"I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas, just like the ones we used to know"....

The holiday season for most of us stirs up childhood nostalgia as we re-live those memories with our families. This year, I am going to get really nostalgic- and am reflecting back to a time when we weren't surrounded by imported plastic from China. I am showing my age here, but there was a time for me when Christmas was not associated with consumerism, and simple traditions were more sustainable and organic. I decided that this year, my holidays were going to be simpler and greener.

Soon after this realization, I was afraid that my new holiday habits would resemble a Charlie Brown scene, but then I reflected that the Christmas of my youth was not about excess, but about simple pleasures such as singing carols, making home-made Christmas decorations and cards, going to the theater, baking, enjoying the lights and smells of the city of London (on a double-decker bus), and most importantly, family togetherness. So, "Bah Humbug" I say. I hope that you will join me in the quest for a green(er) Christmas.

• I will wrap my presents with fabric and ask my recipients to recycle it. All they have to do is wash it and re-use it again and again. I may even go raid my husband's closet and sneek out those clothes he will never wear, but keeps! If anyone snickers I will tell them that in the U.S. alone, an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays. Four million tons of this is wrapping paper and shopping bags. CleanAir.org
• I will not buy ornaments, but will have my kids make them. As a girl, I used to recycle the previous year's Christmas cards by making them into spectacular ornaments and garlands; that's what my mom said anyway!
• I will hang a few lights just to keep the peace with my kids, but I will use energy efficient LED ones and be diligent about turning them off at night.
• I will buy locally rather than relying on Amazon and shops far away.
• I will buy presents that are not heavily packaged. I am determined to end up with my usual garbage quantity instead of an overflowing bin.
• I will buy a live Christmas tree and plant it outside. I have done this in the past and have several large trees in my yard from prior years. This is impractical if you have no room to plant it afterwards. This company actually rents them out: LivingChristmasTrees.org. Another option is to buy a real tree, preferably locally, and recycle it properly. See this site for local resources: Earth911.com.
• I will send e-cards which is very convenient as this is far easier than real cards. What a great excuse.
• I will try to find balance and moderation in all that I do.........Well, maybe not completely!!!!

Have a Cool Yule! Peace on Earth.