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Rushing into the madness of holiday shopping, many of us stumble into a dilemma when searching for that elusive perfect gift for loved ones. Often times, we travel away from home to do our holiday shopping- sometimes this bears fruit, but mostly, we waste gas and find nothing we cannot find in our own hometown. We yearn to find a personal gift for each person on our list, yet we ultimately settle for impersonal presents and wonder if these items are destined for closet storage, eBay or re-gifting. This year, let's do something different. Why waste gas and distribute clutter when we can offer personalized gifts from our community and help protect the environment, too? Green gifting provides the opportunity to give practical gifts with the added bonus of community support and conservation.

The first step to green gifting is a moment of thought about each person on your list. What are their hobbies, needs and interests? Which members of your list are environmentally conscious consumers? Thoughtful gifts abound, from time-consuming to simple, for those who share your interest in the environment; additionally, you can still do your part while shopping for those whose earthly awareness is yet to peak.

While choosing gifts for those who enjoy conservation efforts- have fun and get creative! Appealing storage for recyclables is tough to come by, so help efforts along with easily accessible, decorative recycling bins. Start with sturdy, lidded containers, sized to hold a small kitchen garbage bag. Imagine the decor of the recipient's home and get crafty in choosing an enclosing for the bins. So, your sister loves primitive country style? Frame the bins with wood- finish them to an aged look, adhere stencils, tin stars, fabric cut outs of themed items and attach a chalkboard to each bin for marking of it's contents. Any style of decor is attainable with arts and crafts supplies.

A simpler alternative is a simple solution. Homemade or store bought goods for personal and home care delight the senses and help protect the environment. Armed with a few essential oils, you can create powerful, cost-effective cleaners and attach the recipe for a continuous gift. Does your mother spring to the scent of citrus? Round up a re-usable bottle with spray nozzle, orange essential oil, castile soap, water and vinegar- don't worry, the oil scent overrides the vinegar. Recipes scatter the Internet for homemade products, as do websites for earth friendly personal care products prepared for order, such as soaps, bath salts and shampoos.

Don't have the time or patience for creating a mess to create gifts? No problem! Think back to the interests and hobbies of those you wish to gift. Now, think of the clubs and establishments of your community. Do you see any matches? Your nephew loves movies, so a gift certificate to the theater is sure to please him. Your niece longs to be a ballerina, well- a season of dance classes will send her whirling around on tiptoes. Does your spouse suffer a morning latte addiction? Your local coffee shop will happily fill a gift card for their daily rush.

We have boundless opportunities at our disposal for offering great gifts without the stress of scanning endless malls and stores. Let's help others jump one step closer to a fulfilling holiday season and help our environment too. Thoughtful, re-usable gifting benefits us all in enjoying the spirit of the holidays.

Learn more about this author, Katrina Murphy.
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