Green Tips: A Safe Christmas For All

The holidays are upon us and for those of us who celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, that includes some gift buying and giving. Being signed up to receive many organizations and green businesses' email newsletters, Kevin and I have gotten a lot of ideas for safe, green, and altruistic gifts in our inboxes this year. I thought I would share some of these ideas, tips and resources with you all.

First off, let's talk Toys. As you all know, we have a little one at home now. This is going to be Benjamin's first Christmas and we're trying to focus on getting him few but safe toys.

MomsRising.org, one of my favorite non-profits out there, came up with a great idea this year. They are offering a service to find out if the toys you are considering are safe and non-toxic, while out shopping, via mobile phone. Simply text: healthytoys [toy name] to 41411. They will respond instantly with the results, based on recent comprehensive tests by HealthyToys.org. You can find more info about the No Toxic Toys program on the MomsRising.org website.


HealthyToys.org is a great resource as well. It is the "Consumer Action Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys". You can learn more about toxics in toys by searching for them by name, or browsing lists by brand or type.

HealthyToys.org includes test results for over 1,200 toys and children's products. In cases where toys had many different components (building blocks of different colors, for example, or dolls with fabric and plastic), researchers attempted to collect a useful number of samples from each toy. For this reason, the data reflects over 3,000 individual samples of different product components.

Here are some of my favorite online stores where to purchase safe, non-toxic, organic and classic wooden toys:

• Rosie Hippos
• Nova Natural Toys & Crafts
• Under The Nile
  
• Atlantis Natural
• HearthSong
• Hazelnut Kids

Nova Natural Toys

For the adults on your Christmas list, there are two options. You can either give them "stuff" or instead donate to a charity or organization in their name. Or do both!

Let's start with Stuff. There are many resources out there for green, sustainable, socially conscious, cool gifts. Here are some of my favorite online stores:

• Global Exchange: Their Fair Trade online store is your "online source for socially conscious gifts". They implement the principles of socially and economically responsible business by operating according to Fair Trade Criteria. So you can shop there knowing that the products you choose are sweatshop-free. They offer a variety of crafts, books, coffee, clothing and jewelry products.
• Global Mamas: Global Mamas is a nonprofit organization helping small women-led enterprises in Africa. By purchasing Global Mamas products, you are offering sustainable livelihoods to women and their families living in poverty. All proceeds go directly to the women and to nonprofit programs that assist them with business development. They sell some really pretty batik clothing, bags, home accents and accessories.

GlobalMamas.org

• Etsy.com: "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade" Browse through thousands of unique products and crafts. Shopping on Etsy.com is a good way to support small business and get some really cool gifts.
• Eve's Best: This is a small woman-owned business, focused on healthy living. Find all kinds of products for a healthy home, healthy baby, and healthy family.
• Grounds for Change: A great place to buy coffee, tea, chocolate and gift baskets. They are a certified organic coffee roaster specializing in 100% Fair Trade Coffee.

Grounds for Change

• Green Nest: Healthy home products like organic linens, air purifiers, water filters, baby clothes and toys, non-toxic cleaning products and building materials, etc.
  
• Green Feet: "The Planet's Home Store", they provide high-quality, truly natural products to help you leave smaller, "greener" footprints on the planet. Products range from apparel to pet products to garden tools. They offer a convenient gift guide with a variety of products at very reasonable prices.
• ZebulonUSA: Good source of clothing, bags and toys made in the USA. In other words: supporting our domestic economy and small business, and not outsourced to sweatshops in third-world countries.
• Maggie's Functional Organics: Fair trade clothing and accessories made with certified organic fibers. Check out their socks!
• Reusable Bags: Reusable shopping bags, gift bags, produce bags, lunch bags and other bags, as well as safe, non-toxic bottles and containers. They also have a guide for smart, practical eco-gifts.
  

Looking for something else? The following three websites offer a wealth of information:

• Co-op America: Home of the National Green Pages and they right now have a Holiday Green Gift Catalog feature (click on the tile below to reach it).
  

• Still Made in the USA: Online shopping resource for American-made products for the home and family.
• EcoMall: "A Place to Help Save the Earth", searches through hundreds of websites with green products.
  

Rather than buying "stuff", you may prefer to focus on donating money to charity or a worthy organization in the name of a loved one. We've done it in some way, small or big depending on our income, for the past few years and I always love to see how much our friends and family dig it. Many non-profits and charities now offer creative ways to donate money. Giving a membership to a cool organization is a neat idea for a Christmas present, and often comes along with a token gift like a calendar or subscription to an informative newsletter. Here are some Donation ideas to consider:

• Heifer International: Choose a meaningful gift to give a loved one and help children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. For example, for $20 you can give the gift of a flock of chicks.
  

  Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks. A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year - plenty to eat, share or sell. Because chickens require little space and can thrive on readily available food scraps, families can make money from the birds without spending much. And chickens help control insects and fertilize gardens.

  Your loved one receives a pretty card with a description of what their gift will provide to a hungry family. It is quite a powerful gift on Christmas day.

Heifer International

• Oxfam America Unwrapped: Oxfam America works in 26 countries around the world. Their online "Unwrapped" catalog contains gift items that symbolically represent their work. The purchase of each gift item is a contribution toward Oxfam America's many programs. How it works: 1) You purchase an item. 2) The card goes to your friend. 3) The gift goes to those who need it most.
• Amnesty International: Give that special someone an Amnesty International gift membership this holiday season and help those who need it most. You'll help save lives and create a better future for so many who are denied basic human rights around the world. A $25 gift includes a 1-year subscription to Amnesty International magazine, a welcome kit, and a holiday eCard. And when you give a gift of $50 or more, your loved one will also receive a beautiful 2008 Amnesty International wall calendar.
• The Wilderness Society: Give the gift of wilderness! Honor your friends and family with a gift, and they will receive a special card and membership in The Wilderness Society. For a gift of $50 or more, the organization includes one of their stunning 2008 wilderness calendars.
• Mothers Acting Up: MAU is a "movement of mothers publicly and passionately advocating for the world’s children". The 2008 Mothers Acting Up Handbook and Engagement Calendar makes a great gift for a mom on your list. I have one! It features the inspirational voices of a whole cast of mothers and others sharing their personal insights, including Moms Rising cofounders Joan Blades and Kristin Finkbeiner-Rowe, Nashvillian Naomi Tutu (daughter of Desmond), Harry Belafonte, etc. MAU relies heavily on donations and your money goes to a great cause -- our kids!

Here are a couple more good resources:

• The Human Rights Campaign provides a Buying for Equality 2008 guide for download. This guide allows you to make informed decisions about whom to support in corporate America. Shop from companies that support equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.
• The New American Dream once again has their awesome Simplify the Holidays booklet for download on their website, offering practical tips for having a holiday with more joy and less stuff. They also provide tons of ideas for alternative gifts and resources and listings for alternative gift fairs. Finally, you can use their website to create your own Alternative Gift Registry. I love this organization!
  

Happy shopping and more importantly, happy gift-giving! Here's hoping for a safe Christmas for all. Feel free to use the comment section to share more resources, tips and ideas.

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