Facts:

I personally was raised with Christmas – trees, cookies, gifts, the whole darn deal. I liked it and as a kid thought it was mostly fun, but I never loved how hectic it was, and by the time I was in my early 20s I was sick of the whole planning perfect gifts mess.

By the time my son Cedar was born, his dad and I wanted to do something for the winter holiday season, but we couldn’t quite place what that was.

Since Cedar was born we’ve had years with Christmas trees and years without and even years with living trees. Years with big stressful get-togethers and years where we’d just chill with friends. We’ve had MANY years of trying to balance gift giving because we like the less is more idea, but just try getting people on board – it sucks. You say, please do not get me anything, and people just won’t listen.

What’s hard is finding a balance. You could be green by avoiding the winter holiday season altogether but that’s extreme and doesn’t really build any sort of tradition for kids. You could say screw green and have a big ol’ celebration with lots of bling – the other extreme. OR you can find balance. It’s finding a balance that everyone will agree with that’s hard because it’s not just your little household; it’s extended family, friends, co-workers, and more.

This year, I seriously want to make a change. I’ve managed to green up many areas of my life, but finding the perfect (or a good) green Christmas is one area where I could use some help. In a perfect world… we’d find some traditions to keep like organic cookie making day or giving gifts that are all green and homemade and personalized, and ditch the holiday traditions that aren’t working so well – i.e. extended family not listening when we say JUST ONE GIFT! Or maybe deciding to skip the Christmas tree forever.

In order to sort out my own family’s idea of the perfect holiday and to help readers along, I thought we’d get started early this year. It can take some time to plan a fun, meaningful, and still green winter holiday season. To get you (and me) going, following are some useful resources that can help anyone start planning a greener, more meaningful holiday season.

Two useful sites:

• Buy Nothing Christmas – an excellent kick off point. If you want to start practicing early you can ditch Black Friday and join up with Buy Nothing Day.
• The Simple Living Network

Two cool books:

• Green Christmas
• Celebrate Green

I’ve got some more resources coming up as well as some tips for a green and meaningful holiday season. For now you tell me – what are your plans this year for a greener holiday season?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

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]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

These are posts full of tips that can help you to rethink purchases, money, and the general idea of stuff.

Cold Turkey Paper Towels & the What Questions

Why Does Being Green Cost So Much?

Organizing by Simplifying

How To Start Getting Rid of Stuff – Get Rid of “Maybe” Items

Kid specific consumer info: 

Raising Green Kids In A Commercial Culture

Kids & Shopping – How Kids Can Be Smart Consumers

My Own Little, His View of Commercials, & Tips for Talking With Your Kids About Purchases

As a parent, do you understand the impact of the need for stuff?

Eco-friendly Ways to Reward Kids

Commercials Are Everywhere

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

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Could I be more hypocritical?

Each year at this time I start feeling like I should answer the question above. Last year I posted, If you’re so against having stuff, then why show all these products on this blog? That post basically covered why I’m not a hypocrite. But, it’s always good to recap during the holiday season.

My take on stuff:

Personally, I don’t love having too much more stuff around than I need. It’s a consumer and clutter issue for me.

I do own items that are unnecessary; books, incense, candles, pictures in frames, more than one pair of shoes, but I do try to keep unnecessary item numbers low. For instance, I don’t think you need three kitchen appliances that do the same thing. For me, it’s about items that make you feel at home – i.e art supplies or books, vs. total wants like four TV sets or three bathrooms in a family of two. That’s insane. But overall I’m not against things that make your home feel like home.

Just because I show a product on this blog, does not mean I think you need it. I consider that you might need something at some point, and that then, the post might come in handy. Eventually, you will need a new blanket, coffee cup, or car. Do I hope that when you need a new dishes, baby clothes, a gift, or something, that you’ll choose an environmentally responsible product over a not responsible product. Um, yeah. How do people hear about these products – well, from me here at Tree Hugging Family, from other bloggers, news ads, etc.

Do I hope that you purchase everything I show here? Obviously NO. I know that no one needs all the stuff I show. Why do I show things that are decoration? Well, when it comes right down to it, I do believe that people can have the home they want, decorated and all. I don’t believe in collecting a thousand little knick knacks and other useless items, but some sense of personal style is what makes the world go round. Some records can make your life a little happier, and the right piece of art can brighten everyone’s day. It’s ok, especially when you consciously make smart decisions surrounding most areas of your life.

There you go – this is why I show items you could buy on this, and other blogs. Have stuff all you want. Just make sure that you honestly own stuff for a reason, don’t let your stuff own you.

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

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Basics: 

Buy Nothing Day it’s fairly self-explanatory; it’s a day you, you guessed it, buy nothing. Created by the folks at Adbusters; Buy Nothing Day correlates with Black Friday otherwise know as the biggest shopping day of the year.Facts:

• You have better things to do with your time than shop.
• The U.S. is overwhelmed with consumerism, and this is one day that highlights that while currently true, it doesn’t need to be this way.
• Black Friday is a holiday that’s all about encouraging people to buy more, more, more. You don’t have to be on board.

On the green side:

Black Friday is anything but earth friendly. This is one day where shopping can do double harm to the environment. Obviously here at THF we discuss the impact that products and the energy it takes to make them have on the planet. Consider the extra bad effects that will happen on Black Friday:

Extra gas needed to get from place to place because people are stuck in traffic even more than usual.

Senseless items bought. This is fact. I’ve seen it in action. People go to this huge sale because they saw something they actually need on the sales ad. That in itself is not a bad thing. However, once you get to a store the item is gone — because of course the store didn’t stock enough and so to make up for the wasted time people tend to shop for other items that were not on their list in the first place.

