by sustainable, socially conscious companies like Manny and Simon. The their wooden toys are so great looking you won’t mind finding them strewn across the floor, and they are sufficiently durable that you could pass them along to friends or younger siblings when your child outgrows them.
3. Set someone up as a beekeeper. I know this is a crazy one, but honestly it is not that hard (we have had bees for a couple of years now) and it is a great thing to get involved in. Bees are critical to the health of our ecosystem. Backyard beekeepers are very important to maintaining the health and diversity of the bee population. This is a fun hobby that does not require too much time, and everyone in the family can get involved. Check out buildabeehive.com for equipment. If you are feeling a little less ambitious, but like the idea of a backyard nature project, get a great bird feeder, a birding book and a notebook and start tracking which birds travel by your window. My parents gave me a bird feeder a couple years ago and I love seeing the cardinals and chickadees, and even the occasional red bellied woodpecker!
4. Make a gift in a loved ones name by buying farm animals through the Heifer Foundation. With animals ranging in size and cost from a chicken to a water buffalo, this is a fun way to support people in developing countries—and a nice way to “own” a water buffalo without having to actually care for it!
5. Cosmetics from Africa made from sustainably harvested tree oils. Bio Oleos de Miombo
6. Flowers of the month from White Flower Farm. In the depths of winter nothing is better than a little something green to remind you spring will come.
7. Make some homemade treats. I was recently in a cute local bakery and they had mason jars filled with all the dry ingredients for chocolate chip cookies and brownies made with real cocoa. This is a great hostess gift or stocking stuffer, and it is easy to make several jars at a time to cross off a few people on your list. I also think homemade jam is a great gift—my mom would always deliver jars of strawberry and blueberry preserves to the neighbors at Christmas time.
8. Photo albums. I am amazed how often I find one of my kids curled up on the sofa poring through photo albums. When I started making an annual summer album, I thought it would be the adults who enjoyed them now, and the kids would appreciate them later, but really I think the kids enjoy them the most. Of all the gifts I make, the albums seem to have the most enduring appeal. I am not very crafty, pr
ojects involving glue usually end badly for me, so I like to make photo books using the Apple Store. Of course many sites offer digital album creation, CVS even does them in one day which is pretty handy. Of course those of you who navigate Michaels with ease can do something much fancier, but at the end of the day, no matter how you get it done, putting together a real book of photos that you can actually hold in your hands is still an amazing gift that everyone seems to love.
9. Organize a family outing. Everyone is so busy these days, pick a day or a weekend this winter and plan a great day. If you live near a big city, plan a day’s worth of activities there. If you prefer the outdoors, visit a National Park or hike a section of the Appalachian Trail. Make it a culinary adventure and seek out that amazing hole-in-the-wall restaurant or food truck everyone is blogging about. I lived in New York City for 11 years and have never been to the top of the Empire State Building, I also have yet to visit Ellis Island, and my kids have not really had a proper Chinatown dim sum. I might plan a day trip including those highlights. I would also love to take the kids to Montreal (a bit more ambitious, but still not too far).
10. The lovely thing about books is that they are imminently recyclable—we all can read them over and over again, pass them down within our families, and then share them with our communities as well. I recommend buying any book by Maira Kalman. 
I think she is a complete genius as a writer and as an artist. There are some writers of children’s books, like Roald Dahl, who manage to write in a way that is more profound, and yet funnier, than almost any writer who is writing for adults. I think Maira Kalman does that. Also, there is a lyrical quality to her work that makes it even more unique. What Pete Ate is a family favorite, and her book Fireboat is one of the best children’s books about 9/11.
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