Being that yesterday was our Buy Nothing Day Challenge here at THF, I waited until today to post this news. (But it’s good).

This year bloggers from around b5media’s Lifestyles, Health and Wellness channels are giving readers a special surprise. We’ve created a virtual mall to help ease the anxiety of shopping for those on your holiday list who may be a little more difficult to buy for.

This is a cool new feature, because it means you never need to leave your house to get all your holiday shopping done. Plus, with all these bloggers offering gifts related to their blog topics, you’re sure to find one or two lists to adore.

You can start here at Tree Hugging Family where I’ve got a big ol’ eco-shop full of gift ideas that can help you and your family stay green all year long.

At Offbeat Homes I’ve got a gift shop full of strange and unique gift ideas (plus of course, plenty of cool house related items). Then at Declutter It, I’ve got oodles of time management and organization minded gift ideas.

Other amazing holiday shops around the channels… 

Stop by Kettle and Cup and select your favorite hot beverage, kick back and browse this years Holiday Gift Guide Shopping Extravaganza.

At All Holiday Cafe Katelyn has set up all kinds of amazing holiday minded gifts – stuff to make you and yours feel extra merry.

Cherie from Career and Kids has the perfect list for the business woman/working parent.

Mary Emma from One Book Two Book shares a suggest shopping list for the avid reader and artist on your list.

Everyone knows what to get a jewelry lover – but do you know what to get one who loves to make jewelry? Cyndi at Jewelry and Beading has the answer!

Cherie at Diabetes Notes shares gift ideas to keep those visions of sugar plum fairies dancing for the diabetics on your list.

Chloe at The Doggy Blog shares an adorable wish list as written to Santa Paws.

Christine at Mad Cropper knows how to please those who are crazy about scrapbooking during the holiday season.

Quilters anyone? This unique craft makes for the tougher shopping experience – but that’s so yesterday considering we have a pro in our corner. Let Mary Emma at Quilting and Patchwork help you pick out the perfect gift.

Angela from Breastfeeding 1-2-3 provides a list of gifts for the breastfeeding mother on your list.

So maybe giving kitchen appliances isn’t the best idea – but what about a cool and unique Cooking Gadget? I’d say your bound to surprise the cook on your list with something from Cyndi’s list.

Peggy at Lively Women has put together a list of gift ideas for the health conscious female on your list.

Christine at Our One Heart shares tips and gift ideas to keep that Bride-to-Be happy during the Christmas season.

Tracee at BlogFabulous has put together an amazing store displaying gift ideas for the woman’s woman.

Christmas is for everyone and shopping for an Alzheimer’s patients can present a challenge – allow Mary Emma at Alzheimer’s Notes helps you overcome that challenge and get on to the joys of the season.

Do you have a fabric-aholic or a needlehead on your Christmas list? Don’t get them the same old boring sing-song gift – let Chloe at Tangled Thread help you pick the perfect gift.

Unique gift ideas for the mixed media art lover on your list is what Cyndi from Layers Upon Layers has on display.

Have an aspiring to advanced chef on your list this year? Cyndi at Busy Family Meals has an extensive list to cover every stage of cooking from beginner to pro.

Eliza has pieced together a shop that covers mom, dad and baby at Babylune. Why leave anyone out?

Heather at The Food Bowl is taking care of pets and their people with a fun list that’s bound to connect you with the perfect gift.

Did someone say chocolate? Heather at Chocolate Bytes did! Our resident chocolate expert has put together sweetest gift shop you won’t want to miss.

Who says married couples are boring? Check out the letters to Santa as shared by Marc and Marye of Marriage Actually and see what might appeal to the married couple on your list.

Don’t forget about that single and dating friend or relative! We all know how difficult it can be to buy for them – Lucky for us we have Dating Dames and the Dames have the answers.

It’s never too early to start buying for your favorite gardener and Linette at Mother Earth’s Garden has a wonderful list to help you decide.

Linette at Play Library is haring the Best of Toys list this year – check out what’s hot and get to buying! We know how quick those hot toys sell out every year.

Have someone on your list who always hosts the best parties? Surprise that person with a unique gift as recommended by Linette at She Knows Parties!

Marcie from One Book Two Book and A Child Chosen shares a wonderful shopping list she’s broken down by age groups and hobbies.

Whether it’s tea or coffee you are looking for, Marye from Kettle and Cup has unique gift ideas that’s sure to add a little spice to your favorite hot beverage.

