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Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you find some helpful hints for organizing your time and space. My passions are to help you make home a refuge instead of a crisis center, and to help you function in peace rather than chaos - at home or at work. I have switched my main blog to 1-2-3 ... Get Organized on WordPress, so please visit me there.



Tuesday, December 14, 2010

More Clutter-Free Ideas for Christmas

    
Our winter blizzard is in full swing here in northeast Ohio. We have at least 12 inches of snow, although it's hard to tell how much with the blowing and drifting. The storm doesn't end until Wednesday morning at 7 am. 

Thankfully, I have all my Christmas shopping done except for a couple of online gifts. If you still need some non-clutter ideas for Christmas gifts, the Savannah Morning News ran the following article on how to have a green Christmas:

"The director of the Office of Sustainability at Georgia Southern University suggests the notion of being environmentally conscious can be extended into 'green' giving at Christmas.

Lissa Leege says you just try to buy from companies that protect the environment, consider a product's waste output, and give experiences or items that can be reused or recycled.

Her top 10 gift ideas include:
1) Give experiences instead of "stuff" - concert tickets, a week of making dinner, a coupon booklet for backrubs - anything that reduces waste and clutter.

2) Consider "green" technology - a wireless reading device, such as a Kindle, or the new Sony Elm or a smart phone made from recycled plastic.

3) A canvas bag of personalized environmentally friendly items such as a travel mug, a reusable water bottle and an organic pillow case.

4) Couples can give their homes a 'green' treat - an inexpensive low flow showerhead; lights with automatic shut-off; a new, programmable thermostat; a scanner to cut back on clutter and manage bills/files electronically.

5) Give gifts built to last - sturdy wooden toys rather than cheap plastic that will break on Christmas morning.

6) Consider organic or recycled cotton clothing to avoid the intensive pesticides required for conventional cotton production.

7) Buy locally made products as much as possible to avoid transportation costs and emissions.

8) Plant a tree together.

9) Even fashion can be "green" - solar powered watches, earth-friendly lines of shoes, bags and other accessories.

10) Make a donation in his/her name to a favorite nonprofit organization."

More on having a green Christmas:

Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 8 - Give Memories, Not Clutter

Turn Holiday Clutter into Classroom Treasure

Repurposing Your Christmas Cards into a Year-Round Memory