An utter lack of peace. I don’t talk about peace and calm too much here but in many ways I feel that both are tied intrinsically to eco-living. Once you start to live simpler a certain calm does take over your life. You do feel more at peace because you aren’t competing with anyone on a who has what level and it’s an overall nicer way to live. Less clutter, less competition, more peace. Black Friday is anything but peaceful. People fight over stuff and you don’t get any lamer than that. This is stuff wars are made of. Sure it’s on a smaller level but come on. We don’t need to live like that.

Time. One of the best ways to encourage green living is to live a happy healthy lifestyle. People who are healthy and happy tend to be more balanced and want a healthier planet as well. There is no argument on earth that’s going to convince me that all those lines, all the shoving, all the people weaving at the stores on the very crowed Black Friday is a healthy way to live. Your time is worth more than that. Many people get Black Friday off only to spend it working at the mall. Instead take the day and go to the park with your family; play board games; talk… spend time not money. This is what encourages health and happiness not the fact that you saved $10 on a printer.

Which side will you choose this year? 

I’m hoping you’ll take me up on the November green challenge and commit to shunning the stores on Black Friday this year. If you want to join the challenge, click the image below.

Let me know your thoughts on Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day in the comments.

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

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Your green challenge, for November 2008, should you choose to accept it, is…

To buy nothing on Buy Nothing Day 2008.

Steps to take:

1. Buy Nothing Day happens on November 28, 2008 for North America and on November 29, 2008 internationally.
2. This small action step challenge consists of you buying nothing on the big day.
3. Another action step you can take would be to spread the word, tell your friends and family. Convince at least one other person to ban shopping on Buy Nothing Day.

Difficulties with this challenge:

For some of us, Buy Nothing Day will be a snap. However Black Friday is seductive to many. Some people are going to have to use massive will power to avoid the sales. To help you avoid caving in, I’ll be writing posts during the month that discuss Buy Nothing Day, ideas for simplifying, how to avoid shopping temptations, and how to be a good green shopper when you do shop.

The end result: 

Of course this challenge is about avoiding Black Friday; but there’s more to the end result than simply that. Part of being an earth-friendly individual is lowering your overall consumption, and buying ethically when you do shop. While Buy Nothing Day is a good first step, it merely kicks off a specific sort of mind-set. It’s not about NEVER buying items, it’s more, in my mind, thinking before you purchase. What the eventual end result should be is a change in your overall thinking; a knowledge that there’s a difference between needs and want, and that living simply can be a worthwhile endeavor, both for you and the planet.

To get started:

1. Soon I’ll be posting about Buy Nothing Day – it’s history, the basic gist, and so fourth. Watch for that post.
2. Start thinking about what challenges you may face on Black Friday – what might make you head to the stores. Let me know so I can provide you with helpful ideas.
3. Start telling your pals. If you participate in Buy Nothing Day, that’s swell, but if you can convince someone else, well, that’s a double accomplishment.

Now, are you going to try and participate in the Buy Nothing Challenge this month? Let me know in the comments. I’ll have update posts all month, including a wrap-up post to see how everyone did.

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

[image via Buy Nothing Day]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Be a non-consumer:

In re-news (as in each year it comes around) Buy Nothing Day is quickly approaching. This year it falls on November 23rd in North America and on the 24th internationally. For those of you new to the concept Buy Nothing Day is brain child of one of my faves Adbusters. At least it has been for as long as I can remember — not sure if the original idea was theirs or not (I’ll look into it). Buy Nothing Day is a day to get back to basic and simply buy nothing. Much of being a green citizen is curbing consumption and this yearly event is a great way to make a big statement. Just think when everyone else is out frantic at the malls you can be home chilling with the family. More to come on this event soon but for now this is a sort of get thinking prompt.

I love the new Buy Nothing ads each year but this one is one of my faves:

Building and climate change:

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) released their new suite of climate change guidance documents on October 18th. You may think I’m not an architect and or British so this doesn’t apply but in fact it does. The new guidelines were created to be especially architect and consumer friendly across the board. Available for download are:

• Climate Change Briefing – a document that sets the scene on the relationship between buildings and climate change.
• Guide to Low Carbon Performance Methods and Assessment Methods – “focusing on new and existing buildings, this guidance covers energy and environmental standards for the main building types (residential, commercial and public), and includes references and links for more detailed information.”
• Guide to Low Carbon Design Tools — (just what it says).

Upcoming reading (over the next six months) will include a Carbon Literacy Briefing, Guide to The Principles of Low Carbon Design and Refurbishment and Guide to Low Carbon Skills and Training.

Download and learn more at RIBA.

Be green & save money at the same time:

Green Deals Daily launched and now have their feeds all nice and set up and believe me you should subscribe. I’ve read that the site was created to supposedly assist Canadians in finding cream of the crop green deals on the web but after some visits it looks friendly to those outside of Canada as well.

They offer green item coupon codes and seem to be updating quickly with everything from 8lbs Organic Coffee $25 Shipped @ Amazon to Save 10% on sustainable handbags and accessories @ Ecoist plus so much more.

I haven’t spent a lot of time there but they seem to have a Digg-like set-up going on where people can vote for super deals. Additionally they offer links to posts and articles like How to Invest in Alternative Energy Stocks and they donate 5% of site profits to Carbonfund.org.

For the kids (and rest of the family):

The perfect simple autumn leaf gathering primer! Set up as a school curriculum I believe (ignore that) this guide really has some great basic information on how to be a super slick leaf gathering family.

It offers parents who know little about leaves the best tips for talking to kids about them along with Crayon Leaf Rubbings, Autumn Wreath designing, follow up, and a few more pieces of leaf gathering advice.

That’s some of the latest news — why not tell me what you’ve seen lately that’s cool for tree hugging families.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family