holidays

I've gotten a lot of questions recently on the environmental impact of Christmas tree. What's best- an all natural real pine or an artificial tree that'll last you a few years? Here's the dirt on real v. faux:

To take good care of the planet, you need to take care of yourself first. Last night Ali Shapiro, Health Counselor and Director of Integrative Nutritional Counseling, and Nicole Lipkin owner and Executive Director of Equilibria Psychological & Consultation Services hosted an event focusing on the importance of taking care of your body (your temple!) and mind. Ali & Nicole are both impressively knowledgeable in their own rights, and I would recommend anyone seeking help in their areas of expertise to give their services a try. Here's just a few things I took away from the discussion last night:

Planning a Christmas or Hanukkah holiday party soon? Send out invites electronically rather than in snail mail - They'll get to your guests faster, be easier to track guest responses, and save paper (& trees!)

Fretting over what to give this holiday season? Try giving gift cards instead of presents. Gift cards are more useful and green then conventional presents - there's less packaging involved, and the recipient can choose what they really want. Worried about retail stores going under?

Green Perspective combines two of my favorite things - environmentally-friendly gifts and convenient on-line shopping. Green Perspective, a Philadelphia-based company, offers green gift baskets with themes like "Green Your Kitchen" and "Eco-Mom" that you can easily align to the needs of the recipient (or yourself!). Trying to get a friend or family member on the green wave? Check out the beginner “greenie” gift bag Intro to Green (though with items like a bamboo cutting board, reusable travel mug and envirosax bag, this a gift that anyone would find practical use for - hint, hint friends & fam!) The pre-filled gift baskets mean you don’t have to deal with tedious decision-making. We could all use a lot less of the ‘what should I get them??’ gift-giving grief around the holidays.

Getting ready for Turkey day preparations? The biggest travel day of the year surely makes an enviromental impact ... so here's 6 ways to help you green your Thanksgiving meal: