A Green and Merry Christmas

Kid's DomainChristmas is the most wonderful time for friends and family to get together. Close to mid-winter, it is a natural time to huddle by the family fires and enjoy each other's company. Gift-giving is also a great way to say thank you to all those people who are part of your life. Christmas can also be a time of great waste, if we are not careful. So, here are a few ideas which will help you celebrate Christmas in style without making you feel guilty. Having a truly Green Christmas is merely a matter of making a few changes to your celebrations in order to add additional benefit to both wildlife and the environment.

Knowing Your Family

Kid's DomainNobody likes to give an unwanted gift; it is expensive and wasteful. Despite this, the charity shops are full of such unwanted gifts after Christmas. So how does a good person end up giving an unwanted gift?

1. They don't ask what people want Which is worse, asking what someone really wants, or getting someone a gift they really don't want. Your relative or friend may be longing for someone to buy them a particular item but you will never know until you ask.

2. They don't check details Aunty might love a jumper, but it is also important to know that she would not be seen dead in pink and like long sleeve and high necks so that her arms and neck don't look "scraggy". These details make the difference between a wanted and an unwanted jumper.

3. They don't know the person well enough There is the terrible example of the absentee dad who bought his son an expensive designer watch which was never used, while his mother, who knew him better, bought him a silver skull and crossbones on a thin silver chain and a couple of heavy metal CD which he never stopped playing.

4. They won't buy the silly gift You have to be careful here. However, if you do purchase the silly gift that nobody else would dream of buying, one that is really wanted, it will be a gift that is remembered. For instance, my children got me a three foot toy dragon some years ago which I am still very fond of.

Kid's DomainThere are also wonderful opportunities to give thoughtfully chosen free gifts at Christmas, particularly to the children in the family. You would be surprised how popular such gifts can prove. Here are some examples:

1. Dressing Up Box Have you a lot of old rather junky jewelry, any not very flattering cosmetics, unsuitably flamboyant clothing, uncomfortable high-heeled shoes, etc? Do you have a little girl in the family who loves dressing up? Then sort out these items and make her a Dressing Up Box.

2. Granny's Surprise Drawer My own grandmother had such a drawer, full of little toys that she had either kept from the time she had her own children or managed to save from the dustbins of friends. Little books, mechanical toys, small dolls, jack-in-the-boxes. This was a source of continuing pleasure to us as children. Especially since every time we visited, there were a few different items.

3. Junk Art A big box full of scraps of paper, pencils, biros, scraps of cellotape, washable glue, silver foil, yogurt pots, cardboard from cereal packets, scraps of materials, bubble wrap, etc, etc. This can be dug out for an impromptu art session or to enable a child to make a monster of a thoughtfully provided cardboard box.

4. Computer Art If the children you know prefer working on computers, then why not go to Kid's Domain, where you will find a huge range of beautiful free clip art. All the artwork you can see in this article is from Kid's Domain An excellent idea and an environmental one too is to buy some thick recycled paper and let the children make their own Christmas cards using this artwork.

5. The Gift of Music Many people start off attempting to learn to play a musical instrument and end up not bothering. The result is an abandoned musical instrument which nobody plays. How sad! If you have such a thing, see if there is anyone else in the family simply longing to have such an instrument.

Green "DOs"

No this time I am not going to give you a string of "do nots". Instead here are a list of things you can do, which will make a great difference to the environment.

1. DO buy brazil nuts as nibbles Brazil nuts are grown as a sustainable crop in Tropical Rainforests. By purchasing brazil nuts, you are protecting an area of rainforest from less sustainable production like logging. For more information,click here

2. DO attempt to grow your own mistletoe Mistletoe is now an endangered species on which a number of wild creatures depend thoroughout the winter months. Though growing mistletoe is a bit of a challenge, it certainly can be done. For more information check out this link

3. DO buy wine with real corks In doing so you are supporting sustainable harvesting in Spain and Portugal as well as helping a number of wildlife species. For more information, check this link

Kid's Domain This will be the last article in 2001. Come back again in late January to find more environmental advice for 2002.

Until then I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!