Green Living
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Fun, green gift ideas?
Well its getting to be that time of year... and I'm trying to think of some fun, green ideas especially for my mom (who is pretty green).
Re: Fun, green gift ideas?
You could always make things, like make your own pasta sauce and put it in mason jars. Or I love making recipe cards for people on recycled paper. (no one in my family seems to be able to cook but me)
You can always make your own soaps. There are tons of recipes out there for vegan soaps!
Or you can get a lot of green products (soaps, clothes, accessories) from etsy.com!
Check out the craft boards for inspiration.
I'm sick of "stuff", so I'm thinking more of experiences or favors (and I'm poor, so thinking cheap
). I'm not sure how close you live to mom, but maybe have a special mom/daughter day - do something green like tour a local organic farm or make laundry soap, do some canning or do something outdoorsy - hike, bike ride, boating. Or in the favor category, offer to help green clean her house or help her research a greener way of doing something (maybe she needs a new appliance, new recipes, a greener way to dispose of something, etc). You could make up a local green guide for her if there isn't already one for her area.
For stuff, does she have reusable produce bags, baggies, un-paper towels...? Or make some sort of memory/photo album.
Not to be difficult but...
I was thinking more along the lines of the fun new products they show in the early pages of green magazines.
I'm not good at making crafts and have little time to go with the little skill. Its just not happening.
I've bought her etsy bath stuff, etc before, and she's very green and has reusable bags, dryer balls etc.
I'd love to do something with her, but we live far apart and see each other very rarely. For this reason a photo album or a memory book would be more than challenging as well. We do get some 'green' magazines together and discuss them, but we already do that, so that doesn't work as a new idea!
I am not a big 'stuff' person either nor is she, but I was thinking if it was green and somehow simplified her life... I don't know... wishful imaginary product where are you??
How about these:
to go containers
http://www.to-goware.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=4
http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/food-storage-c-66.html
http://lunchbots.com/
utensils
http://www.to-goware.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=7
http://www.glassdharma.com/
lunch boxes, etc:
http://www.planetbox.com/index.html
http://www.grazeorganic.com/
http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/bags-c-78.html
http://www.reuseit.com/
You could get her a subscription to something like Natural Health magazine. I just found it last week and fell in love with it.
http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/
OR not entirely a green idea but you can go to spicemerchants.biz and get one of their super awesome spice kits (if your mom cooks or bakes) They also have gluten and salt free soup mixes, teas and coffees.
You could "adopt a sea creature" Basically you make a donation to conserving ocean eco systems in your moms name. You get a cookie cutter or stuffed animal if you want for the donation.
http://takeaction.oceana.org/t/7423/content.jsp?content_KEY=4144
I just stocked up on solid shampoo from this place:
http://www.ocanadasoapworks.com/index.php?page=categories/index.php&catid=9
Most soap-making people (on etsy or IRL) have similar products, and every one I've tried has been awesome. Saves on packaging (a bit of paper vs. a big plastic bottle), time and additional products(no conditioner required!), and has entirely green ingredients (no SLS! I can pronounce everything!).
Organic wine is always a winner, too.
Oooh - on the clothing front, Me to We is organic, ethically made, and the proceeds go to charity:
http://www.metowestyle.com/Women_s/23.htm
They did the t-shirts for a conference I was at last week - great quality.
These are fun too: http://www.justbe.net/ (and local to me!).
Does she already have a Soda Stream?
Does she like to can? You could get her some canning stuff if she doesn't already do this.
Along the lines of making a donation, I think you can "save a cow" or some sort of livestock, or maybe it's donate livestock to a third world country...both ideas are good, you'll just have to search if you're interested in this option.
Does she have a steam mop or handheld steam cleaner? I can pretty much clean my whole entire house with just those two things.
Maybe a care package of sorts? A mason jar of beans and spices for soup, and a different mason jar of cocoa fixins (or an organic wine, like pp suggested) and some fuzzy socks or a DVD?
Pots and seeds?
ETA: Clearly I should have thought longer before I hit 'post'. What about paying her fees at her local co-op or something?
These are awesome ideas, thank you!!
That reminds me that I love 'adopting' animals for people as gifts! Paying her co-op fees or something similar local is a great idea too. And lots of neat ideas for gadgets and t-shirts!
I might actually get this done on time this year.