Haven’t figured out just how to shop for the junk lover and crafter on your list? Let Peggy from Junk Creation assist you with your selection.

Susan from Grounded Fitness has a little something for the health and fitness buff on your shopping list.

And last but certainly not least, Gayla has compiled a list of MomGadget Favorites – A Year in Review 2008 instead of a storefront for you to shop.

From all of us at Lifestyles – Health & Wellness

We wish you and yours a very Merry Holiday Season and a wonderful 2009!

Tomorrow is Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day. I already know what I’m planning on doing. Have you decided? If you’re leaning toward Buy Nothing Day, but still need a little help deciding what you can do, here are some activities you can try tomorrow…

1. Find a BND event.
2. Do the obvious – hang with the family, have a cookie baking day, play games, go for a walk, plant a tree, play dress-up, sing, make some crafts, it’s a great day to find a family activity.
3. Go to a store, but not to shop, instead stick one of these up quietly.
4. Get started on a Buy Nothing Christmas. As BND advocates note, if a Buy Nothing Christmas is too extreme, try selling your family on, “A Buy Less Christmas. Or a $100 Christmas. Or a Regifting Christmas. Or a Green Christmas. Or a Slow-Down Christmas.”
5. Join the New Dream Community (all you need is an email). Once you join you’ll gain access to FREE booklets on the following topics:

• Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture
• Good Times Made Simple: The Lost Art of Fun
• Simplify the Holidays
• Back to School Buying and Action Guide
• Alternative Gift Fair Guide

Other good reads: 

• Give the gift of time this holiday season
• It’s not green Friday folks…
• Buy Nothing Day Tips
• Hypocritical me & the stuff issue
• Homemade Eco Gifts You Can Make for the Holidays!

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

I hope all my U.S. readers, who celebrate, have a wonderful Thanksgiving day. Don’t forget to make some time to get your family and friends outside this holiday; you’ve got some extra time, and nothing is as pretty as nature in autumn.

One way to save money and reuse materials during the holiday season is to make your own cards. Tree Hugging Family is going to help you do just that with this new, cool, giveaway…

What you can win:  Two lucky Tree Hugging Family winners will win a copy of the #1 card making software, Hallmark Card Studio Deluxe 2009.This software is super slick, full of features, and family friendly. (Watch for my upcoming review of this software’s full features).

Who can enter: Not me. If you happen to be a girl named Jennifer who blogs here at Tree Hugging Family; well, don’t enter. Are you someone else? You’re good to go.

Giveaway duration:

• Starting… now (go)!
• Ending December 7th, 2008 at midnight Pacific Coast time.

How to win this giveaway:
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You planned the food, you planned the table top, you sort of cleaned up, but YIKES, you forgot the smell of old sneakers coming from your kid’s room and the bathroom, well…

Here’s how to scent your home naturally and super fast for Thanksgiving. 

1. Whip up a quick batch of homemade scents:

• Homemade Spicy Apple Air Freshener
• Pennyroyal, Cinnamon, & Lavender Air Freshener

2. Toss some orange or lemon peels into your disposal, add a pinch of baking soda, run some water, and grind away.

3. Fill a spray bottle with plain old water (about two cups), add three drops of orange essential oil, (or another scent), spray lightly around your house, and even on fabrics – make sure you don’t spray this on white linens, as the oil might leave a visible mark.

4. Grab a pot. Fill it with water. Add some whole cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, a dash of ground nutmeg, and boil on your stove top. Alternatively, use this water mix in a bowl that sits on your wood stove or burn this in a water diffuser.

5. Kill two birds with one stone, and make Hot Spiced Cranberry Punch. You get a beverage and air freshener. 

6. To spiffy up a bathroom super fast, take an old cleaning cloth (small one), drop 8 drops of your fave essential oil onto the cloth,  and hide behind the toilet, in a drawer, or at the bottom of your waste basket. Your whole bathroom will smell much better.

Next up, I’ll be getting that new contest I previously mentioned posted, however I decided to take most of yesterday off. Hence the no contest yesterday.

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via stock.xchng]

Since it’s my b-day, we’re looking at eco-birthday fun all day long. In the last post, Plan A Green & Gorgeous Birthday! we discussed planning (obviously) in this post, we’ll look at some extra beautiful gifts you could get for someone having a birthday.

