Earth Friendly Gift Ideas from our December Newsletter

• You can create chore coupons listing a favor (like weeding), a load of fire wood, dinner at your house, or your favorite casserole delivered to your friend’s door.
• Go to Greenamerica.org to see a wide variety of holiday gift ideas that are kind to Mother Nature. http://www.greenamerica.org/guides/holidaygifts/ Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
• Give the gift of energy saving: a wattage meter (about $20 to $30.) that will help people find out how much electricity their coffee maker, fridge, computer, television, etc. uses—including the phantom power when the appliances is presumably shut off. There are also more complicated and expensive ($200 or so) gadgets (one is called the The Energy Detective or TED) that monitor your electricity use all around the house, and help you make smart usage choices.
• An LED bulb is a great gift. It will save the user lots of money! They now come in several varieties, including a lovely soft white.
• Do you have gardening friends? Fill a garden tote with seeds, garden tools, gardening books, etc. Also, check out www.earthbox.com for self-contained self-watering planting systems. Nothing like reminding people of the promise of spring in the dark of winter!
• Give a gift membership to our own organization, SEEDS. Family membership is only $10. OR, make a larger donation in honor of someone. It will help us keep our very valuable Executive Director in her position!
• Give a basket of healthy green cleaning supplies–might not be the most fun gift, but, point out that you are helping to keep the recipient healthier!
• Shop locally for your gifts. It helps support your community and saves transportation costs.
• Create a gift basket or fill a re-usable grocery bag with locally made items.
•  Do you make pottery, grow things, sew things, weave, bake, or paint? Home-made or home-grown gifts are really from the heart.

And don’t forget about a gift for yourself and your community! Volunteering is such a rewarding and fulfilling service. There are many great causes in our community, but please consider donating your time to SEEDS. We have lots of opportunities for you to get involved and it would really help us with our mission…

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