by Karen Neumann

Created on: October 13, 2008   Last Updated: October 20, 2008

Earth Friendly seems to be the best trend we have seen in years! It appears as if the entire world population is pitching in and the positive results for our planet are uplifting. Let's not lose the momentum, in fact let's celebrate our "go green" efforts through Christmas giving. Are you a crafter? How about homemade Christmas Cards? Buy recycled paper, decorate with old Christmas cards, pine needles, photos, etc. and create your own message of the season. Crafters can use recycled items such as glass jars to fill with sand, place a tea light candle inside and fix a beaded wire around the mouth of jar as a decorative candle holder. Or how about a piece of white birch log, hot glue acorns, pinecones, buckeyes on it, drill two holes for taper candles and rest on a bed of pine needles for a festive centerpiece. Not crafty? Give to charity in someone's name, international or local. Buy a bus or train pass or even a bike as a eco friendly gift. Give the gift of yourself; reading stories at a school or library, sing songs with nursing home residents once a week, visit a children's ward in a hospital - armed with games, simple crafts and a big heart!

For travel, if you can take public transportation, do it! When shopping, get together with neighbors and friends and carpool; fun, less gas! Organize a good old-fashioned Christmas Caroling in your hometown. Instead of lighting up the whole neigborhood this year with bright lights, tone it down with homemade luminaries out of used tin cans, painted and a candle inside - easy!

And after the holiday; if using a real pine for Christmas decorating, when it is time to dump the tree, put it in a lake or pond as a haven for fish. Recycle your real pine wreaths and pine cones into fire starters by dipping them in melted crayons.

Carry through on being kind to Mother Earth through the Yuletide season. Tweek your Christmas traditions in an Earth Friendly way, you may be surprised by your own ingenunity!

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