Columnists

I’m trying to make sure that most of the gifts I give this year are “green.” To me, that means thinking about where they’re made (Canada is best, North America second best), what they’re made of (recycled materials? sustainable materials? recyclable materials?) and who makes them (co-operatives? artisans? small businesses?).

The December/January issue of Homemakers features a story called “Good Gifts” written by Bonnie Schiedel; I think this story exemplifies Homemakers in that it’s items that are healthy and/or healthy for the planet that were developed by Canadians; most of the items are also made in Canada. From fruit jackets to reuseable produce bags to fab jewelry made with old jewelry, our roundup of gifts should leave both the giver and the recipient feeling great.

I’ve come across some other terrific green gifts since working on that story with Bonnie. I’ll add to this list, and welcome you to comment to add to the list too. (Note that there may be a delay before you see your comment, since I have to approve some comments.)

- A squirrel-proof bird feeder (I got one last year, it’s great!)
- A donation in your recipient’s name to a local land trust or other environmental charity
- At Kilakitu, you can buy “Kenyan Cowboy” shirts, made with recycled shirts from clothing markets in Nairobi.
- Organic beauty products, particularly those containing soothing ingredients such as shea butter, olive oil and avocado
- A luxurious rain-style low-flow showerhead
- Beautiful, sustainably made baskets from Ten Thousand Villages
- A hand-made wood or bamboo cutting board (these are often made from choice shop scraps. Choose one made with maple or another hardwood).
I’ll add more green gift ideas in the coming days!

It’s December 1st, and I’m looking at a long holiday To Do list. I absolutely love the Christmas holidays and all the traditions that go with it. (Here’s a story about Homemakers’ staff’s favourite holiday traditions.)

One of the ways I’d like to make the holidays a little greener is through Christmas ecards, since I can reduce energy use on card manufacture and delivery, and perhaps save a tree or two.

The trouble is, some of my friends really like getting that letter in the mail. For them, I seek out cards printed on recycled paper from shops such as Pistachio and from independent artisans . If I were really ambitious I’d make my own cards, perhaps using scraps of reused material. (I’m thinking bits of nice paper and ribbon, not foil vapour barrier and rusty nails from my basement reno!)

For those who find an inbox greeting as nice as a mailbox greeting, I could send animated cards like these from artist Kim Hunter.

Do you have a favourite ecard site for holiday greetings? Do you still prefer to get a Christmas card in the mail?