Almost anything from Night Owl Paper Goods. You have to give me this, when I get obsessive, at least it’s over cool stuff. And I’m major obsessive lately over this newer line of green goodies. Because, however, I can’t just show all their goods here, I picked some items I’d want, and of course these would be the perfect gift for another green girl (or maybe the right green guy):

The Wooden Button Flower Card – Eco-friendly sustainably harvested yellow birch cards and the wood grain varies from card to card, creating a unique gift. You could use it as a card (yup you can write on it) or frame it up.

The Wooden Journal – Coccoa Rossette

AND this Night Owl Paper Goods Owl Flowering Branch Tote Bag – which I must own, or die trying.

How cute is this bag?

Next some bubbly, splashy, yummy birthday fun:
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I’m not sure when green got a bad rap, but sometimes you still hear folks saying things like,”Green is too hippie, too clunky, too earthy, too something” but they always say it in this voice that makes it perfectly clear that green, is not so pretty.

Granted, I do adore the hippie earthy stuff, but I also like some sparkle, a dash of glitter, and even a little pink along with my green. That said, and being that it’s my birthday (so I can do as I please), I decided to hold a beautiful birthday event here. I’m going to point out some items that you can get for your own birthday (or a special friend’s birthday) that are not only green, but crushingly pretty.

First the CAKE! You can have your eco-ethics and still have a beautiful cake too. I found these lovely cakes at the Organic Chocolate Cake Company.

I like white cake actually; but these cakes made me think, “Heck, I can deal with chocolate!” Birthday cakes from this company are highlighted with pure edible gold or silver, and dusted with organic fair trade cocoa or coated with an organic icing sugar.

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See this lovely tree:

Nice right? Tall, well shaped, watching over what could be a blank field. Well, my pal Scott over at Health and Men has a sad story up about this tree today. One you should head over to read. Scott usually blogs about health and music, but today this story put him in a mood, so he veered off topic to cover it. And I’m glad he did. It’s a great, thoughtful post, that will make you think. Also, I like this post because if issues like one tree can’t affect someone, somewhere, well, just where does that leave us. It’s not just the green bloggers pulling for trees.

I don’t love the story, I don’t like the idea, but it makes you appreciate how trees can affect us, our thoughts, and our land. Read Scott’s post.

Have you ever lost a significant tree – or more than one?

To learn more about tree conservation visit Scenic America.

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[images via, Scott's blog & Buy Nothing Day]

Being that Buy Nothing Day is coming up fast, here are some ideas for gifts of time you can give this holiday season. These are all cost-nothing gifts, or gifts you can provide with what’s on hand already….

Teach a child something or just spend some time: Honestly, I can’t tell you one item my grandma gave me for a holiday. But I think about everything she taught me or did with me all the time. How to sew, cook, play cards, paint, and more. Plus her stories stick with me. These are the things kids remember when they’re older, not that race car from ten birthdays ago.

Go on a family hike: Yup it’s cold, but nature looks different in winter than any other time of the year – get out and see it for yourself. Go at night and see the houses lit up (you’re allowed to cringe at the energy use, but you have to admit, it’s still pretty.)

Perk up an elderly family member’s house: They’ll appreciate it. You can shovel their walk, clean out the basement, or plant some bulbs that will come up in the spring.

Reconnect with someone: Write or call someone that you haven’t spoken to in a good long while. This is always a nice surprise.

Plan a fun day: Gather everyone, friends, family, whoever, at your home and have a great holiday cookie bake-off, a snow fort contest, play board games, or make homemade holiday gifts.

Take ten minutes a day to learn something new for the planet: Sign up for a green newsletter, add green new feeds to your rss, or visit an eco news blog or site a few times a week. Take some time to learn the issues that affect us all year round.

Volunteer anywhere. Find your opportunity.

What else would you suggest? How can you give the gift of time vs. stuff?  

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[images via, stock.xchng & Buy Nothing Day]

I just got word of this great new digital magazine service from Zinio. Right now they’re offering free subscriptions (no strings attached that I can see) to an online magazine of your choice. Thus, I’m spreading this around today at various blogs today. (Heads up in case you see this at another of my blogs and think, huh?)

Perks for tree huggers:

• Read online, which saves some trees!
• Get back copies of various magazines for just 99 cents.
• Get special deals on magazines – i.e. save money on your fave reads.
• And of course, right now, get a free magazine!

I tried out the service to make sure it works, and it’s way cool. There’s nothing to download and you DO NOT have to give your name, credit card info, or any other private info. All you need is an email address. I love that; no more magazines hounding you when your subscription runs out.

How to get your free magazine – I’ll walk you through this easy process.
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